We Knead Grace

Today Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is in our midst, but we have a part to play in perpetuating it, growing it, letting it rise up, cultivating its abundance, and making it known through our daily living. The Kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed, a pinhead sized knowing deep within that requires planting in order to manifest. What does this planting look like? It looks like collecting grace; those moments of encounter, witness, healing, breakthrough, worship, and mercy. These collections of grace till the hardened ground and make room for the tiny seed to gestate. This happens when we love, when we show mercy, when we pray, when we feast on the Word, and when we fellowship with one another. When the seed is planted it needs nourishment and care. This is sometimes a slow process requiring patience and persevearance. Once it breaks the surface, the spreading of grace, signs and wonders, miracles, mercy, harmony, peace, and joy is like a wildfire. 

The Kingdom of God is like a an even tinier culture of yeast used to expand dough. Those above mentioned collections of grace are kneaded into the supplness of our souls with every experience of His presence. This kneading lets the dough widen as the air fills its rising. The Spirit fills our widened hearts as we knead it with the grace given each day to expand our capacity to love. Both kneading and tilling require a certain breaking down of a density that closes off growth. This breakthrough leaves room for expansion and then the harvest and the feast are abundant beyond measure. 

The one thing that affected me in today’s gospel is that Jesus says that both men and women have a significant part to play in the spreading of the Kingdom of God in our midst. He used ordinary human daily activities to teach us that the Kingdom of God is right here in our very midst and all that is needed is for us to grow it…on earth as it is in heaven!! I don’t even think we can grasp what that really means without Divine Revelation, but wow. We don’t have to wait to get to heaven, we just need to cultivate it, grow it, and knead it into our daily lives, and let the Spirit be the wildfire that  spreads it and lets it rise among us. So as we go throughout our week, let’s be aware of those collections of grace being stored up within each one of us, and let’s acknowledge that the Kingdom of God is indeed already here with us. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ROM 8:18-25

Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were saved.
Now hope that sees for itself is not hope.  
For who hopes for what one sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

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

R.(3a) 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.

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 13:18-21

Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'"

Again he said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened."

Rest In Peace

The heart of today’s gospel is that Jesus spent an entire night in prayer before He chose His Twelve. I know that I often overlook human Jesus and simply chalk up all His miraculous/wise/bold/kind/merciful behavior to Him being God, however, Jesus was fully human and all that He “accomplished” here on earth was done as a human. Therefore, spending a night in prayer, resting His head on the heart of God the Father, was absolutely necessary for heaven to come to earth. What happens when heaven comes to earth? Jesus calls each of us by name to join Him in the mission of love. He chose a specific Twelve, but from those Twelve all of us would also be chosen, named, anointed, brought into the family business, commissioned, given the same authority, and sent out. This immense movement came out of Jesus’ rest inside His Father’s heart. Our own resting time inside the Father’s heart is necessary if we want to find the kingdom of God in the right here and now. This kind of resting allows the churned up waters of our busy lives to settle so we can see clearly into the depths and find the heart of the matter. The heart of the matter is our calling, by name, to be Apostles. Apostles are sent to bring the rest of God into a restless world. Have you ever been in the presence of someone that just radiates peace? My hunch is that they have a healthy relationship with resting inside the heart of God. I know that I know that I know that Jesus was the truest version of that person radiating a peace that covers anxiety, or doubt, or trepidation, or skepticism. It says that His Twelve dropped what they were doing and simply started following Him. Just imagine what that actually looks like. There was no magic spell cast on these guys, no brain washing, no threat, just true and utter peace in all that Jesus said and did. Peace is what drew their hearts to Him, peace is what gave them the courage to follow, and peace is what placed each of their names on Jesus’ tongue. 

Jesus is the calm in our churned up waters and He calls each one of us by our name to stop, change what we are doing, and radiate His peace as encouragement for others in their doubt, anxiety, and fear. Human Jesus teaches us how to lean into Our Father’s heart, sync up with His pulse, which beats in a very specific way for each one of us. He places the names of those called into our care on our hearts when we take the time to rest, and then He washes us in a peace that draws others to His heartbeat in ours. The world we live in is anti this kind of peace or rest, and so it is imperative that we heed human Jesus’ example today…take everything to an entire night of prayer, which is another way of saying hours of rest in union with The Father. I hope this is making sense. Human Jesus had the same exact “resources” that we do, minus sin, and so we need to contend against the world to find it, but we have been completely equipped to do so. It is well with my soul. 

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Lectionary: 666

Reading 1 EPH 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God, 
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:2-3, 4-5

R.(5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R.Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R.Their message goes out through all the earth.

Alleluia See Te Deum

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 6:12-16

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Weather Prophets

Have you ever been looking for something that is literally right in front of you? The message in today’s gospel is to see what is right in front of you, spiritually speaking. We have become so good at calling a spade a spade haven’t we, but Jesus is calling us to deeper and truer self-awareness as an essential quality of spiritual maturity, and from that spiritual maturity, we can interpret the signs and wonders that God has set before us in the right here and now. Self-awareness allows us to know when our defenses are low, when we are in need of prayer or help, when things are not quite right, when changes in lifestyle need to be made, and when we are too busy, stressed, or tired. This basic self-weather report will lead us to be more grounded in our truest identity, which is being a Beloved Child of God. When we know this and when we see it right there, like a rain cloud or the Santa Ana winds blowing, then we become the visible, predictable sign that we belong to Christ. Having our finger on the pulse of God’s workings in ourselves unites us with God’s workings in the current times, which connects us to our call to be prophets in the world. Prophets remind people how God is working in their lives and how much more He has planned for them. How beautiful. 

Jesus has become a bit more urgent with His words in the gospels this week because He knew His time on earth was reaching an end. That same urgency seems to be relevant right now with all that is going on in the world. We need to be more alert and on guard than ever and seeing God in all things is the only way to fight these battles. When we notice the blowing of the Spirit, the rain of grace, and the hurricanes of mercy all around us, and when we are in touch with our own favor in the Lord, then we can truly weather the storms, navigate rough waters, and be the presence of peace that is so needed in these turbulent times. Let’s take some time to look at ourselves today and assess our own spiritual weather. Then spend some time looking for the workings of God all around us. What preparations do we need to make? What adjustments? What do we need to pay more attention to spiritually? 

Jesus wants us to be the predictable signs of His presence in the world. His presence is always peace, mercy, and light. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ROM 7:18-25A

Brothers and sisters:
I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.
The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
For I do not do the good I want,
but I do the evil I do not want.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it,
but sin that dwells in me.
So, then, I discover the principle
that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.
For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self,
but I see in my members another principle
at war with the law of my mind,
taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Miserable one that I am!
Who will deliver me from this mortal body?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94

R.(68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Never will I forget your precepts,
for through them you give me life.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.

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.

GospelLK 12:54-59

Jesus said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”

Consuming Fire

Today’s gospel is a difficult one to write on. When Jesus asks the question, “Do you think I came to establish peace on earth?” My answer is, “Um, YES, I do think you’ve come to establish peace on earth!!!” So what the heck is up with, “No, I tell you, but rather division.” Bottom line is that following Jesus requires a certain cost and that cost may separate us from people that are not willing to pay. Whenever I hear the word cost, I tend to associate it with some kind of suffering, but it really just means sacrifice or putting something of yourself in to receive something better. We can always do better and Jesus offers us the best Way, but it means leaving some things behind. When we choose His way, people will be threatened, offended, and uncomfortable with the changes in our lives that are necessary to go where He leads. This is the division that Jesus refers to and the fire that He calls down is the fire of the Holy Spirit that will eventually fall on each one of us. Fire is meant to purify, burn away the toxins, light up a space, warm and melt hardened hearts, dissolve the old to make room for the new, and to be a visible signal of power. 

When Jesus says, “And how I wish it were already blazing!” He is referring to Pentecost when the Apostles received the power of the Holy Spirit to go out and do even more than Jesus did while on the earth. That same Holy Spirit is in each one of us and we have the same commissioning to do MORE than even Jesus and the Apostles. That fire IS blazing now and we just need to step into it. It will not destroy us, but hopefully it will consume us into the better Way of Jesus. This better way requires decisions that might separate us from others, but if we live a life in love, peace, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, and self-control, people will be drawn into that fire that melts away impurities and releases the fruits of The Fire into their own lives. Our fire spreads when we live the life we’ve been called into through our own Baptism. So the division is really a setting apart that draws others into the better of God. And the better of God is where true peace resides. Stay the course and let the consuming fire set you ablaze as a beacon of the better of God. People will join us there because it is where hearts are melted and the old becomes new. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ROM 6:19-23

Brothers and sisters:
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature.
For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity
and to lawlessness for lawlessness,
so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.
But what profit did you get then
from the things of which you are now ashamed? 
For the end of those things is death.
But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God,
the benefit that you have leads to sanctification,
and its end is eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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

R.(Ps 40:5) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
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. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
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. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
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. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Alleluia PHIL 3:8-9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I consider all things so much rubbish
that I may gain Christ and be found in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 12:49-53

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father, 
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Shhhhhh, He’s Coming!!!

One of my favorite characteristics of God is that He loves surprises. I realize that surprises are not everyone’s thing (control freaks anonymous!!), but I truly love them: surprise parties, surprise proposals, surprise visits, surprise gifts, surprise letters in the mail, etc. Surprises involve thoughtfulness and thoughtfulness is something that always touches my heart in a special way. You really have to keep the person you are planning to surprise at the forefront of your mind. You have to anticipate how they will receive the surprise, and the surprise must be very specifically tailored for them according to how well you know their hearts. Thoughtful gift giving requires the same finger on the pulse of the receiver. Surprise proposals definitely have an element of anticipating an answer with a certain confidence that the answer will be yes. A readiness for that surprise is required, but never guaranteed. Surprise letters in the mail always arrive on the right day, don’t they? And aren’t surprise visits, especially from far away places, just so much fun to plan and witness? So much planning and scheming goes into every kind of surprise. Anticipation, waiting, and then the famous “shushing”: “Shhhhhh! They’re coming! Everyone hide!” All this coordinating touches my heart because it requires a tender love for the person you are hoping to surprise. I just came off of a retreat weekend where literally every kind of surprise mentioned above happened. We threw about 5 different surprise parties, there were surprise letters, surprise visits and gifts, and yes, even a surprise proposal!! The recipients of said surprises had all the warm and fuzziness that come along with the thoughtfulness of a God who is simply madly in love with us. I love surprises!!

Everyone knows that one cannot be late for a surprise party or it ruins the whole thing right? Timing is everything and that is the theme of today’s gospel. We need to be ready to receive Jesus at all times. He shows up to party, to propose, to gift, to visit, and to love letter us in all kinds of unexpected ways and if we are not ready, we will miss the opportunity to receive Him. We need thoughtful planning in order to anticipate the thoughtful planning of His presence. We need to know Him intimately so that we can invite His friends and family to the party. We need to understand His whereabouts and His workings to be able to meet Him when He arrives on the scene. We need to “shush” ourselves often to hear when He is coming or when He speaks to us. And finally in true guest of honor protocol, we need to serve Him, fawn over Him, celebrate Him, bring Him gifts, and make sure that His every wish comes true. It is so much fun to cater to our loved ones in a surprise party situation isn’t it? We love love love “pulling it off” and making it all about them. So while God is busy thoughtfully planning wonderful surprises to capture our hearts, we can also thoughtfully anticipate His faithful surprise showing ups in our lives. How fun is that?  

I encourage each of us to extra thoughtfulness today. Look for Jesus throughout your day and be ready to receive Him in whatever capacity He shows up. If you find yourself distracted, remember, “Shhhhhh! He’s coming!” Cater to Him by loving His friends and family. Celebrate His life and make today all about Him. If we pull this off, I think it is we who will be pleasantly surprised by the warm and fuzziness that comes with serving Him. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ROM 6:12-18

Brothers and sisters:
Sin must not reign over your mortal bodies
so that you obey their desires.
And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin
as weapons for wickedness,
but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life
and the parts of your bodies to God
as weapons for righteousness.
For sin is not to have any power over you,
since you are not under the law but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law
but under grace?
Of course not!
Do you not know that if you present yourselves
to someone as obedient slaves,
you are slaves of the one you obey,
either of sin, which leads to death,
or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin,
you have become obedient from the heart
to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted.
Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.

Responsorial Psalm PS 124:1B-3, 4-6, 7-8

R.(8a) Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Had not the LORD been with us,
let Israel say, had not the LORD been with us–
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive;
When their fury was inflamed against us.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept the raging waters.
Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us
a prey to their teeth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
We were rescued like a bird
from the fowlers' snare;
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

Alleluia MT 24:42A, 44

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 12:39-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

Then Peter said,
"Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?"
And the Lord replied,
"Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
'My master is delayed in coming,'
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant's master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master's will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,

and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." 

Hard Hearted

A hardened heart affects our hearing more than anything else I think. A hard heart infers that it has gone cold from lack of use. Sometimes keeping our hearts warm and supple hurts because we make ourselves vulnerable to getting wounded, we put ourselves out there to be rejected, and a lot of the time we will not be loved in return. However, the alternative has consequences that are grave. Cold heartedness is a defense or coping mechanism that many people turn to when they have experienced emotional pain. We have all been tempted to cut off from friends and family when things get hard to preserve our own emotional sanity. There have been times in my life when I built a great big wall around my heart to protect it from pain, but all it really did was shield me from receiving the warmth of being loved and without warmth, my heart went cold. 

When I approach delicate situations with a hard heart, I am not capable of hearing both sides properly. A cold heart muffles my hearing and clouds my eyes from seeing things as they truly are. An active heart pours itself out as a verb to warm other’s hearts and a stagnate hearts lies in wait for others to activate it, however, the hard shell deflects all attempts and the muscle becomes stiff and lazy. Once a heart is hard, there is a lot of work to be done to soften it and in the softening there will be more pain. Sometimes intensity will melt the heart (like hitting rock bottom) and sometimes a sledgehammer might be required to break down the wall. All in all a soft heart helps us see the true essence of matters, it gives us the ears to hear from a place of active love, and a hard heart can only hear it’s own pain. 

Jesus knew that the Pharisee’s hearts were hard. After all that He has said and done, performing miracles, healing people, driving out demons, feeding people, teaching with incredible parables, preaching in the temple, etc. they were still looking for another sign. Jesus knew that this was coming from their own pain and that He could only do one ultimate act of love to open the eyes of their heart (hopefully). The Sign of Jonah refers to the story of Jonah fleeing from Nineveh to avoid what God had asked him to do. He took a boat and found himself overboard to be consumed in the belly of a whale for three days. The big fish hauled Jonah’s butt back to the shore of Nineveh and vomited him out! I love it! God is so dramatic and funny sometimes!!! Of course the three days represent the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus as a sign that God is in charge and that He loves us desperately. The Sign of Jonah is “The Sign” that the cold-hearted Pharisees are looking for but Jesus is the efficacious manifestation, making him not just a “sign” but actually and truly the Savior the world. Jesus knew that His time on earth was coming to a close. He had done everything that He could to warm the cold hearts of the people and the next step would be to live out the ultimate sign for which they were asking. Unfortunately, some of them still didn’t get it even after The Sign, and God had to send the Holy Spirit in to really massage the heck out of the stone-cold hearts of many. 

What we need to know is that God is in hot pursuit of us and will never stop chasing us. Surrendering early to His pursuit is in our best interest, but first we need to work on keeping our hearts open and supple to receive His love. Let’s pray today for soft hearts. Let’s pray today for those people in our lives that have allowed their hearts to become hard. Let’s pray today that our eyes and ears will be open to the one true Sign of God’s love: Jesus Christ. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 ROM 1:1-7

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the Gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, 
but established as Son of God in power 
according to the Spirit of holiness 
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, 
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father 
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1BCDE, 2-3AB, 3CD-4

R.(2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.

Alleluia PS 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 11:29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
"This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment 
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation 
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here."

The Touch Of God

People will complain about anything! If driving out demons and healing people and performing miracles are not enough to win the hearts of people, what is enough? I fall into this trap myself sometimes. When I see someone doing good things in the world, I might question things like their real motive, where’s the money coming from or going to, and there has to be some sort of catch or glitch. Accusation and suspicion are two weapons with which the enemy has infiltrated humanity. Don’t get me started on our political culture. 

Suspicion and accusation put up a great big walls between us and the world and while there are plenty of situations when the wall of suspicion is good and necessary, we definitely don’t want one of those situations to be recognizing the works of God in the world. Again it comes down to having an intimate relationship with Him so that we never find ourselves mistaking Him, His work, His love, His grace for something that needs to be guarded against. Today’s gospel gives us an insurance policy when it tells us, “When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Unfortunately, Satan is the strong man fully armed and his palace is the world, but the good news is that Jesus is the one stronger than He and will overcome!! So, are you with Him or against Him? Do you gather or scatter? 

The closer we come to Christ in our heart, mind, and will the more confident we will be in knowing exactly how to recognize Him in the world. The disconcerting thing about Satan is that he is not ugly on the outside; otherwise no one would be attracted to him. That’s why it is so important to know Christ intimately. 

Lastly, I love the image that Jesus gives us, “But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” My dad was a baby magnet and the minute a baby came into our house he’d scoop them up and walk around our house that is literally covered in a million breakable things (not baby-proofed AT ALL!). He was the parents of a toddler’s biggest nightmare because he would take the baby’s finger and touch each expensive breakable item. He loved watching their face as they felt the smooth and shiny thing and he also loved giving their parents a slight heart attack. I loved watching my dad do this because he was so sweet and gentle as he held their little pointer finger in his and slowly touched each delicate piece. This is the image that comes to mind when Jesus says, “If it is by the finger of God.” He gently holds our finger in His hand and He allows us to touch the brokenhearted, the sick, the suffering, the lonely, the breakable, the impossible, the insurmountable, and the untouchable. His finger guides us to reach out for the ones that need Him the most if we allow Him to pick us up and show us. That same finger pokes our ribs and tickles the joy out of us, wipes the tear from our cheek when we are sad, interlocks with our own fingers when we need companionship, embraces us when we need to be held, touches our lips when we need to sing, washes our feet when we feel the most sinful, pulls the scales away from our eyes when we can’t see, and that same finger drives out our own demons one by one as He points and calls their name. What a beautiful picture to ponder today. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 JL1:13-15; 2:1-2

Gird yourselves and weep, O priests!
wail, O ministers of the altar!
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!
The house of your God is deprived
of offering and libation.
Proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the elders,
all who dwell in the land,
Into the house of the LORD, your God,
and cry to the LORD!

Alas, the day!
for near is the day of the LORD,
and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.

Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all who dwell in the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming;
Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom,
a day of clouds and somberness!
Like dawn spreading over the mountains,
a people numerous and mighty!
Their like has not been from of old,
nor will it be after them,
even to the years of distant generations.

Responsorial Psalm PS 9:2-3, 6 AND 16, 8-9

R.(9) The Lord will judge the world with justice.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out forever and ever.
The nations are sunk in the pit they have made;
in the snare they set, their foot is caught.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.
But the LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He judges the world with justice;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.

Alleluia JN 12:31B-32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The prince of this world will now be cast out,
and when I am lifted up from the earth
I will draw all to myself, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 11:15-26

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:
"By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

"When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
'I shall return to my home from which I came.'
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first."