Sometimes we become so accustomed to Jesus Christ’s humble poverty, that we forget His glorious majesty. The same Jesus Who gives Himself to us in the intimacy of the Eucharist, also reigns as king in Heaven.
It’s good spiritual practice to contemplate this reality once in awhile. After all, the fruit of humility is majesty, He raises up those who are bowed down.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in His holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
Who desires not worthless things.
Psalm 24:3-4
+Pray for Christ’s kingdom to come in your own heart each day this week.
Order the new set of guided meditations for this year’s Sunday Gospels!
Whether with the paperback or ebook, join me as we reflect on this year’s Sunday Gospels.
Introduction:
This year’s gospels primarily follow the evangelist, Luke. Himself both a physician and historian, Luke captured Christ the divine healer and he emphasized the historicity of Jesus – both man and God. This union of two natures in the one divine Person of Jesus, though articulated more theologically in John, remains at the center of Luke – through Jesus’ empathetic understanding concomitant with His divine healing touch. At every turn in this gospel account, Jesus addresses our worries and limitations; He shows patience and the kindness of humble condescension to our littleness.
Beyond merely physical healing, Luke also proclaims the healing effect of the Good News. Jesus’ call to “repent and believe in the gospel” is both a diagnosis and a treatment plan for our most serious illness – sin. Christ cures every disease, but only those we allow Him. The only terminal spiritual illnesses are pride and despair – pride that refuses treatment or despair that refuses to hope in Jesus.
This year let’s accept the Lord’s free healthcare plan. He has already paid the price; all it takes on our part is cooperation. Let’s pray for the loyal faith of the Blessed Virgin Mary to say, “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), the courage of Simon Peter and the other apostles to respond to the Lord’s call to “Put out into the deep and let down your net for a catch” (Luke 5:4), and the generosity to leave everything and follow Him (Luke 5:11). Let’s listen to Him with the attentive heart and ear of Mary of Bethany who recognized that “one thing is needful” and chose “the good portion” (Luke 10:42). Let’s humble ourselves so we may be exalted (Luke 14:11), and like the blind man on the side of the road who heard “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by” cry out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38). “The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10), may we come to recognize Him on our journey as the men on the road to Emmaus did. May our hearts burn as He speaks and may we too ask the Lord: “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.”
“And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord…and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord…” (vs. 22-25)
We often think of someone having a vocation to mean being called to priesthood or religious life. However, during the Second Vatican Council, the Church emphasized that marriage and family life is also a holy vocation, and part of the universal call to holiness. In fact, it described the family as the “domestic church” since children first learn of Christ from their parents and how to follow Him through a life of prayer and sacrificial service in the home.
“The family is, so to speak, the domestic church. In it parents should, by their word and example, be the first preachers of the faith to their children.” (Lumen Gentium n. 11)
God calls every person to a life of holiness with the grace to become a saint. Daily prayer, sacrifice, and charitable service are not reserved for priests and nuns. In fact, Pope St. John Paul II repeatedly emphasized the essential and foundational work of the family, especially in his papal encyclical Familiaris Consortio – The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World. Consider his insights below regarding the noble mission of the family, the “Church in miniature” as he calls it.
“Each family finds within itself a summons that cannot be ignored, and that specifies both its dignity and its responsibility: family, become what you are…the family has the mission to guard, reveal and communicate love, and this is a living reflection of and a real sharing in God’s love for humanity and the love of Christ the Lord the Church His bride.” (n. 17)
Beautiful words, but how does this ideal get realized amidst the messiness of everyday life? Surprisingly, by way of that very messiness. “God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Spouses demonstrate this through their commitment to one another despite each other’s imperfections. The daily interactions of patience and forbearance reveals God’s love which is always faithful. Parents teach their children of God’s love through their sacrificial care and loving concern even when their child is at his or her worst. Whether it’s a screaming baby, an embarrassing toddler tantrum in the store, the struggle to discipline and form good habits during childhood, or teenage rebellion, the inexhaustible love of a mother and father witness to the mystery of Christ’s love for us. In turn, kids know early on their parents’ weaknesses as well. As they mature, those limitations become even more evident. Yet, the love and acceptance given precisely in this imperfect state is mutually formative. Families live and work together on an intimate level that provides the opportunities needed to form habits of virtue. The philosopher Aristotle said that virtue can only be acquired through practice. Well, family life offers plenty of practice in the most important and most difficult virtues!
“Thus the home is the first school of Christian life and ‘a school for human enrichment.’ Here one learns endurance and the joy of work, fraternal love, generous – even repeated – forgiveness, and above all divine worship in prayer and the offering of one’s life (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1657)
In addition to training up children in the way of the Lord through virtue, parents are also the first apostles of the Gospel to their kids and teach them Christian worship through participating in the faith together. Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in accord with the prescriptions of the Law. They exercised faithfully both personal prayer as well as communal. Christian parents can imitate their example by praying at home together daily, as well as faithfully attending Sunday Mass and actively participating in the sacramental life. Moreover, in our present culture they witness their faith in Christ’s sacramental presence by prioritizing it amidst the myriad of competing activities and work that try to bully their way into the schedule.
New parents rightly invest time feeding their kids nutritious foods, taking them to activities such as sports or the arts, and working to ensure they are learning in school. Nevertheless, as Christian parents, we must remember that our most important concern should be living as one baptized in Christ and raising our kids to be followers of Christ as well. Something beautiful happens when this takes place, the kids who received faith from their parents, witness it back to them. They become part of the Mystical Body of Christ which lifts one another up during trials and inspires to be even more prayerful.
“The family, like the Church, ought to be a place where the Gospel radiates. In a family which is conscious of this mission, all the members evangelize and are evangelized. The parents not only communicate the Gospel to their children, but from their children they can themselves receive the same Gospel as deeply lived by them. And such a family becomes the evangelizer of many other families, and of the neighborhood of which it forms part.” (Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, n. 71)
Jesus Christ became man and grew up in a family, in a town, and in a Church. He knows first hand our struggles, our joys, and our anxieties. Contemplating the life of the Holy Family can bring focus to decisions about how to live in our lives. Today’s Gospel highlights the number one priority – go to Church and bring our kids. Love Christ and love each other as Christ loves you.
Consider:
No family is perfect, and that includes in practicing the faith. What are the faith traditions you already have that you love, and what would you like to change or add to make Christ more present in your family routine?
What virtues have you acquired through your interactions with you family over the years? What virtues would you like to grow in yet?
Meditate on the family life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph at each stage of His life.
Practical Application:
Be intentional about your family prayer life and worship this week. Whether attending Mass, meal prayers, or adding something new, make a plan to honor Christ in your family life.
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It’s the season of watching. Watching for sales and gifts, watching beautiful Christmas lights, watching school Christmas programs, watching Hallmark movies, watching the mail for Christmas cards and watching for our loved ones to visit. It can also become watching the calendar fill with a myriad of commitments and watching our to-do list lengthen like the unfurling of a scroll that tumbles across the floor to the end of the room.
The excitement of the season can also be draining. We endeavor to conserve our energy and find balance between the work to prepare for Christmas, and actually relaxing enough to enjoy it. The thrill of finding the perfect gift on Black Friday devolves just a few short weeks later into frantic stress over the hard-to-buy-for person. The hours in the day seem to disappear as fast as the shrinking sunlight. Upon lighting the first advent candle as a child, I would groan at the long wait ahead of four interminable weeks. Now, as I pull the advent wreath from my tub of Christmas decorations, I groan that there are only four short weeks left to get everything done.
If we let the activity distract our aim, we may miss the target and lose the opportunity for reconnection and generosity that Christmas offers. However, if we keep our sight on the purpose of each of our activities, we may hit the mark. The cleaning, decorating, cooking, shopping, travelling, and planning can either leave us exhausted and cranky toward those we love, or they can invigorate us with energy and joy as we revel in lavishing our love on them and treasuring precious time together.
This time is also rich in opportunities to lavish our love upon Christ. During Advent, parishes often offer a spiritual retreat or host an evening with a speaker. The liturgy of the mass includes special prayers and Scriptures, and many people add advent traditions of prayer in their home such as lighting advent candles, reading Scriptures alongside a Jesse Tree with children, or another devotion. Community outreach is everywhere you turn from winter wear drives at work or school, to food donations, and toy drives.
Today, the first Sunday of Advent, our Gospel reading serves to focus our sight on the right target – the Good News that Christ has come and will come again. He has saved us, freed us from sin, and heals our souls. During the present age we have been entrusted by Him, “each with [our] own work,”(v.34) but we must always remember that He is the Lord and ultimately we watch and await His return.
So how do we keep watch? Daily in prayer, weekly at Mass, and at every moment by showing love toward Christ in those around us. Mother Teresa served others each day with Jesus’ words in mind: “as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)
May this season of Advent and Christmas invigorate rather than drain, as we keep our aim on love and on Christ.
Consider:
What do you enjoy most about the weeks leading up to Christmas? How might you enjoy them more, and prioritize your time better?
Reflect on the gift of the Incarnation. Consider the humility of Christ to become man. Contemplate His love for you, that He desired to be so close. Reflect on the gift of His grace and redemption.
What gifts has Christ given to you over the years? What gifts has He blessed you with this year? Are there any spiritual gifts you might put on your Christmas list to Him presently?
What gift might you offer to Christ?
Practical Application:
As we spend more time with family, friends, and coworkers this season, spend more time with Christ as well. Decide on how you will do this – go on a retreat, attend a speaker at your church, read an advent devotional each day, spend 5 minutes a day with Scripture.
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Thank you for everyone’s kind words and encouragement. Every time I thought about not writing this, one of you would reach out to me and share your appreciation for the first volume as you were reading it. This kept nudging me forward and confirming it must be God’s will. I hope He speaks in your hearts and embraces you in His profound love.
At first glance, this passage can seem a little harsh. We like to imagine a more sentimental Jesus, gently escorting every person to eternal pleasure, not a rigid judge calculating our deeds and sending some to eternal suffering.
Jesus is king and judge, but as He often reminded His followers – His kingdom is not of this world. When pressed by Pilate to explain this, Jesus answered “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:37).
We, like Pilate, may ask “What is Truth?” (John 18:38). Truth is Reality. As Pope Benedict XVI often said in his writings, it means acknowledging that God is the Creator and we are creatures. The laws of nature that govern the health of our soul are as real and concrete as the laws that govern the health our body.
The truth is also that God is love and we are made in His image. Though weakened by sin, we have been re-made by Christ and transformed by His grace to image God’s love again. Thus, St. John can say,
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love…if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. (1 John 4:7-8,12)
So if the Truth is that God is love and we are love, what does that mean on an everyday level? How does that look? How does it translate to our schedules? Pope St. John Paul II defined love clearly and simply: it is self-gift. Thus the paradox of human happiness he concluded, is that we find fulfillment for ourselves in giving of ourselves. For those of you who like lists, Jesus makes it clear and simple for us:
Works of Mercy
The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. (CCC 2447)
Corporal Works of Mercy Feed the hungry Give drink to the thirsty Clothe the naked Shelter the homeless Visit the sick Visit the imprisoned Bury the dead
Spiritual Works of Mercy Admonish sinners Instruct the ignorant Counsel the doubtful Comfort the sorrowful Forgive offenses Bear wrongs patiently Pray for the living and the dead
Jesus is Truth and Love. No one can pretend to be something they are not when standing before Him. Those who love will rejoice to be fully united with the King of Love. Confident in His mercy they will say yes to His transforming grace which will free them from any remaining pulls of worldliness or selfishness. Those who prefer the Kingdom of Self will refuse to enter the Kingdom of Self-Gift, preferring to be alone.
We see this in an analogous way during the holidays. Time with family requires a sacrifice of time, generosity of food and travel, hospitality, patience, and attentiveness toward others. The more we love our family, the easier those things become, and are even opportunities of service we look forward to with joy. The less we love, the more burdensome they seem, and some people may choose to remain alone on the holiday rather than deal with it all.
At Jesus’ final coming, it’s not so much that He will decide who “gets” to go to Heaven and who doesn’t, since He came to offer Redemption to all. It’s more the case that He will come as Judge of the Truth about our decision to accept or reject His saving grace in our hearts. The world might say, “show me the money,” but Jesus will say, “show Me your love.”
Life is short, eternity is long. We must begin EVERY day with prayer – even just 5-10 minutes and go to Mass EVERY Sunday, to unite ourselves to the source of Love and Grace.
From this union with Christ, fruits of His Spirit of love will permeate the actions and decisions of our day (see Galatians 5:22-23). If we first love God above all things, we will then love our neighbor as ourselves because we will see God’s image in them and desire as Christ does to mend its wounds of sin that their God-given dignity and glory might shine more gloriously.
Sound too simplistic? Give it a try. Compare a day began with 10 minutes of prayer and a day without. I can attest that I am a far more loving person with prayer and a far more frazzled impatient person without it. See how your week goes after attending Sunday Mass. Try going to one daily Mass in addition and notice the fruits that follow in your interactions with others.
Consider:
Consider how love makes everything less burdensome.
Consider how selfishness undermines relationship and causes discord in your family, friendships, and work.
Consider how Christ’s love and grace has transformed you. How has He changed you for the better over the years? How has His Spirit changed the way you think and act? What are areas of your life that still need transformation?
When have you experienced self-fulfillment/happiness through self-gift? How might you continue to give of yourself to those in your daily life?
Take a moment for gratitude, to thank Christ for the sins that He has conquered so far in you. Then take a moment for petition, asking Christ to conquer those sins that remain. Finally, take a moment for intercession, praying for those in need of healing too.
Close your eyes and imagine the joy of Heaven. Imagine Christ coming in all His glory, shining brighter than the sun, holding out His hand for you to join Him.
Make a Resolution (Practical Application):
Begin every day with 5-10 minutes of prayer. Read the Scriptures, thank God, surrender your day to Christ, spend a couple of minutes in silence.
Intentionally practice one corporal and one spiritual work of mercy a day.
Read about the life of a saint who is like you in some way to learn from his or her example. You can research “patron saint of ” to find someone with an affinity to your work or your struggle.
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Consider the value and meaning we place on money. First, there’s the cultural pressure to value ourselves based on our bank account. We call name brand clothes, luxury vehicles, the size and elegance of a home, or exotic vacations “status symbols” because they reflect our monetary power and therefore our personal value. Consider how many people struggle with low self-esteem, no matter what age, because they lack the apparent wealth of others.
Our perception of the value of our work can also be tied to the numbers. How many decisions do we make based on how much money it pays rather than based on whether it’s God’s will? How many opportunities do we miss because we are afraid of having less and worry that we will thereby be less?
Currency further identifies our national ties. Each country has its own currency with images of its leaders and heroes. To buy or sell in another nation requires exchanging your local money for the proper foreign coins.
These habits of mind might belong in the kingdom of fallen man, but not to the Kingdom of God. God created everything from nothing and continues to govern it and hold it in existence. He imprinted His image on man and woman and placed a value of infinite worth on each. The only way to devalue this currency is to distort God’s image within us, which we all do through sin (except Jesus and Mary) since Adam and Eve. Jesus came to restore God’s image within us, and even elevated it to a higher degree and dignity by uniting our human nature with His divine nature through His Incarnation.
Jesus doesn’t condemn Caesar’s image on Roman coins because it’s an earthly currency for an earthly political system. Rather, Jesus reminds us that our citizenship in His kingdom transcends our human institutions.
God desires that we revere Him as the King of kings, worship Him as Creator, and love Him as Father and Redeemer. He has bestowed His royal dignity upon us and urges us to return to Him His image. We don’t earn heavenly currency, we become it and we receive it.
Jesus says that we are God’s treasure. If we want to chase the dollar, we should chase God’s dollar. Through deeper union with the Lord, His grace transforms us more and more into His likeness. We also begin to see God’s image in others and their corresponding value and beauty. Thus one person, no matter how broken, is worth more than as many images of Ben Franklin you could stack.
I was reminded of this truth again when my sister and brother-in-law welcomed my new baby nephew into the world. From everyone’s reaction you would have thought they had won millions of dollars in the lottery and just told us they would share it with everyone – from the grandparent’s jubilation down to the youngest of their newborn’s siblings and cousins. The mark of status for us became who got to see him first!
Love sees the whole person. When a family member or loved one becomes ensnared in a serious sin, addiction, or suffers under mental illness, we feel sorrow because we see how these things distort the image of the true person we know, and all they could be. We want the ones we love to flourish. We value them for simply them, not anything they have accomplished or not. I love family reunions just because I enjoy being around those I love. I have grown up with my brother, sister, and cousins for many years now. I have seen us all go through ups and downs, great strides and tough struggles. I love them all when they are doing well, and just as much when they are struggling. I hate anything that would hold them back from the fullness of Christ’s joy, and I also know that God can work all things together for good.
Money can buy temporary pleasures and momentary experiences. However, the more we image the Lord, the deeper we experience a well-spring of joy, and far richer experiences than we can find anywhere else. It can hardly be described in words, so I won’t even try. Christ doesn’t explain it either. He simply says, “Come, and you will see” (John 1:39).
Come and see Jesus, and see your true worth in His eyes.
Consider:
Think of the people you love the most. Why do you love them? Why do their failings not make you love them less? How do you see them differently than they may see themselves?
We make decisions based on our priorities. Make a priority list based on what you value
Prayerfully ask God to show you how He sees you. Take 5 minutes of silent listening. (If distractions pop up just push them away. If you need an image to look at, meditate Then, compare the decisions you have been making to that list. How well do they match up? Where does there need to be some adjustments? What worldly values or fears are compromising your freedom to choose the higher good?)
Prayerfully consider, with the help of the Holy Spirit, if you tend to value things more than people, or people more than things? Do you take your identity in what you have or your job title, or in being a child of God and a brother or sister of the Savior?
Pray for Christ to give you His vision. Ask Him to enable you to see yourself and others as God
Make a Resolution (Practical Application):
Each morning, “give to God what is God’s” – His image in you. Pray the Disciple’s Prayer by Cardinal Newman
This week try to see yourself and others as God does. Pray for their freedom and yours from sin, fear, or addiction, and the gift of Christ-filled joy.
Disciple’s Prayer by Cardinal Newman God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.
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Jesus often compares Heaven to a wedding feast. Weddings celebrate a sacred union in love of two persons. It means total gift of self and lifelong commitment. Marriage best represents God’s invitation to relationship with us and His desire for mutual self-gift of mind, heart, and action.
God is both the almighty who existed before creation and exceeds our understanding, and the God Who sent His Son to become incarnate, walk the earth with us, and suffer and die for us. Even now His Holy Spirit dwells within us, and Christ is present to us in the Sacraments and His Mystical Body the Church. Moreover, our Trinitarian God has invited us through His Son into a participation of His self-giving love through a union akin to marriage.
Marriage begins with a wedding and weddings require enormous preparation – both for the event planning and for the relational development needed to become one. The Wedding of the Lamb, described in the book of Revelation, celebrates the fruit of this long process when our final union with Christ will become complete. Jesus has already opened the gates of Heaven for us and ascended there. For our part, our earthly pilgrimage from sinner to saint is our marriage prep. The kind of union the Trinitarian God intends for us is nothing short of total, relational, and loving. In consequence, our journey to the alter requires knowing Christ more deeply, trusting Him completely, and loving Him above all things. It means leaving behind our “single lives” for the gift of a shared life in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Weddings can be draining but when the day arrives it’s all worth it. Similarly, Revelation 19:7-9 describes the joy of our long- awaited union as well:
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory. For the wedding day of the Lamb has come, his bride has made herself ready. She was allowed to wear a bright, clean linen garment. (The linen represents the righteous deeds of the holy ones.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
Christ loves each and every person passionately. He pursues them, woos them, fights for them, and offers eternal union with Him in Heaven. In today’s Gospel however, He laments that not everyone says yes. They come up with excuses, put Him off, or avoid Him altogether. Eventually the door is shut. Harsh, you might say?
Jesus strikes at our complacency. We all too easily forget the gift of salvation, of our eternal destination, and our higher calling. The frenetic pace of life, the constant stream of tasks, or the allure of diversions become a dangerous siren call, singing that we are made for earth and we have all the time in the world.
However, every day we are one day closer to eternity. If we didn’t grow our love for the Lord, then we weakened it. Love needs ongoing nurturing. Relationships are work! Even a relationship with God.
Moreover, sometimes indecision is a decision. Deadlines are part of reality. If I stay undecided about my son playing basketball, eventually the registration closes. If I hem and haw about planning a family trip, eventually a year passes without travel and I have essentially said no. Lastly, if a couple is in a serious relationship of several years and one person drags his/her feet about marriage, eventually the other will need to move on from the relationship to find someone else to build a life with.
Thankfully Jesus waits patiently our entire life. He reminds us today however, that death is the deadline. By that point we have said yes or no to the Lord and even our indecision reveals itself as a rejection of Christ.
But let’s not wait until the last moment. I have heard people who put off kids, when they finally held their first in their arms say, “why did we wait so long?” Couples in love when they finally meet say “I wish I had met you sooner.” The more we love, the more we see how much greater it is than anything else we had previously thought to be more important. We will say the same of Christ – I wish I had let you in sooner.
We can ask ourselves, what holds us back from the wedding? What keeps me from union with the Lord? What do I need to do to prepare myself for this marriage? The King of Heaven and Earth has personally invited you. Drop everything, get dressed, and go!
Consider:
The Mass is a mystical participation in the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb in heaven.
What things or habits undermine getting to Mass or distract you during Mass?
Is it sleeping in, kids’ activities, running errands, going into work, exercising instead, watching news, or just relaxing?
What helps you enter more deeply into the Mass?
Getting to know the priest and parishioners so you feel more a part of the community, reading the Gospel ahead of time, learning about the Mass, participating as a musician, greeter, usher, or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, writing down key points from the homily?
Imagine you were to enter Heaven today.
What aspects of your heart and character would Jesus praise you for, as clothing you in garments for the king?
What vices or attitudes would He ask you to change in order to be properly dressed?
The lives of the saints illustrate the transformation possible with the grace of God. Each began like you and me, but through relationship with Christ they were made perfectly ready for heaven by the end of their life. If you were to appear in a book of the Lives of the Saints, what would it say? Where would it begin, and how would you like it to end?
We cannot perfect ourselves, but we can cooperate with the grace of Christ and let Him purify our hearts. Take a moment to offer a prayer of surrender the Lord. Offer to Him all your struggles, worries, imperfections, and desires.
I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
Make a Resolution (Practical Application):
Do one thing each day this week to prepare for the eternal wedding feast of heaven. Change out of one garment of vice or unforgiveness and put on a garment of virtue and love. As St. Peter says:
Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. (I Peter 4:8)
Resolve to attend Mass every Sunday and make the necessary arrangements for that to happen.
Spend five minutes with Christ when you first wake up, midday, and in the evening. Invite Him into your life right where you are at that moment.
Read about the life of a saint. You could research a saint whose personality, experiences, or work is like yours. You could also just read about the saint of the day. Catholicculture.org gives a nice summary. Click on the tab “liturgical year” then select “today”.
Learn more about the Mass. Attend a “teaching Mass” where the priest explains each of the parts as he celebrates it. Read a book about the Mass. Read “The Lamb’s Supper” by Scott Hahn which is about the relationship between the Mass and Heaven based on the book of Revelation.
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Spiritual growth, like physical and emotional development, must move from childhood and adolescence to reach mature adulthood. As our Heavenly Father, the Lord patiently endures our annoying behaviors of immaturity and lovingly guides us into adulthood. Unfortunately, just as some grown adults seem stuck in adolescent thinking and habits, so too many of us hold on to immature spiritual attitudes and resist the leadership of our Father, thus stunting our spiritual growth.
Weighed down by the effects of original sin, tempted by the Enemy and bolstered by our own pride, most often we substitute a false sense of entitlement and independence for rightful gratitude and obedience to God. Like the teen who begins to think his parents owe him everything he desires, or defies their rules with a sense of superiority, we can get stuck in the trap of demanding God’s goodness while denying His Lordship.
Pope Benedict XVI related this struggle to the original temptation of Adam and Eve, which he described as a denial of their “creatureliness” (In the Beginning). Having grown accustomed to the paradisiacal gift of their existence and the beautiful Garden, the Enemy introduced the idea of entitlement and ingratitude. Satan himself had refused to live in gratitude, preferring his own self-centered pride. He then enticed Adam and Eve to distrust God, deny their state as creatures, and become their own creators.
Called “the father of lies,” Satan lives in eternal anger at God who is reality itself (as revealed to Moses when He shared His Name – YHWH – “I AM”). The Enemy prefers his Illusions of entitled independence to a life of gift. However, illusions are just that – empty and unreal. Angry at God, he tries to recruit others to his side. He hates to see persons living in the joy of God’s love; therefore he proposed an alternative, distorted view of the Lord to Adam and Eve. He suggested that their experience was not in fact paradisiacal, but rather quite impoverished. To depend on God or obey His laws, he proposed, would be to accept slavery to a selfish and manipulative deity.
In truth Satan was the selfish, manipulative one with a god-complex, whereas the Lord had been nothing but generous and truthful with Adam and Eve. Satan argued that contrary to their experience, freedom and happiness lay in rebellion rather than rightful relationship with the Lord. Rather than rebuking the serpent for such hateful lies, they thought about the serpent’s words and chose to reject what they knew about God from experience for the false hope of a more liberated life without God.
This same temptation infects each of us, their children, both from within our own rebellious hearts and the sly lies of the Enemy. Jesus’ parable tells of God’s care for us, providing everything we need. He rightly expects only His due, and yet we resist Him. God blesses us with every good thing, but envy looks outward and turns back to God in complaint that we don’t have more. Every week that God blesses us with life, He asks only for one day in return. Moreover, as our loving Father, He doesn’t even ask that the day be spent in chores but rather that we rest and spend time with Him and our family. Yet, how often do we complain that setting aside work to worship the Lord is burdensome!
Consider also our prayers of entreaty for God to provide – a job, a home, possibly a spouse and children. We praise God for a short while when He bestows these gifts, but soon begin to complain about them. Even worse, we easily forget that they were even gifts at all and delude ourselves into thinking we have achieved them single-handedly. Confident now in our own abilities we fall into the destructive cycle of always grasping for more, never satisfied and never at rest, spiritually alone; producing the hell-ish existence that Satan hoped for us.
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers: all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:16-17)
Today’s Gospel reiterates the theme of The Kingdom of God is at hand” (Luke 10:11). Christ has come and He invites every human person to relationship with Him. We must make a choice and take responsibility for the consequences like adults.
Moreover, we must examine or attitude toward those whom Jesus has sent with His authority to bring God’s truth to us. Jesus told His apostles that:
“Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” (Luke 10:16)
Jesus established the Church to preserve, protect, and promulgate His Word. When we feel like characterizing the moral law or Church teaching as oppressive rather than freeing, we can remember from whom that lie comes. We must decide if we trust God or tempting illusions.
Jesus invites us into mature relationship with the Lord. He offers the freedom and dignity of spiritual adulthood through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Scripture, and the Church. He even provides the grace to transform our hearts from weakness to strength, from selfishness to self-gift, and from illusions to Truth. He asks each and every one of us, “which do you choose”?
Consider:
Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you in a prayer of gratitude; to open your heart and mind as you reflect on every good thing that comes from God.
Consider where envy, greed, or pride distorts your perception and causes discontentment to fester.
Consider how an adult views freedom in contrast with an adolescent. Do you trust God’s guidance to be freeing, or do you prefer your own judgment or worldly wisdom?
How is the Lord visiting you today? What fruits is He asking for as produce of the gifts He has bestowed upon you? How might you put your gifts more at the service of God and others?
Make a Resolution (Practical Application):
Make a list of each of God’s gifts in your life.
For each gift, offer one fruit a day for each back to God. For example:
Your Job: Offer the fruit of Christian witness by refraining from vulgar language or joining in crude jokes. Be truthful where you are tempted to lie or exaggerate. Do one act of service for a co-worker. Be joyful for the day and refrain from complaint. Refuse to begin or join gossip.
Your Family: Do one act of humble service for your spouse, children, or parents. Combat taking your spouse or parents for granted by recognizing them with a word of thanks or deed of kindness, out of gratitude their contributions.
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Jesus knows us so well! How often do we pay lip service to God? How many spiritual goals and good intentions fall quickly by the wayside left undone? In the morning, the first words on our mind and lips should be an expression of gratitude to the Lord, entrusting the day to His care. Instead, we hit the snooze button and possibly let less godly words be the first on our lips. As the day progresses, opportunities arise at every moment to be at the service of the Lord. Do we embrace the tasks at hand and the duties before us, or do we try to avoid work and get by on minimal effort?
At the same time, if we hear God’s call, often it may seem outrageous at first, especially His insistence on forgiving others. God challenges us to live beyond our natural limits, to participate in His divine love. Our first response may be no, but upon further reflection and with the softening effect of grace, we may rise to the challenge after all.
Inauthentic love disappoints. It makes big promises and grand plans only to fail to follow through on them. Real love acts. It proves itself by keeping promises, showing up, and responding to the needs of the beloved.
When St. Mother Teresa began her ministry to the poorest of the poor, she simply went out into the streets and showed up to comfort and aid those she met. For the children she found aimless and alone, she began to teach them by gathering them together and writing with a stick in the dirt. For the sick, she begged the pharmacist for medicine. For the dying, she offered what comforts she could along with loving companionship. God grew the ministry; Mother Teresa simply went out into the vineyard each day to work.
Practical goals and intentional habits form a framework of love that infuses our day with charity. However, when we don’t know where to begin, Jesus reminds us to start by jut showing up when asked. It’s amazing how deep of an impression it can make.
When I consider who has touched my life, it has been those who laughed with me, shouldered burdens with me, encouraged me, or reached out in ordinary ways when I needed it. I remember when my mom chose to leave a law firm she enjoyed, so she could open her own and have more time available for her kids. It meant that despite the many responsibilities she had at her job every day, I could count on her to listen when I needed some advice, to cheer for me at school events, and to be there when I had a tough time. Even now as a grown adult, I can still count on my mom to show up no matter what.
Above all, the Lord shows up. He created our souls at the moment of our conception. He became man, suffered and died on the Cross, and rose again for our salvation. His angels guide and protect us. His Mother intercedes for us. His very Spirit dwells within us as His Temple (1Corinthians 6:19). He is united to us as a Head to a body (Colossians 1:18), and as a vine to its branches (John 15:5). God is always faithful.
“The LORD is my shepherd, there is nothing I lack” (Psalm 23:1) “I will rejoice and be glad for thy steadfast love. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD! (Psalm 31: 7, 24 RSV) “Better one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” (Psalm 84:11) “Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with all their hearts.” (Psalm 119:2)
Love is about showing up and being there for someone. Love for Christ answers yes to His call and shows up for prayer.
Love has the strength and perseverance to do the right thing even when it’s hard. It may not be glamorous, but following through on our daily duties, even if we resist at first, makes an eternal impression on God.
Consider:
How can you make yourself more available to God? How can you hear His call more acutely and act more faithfully?
In times of prayer – when, where, and how do you pray. How much do you listen in prayer?
In the duties of family life – what do your spouse, children, or parents need from you?
In the duties of your work life – how might your work become more of an offering to God?
Ask God what He desires from you and spend a few minutes listening to Him.
Is He asking you for greater diligence, or do you need better boundaries on your work?
Is He asking you to reign in some of your conversations with co- workers, or is He asking you to make a greater effort at reaching out to them?
How do you respond to the work God asks of you each day?
What often derails you from following through with your commitments? Is it distractions, tiredness, apathy, fear…?
Reflect on the times God has shown up for you. When has He proven His faithfulness in a time of need? What blessings has He showered upon you?
Make a Resolution (Practical Application):
The Psalms sing God’s praises, especially of His faithful love. Pray one Psalm in the morning, one midday at lunch, and one at night.
Identify one thing you have said “no” to God about and do it today.
A great resource for learning to hear God’s voice is St. Ignatius’ Rules of Discernment. Fr. Timothy Gallagher has an excellent podcast series explaining each one and giving practical examples. You can listen to them HERE
I also recommend the spiritual classic, “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence. It’s a small, thin book but a little goes a long way.
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Take Time For Him 