The Handsome Angel

The story of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s dad, is a fun one. First he wins the priest lottery, which is a pretty big deal. It’s one of those “once in a lifetime” things and whenever something is labeled “once in a lifetime”, I feel like people tend to make an effort to make the most of the experience. The very idea that this is my only chance to do this ups our game, opens our heart, channels our courage up to the surface, and ignites our best effort. The priest lottery was for the honor of going into the Holy of Holies where God’s presence dwelled (inside the temple), where only priests could go, and burn the incense representing the people’s prayer to the Lord. In ancient Judaism there was no shortage of priests, in fact you could go your entire lifetime without being selected for this great honor, and that’s why winning the lottery was a big deal (don’t we wish we had that “problem” today?).

While he was in there he had an encounter with the ever-impressive Angel Gabriel. I really want to meet this Gabriel guy sometime because in every scene he shows up in the Bible he scares the crap out of the people to which he is appearing. I picture him to be massive like a gladiator, shiny like when the sun hits the side of a mirrored skyscraper and it blinds you, and of course handsome, so handsome, in fact, that he takes everyone’s breath away. I understand that handsome is the opposite of scary, but you can picture your Angel Gabriel any way you want…mine happens to be handsome. The point is that his presence was overwhelming. 

He greets Zechariah in a similar way to how he greets Mary, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John,” along with an ample description of his son! So far so good and this is all happening in the holiest place, which is as ideal a situation as you can get. Raise your hand if you would love for an (handsome) angel to appear to you and tell you that your prayer had been answered. I would, I would!! Next comes Zechariah’s response, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Well in theory it sounds like Mary’s initial question “How can this be?” but Zechariah meant it as a challenge to God rather than being open to God’s will. How will I know for sure? He responded in doubt and Mary responded in faith. Her demeanor must have been open and accepting like, “OK, I understand, but how are you going to do it?” while Zechariah’s demeanor might have been a bit sour and sarcastic, “Yeah right, do you know how old I am? It’s not like we haven’t been ‘trying’ all these years.” Can you see and feel the difference? Sometimes our questions come from openness to the idea and sometimes they come from our stubborn preconceived notions. 

The handsome angel gets frustrated with Zechariah’s doubt, after all if he can’t buy what Gabriel is selling the Holy of Holies, the most sacred place set aside for priests only, then how will he believe it on the outside, in the big bad ugly world. So God silences Zechariah as a time to be refined in the Spirit. He knew that Zechariah’s weakness was his words and that he needed time, not debilitated by his weakness, to process the workings of the Spirit in his life. Raise your hand if you have ever been tested this way and at the end of the test you were stronger and better. 

So Zechariah emerged from the temple after a long while. Fun fact: since only the priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies he would go in there with a long rope tied around his ankle so in case anything happened in there like him dying or fainting, his congregation could pull him out by the rope and not defile the sacred space by going in there after him. I don’t know why that image makes me laugh but it does. Another funny thing to imagine is that Zechariah essentially had to play charades for the next several months as his only way to communicate. I wonder if they had the same kinds of gestures for things that we do. Two words…first word, sounds like???? Mangle? He pretends he has wings, flapping away…the crowd guesses….ANGEL!!!!! He points to his nose in affirmation and so on….I mean how did he gesticulate his encounter with the handsome angel? The people must have thought he was crazy. When he got home from work, sure enough, Elizabeth was pregnant and I imagine Zechariah weeping with joy, but also with some guilt for not believing the angel’s message. His doubt kept him from being able to fully celebrate in the miracle with which God had blessed him. 

My weakness and my doubt keep me from seeing God’s hand in the challenges of my life. I know that when I respond to God’s will in faith, windows and doors fly open for me to navigate through in love, but when I respond in disbelief I spiritually close all those windows and doors and stay put waiting for life to happen. The story of Zechariah reminds us when God answers our prayer, we should humbly accept whatever that answer is and rejoice in it, because God’s way is always better than our way. Mary’s reply, “let it be done unto me according to your will”, is the only response I want to use when God whispers, or when a handsome angel brings me a message, or when the Holy Spirit prompts my heart. Let us pray that our weaknesses will not debilitate us any more and that we will increase in faith. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 JGS 13:2-7, 24-25A

There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites,
whose name was Manoah. 
His wife was barren and had borne no children. 
An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her,
“Though you are barren and have had no children,
yet you will conceive and bear a son. 
Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink
and to eat nothing unclean.
As for the son you will conceive and bear,
no razor shall touch his head,
for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. 
It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel
from the power of the Philistines.”

The woman went and told her husband,
“A man of God came to me;
he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed. 
I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. 
But he said to me,
‘You will be with child and will bear a son. 
So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. 
For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb,
until the day of his death.’”

The woman bore a son and named him Samson. 
The boy grew up and the LORD blessed him;
the Spirit of the LORD stirred him.

Responsorial Psalm PS 71:3-4A, 5-6AB, 16-17

R. (see 8)  My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked. 
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength. 
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Root of Jesse's stem,
sign of God's love for all his people;
come to save us without delay!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 1:5-25

In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth. 
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years. 

Once when he was serving as priest
in his division's turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. 
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense. 
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. 

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard. 
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John. 
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. 
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. 
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God. 
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord." 

Then Zechariah said to the angel,
"How shall I know this? 
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." 
And the angel said to him in reply,
"I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. 
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time."

Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. 
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. 
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.

Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. 

After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others."

Are You Wonderful?

St. Joseph’s is one of my family’s patron Saints because my Grandpa had a great devotion to him. He was a man of tremendous character and today’s gospel is one of his rare appearances in the story of Jesus. Joseph had every right to divorce Mary due to her unexpected pregnancy. Those looking in from the outside only saw the result of what must have been an illicit affair and explaining a visit from an angel, a call from God, or an overshadowing from the Holy Spirit was totally not going to fly in Joseph and Mary’s culture. It would also never fly in our modern culture. When heaven crashes with earth it does cause division to a certain extent, I mean just look at Jesus’ life, he was causing controversy everywhere and his message was always love, love, love, but somehow people found scandal in that. Some things are too deep, too wide, too profound, or too pure for this world and when we get a glimpse of such things, we become suspicious and it starts to mess with our inner compass…it is good or is it from somewhere else? 

I wish that we could see the foretaste of heaven that God is constantly “annunciating” in our lives through mountain top experiences, deep friendships, sacrament, sunrises, poems, songs, tenderness, heart to hearts, and know that “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is a concept that Jesus himself taught us to pray for every single day. Every now and then I see a glorious unfolding when mercy is exercised or forgiveness or loving those that seem unlovable or fighting for what’s right or standing up for the innocent or going against the world’s standards or pressing through the darkness, and it is those hints of heaven on earth that remind me that followers of Christ are called above the standard, called out of this culture, called to behave differently. Joseph shows us what that means, risking his life, his reputation, his livelihood, his social status, his everything really, to trust the Lord’s plan for their lives, as crazy and controversial as it seemed from everyone’s point of view, he trusted. 

I have a friend at work named David who is a good ole boy from Tennessee, always properly dressed for dinner, and always the gentleman. He still wears a three-piece suit to church every Sunday and every now and then he will belt out a worship song in full voice right in the middle of a meal. He loves the Lord with all his heart. Whenever I ask David how he is he says, “I’m wonderful.” So one day I asked him, “Why are you wonderful, David?” He said, “Because I know Jesus Christ.” I then said, “David, I’m wonderful too, because I also know Jesus Christ.” So now when we greet each other we say, “David, are you wonderful?” and “Jennifer, are you wonderful?” We know the answer already because heaven has crashed with earth and we have Emmanuel. David is 97 years old and his trust in God is as deep as it ever was. This past Sunday his son didn’t come get him for church so he attended the Sunday service that I have been hosting and I was able to tell our story of how and why David and I are wonderful. The people at that service now have “wonderful” in their vocabulary in a new and beautiful way and heaven crashed with earth. Emmanuel: it’s a wonderful life. Are you wonderful? It is wonderful with my soul. 

Reading 1 JER 23:5-8

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
As king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice."

Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,
when they shall no longer say, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt";
but rather, "As the LORD lives,
who brought the descendants of the house of Israel
up from the land of the north"– 
and from all the lands to which I banished them;
they shall again live on their own land.

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19

R.(see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous deeds.
And blessed forever be his glorious name;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. 
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. 
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly. 
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. 
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her. 
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins." 
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means "God is with us." 
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home. 
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.

By The Power Invested In Me

Today’s gospel brought a phrase to mind, “By the power invested in me…” I’m sure we’ve all heard this sentence at a wedding or two, and pretty much anyone now-a-days can go online and get power invested in them by whomever they give their $99 to, as a “minister” who can pronounce stuff officially. I love the words “power invested in” and I think it is a good image for us to pray with today. Jesus’ authority is not an investment or an acquisition, but the origination or the very beginning of the power. He is the source and we have full and complete access to this SAME power by nature of our Baptism!! The same open heaven that declared Jesus as God’s beloved Son at His Baptism was opened over us at our Baptism and the same power was invested in us. We have it. We can operate from it. We can do all the same things Jesus did, heal the sick, cure lepers, and raise the dead, but the difference is that Jesus accepts it and if I’m being honest, I doubt this freely given gift all the time. I think it is reserved for the extra holy, the super righteous, the ones that preach better, the ones that sing better, the ones that aren’t afraid to pray over people, the ones that give their lives in service, the missionaries, the bold, the brave, and I am just “in training” to one day be able to operate in this authority. I have the same kind of doubt it seems that the chief priests and elders do in today’s gospel. They are undecided and hesitant to proclaim that God is the source of all power and all good and so Jesus withholds, not as an act of punishment, but He knows they are not quite ready for the whole truth. Life is a journey and God is gentle and kind in His revelations to us. Some can handle more quicker, and some are simply slow learners that need to be “spoon fed” at a different pace. I’m grateful for this gentle understanding from our Father because He knows exactly when to show me things and tell me things that will draw me closer to Him. He never forces Himself into my life, but is tenderly working to get me to see Him, pay attention to Him, and know that He is right there waiting for me. My doubt and my hesitancy never stop Him from pursuing me, but it makes Him want to show off even more. 

The bottom line is that each of us gets to say, “By the power invested in me, through Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…be healed, be freed, be delivered, be raised, become who you were meant to be.” The same open heaven calls our name and we have a new opportunity each day to stand under it and be Jesus to everyone we encounter. This kind of investment has nothing to do with credit scores or annual income or anything material, and everything to do with God’s unconditional love and extravagance in expressing that love. Yay! Jesus reminds us today that we come from “a heavenly origin” and so let’s act in the power that has been invested in us. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 NM 24:2-7, 15-17A

When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe,
the spirit of God came upon him,
and he gave voice to his oracle:

The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of a man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled:
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob;
your encampments, O Israel!
They are like gardens beside a stream,
like the cedars planted by the LORD.
His wells shall yield free-flowing waters,
he shall have the sea within reach;
His king shall rise higher,
and his royalty shall be exalted.

Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle:

The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of the man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled.
I see him, though not now;
I behold him, though not near:
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a staff shall rise from Israel.

Responsorial Psalm PS 25:4-5AB, 6 AND 7BC, 8-9

R.(4) Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Alleluia PS 85:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us, LORD, your love,
and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 21:23-27

When Jesus had come into the temple area,
the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him
as he was teaching and said,
"By what authority are you doing these things? 
And who gave you this authority?" 
Jesus said to them in reply,
"I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,
then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. 
Where was John's baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?" 
They discussed this among themselves and said,
"If we say 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say to us,
'Then why did you not believe him?' 
But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we fear the crowd,
for they all regard John as a prophet." 
So they said to Jesus in reply, "We do not know." 
He himself said to them,

"Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things." 

Short-Term Memory Loss

It seems to me that the generation Jesus is referring to in today’s gospel and our current generation, are not that different. We love to complain about everything and we love to make it everyone else’s problem to fix. Everyday, certain social media outlets inform me of what is trending this week, this day, and even right this very moment. Trending, in my opinion, is a very 1^st world issue and trends’ shelf lives seem to be getting shorter and shorter don’t they? You could say that they suffer from short-term memory loss, and like Dory in Finding Nemo, every new shiny thing distracts, pulls focus, and simply moves them onto the next greatest thing. The new becomes the “so five minutes ago” from the get go. 

·      Diet trends

·      Health tip trends

·      What’s good for your heart trends

·      What’s not good for your heart trends

·      Who’s popular 

·      Who’s unpopular

·      Avocado toast

·      One day red wine is bad for you and the next day it has magical antioxidants to cure everything

·      One day only egg whites, the next day the whole egg is good

·      One day grains, the next day absolutely no grains

Celebrities and politicians, we love them one minute and in the next breath they are reviled. I find that our obsession with trends or the latest and greatest has weakened our virtue especially in relationships. We change out our friendships, marriages, and even our careers like we do our styles of jeans, or boots, or smart phones. If our electronics stop working, we upgrade to the next generation and throw away the old, and with materials things that is an OK thing to do because they don’t really matter in the end, but our weakened virtues do matter and Jesus calls us to a deeper, richer, and stronger faith today. 

Working with memory care has taught me so much about the things of heaven, the everlasting, the long-term, the eternal, the things that keep, and the non-trendy things that are forever. In our drum circle yesterday I witnessed my sweetheart, Greg, connect with a long-term gift. He was a jazz drummer in a band for many years and I gave him a lap drum with two sticks. Immediately, he went into the recesses of his mind, his muscle memory, and his heartbeat and he started to play. It took him a few minutes to find his groove, but when he did, he went into a world that reminded him of who he is, a world that told him he’s capable and exceptional, a world that told him what remains rather than what he has lost, a world of rhythm and sound, a world teeming with life and vitality, a world not lost, but rediscovered. I stopped the room from making any other noise and just let Greg go. He became transfixed in the discovery and he was surprised by his own ability to play. When I told him that he sounded great, he just looked at me stunned and said, “I thought I had forgotten it all.” Our brains might indeed forget, but our souls keep the things that matter and every now and then, glimpses of heaven peak their beautiful heads out so we can see beyond. Greg finding his rhythm was one of those glimpses. Jesus remains, love remains, faith remains, and hope remains. These are the long-term memories that our souls hold onto. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
Lectionary: 185

Reading 1 IS 48:17-19

Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.

Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6

R.(see John 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord will come; go out to meet him!
He is the prince of peace.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 11:16-19

Jesus said to the crowds:
"To what shall I compare this generation? 
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.' 
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
'He is possessed by a demon.' 
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' 
But wisdom is vindicated by her works."

The Burden Of Proof

Today’s gospel has me reflecting on the burdens that I choose to carry. I think the biggest one for me is the burden of needing or wanting everyone’s approval. This is a tremendous load and completely unrealistic, but I still get caught up in striving for it and being disappointed and hurt when I don’t get it. It’s a standard that only weighs me down. When I seek the approval of ONE, the One who created me, who loved me into existence, who breathed His life into me, who paints the morning sky for me each new day, who sings love songs to me as I wake, who calls me His favorite, who delights in the way I love His beloveds, who has blessed me with creativity and passion, who constantly pursues me, who never takes His eyes off of me, who would die for me all over again just so I can be free, and who knows the desires of my heart better than I even do…then the tremendous load of pleasing people becomes a feather upon my shoulders, a weight completely lifted, and a restful place where worry and anxiety cease. I don’t need to prove anything to the only One that truly approves of me because I am already proof of His amazing love. 

The word Emmanuel was given to me as encouragement this week, reminding me that we are to be “God with us” in all that we do. God with us is today’s gospel in a nutshell and His yoke is easy because we are called to “Be still and know that He is God,” and His burden is light because the burden of proof is not on us, but on Him. We don’t need to prove ourselves, He carries the burden of proof and Jesus Christ is the only proof I need to know how much I am loved, cherished, approved of, and pursued. With His arms stretched out, Jesus carries our load of whatever it is that weighs us down, whatever is heavy on our heart, whatever presses our mind with anxiety or worry, whatever keeps us sluggish and sedentary. Emmanuel is the easy yoke and the light burden. Emmanuel is easy. Emmanuel is light. What are the burdens that you continue to carry? What do you need to surrender to Jesus to lighten your load? Emmanuel is ready for an easy load day with you. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 IS 40:25-31

To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God"?

Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles' wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.

Responsorial Psalm PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 AND 10

R.(1)  O bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul!

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 11:28-30

Jesus said to the crowds:
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

The Safety Vest

A friend of mine told me that she and her husband went hiking yesterday, but they needed to wear orange safety vests because it is hunting season and they didn’t want to get shot. Being from Southern California, this was a foreign reality to me, but what a fascinating prompt for spiritual contemplation. What spiritual gifts dress me in safety so I don’t get shot? What clothes me in protection? What identifies me as NOT a target? These prompts stirred in me all day and I have to say, intimacy with Jesus is the brightest safety vest I could ponder. Time spent in His presence each day, intentional, focused, intimate, and consistent is the way to clothe ourselves in identity that keeps us safe from the arrows aimed at us. Intimacy with God dresses us in the shelter of His wings and protects us from those rogue bullets that sometimes get fired when we are camouflaged in the world. This idea of being seen, of alerting others to our identity in Christ, of being safe, led me to ponder today’s gospel in a new way. 

Jesus sees us. He knows where we are at all times. He clothes us in reflective gear so that we are never out of sight. When we are unaware that we are lost, He has us already found, and sometimes we just need to stand still so He can come and scoop us up. This safety vest idea is not necessarily for Jesus to see us better, but to remind us that we are always safe when clothed in Him. It gives us the courage to keep walking even when hunters are on the prowl, and the world is against us. Sometimes I do just want to blend in and being camouflaged makes is easier for me to hide, but Jesus wants me to let Him scoop me up, and He wants me to deflect the arrows and bullets by reflecting His love. It also seems to me that when we clothe ourselves in this reflection of Jesus, we also notice His reflection in others. We become more aware when we wear our safety vests, and then not “one of these little ones will be lost.” We will begin to emulate that which we are…found, and when we are found, we will also help others to be found. 

Jesus rejoices over us today because we have let Him scoop us up and be found. As we go about our day, let’s wrap ourselves in the reflection of the one who sees us. It is well with my soul.

Reading 1 IS 40:1-11

Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
The rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

A voice says, "Cry out!"
I answer, "What shall I cry out?"
"All flesh is grass,
and all their glory like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it.
So then, the people is the grass.
Though the grass withers and the flower wilts,
the word of our God stands forever."

Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.

Responsorial Psalm PS 96:1-2, 3 AND 10AC, 11-12, 13

R.(see Isaiah 40:10ab)  The Lord our God comes with power.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name;
announce his salvation, day after day.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.
They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord our God comes with power.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The day of the Lord is near;
Behold, he comes to save us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:
"What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father

that one of these little ones be lost."