The Senior Prom

The first thing that stood out for me in today’s gospel was the sentence, “Jesus realized the intentions of their hearts.” While the rest of the story suggests that the intentions of the disciples’ hearts was for gain or status, I’m just touched that Jesus knows their hearts because that means that He also knows mine. Sometimes I do things that don’t necessarily reflect the intentions of my heart and it is comforting to know that Jesus knows my heart and He is always looking for ways to keep the intentions of my heart and my actions pure. Sadly, when I put myself in today’s gospel, I feel like I might be the one leading the argument of who is the greatest because obviously I am His favorite. 

It’s time for me to keep the intentions of my heart and my actions in check and rest in the blessed assurance that God’s love is big enough, wide enough, and unconditional enough to make each and every one of us His true favorite. The only way for us to even wrap our brains around this mystery is through humility and that is why Jesus brought a child into the scene. I noticed that He places the child by his side showing equality. Children were considered the very lowest in Middle Eastern culture so this gesture would have definitely gotten their attention. Jesus aligns himself the least of these to remind the disciples and us that He became small so that we might also become small. Our smallness allows for the bigness of God. So whoever puts the least of these at their side, equal to themselves, in the Name of Jesus, receives Jesus. Every time we align ourselves with the meek, the poor, the lowly, the unlovable, the distressing disguise, the hard to deal with, the ignorant, the foolish, the mean, the hurting, the ugly, the broken-hearted, we receive Jesus. 

This past week we had our “Senior Prom” at the Assisted Living/Memory Care facility where I work, and the experience captures the essence of today’s gospel. The residents were concerned about not having any formal wear so the staff all collected outfits amongst ourselves to bring in for them to wear. Each one looked and felt like a million bucks and this one small gesture aligned the least of these to the intentions of our hearts. We did makeovers on the women all day and all hands were on deck for getting everyone primped and cleaned up. The residents were also concerned about the dancing part of the evening because of their limited mobility. The staff also made sure that every single person made it to the dance floor for a song or two. Wheelchairs were being pushed and rocked to the music, staff members became living walkers for the sweethearts to hold onto, able-bodied residents were also helping people boogie, and there was not one person who felt like they couldn’t dance. When I stepped back and realized the intentions of the hearts of all in that room, it took everything I had in me not to stop and weep over the glimpse into heaven. The least of these were put into the high places, celebrated, honored, and served just as Jesus teaches us in today’s gospel. When it came time to announce the Prom King and Queen, by a landslide, the two most humble, kind, and “small” people in the entire facility won. It warmed everyone’s hearts because the winners were so entirely shocked that they won, which is why they won in the first place. As I look at the incredible pictures that my friend Karen took at the Senior Prom, I see the glory of God in every smile, every graceful dance move, every couple inside the harvest moon photo station, every silly hat worn in the photo booth, every fancy dress, every homemade boutonniere, and every wheelchair slow dance. Making ourselves small for the sake of the kingdom is a beautiful and sometimes clunky dance that makes everyone feel like Fred Astaire and Ginger. 

Tomorrow we celebrate the sweet little saintly life of Therese of Lisieux who is a model of this gospel. May we become small so that God can be His big amazing glorious all-loving self. May we receive Jesus alongside the least of these today, and let’s all get out there on that dance floor. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 455

Reading 1 ZEC 8:1-8

This word of the LORD of hosts came:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

I am intensely jealous for Zion,
stirred to jealous wrath for her.
Thus says the LORD:
I will return to Zion,
and I will dwell within Jerusalem;
Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city,
and the mountain of the LORD of hosts,
the holy mountain.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:  Old men and old women,
each with staff in hand because of old age,
shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Even if this should seem impossible
in the eyes of the remnant of this people,
shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also,
says the LORD of hosts?
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun,
and from the land of the setting sun.
I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.
They shall be my people, and I will be their God,
with faithfulness and justice.

Responsorial Psalm PS 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 AND 22-23

R.  (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
"The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die."
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence.
That the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

Alleluia MK 10:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 9:46-50

An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest. 
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
"Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest."

Then John said in reply, 
"Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name 
and we tried to prevent him
because he does not follow in our company."
Jesus said to him, 
"Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you."

Not Yet

“He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.” This sentence stood out in today’s gospel as rather odd. Why didn’t Jesus want people to know that He was “The Christ of God” yet? Operative word “yet.” Sometimes there is a “not yet” in the timing of God and those “not yet(s)” are very important in our spiritual maturity. They indicate a rhythm, patience, waiting on the Lord, embracing the mystery, trust, and the ever-important buzzword of our current time…boundaries. Jesus knew that the timing of the revelation of His Messiah-ship was supreme in coinciding with Scripture, in properly preparing the soil of the hearts of His disciples, also teaching His Apostles how to wait, and in faithfulness to His Father’s perfect plan. Patience, waiting, holding tension, keeping secrets, and that darn buzzword boundaries are all things that our culture does not necessarily embrace wholeheartedly. We want it all and we want it now so we can blab about it on social media. Jesus wants us to hold some things close until the proper time. The “not yet(s)” represent self-control, faith, and total trust that God knows what He’s doing. Raise your hand if you need more of any one of these. 

It was vital that Jesus be truly known to His closest companions at this time in the gospel because the next phase of the plan was, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” We can endure suffering if we are truly known by those closest to us. They strengthen us when the world seems to come against us. The Apostles needed this revelation to start tenderizing their hearts for what was to come. Even though they were MIA and afraid during His passion, death, and resurrection, their softening hearts made room for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the rest, as they say, is HIStory. 

Sometimes Jesus reveals things to us that we get to hold onto for a time. The closer we draw to Him, the better we can answer His question, “Who do you say that I am?” This intimacy allows us to hear the “when to(s)” and the “not yet(s)” that will grow us in the virtues of patience, faith, trust, and spiritual maturity. Jesus is so so so for us and He wants us in sync with Our Father’s perfect rhythm and timing for every little and big thing. We need to answer His question as often as we can, “Who do you say that I am?” and we need to embrace the mystery of His timing. The opening line in today’s gospel gives us the key to be able to do any or all of the above, “Jesus was praying in solitude.” The still small voice of God comes to us when we pray in solitude. Spend some nose-to-nose time with God today so you can sync your heartbeat with His. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
Lectionary: 453

Reading 1 HG 2:1-9

In the second year of King Darius,
on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,
the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:
Tell this to the governor of Judah,
Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak,
and to the remnant of the people:

Who is left among you
that saw this house in its former glory?
And how do you see it now?
Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes?
But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the LORD,
and take courage, Joshua, high priest, son of Jehozadak,
And take courage, all you people of the land,
says the LORD, and work!
For I am with you, says the LORD of hosts.
This is the pact that I made with you
when you came out of Egypt,
And my spirit continues in your midst;
do not fear!
For thus says the LORD of hosts:
One moment yet, a little while,
and I will shake the heavens and the earth,
the sea and the dry land.
I will shake all the nations,
and the treasures of all the nations will come in,
And I will fill this house with glory,
says the LORD of hosts.
Mine is the silver and mine the gold,
says the LORD of hosts.
Greater will be the future glory of this house
than the former, says the LORD of hosts;
And in this place I will give you peace,
says the LORD of hosts!

Responsorial PsalmPS 43:1, 2, 3, 4

R.(5) Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
Do me justice, O God, and fight my fight
against a faithless people;
from the deceitful and impious man rescue me. 
R. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
For you, O God, are my strength.
Why do you keep me so far away?
Why must I go about in mourning,
with the enemy oppressing me?
R. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.
R. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

Alleluia MK 10:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'"
Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God."
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised."

The Most Interesting Man In The World

The word that jumped out at me this morning is “perplexed.” Herod was greatly perplexed at all that was happening around Jesus. It reminds me of the Dos Equis beer commercials featuring “The Most Interesting Man In The World.” This handsome debonair man of intrigue represents a mystery character that puzzles and draws people to him. Some of my favorite quotes about him are: “He lives vicariously through himself. Bigfoot tries to get pictures of him. His mother has a tattoo that says ‘Son.’ In museums, he’s allowed to touch the art. He has won the lifetime achievement award…twice.” The mystery of God is what draws us in and the mystery of God is what keeps us trying to see Him. Faith requires a bit of perplexity doesn’t it? I looked up some other words for perplexity: puzzled, mystified, baffled, bewildered, and stunned. Jesus’ life was all of these and more. It is the “more” part that keeps us trying to see Him, and keeps us captivated. 

I pray that Jesus captivates your heart today and that you keep trying to see Him. You may be surprised as to where you find Him. As for me, I see Him in the distressing disguise of heartbreak, in the hopeful promise of love’s recovery, and in the sweet and fragile elderly that I serve. Today, we are having a Senior Prom at work and the nominees went out yesterday for our Prom King and Queen. The ballot included pictures of each nominee and the adoring buzz that started to circulate about them was a treasure. I heard people campaigning for each one of the nominees with words of affirmation and genuine delight. I felt like I was witnessing “A Most Interesting Person In The World” commercial and it was precious. I hope you see Him in the small things, in the ordinary things, in the big things, or in the extraordinary things, but keep trying to see him. One last quote from The Real Most Interesting Man In The World, “I don’t always drink wine, but when I do I make it from water.” Jesus, man of intrigue, captivate us today. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 HG 1:1-8

On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius,
The word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai
to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel,
and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak:

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
This people says:
"The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD."
(Then this word of the LORD came through Haggai, the prophet:)
Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses,
while this house lies in ruins?

Now thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
You have sown much, but have brought in little;
you have eaten, but have not been satisfied;
You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated;
have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed;
And whoever earned wages
earned them for a bag with holes in it.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider your ways!
Go up into the hill country;
bring timber, and build the house
That I may take pleasure in it
and receive my glory, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm PS 149:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6A AND 9B

R.(see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R.The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R.The Lord takes delight in his people.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.
R.The Lord takes delight in his people.

Alleluia JN 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

Practice

In today’s gospel Jesus is beautifully intentional about inviting each one of us into a family, His family. He calls us His mother and siblings if we hear the Word of God and act on it. Wow. I just love that and I often glance over this very special declaration. We have the opportunity to accept or deny this invitation. Acceptance means that we will hear the Word of God and practice it. I find great comfort in the word “practice” because it implies that I am still learning the lines, or the blocking, or the choreography, or the sports play, or the notes, or the tune, or the rules, or the fundamentals, or the process, or the meaning. With practice comes growth and one day, after I’ve practiced enough, I will be ready to apply what I’ve practiced to my life. Living the word of God will eventually be as natural as breathing because I’ve been practicing. This will not ever be a reality unless I understand that “the practice” is really a relationship or being part of a family, complete with all the family dynamics that can and will challenge us, but also with all the family joys, celebrations, traditions, good times and bad that give us an anchor of hope. Jesus invites us to share His DNA through the Word of God. Don’t you just love that? 

“My mother and brothers (siblings) are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” So as long as we are practicing the things we hear in the Word of God, we get to claim the family name. I love that Jesus calls me his sister today. I love that Jesus calls you brothers and sisters today. Just like any family, we might be a little crazy or dysfunctional, but at the end of the day, we continue to love one another as the Good Good Father loves us. Our DNA has been transformed by the Word, and hopefully we all resemble our favorite brother! It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 EZR 6:7-8, 12B, 14-20

King Darius issued an order to the officials
of West-of-Euphrates:
“Let the governor and the elders of the Jews
continue the work on that house of God;
they are to rebuild it on its former site.
I also issue this decree
concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews
in the rebuilding of that house of God:
From the royal revenue, the taxes of West-of-Euphrates,
let these men be repaid for their expenses, in full and without delay.
I, Darius, have issued this decree;
let it be carefully executed.”

The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building,
supported by the message of the prophets,
Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo.
They finished the building according to the command
of the God of Israel
and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius
and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia.
They completed this house on the third day of the month Adar,
in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
The children of Israel–priests, Levites,
and the other returned exiles–
celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
For the dedication of this house of God,
they offered one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs,
together with twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel,
in keeping with the number of the tribes of Israel.
Finally, they set up the priests in their classes
and the Levites in their divisions
for the service of God in Jerusalem,
as is prescribed in the book of Moses.

The exiles kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion,
sacrificed the Passover for the rest of the exiles,
for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Responsorial Psalm PS 122:1-2, 3-4AB, 4CD-5

R.(1)  Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Alleluia LK 11:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers 
are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

When We Know It Shows

Today’s gospel fell on me in a new way today, after all it is the first day of Fall. Once we have received the light of knowledge of the Word, the revelation of God’s presence in our hearts, the recognition that love is a verb, the living faith that the miraculous exposes, the workings of the Holy Spirit, the call to holiness, the sound of His voice, the prompting of His Spirit, the need for mercy, the desire to serve others, and/or the treasure of great price, then we cannot hide it. It will be seen. Have you ever tried to hide light? It is the one thing that cannot really hide. God radiates us with these gifts of grace and revelation. As we receive them they charge the light within us so that it spills out unable to hide. 

This light radiates as a special something, or a joyful twinkle in the eye, or the strong resolve to reach out to the poor, or the compassion to hold the broken hearted, or the bold faith to pray for the sick, or acts of kindness toward the unlovable, or peace that surpasses understanding, or patient waiting for God’s timing and will, or the ability to find God in all things, or the gift of living in the present moment, and all the things that show that we know and belong to our Good Good Father. Once we know, we know, and when we know it shows. We can try to hide it and sometimes I know for sure that I try to hide it because it requires me to do the right thing, which is often the hard thing, or to reach out to those on the edges, which is scary at times, or to constantly be shiny, which can be exhausting. However, once we know, we know, and when we know it shows, so I can try to hide it all I want, but it still breaks forth, spills out, radiates, warms, and reveals His presence in my life, and thank God it does. Sometimes the light is little and sometimes the light is big and bold, but it always pierces the dark. 

Today I pray that we stop trying to hide the light of love that has been lavishly given to us. I pray that we will let this revelation light shine for all to experience. It says that nothing will be hidden from us, which means that God reveals everything we need in His Son Jesus. The hiddenness and secrets mentioned in this gospel are not our dirty laundry or the exposure of all our deepest darkest sins, but the revelation of God’s grace, mercy, companionship, love, favor, and presence in our lives. That exposure of God’s goodness covers our darkness with light and not the other way around. When we take care to hear Him, we are given the tremendous privilege to be beacons of what we know. Beacons point others toward the right way. Once we know, we know, and when we know it shows. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest
Lectionary: 449

Reading 1 EZR 1:1-6

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia,
in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah,
the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia
to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom,
both by word of mouth and in writing:
"Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia:
'All the kingdoms of the earth
the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me,
and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem,
which is in Judah.
Therefore, whoever among you belongs to any part of his people,
let him go up, and may his God be with him!
Let everyone who has survived, in whatever place he may have dwelt,
be assisted by the people of that place
with silver, gold, goods, and cattle,
together with free-will offerings
for the house of God in Jerusalem.'"

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin
and the priests and Levites–
everyone, that is, whom God had inspired to do so– 
prepared to go up to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
All their neighbors gave them help in every way,
with silver, gold, goods, and cattle,
and with many precious gifts
besides all their free-will offerings.

Responsorial Psalm PS 126:1B-2AB, 2CD-3, 4-5, 6

R.(3) The Lord has done marvels for us.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R.The Lord has done marvels for us.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R.The Lord has done marvels for us.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R.The Lord has done marvels for us.
Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R.The Lord has done marvels for us.

AlleluiaMT 5:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 8:16-18

Jesus said to the crowd:
“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

A Real Ladies’ Man

Today’s gospel gives us a precious glimpse into Jesus’ thoughts on women in ministry…right alongside Him and the big Twelve!! I seriously want in on this road trip. These women have a special something in common in that they had all been cured of evil spirits and disease. Remember the woman from yesterday’s gospel, who had also been cured of the affliction of her sins, and was compelled to be so close to Jesus that she wiped His feet with her own hair? These women seem to have a similar desire to be close to Him because they have joined His motley crew of rugged fisherman, tax collectors, and various other dudes. Their healing, breakthrough, freedom, and restoration is what activated them to go all in for Jesus, therefore their sin/affliction was the very thing that gave them the need for their Savior. May I also be able to see that my sin does not keep me from Jesus, it draws me closer to Him to be saved, healed, and redeemed. We have work to do after all. 

The thing that gets me wondering is if these ladies might have become close personal friends with Mary, Jesus’ mother. Perhaps they had their own little MOMS group that met each morning to pray for their children and for some good old fashion girl talk. Perhaps they were like my groupies and I stealing away for little weekend trips to go wine tasting or to cook fancy food. Maybe they were like so many groups of faith-filled women in various ministries raising money for this or that, praying diligently for every kind of need, teaching the children about Jesus, doing the work, making things happen, and most importantly participating in worship. I think it might actually be a combination of all of the above because our need for community is necessary on the journey of faith, and our faith will be made known through our good works.  We definitely know that they were women with a past, but they were also women with means as it says, “Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.” How cool is that? Raise your hand if you know any resourceful women currently in church ministry? I do I do!!!!!! 

Jesus didn’t have time to sift through His entourage looking for those that were socially approved the same way we might scroll through our Facebook looking for people that agree with our opinions. Jesus had a mission and that was to spread love to everyone. His social media practices were to build real relationships with people, eyelash to eyelash. In those real relationships, He was able to ask people to detach from the things of this world, He was able to rely on the community to support His mission through prayer and resources, and He was able to empower people to change their status from being concerned about this life to being concerned about the next life. Jesus was indeed a “ladies’ man” and I am grateful for His special consideration of some amazing women of God beginning with His own mom and trickling all the way down to little ole me. Knowing that I have a place in His entourage even with my past, but especially because of my future, my resources, and my willingness to be close to Him, gives me the encouragement I need to stay in it all the way. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 447

Reading 1 1 TM 6:2C-12

Beloved:
Teach and urge these things.
Whoever teaches something different
and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the religious teaching
is conceited, understanding nothing,
and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes.
From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions,
and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds,
who are deprived of the truth,
supposing religion to be a means of gain.
Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world,
just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.
If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.
Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap
and into many foolish and harmful desires,
which plunge them into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is the root of all evils,
and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith
and have pierced themselves with many pains.

But you, man of God, avoid all this.
Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion,
faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life,
to which you were called when you made the noble confession
in the presence of many witnesses.

Responsorial Psalm PS 49:6-7, 8-10, 17-18, 19-20

R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Why should I fear in evil days
when my wicked ensnarers ring me round?
They trust in their wealth;
the abundance of their riches is their boast.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Yet in no way can a man redeem himself,
or pay his own ransom to God;
Too high is the price to redeem one’s life; he would never have enough
to remain alive always and not see destruction.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him down.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Though in his lifetime he counted himself blessed,
“They will praise you for doing well for yourself,”
He shall join the circle of his forebears
who shall never more see light.
R. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Alleluia SEE MT 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 8:1-3

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.