Rest peacefully tonight for the Lord your God has today’s night watch.
In the Book of Revelation we read, “They shall see the Lord face to face and bear his name on their foreheads. They will need no light from lamps or the sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever.” [22:4-5]
Rest peacefully tonight for the Lord your God has this evening’s night watch.
May God Be Praised.
When life starts or continues to weight you down “When you’re weary, feeling small, When tears are in your eyes…”* go to the Lord who will hold you in the palm of His hand and help you through your troubles.
*[Simon and Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Lyrics by Paul Simon]
Remember to love God first because He first loved you, trust in the Lord. Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Matthew, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” [28-30]
May God Be Praised.
Hope in what, no; Hope in Whom, yes, Jesus Christ.
Hope in the Lord and you will never Hope in vain.
*
The Catechism of the Catholic Church offers several insights into our belief in Hope, here are three:
1. Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit…. [#1817]
2. The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire our activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven…. [#1818]
3. Christian hope unfolds from the beginning of Jesus' preaching in the proclamation of the beatitudes…. the beatitudes raise our hope toward heaven…. Hope is expressed and nourished in prayer, especially in the Our Father, the summary of everything that hope leads us to desire. [#1820]
Today pray an Our Father based on Hope and Trust, in the Father, Son & Holy Spirit, God awaits your prayer and your love.
May God Be Praised.
*The image is available at the Salesian Shop https://www.salesianshop.com/the-sacred-artwork-of-bro-mickey-mcgrath/
In Ecclesiastes [1:2-11] we read, All speech is labored; there is nothing one can say. The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear satisfied with hearing. Solomon spends a lot of time this Old Testament text stating that everything is meaningless and futile—without God, certainly a precious and powerful insight.
Today take a few minutes to reflect on three things.
1. Speaking not in and through our love of and for God has no value.
2. We pray not so much to God as inside God – Who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Your words matter, spoken or unspoken they breath God into the world or ignore the Breath of life that the world needs.
May God Be Praised.
St. Francis de Sales wrote, "Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs."
Today take a few minutes and pray,
“Angel of God, My guardian dear, To Whom His love Commits me here
Ever this day, Be at my side, To light and guard, To rule and guide.” Amen
Take time today to thank God for your Guardian Angel.
May God Be Praised.
Possibly the greatest prayer we can utter is simply “JESUS”, in Greek แผธฮทฯฮฟแฟฆฯ.
St. Philip Neri said, "The name of Jesus, pronounced with reverence and affection, has a kind of power to soften the heart.
The name of Jesus offered as a prayer from the heart for the love and glory of God is a Prayer. Today offer your Prayer: in the morning JESUS, in the afternoon JESUS, in the evening JESUS; offer JESUS throughout your day and the Praise of God will pervade your mind, your heart and your being.
May God Be Praised!
“We have been called and Baptized to be Light for others, Jesus told His disciples, and He reminds us that you don’t light a lamp and then hide the light it provides. Our light as disciples of Christ should not be hidden but lived to shine before all. When a light is placed on a lampstand, placed to give light, it [then] gives light to everyone who comes in contact with it. Our Light isn’t for itself, it is to give light to the secular culture in which we live.
We are at our best when we reflect the Light of Christ to the world.” [Deacon Kelly]
May God Be Praised.
One of the most troubling problems of our times is selfishness, the “me” as most important attitude. The praise of God should be our focus, our primary objective in this life.
Today commit or recommit your life to praise the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with every fiber of your being. If you do that your life will be joy-filled and the world will be better place.
The decision to place God first in all we say in our life here will not be easy, but the tranquility of spirit that you exude will be a breath of eternity.” [Deacon Kelly]
Each one of us should work to be less selfish and more “selfless”, allow the breath of the Holy Spirit to mold our will to God’s Will.
*Reflect on the Myth of King Midas for a few minutes today.
May God Be Praised.
Her response was Spirit & Loved filled. She responded, “You see, I have never thought I could change the world. I only tried to be a drop of clean water in which God’s love could be reflected. Does that seem little to you?”
She then said: “Try to be a drop of clean water yourself and then we’ll be two. Are you married?” The journalist said, “Yes, Mother.” Mother said, “Tell that to your wife, too, so there will be three of us. She continued “Do you have children?” The journalist responded, “Three children, Mother.” Mother Teresa then said, “Tell your children also so there will be six of us…”
And so, we should learn to be a drop of clean water so we can reflect God’s love to our family, our friends and all those we meet.
N.B. If you are able to see this movie Mother Teresa: No Greater Love you will not be disappointed. [In Theaters October 3-4, 2022]
May God Be Praised.
Eberhard Arnold offers us this important advice for our spiritual life, “Have the patience and courage to begin again anew each day, and trust in God’s help; his mercy is new every morning. Then you will understand that life is always a matter of becoming or growing, and that you must always look forward to the greater things. Even though you stand in battle with dark powers, the victory will be yours, since in Christ every evil is overcome.” [Begin Anew by Eberhard Arnold]
So. what are we to do, we should realize that each day is a gift from God, and we should focus on our relationship with God each day. Tomorrow when it gets here will be today.
May God Be Praised.
St. Teresa of Avila wrote, “Perhaps we do not know what love is, nor does this greatly surprise me. Love does not consist in great sweetness of devotion, but in a fervent determination to strive to please God in all things, in avoiding, as far as possible, all that would offend Him, and in praying for the increase of the glory and honor of His Son and for the growth of the Catholic Church.” [Interior Castle, p. 54-55]
Putting God first in everything we say, plan, hope for or do, is the basis for Loving God in all things. Do that for one minute, one hour, one day, then repeat the process each day God gives you on earth, because in haven that is what you will do.
May God Be Praised.
Those who learn to love God, learn eternal wisdom here on earth.
“No one who follows Me will ever walk in darkness (Jn 8:12). These words of our Lord counsel all to walk in His footsteps. If you want to see clearly and avoid blindness of heart, it is His virtues you must imitate. Make it your aim to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ.
Christ’s teachings surpass that of all the Saints. But to find this spiritual nourishment you must seek to have the Spirit of Christ. It is because we lack this Spirit that so often, we listen to the Gospel without really hearing it. Those who fully understand Christ’s words must labor to make their lives conform to His.” Thomas รก Kempis
"Truth sees God, and wisdom contemplates God, and from these two comes a third, a holy and wonderful delight in God, who is love." St. Juliana of Norwich
May God Be Praised, May God be Loved.
Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar
Homily Cycle C 9/18/2022
Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/readings/calendar
Some of you may remember a TV Show called “Leave it to Beaver”, about the Cleaver family and their life; it ran from 1957 to 1963. The Cleavers had two boys, Theodore [a.k.a. The Beaver] and Wally. Wally had a friend, Eddie [Haskell] who was unfailingly polite to adults. He would say things like, "Good morning, Mrs. Cleaver, that's a very pretty dress!" Then he would go upstairs to Wally and Beaver's room, be mean and sneaky while looking for ways to make trouble. For those of you who never saw the show or don’t remember it, Google “Leave It to Beaver” and watch an episode that includes Eddie Haskell, who was two-faced and clever.
The Steward in today’s parable was two-faced and shrewd. He was very good at his job: selling the master’s goods, keeping an accurate inventory, making the master [and himself rich], BUT the Steward was gouging the people and the master discovered this and put an end to it, by firing him.
This Gospel is very surprising because it seems as though Jesus is extolling dishonesty and shrewdness. The Steward assesses his situation and provides for himself and endears his master to the people; very clever, very shrewd. Some Biblical Scholars refer to this parable as “a trickster” parable or story, in the ancient [a common literary device]. [William Bausch, Once Upon A Gospel, p.271]
Let’s explore what Jesus wants us to learn.
First, He is not telling us to deceive, manipulate or be two-faced, He is telling us to use our talents, our wealth/resources [Mammon]for our family’s basic needs & then share our Mammon, especially share it with the poor.
Pope Francis called this parable, one about “the crafty steward”. He said, “Christian cleverness, allows us to be cunning but not according to the spirit of the world.” [St. Louis Sunday website, Anne Osdieck]
Rather be clever and be shrewd in living the Gospel by using our gifts/talents and the grace offered to us to radiate the Lord & His Message to our world. This parable “… challenges us to be eager and ingenious for the sake of God’ reign ….” [Table Talk , Year C, p.185]
Our reading from Amos tells us to share our riches, our wealth, Amos tells us that God will not forget our actions. The Letter to Timothy teaches us that the Jesus gave Himself for us and our Alleluia Verse notes that “Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, He became poor so that by His poverty you might become rich.”
Today’s Scripture Readings deal with honesty, and integrity; recommending we become rich in heavenly currency. Rich in eternal currency: mercy, love, forgiveness and joy.
Obviously, we shouldn’t cheat the poor, or steal or take advantage of anyone. It wasn’t right before Jesus’ came to earth, it wasn’t right when He was on earth, and it is not right in our time; it will never be right.
Our Responsorial Psalm instructs us to pray that our leaders protect, guide and keep us safe, but also, and most importantly the Psalm urges us to pray for those who are vulnerable. Part of our mission, our purpose in life is to treat all of God’s people with respect and take care of all God has given us, including the earth and the universe. We are called to be honest, to use our gifts and our talents graciously and warmly to pursue God’s work.
Today we celebrate Catechetical Sunday, and we pray for and thank God for our catechist, who teach, who accompany, who educate our children in the faith. Fr. Marty will impart a special blessing upon them as our school year begins.
Before Fr. Marty blesses them, take few moments, reflect on:
What is driving you?
What is motivating you?
What is your goal in this life?
And offer a prayer for the Catechists in your life, who taught you the faith.
May God Be Praised!
“In everything you do, act without grumbling or arguing; prove yourselves innocent and straightforward, children of God beyond reproach in the midst of a twisted and depraved generation - among whom you shine like the stars in the sky.” [Philippians 2:14-15]
Does this sound like the world in which we are living? Make every effort to “shine like the stars in the sky”, how you ask? By LIVING your life for the Lord, and letting the Holy Spirit guide you. Then your life will encourage those around you to seek your peace and joy.
Pray today, “Lord, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.”
May God Be Praised!
"Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly" - St. Francis de Sales
You are a child of God called to be Christ’s disciple.
May God Be Praised!