Spoiler Alert

There are some people I know that start a new book by reading the last page. They need to know how it ends before they even begin it. My brother recently told me that he will research all spoilers and commentary on a movie before he goes to see it. He knows the surprise plot twists, the ending, and all the spoiler alerts before he even sets foot into the movie theatre! I have a friend that I cannot sit next to in a movie because she will inevitably tell me what is going to happen next as she externally processes every thought in her head! I am the opposite of all of the above. I hardly even like to watch the trailer about a movie because it gives me too much information. I don’t like spoilers because I love the journeying toward. I never guessed my Christmas presents as a kid because I wanted the thrill of being surprised on Christmas morning. While I do thoroughly enjoy lovely surprises, I do not appreciate ambushes or sneak attacks. And of course, I always want a fairytale Disney ending to every situation. 

Today’s gospel speaks to our human tendency to jump ahead to the end, to want to know what’s going to happen, and to need to know the outcome before we start the journey. The people in today’s gospel were asking Jesus when the end was coming and how would they know. Jesus’ answer to their question was stay close to me, listen to my voice, and believe what I tell you, because others will come with lots and lots of fake news and the road toward the fairytale ending will be challenging at times, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” How’s that for a compelling movie trailer? He tells them of the possible ambushes, “See that you not be deceived,” and His spoiler alerts are to remind us that voices other than His are dangerous. I just love that Jesus gives us the heads up that the journey will have its challenges, but all of those challenges are just temporary to this world and the Disney ending is ours if we stay focused on Him. 

Spoiler Alert: there will be surprise twists, plot arcs, unexpected drama, love interests, adventure, horror, angst, loss, hard goodbyes, romance, struggles with illness, death, and lots of celebrations. God’s storyboard for our lives is a beautiful unfolding of self-discovery, triumph, rising above, and finding our purpose, which is always to love well. This is no surprise ending, but the fairytale that we are all called to. May we live happily ever after, and it is well with my soul.  

Reading 1 DN 2:31-45

Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar:
"In your vision, O king, you saw a statue,
very large and exceedingly bright,
terrifying in appearance as it stood before you.
The head of the statue was pure gold,
its chest and arms were silver,
its belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron,
its feet partly iron and partly tile.
While you looked at the statue,
a stone which was hewn from a mountain
without a hand being put to it,
struck its iron and tile feet, breaking them in pieces.
The iron, tile, bronze, silver, and gold all crumbled at once,
fine as the chaff on the threshing floor in summer,
and the wind blew them away without leaving a trace.
But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain
and filled the whole earth.

"This was the dream;
the interpretation we shall also give in the king's presence.
You, O king, are the king of kings;
to you the God of heaven
has given dominion and strength, power and glory;
men, wild beasts, and birds of the air, wherever they may dwell,
he has handed over to you, making you ruler over them all;
you are the head of gold.
Another kingdom shall take your place, inferior to yours,
then a third kingdom, of bronze,
which shall rule over the whole earth.
There shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron;
it shall break in pieces and subdue all these others,
just as iron breaks in pieces and crushes everything else.
The feet and toes you saw, partly of potter's tile and partly of iron,
mean that it shall be a divided kingdom,
but yet have some of the hardness of iron.
As you saw the iron mixed with clay tile,
and the toes partly iron and partly tile,
the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.
The iron mixed with clay tile
means that they shall seal their alliances by intermarriage,
but they shall not stay united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
In the lifetime of those kings
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom
that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people;
rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms
and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.
That is the meaning of the stone you saw hewn from the mountain
without a hand being put to it,
which broke in pieces the tile, iron, bronze, silver, and gold.
The great God has revealed to the king what shall be in the future;
this is exactly what you dreamed, and its meaning is sure."

Responsorial Psalm DANIEL 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61

R. (59b) Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"You heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.
"All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever."
R. Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Alleluia RV 2:10C

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 21:5-11

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, "All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him,
"Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" 
He answered,
"See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' 
Do not follow them! 
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end." 
Then he said to them,
"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."

High Places

One of my favorite places to pray is on the top of a mountain or a cliff overlooking a spectacular view. I love the perspective I get when I am high up looking down. For some reason it humbles me in such a way to see just how small things are if seen from a distance. Somehow my problems decrease as my awe and wonder increase. The air feels different on a ledge as well. The wind is more prominent, more present, more vibrant. The Spirit is more prominent, more present, more vibrant. When I am on a mountain, a cliff, or a building it means that I have climbed there in some way, which is of course another exercise with spiritual richness that sets me up beautifully for my prayer time at the top. 

There’s a wall overlooking the entire Roman Forum that I discovered at sunset on one of my many trips to Rome. I sat there with my journal and wrote poetry as the sun set over an ancient ghost town filled with incredible stories of Christians, pagans, barbarians, kings, dreamers, lovers, saints, and sinners. It was this particular writing session that woke up the dormant writer that I had insecurely put to rest for many years of feeling not good enough or not smart enough. Words began to pour out onto the page and I felt like a floodgate had been opened from a high place of prayer and meditation. 

Sunset Cliffs is a stretch of precarious coastline just south of Ocean Beach in San Diego and has been my personal prayer spot since I was in high school. I go there often and I have various places where I just sit and soak in all that the ocean has to tell me. My newest high place is Black Balsam Knob along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Never have I seen mountains that mimic the ocean. They literally roll like waves and the clouds are foam for surfers to ride. When I close my I could almost smell the salt air. Every direction steals your breath and makes you small. Sunrise on Black Balsam is a burning bush encounter with the living God.    

My prayer time in each of these places has been rich, deep, and I have been moved to tears in all. Praying from a high place always puts me in a pensive mood, not in a brooding kind of way, but more of a seeing the whole picture moment of grace. Today’s gospel is an example of Jesus praying from a high place, which he did often, and contemplating the big picture. Have you ever known that someone was about to break up with you? Have you ever had a deep down feeling of gloom or doom? I think tapping into both those kinds of recollections might help when meditating on the gospel from today. Jesus had literally just entered Jerusalem with all the honor that a king would receive. The crowds laid down their cloaks for his donkey to walk on, palm branches representing their independence from Rome were used to show the highest honor, hosannas resounded along with “blessed be the name of the LORD!” He received the whole royal treatment. 

It wasn’t until he found himself in a high place when reality sunk in and that doom and gloom feeling from seeing the big picture of the next week of his life caused Jesus, God, the Savior of the world to cry. I don’t know about you but seeing strong people cry always gives me the chills whether they are male or female and the thought of God weeping buckles my knees. He prayed and wept over Jerusalem, which literally means the city of peace. His heart was soon to be broken, his body tortured, and his best friends would betray him, deny him, and abandon him. Have you ever been betrayed, denied, or abandoned? These are usually not things that we anticipate in our lives and they almost always come as a blindsided surprise, but Jesus knew that all of those things lay ahead of him…I would weep too. But the good thing about seeing the big picture is that you can also see the other side, the resurrection. It takes a high place of prayer to give us wider perspective, and the view, even though it is of a valley, is indeed spectacular. 

I pray that we each have an opportunity to go to a high place and look out so as to see the other side of the valley, where resurrection waits for us. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 500

Reading 1 1 MC 2:15-29

The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy
came to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices.
Many of Israel joined them,
but Mattathias and his sons gathered in a group apart.
Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias:
"You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city,
supported by sons and kin.
Come now, be the first to obey the king's command,
as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah
and those who are left in Jerusalem have done.
Then you and your sons shall be numbered among the King's Friends,
and shall be enriched with silver and gold and many gifts."
But Mattathias answered in a loud voice:
"Although all the Gentiles in the king's realm obey him,
so that each forsakes the religion of his fathers
and consents to the king's orders,
yet I and my sons and my kin 
will keep to the covenant of our fathers.
God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree."

As he finished saying these words,
a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all
to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein
according to the king's order.
When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal;
his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused;
he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar.
At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king
who was forcing them to sacrifice,
and he tore down the altar.
Thus he showed his zeal for the law,
just as Phinehas did with Zimri, son of Salu.

Then Mattathias went through the city shouting,
"Let everyone who is zealous for the law
and who stands by the covenant follow after me!"
Thereupon he fled to the mountains with his sons,
leaving behind in the city all their possessions.
Many who sought to live according to righteousness and religious custom
went out into the desert to settle there.

Responsorial Psalm PS 50:1B-2, 5-6, 14-15 

R.(23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

AlleluiaPS 95:8

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

Gospel LK 19:41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
"If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

Soul Trading

Today’s gospel is about taking the gifts given to us by God and doing something fruitful with them. Let’s look at the instructions given by the King to the servants that he gave 10 gold coins to, “Engage in trade with them until I return.” Isn’t that an interesting sentence? Trade means to share something and get something back. God gives us free gifts and the instructions are, “Engage in trade with them until I return.” What are your 10 gold coins (my Bible says this is equivalent to $50,000)? We are created in the image and likeness of God, which means that He has gifted us with His essence, and His essence is as countless as the stars. What are some of the qualities of God that can be translated into your 10 gold coins? One of those qualities for me is creativity and I can either hold onto it for myself or exercise it daily (writing, music, photography, etc.) so as to grow that gift in such a way that others will also be able to receive blessings from it and/or empowerment to be creative also. 

My creativity goods are something I trade every single day at work. How beautiful to be planted in an environment where music is not just a commodity, but a necessity! It really is the one thing that every one of my residents can receive, whether they are high functioning, low functioning, memory care, assisted living, even hard of hearing as music can be felt and seen, or a staff member. I use music to engage, to redirect, to pour into, to calm, to animate, to love on, to tell stories, to bring together, to trigger memory, to change the atmosphere, to move people, to delight, to melt away bitterness or anger, to get toes tapping, to bring a rhythm into chaos, to give words to those that have none, and to make Lola dance. I trade this gift for the gift of receptivity, smiles, laughter, singing along with, dancing, delight, joy, breakthrough, peace, and so much love. This is the soul trading that Jesus talks about in the gospel, “engage in trade with them until I return.” Soul trading multiplies the coins beyond anything we could hope for or imagine. 

This is what God wants us to do: share our own unique gifts abundantly without any hoarding and without reserve and He knows when we do that, the gifts will continue to grow, thrive, bear good fruit, and that growth will be infectious suddenly allowing us all to be who we were made to be, and that my friends, is a glimpse into heaven!! When He asks us about our soul trading will there be an excess of money or an excess of love? An excess material possessions or an excess compassion? An excess property or an excess joy? What are your 10 coins and how will you trade them to grow today? It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 2 MC 7:1, 20-31

It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested
and tortured with whips and scourges by the king,
to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law.

Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother,
who saw her seven sons perish in a single day,
yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord.
Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage,
she exhorted each of them
in the language of their ancestors with these words:
"I do not know how you came into existence in my womb;
it was not I who gave you the breath of life,
nor was it I who set in order
the elements of which each of you is composed.
Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe
who shapes each man's beginning,
as he brings about the origin of everything,
he, in his mercy,
will give you back both breath and life,
because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law."

Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words,
thought he was being ridiculed.
As the youngest brother was still alive, the king appealed to him,
not with mere words, but with promises on oath,
to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral customs:
he would make him his Friend
and entrust him with high office.
When the youth paid no attention to him at all,
the king appealed to the mother,
urging her to advise her boy to save his life.
After he had urged her for a long time,
she went through the motions of persuading her son.
In derision of the cruel tyrant,
she leaned over close to her son and said in their native language:
"Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb for nine months,
nursed you for three years, brought you up,
educated and supported you to your present age.
I beg you, child, to look at the heavens and the earth
and see all that is in them;
then you will know that God did not make them out of existing things;
and in the same way the human race came into existence.
Do not be afraid of this executioner,
but be worthy of your brothers and accept death,
so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them."

She had scarcely finished speaking when the youth said:
"What are you waiting for?
I will not obey the king's command.
I obey the command of the law given to our fathers through Moses.
But you, who have contrived every kind of affliction for the Hebrews,
will not escape the hands of God."

Responsorial Psalm PS 17:1BCD, 5-6, 8B AND 15

R.(15b) Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
My steps have been steadfast in your paths,
my feet have not faltered.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking, I shall be content in your presence.
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

Alleluia SEE JN 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 19:11-28

While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
"A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.'
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
'We do not want this man to be our king.'
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.'
He replied, 'Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.'
Then the second came and reported,
'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.'
And to this servant too he said,
'You, take charge of five cities.'
Then the other servant came and said,
'Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.'
He said to him,
'With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.'
And to those standing by he said,
'Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.'
But they said to him,
'Sir, he has ten gold coins.'
He replied, 'I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.'"

After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

Isn’t That Beautiful?

Today’s gospel is the classic story of the short rich guy named Zacchaeus.  I get a chuckle out of the fact that everyone to ever read this story in all of history knows that Zacchaeus was short. I wonder how short exactly and I just picture Danny DeVito always. The next thing we learn about Zacchaeus is that he “was seeking to see who Jesus was.” This ache to know Jesus is a gift given to all of us and Zacchaeus’ enthusiasm, curiosity, tenacity, and faith had him running ahead of the massive crowd (Middle Eastern men DID NOT run), to climb a tree (Middle Eastern men DID NOT climb trees), just to get a glimpse of the mystery he had heard so much about. The mystery of God is what draws our hearts. Isn’t that beautiful? 

The crowd would have definitely noticed the little guy in the sycamore tree because climbing trees was not a thing. Along with that noticing there was likely ridicule, mocking, pointing, and the whole nine yards. This is what perhaps pulled Jesus’ focus toward Zacchaeus, and there was possibly some indecent exposure going on with a glimpse right up Zacchaeus’ tunic for all to see!! Does our shame, ridicule, and exposure pull Jesus’ focus toward us? Isn’t that beautiful? I love that Jesus’ heart was immediately moved the minute He saw Zacchaeus. To be seen is one of our very basic human needs and to be given dignity is another. Jesus is the friend that would tell you about the spinach in your teeth or take the “kick me” sign off of your back. It says that, “Jesus looked up and said, ‘Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.’” Jesus honors Zacchaeus and restores his dignity in this shameful situation by choosing to dine with him in his home. Jesus saw that Zacchaeus was being mocked and ridiculed (he was also the chief tax collector – boo, hiss, boo, hiss!), but what He really saw was Zacchaeus’ desire to be seen, and Jesus in turn invited himself into Zacchaeus’ home and more intimately into his life. Jesus invites Himself into our lives via our boo, hiss, boo, hiss moments of desperation. Isn’t that beautiful? 

Zacchaeus’ bold or foolish effort exposed his heart to the one that already knew his heart, and Jesus could not help but to befriend him. I am convinced that Jesus’ whole interaction with Danny DeVito in the tree that day was done with a huge smile on His face because He delights in us most especially when we are willing to put ourselves completely out there, exposed and vulnerable, for His sake. Because Jesus treated Zacchaeus with complete dignity in an undignified situation, he was willing to respond accordingly, "But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.  For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.’” Jesus wants to save us, He wants to find us and for us to find Him. He’s willing to meet us in any situation if we but try to see Him. Let’s not let our weak or short stature deter us from looking for Jesus, showing Him our heart, and welcoming Him into our home. 

Jesus wants our exposed hearts today and every day so that He can come and dwell there as our true friend who delights in us. Jesus sees us when put ourselves out on a limb to be found. Isn’t that beautiful? It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 2 MC 6:18-31

Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes,
a man of advanced age and noble appearance,
was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,
he spat out the meat,
and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food
which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
in this way he would escape the death penalty,
and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,
worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,
the merited distinction of his gray hair,
and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;
and so he declared that above all
he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.

He told them to send him at once
to the abode of the dead, explaining:
"At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.
Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,
they would be led astray by me,
while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,
I shall never, whether alive or dead,
escape the hands of the Almighty.
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now,
I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
and I will leave to the young a noble example
of how to die willingly and generously
for the revered and holy laws."

Eleazar spoke thus,
and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
When he was about to die under the blows,
he groaned and said:
"The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,
although I could have escaped death,
I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,
but also suffering it with joy in my soul
because of my devotion to him."
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.

Responsorial Psalm PS 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (6b) The Lord upholds me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. The Lord upholds me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. The Lord upholds me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. The Lord upholds me.

Alleluia 1 JN 4:10B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God loved us, and sent his Son
as expiation for our sins.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 19:1-10

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, 
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature. 
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, 
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.” 
And he came down quickly and received him with joy. 
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying, 
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” 
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. 
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”

Bold, Brave, Beautiful, Beloved

What descriptive word would go in front of your name forever? It struck me today that poor Bartimaeus would be referred to as Blind Bartimaeus for all of time and yet there are many other adjectives that could be used for him. 

BOLD Bartimaeus.

The gospel says that he merely heard that Jesus was near and started crying out, not just his name, but the title indicating that he was indeed the Messiah, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” How bold for this blind beggar to risk his life with one courageous sentence. What did he have to lose? I must ask myself the same question, what do I have to lose by crying out to God with the boldness of Bartimaeus? He kept shouting knowing that eventually The Christ would hear, not his name, but the proclamation that he is Messiah. In fact, that is exactly what prompted the apostles to try and shut him up. They were not ready for the scandal yet. Bold Bartimaeus was not affected by their attempts and his persistence caught Jesus’ attention. 

BRAVE Bartimaeus

Bartimaeus kept yelling even when people were actively trying to silence him. I know I am not this brave, one shush from a stranger and my lips are sealed. Bartimaus’ next move took some guts as well. He ditched his cloak, his only earthly possession, knowing that he would literally never see it again, “sprang up”, and did a blind sprint toward Jesus. This sounds like some sort of youth group game to me when I would blindfold them and tell them to sprint across the room. It’s almost comical, however, Brave Bartimaeus knew that he needed to get to the Messiah and he was willing to do anything to make that happen.  I know I need to get to the Messiah, but am I willing to do anything? I’m not sure I’m that brave yet. 

BEAUTIFUL Bartimaeus

Bartimaeus knew what Jesus was capable of and so he asked for it. How often do we think we don’t deserve something or are unworthy to receive the gifts that Jesus wants to give us, but we feel ashamed to ask Him. Beautiful Bartimaeus shows us that we ARE worthy and that Jesus wants us to come to Him, immediately, boldly, and just as we are. Beautiful Bartimaeus gives us a perfect prayer that I know I need to plead for daily, “I want to see.” Now, of course, Blind Bartimaeus was asking for physical sight, but we all know that spiritual sight is exactly what Jesus restored and He resolutely wants to restore that same kind of sight in each one of us. When we see with the eyes of our heart, then we will see just how beautiful we are because we were made in pure love. 

BELOVED Bartimaeus

He asked to see and Jesus delivered because He was in love with Bartimaeus. He’s in love with you and He’s in love with me. He’s in love because He is love and love begets love. Therefore, we are His Beloved. It’s a concept that stumps me every day, but Bold, Brave, Beautiful Bartimaeus gets that he is Beloved. He gets it and because he truly believes it, Jesus proclaims, “Go your way; your faith has saved you." Bartimaeus could have gone in another direction because Jesus gives him the option to “Go YOUR way.” Once Blind Bartimaeus can see, he chose “His way” immediately “followed Him on The Way.” I want to have this kind of faith so that I too will immediately follow Him on The Way and know that His way is my way. Understanding my belovedness gives me the faith to see exactly where He is leading me and the courage to follow. 

I wonder what adjective(s) would go in front of my name for eternity in regards to my faith life? Valiant? Courageous? Radiant? Favored? It’s something for us all to think about today. Let’s try to be bold, brave, beautiful, and beloved and pray the two perfect prayers that Blind Bartimaeus gives us, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me” and “I want to see.” It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 1 MC 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63

[From the descendants of Alexander's officers]
there sprang a sinful offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes,
son of King Antiochus, once a hostage at Rome.
He became king in the year one hundred and thirty seven
of the kingdom of the Greeks.

In those days there appeared in Israel
men who were breakers of the law,
and they seduced many people, saying:
"Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us;
since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us."
The proposal was agreeable;
some from among the people promptly went to the king,
and he authorized them to introduce the way of living
of the Gentiles.
Thereupon they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem
according to the Gentile custom.
They covered over the mark of their circumcision
and abandoned the holy covenant;
they allied themselves with the Gentiles
and sold themselves to wrongdoing.

Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people,
each abandoning his particular customs.
All the Gentiles conformed to the command of the king,
and many children of Israel were in favor of his religion;
they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath.

On the fifteenth day of the month Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-five,
the king erected the horrible abomination
upon the altar of burnt offerings
and in the surrounding cities of Judah they built pagan altars.
They also burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets.
Any scrolls of the law which they found they tore up and burnt.
Whoever was found with a scroll of the covenant,
and whoever observed the law,
was condemned to death by royal decree.
But many in Israel were determined
and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;
they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food
or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
Terrible affliction was upon Israel.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158

R.  (see 88) Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Indignation seizes me because of the wicked
who forsake your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Though the snares of the wicked are twined about me,
your law I have not forgotten.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Redeem me from the oppression of men,
that I may keep your precepts.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I am attacked by malicious persecutors
who are far from your law.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
Far from sinners is salvation,
because they seek not your statutes.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
I beheld the apostates with loathing,
because they kept not to your promise.
R. Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.

Alleluia JN 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 18:35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
"Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me!"
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
"What do you want me to do for you?"
He replied, "Lord, please let me see."
Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Right Here, Right Now

One of the most beautiful things about working in memory care is that we live in the present moment. There is no anticipating, no looking back, and no baggage. There is simply living in the right here and now. In yesterday’s gospel, Jesus told us that “the Kingdom of God is among you,” right here and now. Perhaps my memory care sweethearts are ones that really get that and today’s gospel is a cautionary tale of sorts to remind us to be present right here, right now. Noah’s peeps were procrastinating and under the false impression that they still had time because the future was far away. Lot’s wife wanted to turn back to the past and it was what destroyed her. “The Kingdom of God is among you.” This present moment is where God resides. He wants to meet us here and now because the here and now is where everything is new. The old has passed and the not yet is out of reach, but the here and now is where God breathes His life into us. His grace is enough. Now I know that in a world where we have schedules to organize, families to manage, jobs to be on time for, planning the future to be done, and learning from the past to do, living every single present moment is unrealistic. I get that. God doesn’t want us to ignore our earthly responsibilities and live in La La Land 24/7, but an awareness of the now, an intentional grounding of what is truly important, and a keen sense of God’s presence in our lives allows us to let go of the past and stop worrying so much about the future. This is the balance that Kingdom living requires. 

I know I might paint a much too romantic portrait of memory care, which is not my intention, for I know first-hand the challenges and the struggles, the grief and the loss, the anxiety and the pain, the devastation and the wreckage of the terrible disease of dementia, but even in the midst of all of that, I have been given the grace to see the pure goodness of God dwelling there, breaking through the wreckage and making Himself known to my sweethearts in the right here and now. I get to journey alongside people living in such purity that they have no filters, no calculating, and no false pretenses. They are who they are and I get to enter into each of their right here and right now and that is where the Kingdom of God is. Today, Jesus gives us permission to not worry about the future, and to not regret or long for the past, we simply get to rest in the right here and now. This is where the presence of God is. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 WIS 13:1-9

All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God,
and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is,
and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;
But either fire, or wind, or the swift air,
or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water,
or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods,
let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these;
for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
Or if they were struck by their might and energy,
let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things
their original author, by analogy, is seen.
But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they indeed have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.
For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
But again, not even these are pardonable.
For if they so far succeeded in knowledge
that they could speculate about the world,
how did they not more quickly find its Lord?

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:2-3, 4-5AB

R.(2a) The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
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. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
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. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

Alleluia LK 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 17:26-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
"As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left."
They said to him in reply, "Where, Lord?"
He said to them, "Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather."