If…Then….

June 21, 2018

I recently had a friend give me some wise advice. She said, “Say less in your prayer time. Just sit, lean against Jesus and say, ‘Jesus, you love me.’” Saying less is a difficult concept to understand especially when we think the whole point of prayer is to have a conversation with God; basically “I tell you what I need, God, and you give it to me!” Jesus reminds us today that God already knows what we need before we even ask, and the point of prayer is for the transformation of our own hearts, minds, and wills, not to “babble on like the pagans”. He gives us the “Our Father” as a template, if you will, for our prayer time.

This is how you are to pray…”Our Father…” right away and yet again, Jesus wants to establish that we are to be in communion with one another, hence the use of the word “Our” in regards to the Father. He invites us to be family with Him and with one another as the first order of business in our prayer life. One little word can hold the entire universe! This call to communion is followed by seven petitions that pretty much cover it all:

1. Hallowed Be Your Name | First, we acknowledge God as holy, honorable, beautiful, good. Praise, praise, praise. 
2. Your Kingdom Come | We ask God to be the sovereign of our hearts, minds, and wills so that the kingdom of love will reign. 
3. Your Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven | We want God’s will to direct our lives.
4. Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread | The Greek word for daily is translated “super substantial” and this petition asks God to give us all that we need to be fortified super substantially in body and spirit.
5. Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us | We are asking God to only forgive us as much as we forgive others! Sit with that a minute. It just got real y’all.
6. Lead Us Not Into Temptation | Jesus knows that sin and temptation are very much a part of our daily lives and so he wants us to acknowledge that in our prayer so that we will allow grace to win over those tests.
7. Deliver Us From Evil | Deliverance from evil is probably one of God’s favorite things to do, but we have to ask Him for it. This deliverance is from all our sins, past, present, and future. 

How amazing is it that one prayer can cover all our needs and that one prayer has united all Christians for over two thousand years. The apostles and all the early Christians prayed it and so do we. Jesus is communion. 

In Confirmation Class I used these seven petitions as an outline and would have our candidates re-write their own version of the “Our Father.” I encourage you to do this same thing some time in the next week. It is a beautiful exercise. When we know something so well and by memory, we can often fall into the trap of not really praying it with meaning and the very soul of the prayer is lost in our rote recitation. Reworking the words, but keeping the petition in place, is a great way to revitalize this prayer that covers all. 

I titled this post “If…Then…” because of the very last line in today’s gospel: "If you forgive others their transgressions,(then) your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others,neither will your Father forgive your transgressions." If Jesus continually emphasizes forgiveness, reconciliation, and mercy, then I will also continue to emphasize it. Peace be with you. Have a super substantial day and it is well with my soul.

Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
Lectionary: 368

Reading 1 SIR 48:1-14

Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace.
Their staff of bread he shattered,
in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord's word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours?
You brought a dead man back to life
from the nether world, by the will of the LORD.
You sent kings down to destruction,
and easily broke their power into pieces.
You brought down nobles, from their beds of sickness.
You heard threats at Sinai,
at Horeb avenging judgments.
You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance,
and a prophet as your successor.
You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses.
You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you
And who falls asleep in your friendship.
For we live only in our life,
but after death our name will not be such.
O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind!

Then Elisha, filled with the twofold portion of his spirit,
wrought many marvels by his mere word.
During his lifetime he feared no one,
nor was any man able to intimidate his will.
Nothing was beyond his power;
beneath him flesh was brought back into life.
In life he performed wonders,
and after death, marvelous deeds.

Responsorial Psalm PS 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7

R. (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes round about.
His lightnings illumine the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
All who worship graven things are put to shame,
who glory in the things of nought;
all gods are prostrate before him.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Alleluia ROM 8:15BC

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You have received a spirit of adoption as sons
through which we cry: Abba! Father!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"This is how you are to pray:

'Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.'

"If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

Jesus School

20 June 2018

Y’all, we are being schooled in Jesus right now with this gospel of Matthew Sermon On The Mount business! Let’s review what we have already learned in Jesus school shall we:

1. Count The Blessings | Live the Beatitudes for heaven awaits those that do. 
2. Salt And Light | We are conduits of God’s grace, and salt and light are a beautiful metaphor for our faith lives. 
3. Do This In Memory Of Me | The fulfillment of the law and the prophets is love itself, sacrificial love. Sacrificial love is that which sacrifices ones own self for the other. 
4. I Can Do Better | Go above and beyond the bare minimum and do so in the name of love. 
5. We Are Made For More | We are God’s masterpiece, created in Their image, and we are all one in Love. 
6. Words Have Power | Say what you mean and mean what you say. 
7. Small Things | Small things done with great love show just how big God is and that His Kingdom is made up of each one of us, beautifully broken, but repurposed for glory! 
8. Do It Anyway | Jesus wants us to fight evil with peace, kindness, service, and generosity. 
9. This Is Not A Suggestion | “BUT I SAY TO YOU, (emphasis added by me) love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” 

Today’s gospel focuses on some important spiritual habits that can be the fuel we need to practice what we preach (and what we have been schooled in by Jesus), and on the flip side, when practiced under the umbrella of pride, these habits, can actually stunt our spiritual maturity/growth. Prayer, fasting, and alms giving are amazing acts of faith, hope, and charity, however, when we put on a show with any or all of them so that others will be impressed or jealous or made to feel less than, then these good things turn into a form of idolatry. God wants us to do these things because we love Him first and wholeheartedly and in that love we desire to show gratitude, faith, sacrifice, and charity without expecting anything in return. This is the hard part because we all just want to be loved back don’t we? We want to show the world that we are faithful people.

God wants a private showing if you will. He wants our undivided attention, our undivided heart, and our undivided praise. This can only be done one on one, in secret. “Lovers find secret places inside this violent world where they make transactions with beauty.” (Rumi) These whispered secrets between us and the Beloved are the transactions with beauty that give us the grace to grow deeper so that we can stand firmly planted in the storms of life. These heart to hearts with our Creator are the wind in our sails and the breath in our lungs. These intimate and personal exchanges with the Lover of our soul are the stardust in our DNA and the handprints on our hearts. These sweet nothings shared in private with our Good Good Father are the drops of Jesus in our empty chalice. When we meet God eyelash to eyelash in the privacy of our soul, we let Him see us as we are, His favored work of art. When we truly believe in that favor, we will shine naturally, and others will see and know that we belong to Him.

I wish you many secret transactions with beauty this week and it is well with my soul. Don't you just love Jesus School??

Reading 1 2 KGS 2:1, 6-14

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,

he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here;

the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.”

“As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live,

I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.

And so the two went on together.

Fifty of the guild prophets followed and

when the two stopped at the Jordan,

they stood facing them at a distance.

Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up

and struck the water, which divided,

and both crossed over on dry ground.



When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha,

“Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.”

Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”

“You have asked something that is not easy,” Elijah replied.

“Still, if you see me taken up from you,

your wish will be granted; otherwise not.”

As they walked on conversing,

a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them,

and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

When Elisha saw it happen he cried out,

“My father! my father! Israel’s chariots and drivers!”

But when he could no longer see him,

Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.



Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him,

and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan.

Wielding the mantle that had fallen from Elijah,

Elisha struck the water in his turn and said,

“Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”

When Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over.

Responsorial Psalm PS 31:20, 21, 24

R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

How great is the goodness, O LORD,

which you have in store for those who fear you,

And which, toward those who take refuge in you,

you show in the sight of the children of men.

R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

You hide them in the shelter of your presence

from the plottings of men;

You screen them within your abode

from the strife of tongues.

R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!

The LORD keeps those who are constant,

but more than requites those who act proudly.

R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Alleluia JN 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word,

and my Father will love him

and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Take care not to perform righteous deeds

in order that people may see them;

otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.

When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,

as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets

to win the praise of others.

Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.

But when you give alms,

do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,

so that your almsgiving may be secret.

And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.



"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,

who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners

so that others may see them.

Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.

But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,

and pray to your Father in secret.

And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.



"When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.

They neglect their appearance,

so that they may appear to others to be fasting.

Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.

But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,

except to your Father who is hidden.

And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

This Is Not A Suggestion

19 June 2018

Gospel MT 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
BUT I SAY TO YOU, (emphasis added by me) love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Friends (and “enemies”), there it is in red letters, spelled out by the Savior of the world, the one we claim to follow as Christians! This is NOT a suggestion. Why don’t we get it? I know that in the past I have fallen into traps that sound like, “well, the best way for me to love them is to ignore them, or, I can love them without having them in my life, or, tough love is still love, right?” I remember reading this gospel a few years ago in the midst of a trial that surfaced a handful of “enemies” (people that hurt me AND people that I had hurt) in my life. Jesus’ words smacked me right across my face. I had already allowed bitterness, anger, self-righteousness, jealousy, and selfishness to direct my thoughts and words about said “enemies”. It was a dark time, but this very gospel pierced that darkness with the only answer, and that is to love with sacrificial radical love. 

So I started praying for my freaking persecutors, very reluctantly at first, but I prayed for them multiple times a day, every time I had bad thoughts or negative voices in my head (which was A LOT!). I remember one day that my reluctance to pray for them had softened into a desire to pray for them. Praying the litany of their names turned into a tender reverence, and soon after that softening my heart followed. My prayers for my “enemies” became the most beautiful part of my day and I began to feel true love in the depths of my soul for each and every one of them. I started praying for their families, that peace, love, joy, kindness, patience, and gentleness would be abundant blessings in their life, that this day would be the best day of their lives filled with everything lovely and true. Eventually I found myself thinking of them with the same warmth in my heart I have when I think of my beloveds. Praying daily for my “enemies” transformed my heart and the bitterness, anger, self-righteousness, jealousy and selfishness converted into sweetness, peace, tenderness, humility, and true love. Recently, I encountered one of the people that I have been praying for daily by name and my heart literally surged with a joy that I never thought would be possible. The space between us turned into holy ground because of this transformation through prayer. 

Today’s gospel is not a suggestion. It is required if we are to “be children of your heavenly Father”. My prayer is that we will love each other the way the Father loves us, perfectly. We can do it, friends. We have to do it. This is not a suggestion. God bless your day and it is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 1 KGS 21:17-29

After the death of Naboth the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite:
"Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel,
who rules in Samaria.
He will be in the vineyard of Naboth,
of which he has come to take possession.
This is what you shall tell him,
'The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession?
For this, the LORD says:
In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth,
the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.'"
Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me out, my enemy?"
"Yes," he answered.
"Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD's sight,
I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you
and will cut off every male in Ahab's line,
whether slave or freeman, in Israel.
I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat,
and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah,
because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin."
(Against Jezebel, too, the LORD declared,
"The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.")
"When one of Ahab's line dies in the city,
dogs will devour him;
when one of them dies in the field,
the birds of the sky will devour him."
Indeed, no one gave himself up to the doing of evil
in the sight of the LORD as did Ahab,
urged on by his wife Jezebel.
He became completely abominable by following idols,
just as the Amorites had done,
whom the LORD drove out before the children of Israel.

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments
and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh.
He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.
Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,
"Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me?
Since he has humbled himself before me,
I will not bring the evil in his time.
I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son."

Responsorial Psalm PS 51:3-4, 5-6AB, 11 AND 16

R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me. 
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
"Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight."
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Alleluia JN 13:34

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment;
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Do It Anyway

18 June 2018

Jesus really shows His true colors in today’s gospel. Do not fight evil with evil. Turn the other cheek. Give them your cloak as well. Go with them for two miles. Do not turn your back on someone. Jesus wants us to fight evil with peace, kindness, service, and generosity. Jesus wants us to fight evil with peace, kindness, service, and generosity. Jesus wants us to fight evil with peace, kindness, service, and generosity. This gospel doesn’t really need too many words or anecdotes to convey its message. Jesus wants us to fight evil with peace, kindness, service, and generosity. Raise your hand if you think our country would benefit from these four goods right now.  The most effective way to dispel darkness is to be light. The most immediate way to deescalate anger and hostility is with stillness and warmth. The kindest way to serve is to go the extra mile. The best kind of friend is the one that shares their life generously without expecting anything in return. Jesus wants us to fight evil with peace, kindness, service, and generosity. 

I know I’ve used this before, but I think it never hurts to hear the wisdom that people living the gospel with their lives has to offer us. If there was ever any doubt in our minds as to what Jesus means when He preaches love, mercy, forgiveness, and kindness, read the following and do it anyway…

Do it Anyway — Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,

people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,

you will win some false friends and some true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,

people may cheat you.

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,

someone could destroy overnight.

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,

they may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,

people will often forget tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,

and it may never be enough.

Give the best you've got anyway.

You see, 

in the final analysis it is between you and God;

it was never between you and them anyway.

Jesus wants us to fight evil with peace, kindness, service, and generosity. Have a blessed day and it is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 1 KGS 21:1-16

Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel
next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,
since it is close by, next to my house.
I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,
if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”
Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbid
that I should give you my ancestral heritage.”
Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer
Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him:
“I will not give you my ancestral heritage.”
Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.

His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him,
“Why are you so angry that you will not eat?”
He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite
and said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or,
if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’
But he refused to let me have his vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him,
“A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!
Get up.
Eat and be cheerful.
I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and,
having sealed them with his seal,
sent them to the elders and to the nobles
who lived in the same city with Naboth.
This is what she wrote in the letters:
“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
Next, get two scoundrels to face him
and accuse him of having cursed God and king.
Then take him out and stone him to death.”
His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city—
did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing,
through the letters she had sent them.
They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.
Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation,
“Naboth has cursed God and king.”
And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent the information to Jezebel
that Naboth had been stoned to death.

When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death,
she said to Ahab,
“Go on, take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you,
because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his way
down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,
to take possession of it.

Responsorial Psalm PS 5:2-3AB, 4B-6A, 6B-7

R. (2b) Lord, listen to my groaning.
Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.

Alleluia PS 119:105

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
9An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.)
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."

Small Things

17 June 2018

I’ve titled my blog and today’s post, “Small Things”, inspired by the famous Mother Teresa quote, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” The idea for my blog was to share bite-sized reflections on the daily gospels. Sometimes my posts are definitely bite-sized and other times they are a little too much, but the sentiment was to ponder how the small things fit into the big story. Some examples of small things turned into big stories: one small stone slayed a giant, one small manger carried one small baby King, one small piece of bread holds the Creator of the universe, one small whisper is the voice of God. 

One of my favorite art forms is the mosaic. St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy is completely covered in mosaics on the inside. I could honestly stare at a mosaic for hours fascinated at how the thousands, or millions of tiny pieces of pottery, glass, stone, or whatever can be joined together by an artist with mud or mortar or glue, to create beautifully detailed masterpieces from human faces including expressions, to animals, to landscapes, to anything else a paintbrush can. I often think of the time and care spent by an artist to choose each piece and placement and how they all seem to fit together even in their unique and odd shapes. I think about how an artist can look at a broken or trashed dish, bowl, or chalice and see that their brokenness can now be used for something that will marvel and astound everyone that looks at it. I think about how mosaics can be appreciated up close because the fine details can be really examined and at the same time if you stand back and look from afar, you can clearly see the vision that each piece was used to create. It seems to me that this might capture the message of today’s gospel. 

The parable of the mustard seed is likely a crowd favorite. We get it – the smallest seed turns into the most abundant plant. We love rooting for the underdog or the little ones!! In another story, Jesus uses the mustard seed in regards to faith, but in today’s gospel he uses it to define the Kingdom of God. Seems like an artist using small things to create a beautiful, marvelous, work of art, doesn’t it? Your small things collected along the way, broken and in pieces, and my small things collected along the way, also broken and in pieces, placed in love by the Master Artist, mortared in the blood of Jesus, and solidified by the breath of the Holy Spirit, make one big story of redemption, triumph, and absolute beauty. 

Small things done with great love show just how big God is and that His Kingdom is made up of each one of us, beautifully broken, but repurposed for glory! Have a small things kind of day and it is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 EZ 17:22-24

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar,
from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot,
and plant it on a high and lofty mountain;
on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.
It shall put forth branches and bear fruit,
and become a majestic cedar.
Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it,
every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.
And all the trees of the field shall know
that I, the LORD,
bring low the high tree,
lift high the lowly tree,
wither up the green tree,
and make the withered tree bloom.
As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.

Responsorial Psalm PS 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16

R. (cf. 2a) Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

Reading 2 2 COR 5:6-10

Brothers and sisters:
We are always courageous,
although we know that while we are at home in the body
we are away from the Lord,
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Yet we are courageous,
and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.
Therefore, we aspire to please him,
whether we are at home or away.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each may receive recompense,
according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.
All who come to him will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and through it all the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”

He said,
“To what shall we compare the kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Words Have Power

16 June 2018

Disclaimer: colorful language used...

My Grandma had a super smart and talkative parakeet named, Tweety Bird (well she actually had several parakeets over the years and every single one of them was named Tweety Bird). Tweety Bird mimicked everything and was quite the accomplished impersonator. Grandma’s door had a very distinct squeak when opened and he could imitate the sound perfectly so much so that if Grandma were in the bedroom and Tweety Bird did the door squeak, she would come out to see who was visiting her. Tweety Bird had an extensive vocabulary, all taught to him by Grandma. He would say, in Grandma’s voice, “What’s your name? Tweety Bird, do a trick.” And even make kissing noises. Oh yeah, and his favorite sentence was….”Oh Shit!” Yep, clear as day. I guess when Grandma would sew, she sat at the table underneath Tweety Bird’s cage and her favorite go to phrase whenever she was frustrated, challenged, or disappointed apparently was “Oh Shit!” If you knew my sweet very devoutly Catholic and super grandmotherly Grandma, this would well…shock the shit out of you. I open with this story in relation to today’s gospel (yes, I do have a point with it), because Jesus’ lesson for us today is about the use of our words and what they mean and over the years we have turned this law into a “thou shall not cuss” law and have clouded the meaning of it just a bit.

Today Jesus talks about oaths and the law says do not break your oaths with God or with anyone. Jesus knows that this is kind of an impossible thing for sinful and imperfect human beings and so he doesn’t even want us to swear on anything in heaven, or on earth, or on your mother’s grave, or on a stack of Bibles, etc. When we swear on something and break that oath, whatever it is that we swore on becomes less than and loses it’s authority. It essentially takes the power away from God who is sovereign over all and puts it in our hand. Even though we should keep all of our promises, vows, and commitments, Jesus says, we don’t need to swear about it; in fact he gives us a better standard to live by that will indeed lead us, if we practice it, to holiness. It is simple, organic, and truly attainable, and it is important to Jesus because it appears in his Sermon on the Mount: “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.”

Words have power, words have the ability to transform and to tear down, and words expressed authentically can change the world. Jesus wants us to mean what we say and to say what we mean. Today he asks us to start with two simple, but life changing words, “yes” and “no”. If all of our “yeses” mean so (let’s face it, most of our “yeses” really mean “maybe” don’t they) and all of our “no’s” really were so (let’s face it, when we tell a teenager “no”, they can often times badger us until that “no” becomes a “yes”) then the world would be a very different place. The path to holiness is paved with us meaning what we say.

When I truly think about this one, it seems very daunting because I change my mind so often on things, but I feel like through prayer and meditation I can indeed become a person who’s words can be believed as what they mean. I can develop that kind of resolve that Jesus teaches will lead me to spiritual maturity. While Tweety Bird only mimics the sayings of another, I want to only be true to the sayings of my heart as it has been prompted to speak through prayer and revelation. I will not promise for a promise seems to only lead to disappointment, but I will mean it and in the meaning it, I will find Jesus there.

Even though cussing is not an ideal use of our words, today’s gospel reminds us to focus on authenticity and the more we hear our Maker’s voice, our impersonation of his words will become our own, and we will mean what we say because we will know what it means. Have a blessed day and it is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 1 KGS 19:19-21

Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat,
as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen;
he was following the twelfth.
Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.
Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,
"Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,
and I will follow you."
Elijah answered, "Go back! 
Have I done anything to you?"
Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;
he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,
and gave it to his people to eat.
Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

Responsorial Psalm PSALM 16:1B-2A AND 5, 7-8, 9-10

R. (see 5a) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. 
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Alleluia PS 119:36A, 29B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
and favor me with your law.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 5:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God's throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'
Anything more is from the Evil One."