Your Daily Tripod

Faith Not Fear

2012-01-31T01:33:00.000-05:00

January 31, 2012

Memorial of St. John Bosco

Beth DeCristofaro

(The woman with the hemorrhage) fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction." Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." (Mark 5:34, 36)

Piety

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to you I call all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. (Psalm 86:3-4)

Study

Not long ago I prayed for something very specific which for a long time I had resisted praying for. Why? I told myself it was selfish and that God didn’t really need to spend time on such trivial things. After all, I have many blessings already in my life. But I finally broke down my own wall of pride and just asked. In essence, I went to my knees, acknowledging the need within me. Christ asks me to “Just have faith” rather than to vet the appropriateness of the request.

Yes, much to my surprise and delight, I was answered and not at all in the way I expected. The two people in today’s Gospel had requests of God which were much dearer to their hearts – indeed to their lives – than mine. Each received an answer that they did not expect. Each encountered a loving, gentle and wildly generous God.

A part of my answer was to again be given the gift of humility. I am the Lord’s; I do not write my life's story on my own. I was struck that God answered me in His own way not in my limited way. Part of faith is being open to God’s answers for my life's story.

Action

In death and in life we are the Lord’s. What have you resisted asking of Jesus because you lack faith or want to save Jesus the trouble or you are afraid of encountering the Lord face to face? “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

Proclaim

2012-01-30T06:29:00.000-05:00

January 30, 2012

Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Perhaps the LORD will look upon my affliction and make it up to me with benefits for the curses he is uttering this day." David and his men continued on the road, while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside, all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went. 2 Samuel 16:12-13

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you." Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed. Mark 5:18-20

Piety

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, Satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Study

At Mass Sunday, Fr. Barkett was addressing an overview of the Gospel of Mark. He explained that Mark's stories show Jesus ready to "pick a fight" with the powers in the world, especially the powers of sin. So today, in this corner, we have Jesus of Nazareth. And in the other corner, we have Legion, possessing the man and making him appear to have demonic possession.

Based on the patterns of stories we have already seen from Mark, we know the basic outline. Jesus takes them on and wins. But the lesson for us may once again lie in the reactions of the people around. Some embrace Jesus and want him to stay while others want him to leave their town as soon as possible. Some continue to be amazed at his actions while others are not yet ready to embrace the miracles happening right before their eyes.

Action

How will we react to the miracles of Jesus today? Will be stand ready to "pick a fight" with the tensions in the world? Or will we turn our backs and eyes away hoping that Jesus will not ask us to do what he does -- pick up our cross (daily) and follow him?

We know how the Lord will look upon our afflictions. The Lord will make it up with the benefits of pity, love and with his healing touch, glance or challenging words. How will we respond to that encounter?

A New Teaching With Authority

2012-01-28T23:12:00.000-05:00

January 29, 2012

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time B 2012

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him. Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it. Deuteronomy 18:18-19

Brothers and sisters: I should like you to be free of anxieties. 1 Corinthians 7:32

In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" Mark 1:23-25

Piety

Our piety is the fullness of how we honor God with our whole being. It answers the question of how well do we love the Lord our God with our mind, heart and soul. Am I all there for the Lord? Am I giving the Lord all of myself? Do I speak all and only what the Lord has given me to speak. We are all called to be prophets for the Lord. The prophet speaks clearly what is wrong in our world. The prophet gets ahead of the foolish crowd and suffers for speaking the Word of the Lord. Our piety is the word the Lord puts into us that is spoken with all that we are, mind body and soul, to those the Lord wants to hear him through us. Our piety speaks to our entire world through all that we are in the name of the Lord.

Study

Our Spiritual Exercises are the most profound study we are capable of to discern what the Lord is asking of us. Family, friends and associates can crowd the focus of our hearts. Study allows us to follow the Lord and to adhere to him without distraction. Christ is the perfect answer to the question of what is important. Christ is the God answer to the question of what is the meaning of life. How the prophets would have loved to have heard Christ. Study gives us the possibility of hearing Christ with all our mind and heart. Created to the image and likeness of God in Christ, we have in his love the answer to the question of life. Our study reveals to us what we should be doing with our lives. “The people who sit in darkness” see a great light in Christ.

Action

There are many gifts of the Lord. But there is only one giver of the gifts we have, the Lord. What we will do for Christ is determined by the needs of his people. How we use our gifts for one another is how the kingdom of God is built up. Christ spoke with authority to drive out the evil spirits. The wealth of our experiences becomes the voice of the Lord in our hearts calling us to do what we can to make a better world. Our actions have a divine meaning when we do what we can for one another in the name of Christ. Our actions make it possible for us to say: “When you see me, you see Christ.” Our actions become prayer when we do them in the name of Christ. Our connection with Christ gives us the authority of Christ to drive out the devils of selfishness from our world. We need to make it possible for our world to say: “See how those Christians love one another.”

Be Still

2012-01-28T09:42:00.000-05:00

January 28, 2012

Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church

Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm. Mark 4:38-38

Piety

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

Be still.

Be still and know.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

Study

Mark has already given us ample examples of Jesus overcoming demon spirits and illness. Today, we see further evidence that Jesus, in His divine nature, can even command the nature of the winds and seas. These too are powerless to disobey in his presence. They have no choice but to follow his Word. We humans on the other hand have one gift that nature lacks -- free will.

Mark's stories about Jesus and the ministry in Galilee show the varied reactions that people had during these close moments with the Lord. Many -- but not all -- followed Jesus such that the crowds were too large to be contained on hillsides, seashores or buildings. Those who followed used their freedom to choose to become disciples and believers. However, the rest still had to overcome their own obstacles along the way.

In today's story, Jesus commanded the seas to be still. However, the men in the boat were still agitated. Although the storm no longer was cause for concern, they were still concerned and disturbed trying to rationalize who this man among them was that he exerted such power over nature.

Action

What storms, demons or mountains are ahead on your faith journey?

The Psalmist suggestion to "Be still" is not one only for those joining contemplative orders like the Carmelites and Trappists. All of us can take heed to be still a little more in our life.

How many of us hurtle down the roads faster than posted speed limits in three thousand pound hunks of steel, glass and petroleum? We do that while talking on our mobile phones, eating a Big Mac and fiddling with the buttons on the radio or GPS. No matter what we are doing, we always try to be human multi-tasking computers or robots. When we fail to pay careful attention to the task at hand, we risk accident, injury or worse to ourselves and those around us. Do you know or care that we are perishing under the stress of all these demands?

Many things cause us to rush around. Deadlines. The illness of a child or other loved one. Economic hardship. Problems at work or at school. Family tension. Fill in your stressor. There are many roots in the world that agitate us these days. They will not go away miraculously. However, let us take a lesson from the men in the boat. When they were tossed around, they put their concerns in Jesus' capable hands. We can do the same.

Try using today's Good News to slow down a little and notice the beautiful interlude of spring weather tucked into the middle of the winter season. Get out of your car and walk someplace. Hopefully, whatever little hills you climb exercising will help prepare you for the spring -- it is as sure to come as the Ground Hog prediction next week.

As They Were Able to Understand It

2012-01-26T22:54:00.000-05:00

January 27, 2012

Third Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

By Melanie Rigney

So while Joab was besieging the city, (David) assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the defenders were strong. When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab, some officers of David's army fell, and among them Uriah the Hittite died. (2 Samuel 11:16-17)

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. (Psalms 51:3)

(Jesus said to the people), “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade." With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. (Mark 4:30-33)

Piety

Lord, thank You for speaking my language.

Study

Sometimes, it’s puzzling. The homily that went on forever, that had you planning your grocery list, kept the person sitting next to you in rapt attention. Or the book on the Eucharist that had you reading slowly and savoring every word just didn’t do it for your spouse. Or the morning devotion you read on a Web site spoke to you in one way, while it had an entirely different meaning for the others in your prayer group.

Isn’t God amazing, the way He provides food in the manner that works for each of us?

Jesus told the people of his day stories, because that’s what resonated with them. He could have stood and expounded on Mosaic law or the Torah, but those he was seeking to save through his death and resurrection were everyday people. They understood seeds and bushes. They could touch and taste them. Later, they would understand the metaphor, that from similar small beginnings would come the comfort and grace of God’s kingdom.

Today, those of us who find this parable easy to find may struggle with others—the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, for example, or that of the prodigal son. That’s all right. With God’s help, we’ll eventually come closer to bringing their message to bear in our lives. In the meantime, let’s give thanks for the ways in which God speaks what we need, when we need it.

Action

What is God saying to you through the parable of the mustard seed? Is there a place in your own life where a bit of faith could help your heart and soul grow and provide shade to others?

Come to Light

2012-01-26T08:06:00.001-05:00

January 26, 2012

Memorial of Saint Timothy and Saint Titus, bishops

For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God. 2 Timothy 1:7-8

Jesus said to his disciples, "Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear." Mark 4:21-23

Piety

Father, help us to set right what remains to be done in the world around us. Touch us so that we have the fortitude to go out into the world and sing your new song. May the Holy Spirit embrace our hearts for the mission ahead. Amen.

Study

Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear. Sounds simple enough.

On a purely theological and ideal level, we all know what Jesus and the Gospels command. We read it every time we open the Bible and hear it at every Mass we celebrate in community. We memorized the ten commandments in elementary school. Some reading this can even still recite back the responses to the questions in the "Baltimore Catechism."

Ours is a faith tradition that demands we spend time with our head -- understanding what is asked of each of us. Ours is a faith tradition that also demands we spend quiet time in prayer opening our hearts and our souls to the message the Lord has for us today. For unless I listen carefully with the "ear of my heart," I may miss the specific message He has for me -- a message that is different from that of everyone else reading this today.

However, the rub of this journey is that ours is a faith tradition that then questions how we put these lessons into practice in our lives. That is why a two-legged stool will not stand.

Action

What we hear has to be turned into action. What we see -- especially the problems in our neighborhood, our nation and our world -- must be our call to "arms and legs." we must put OUR arms and legs into the work to make right the problems in the world around us. Take special note of what you see and hear today in "light" of this Gospel. Those scenes were made visible for a reason. Those words were vocalized for a reason. What light will they turn on in your mind? What step will they ask you to take?

Touched and Transformed

2012-01-25T03:40:00.001-05:00

January 25, 2012

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the Apostle

By Colleen O'Sullivan

On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank... He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. (Acts 9:3-9, 19b-20)

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

Piety

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, Will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

(from The Summons, John L. Bell & Graham Maule)

Study

In my former life as a United Methodist pastor, I served a small country church for several years where the congregation had no idea that there was such a thing as a liturgical year. They had never had special worship services for Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday or Good Friday. The high point of their year was “Revival Week,” which took on the aura of Holy Week. Guest musicians and rousing guest preachers were the order of the day (good thing, because I felt like a fish out of water). Members of the congregation loved to reminisce about the great revival of some year when, according to them, 90 people went down to the altar and were saved. After I had heard this story a number of times, I began to ask questions. Where are those 90 people now? What happened in their lives after declaring their faith in the Lord? Were they changed and, if so, how? My church members thought about it for a while. For many of those 90 people, nothing much changed, they reported. They seemed puzzled as to why I was asking. The drama of experiencing God’s saving touch and responding by going down to the altar and declaring their faith was what impressed them. It was exciting.

Maybe we’re equally bedazzled by the drama of Saul’s conversion experience – a blinding light on the road to Damascus, Jesus’ voice from heaven, Saul’s inability to see or eat or drink for three days!

But the focus of the story is more on what happened afterward, how Saul responded to God’s intervention. He was transformed! When Ananias laid hands on him, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He could see again. He responded by being baptized. Saul, the zealous persecutor of Christians, turned his life around and became Paul, the great evangelizer for Christ.

When the Lord touches our lives or takes hold of us, we are supposed to be transformed. Our lives are supposed to change. Look at what happens in today’s Gospel reading. Jesus has taken a rag-tag bunch of followers - people who couldn’t stay awake with him while he prayed, people who would deny knowing him and flee when the going got rough - and transformed their lives. They become the leaders of the early Church. The resurrected Lord sends them out to preach the Good News. They become evangelizers alongside the apostle Paul.

Action

Conversion experiences come in all shapes and forms. In my own life there haven’t been any dramatic, Damascus road events. But more than once God has touched me in such a way that I have been transformed, usually at points in my life when I have been vulnerable, willing to admit that being lord of my own life isn’t working out or willing to admit that I can’t go it alone.

Saul was certainly riding high when he encountered Jesus on the road. He was making a name for himself. He was bound and determined to eradicate all followers of Jesus’ way. Everything was going great for him. Maybe that’s why he was struck down, made vulnerable by blindness. Maybe we are most open to conversion and transformation when we are weak.

When you are praying today, reflect on your own conversion experience(s). When and how has the Lord transformed you?

Come Be My Sister, My Brother

2012-01-24T05:06:00.001-05:00

January 24, 2012

Memorial of St. Francis de Sales

By Beth DeCristofaro

David, girt with a linen apron, came dancing before the LORD with abandon, as he and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and to the sound of the horn….Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. When he finished making these offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts. He then distributed among all the people, to each man and each woman in the entire multitude of Israel, a loaf of bread, a cut of roast meat, and a raisin cake. With this, all the people left for their homes. (2 Samuel 6:14-15, 18-19)

(Jesus) said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:34-35)

Piety

Today, Lord Jesus, Help me to be who I am, made by God and beloved by you. And help me be myself perfectly well so as to witness to you. (based on the words of St. Francis de Sales)

Study

Maybe because it is almost Mardi Gras season, these readings just strike me as joyous, over-the-top and wonderful . When my daughter began college in New Orleans, I’ll admit to some trepidation due to the city’s reputation. I googled images of Mardi Gras and almost immediately came upon the gallery of photos from Slidell, LA’s parade of pets (Slidell being just over the Lake Pontchartrain causeway from the city). It immediately quelled a lot of my apprehensions. There were photos of families with children galore dressing their pug dogs up as Yoda, their German Shepherds as football players and families dressed to match the pets marching in the parade. Mardi Gras, of course, has its origins in readying for Lent, a time to celebrate life and God before the fasting and preparation of the Easter Season.

Somehow, reading the first reading, I think David would have understood and jumped on a float should a Barkus or Rex parade come past. His jubilant worship included a parade and treats – real food! – given out. Are there less than pious shenanigans going on? Probably in New Orleans and possibly in the city of David too. Jesus knows that as well.

Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister, He says. He generously welcomes those who choose God into His immediate family. The world is not too wide. But we choose, just as we choose the way we meet God and others every day. I’d like to think meeting others with joy and generosity might be a way to be a good sibling to our Lord.

Action

St. Francis de Sales was known for his gentleness, patience and kindly advice. His writings included the Introduction to the Devout Life which he wrote for the ordinary man and woman. In it he tolerated dancing and music and offered that each day is another opportunity to turn to God with focus and with love.

Take some time as you prepare for Lent to read some St. Francis de Sales or look into historical practices during Lent. Imagine joining in David’s procession. There are so many ways to witness God and witness to God.

Tie Up the Strong Man

2012-01-23T06:27:00.000-05:00

January 23, 2012

Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

David grew stronger and stronger, and Yahweh, God of Sabaoth, was with him. 2 Samuel 5:10

But no one can make his way into a strong man's house and plunder his property unless he has first tied up the strong man. Only then can he plunder his house. In truth I tell you, all human sins will be forgiven, and all the blasphemies ever uttered. Mark 3:27-28

Piety

Suscipe by St. Ignatius of Loyola

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.

Study

What "strong man" do you have to conquer? What weakness do you have to overcome? All of us have different answers. For some, we have consumption overload -- and have to control our appetite for food, alcohol, drugs or other addictions. For others, we have economic issues and have to control like wasteful spending made too easy by the proliferation of credit cards and the internet. There might be seven deadly sins but we have figured out seven times seventy ways to commit them.

If we are going to conquer our weakness, from where or whom will you get your strength? It will not come from a few circuits on the Nautilus machine down at the gym. It won't come from watching WWF matches on television. We stand a fighting chance against our personal demons and strongmen if we can derive our strength from the Lord the way David did.

Action

Many of the signs Jesus did in these early days of his ministry involved both driving out demons or challenging people to get out of their comfort zones. Today's reading from the Gospel of Mark did both. Some people -- mostly those with powerful positions in the world of religion, government, military or commerce -- did not know how to react to Jesus. However, the poor and afflicted did not have that same trouble. They did not have the same psychological barriers to putting their faith in control As Jesus unchained them of the illness, disease or other affliction, they could more easily abandon their current lives and follow the commandments.

What is getting in the way of your ability to follow the Lord? How will you bind up that strong man? from whom will you get the wisdom, fortitude, justice or temperance to succeed?

Abandoned and Followed

2012-01-22T07:21:00.000-05:00

January 22, 2012

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 2012 B

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ

When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out. Jonah 3:10

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. Mark 1:16-17

Piety

Our piety gives us the encouragement to say what needs to be said in our world gone crazy. It takes courage to say what we think people are not ready to hear. Piety is where we find the courage to take a risk for Christ. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are the makeup of piety. Wisdom, knowledge, counsel and understanding are the how the spirit touches our minds. Piety, fortitude and fear of the Lord are the gifts that influence our hearts as we put ourselves in front of the crowd and take the risks that the prophets took in their willingness to point out what was wrong with their world. Jesus came proclaiming the Gospel of God. Jesus chose the men of the sea for his first disciples. They were brothers and men that had more to say with hard work than with their learning. They were men of action.

Study

We live in a time when things are changing rapidly. People all over the world can be reached by computers in their various forms. Good news can be had by all if we are not afraid to put ourselves out there in fiber space to be heard in the name of Christ. We have a world that is passing away in its present form and we have to allow the message of Christ to catch up to our world. Jonah was heard even when he tried to run away from the Lord. We have to stop apologizing for the Lord using us and rejoice in whatever we have a chance to do for the Lord. We study the ways of the Lord even as we allow the Lord to teach us his ways. If we are humble enough, he guides us to justice by teaching us his way of doing things.

Action

We need to call our friends to join us in the work of the Lord. There are so many things that we can only do by trying. If we limit ourselves to what we are already doing, we lose the messages of the good news of the Lord. We are never too old or too young to be the messengers of the Lord. We must never be too proud to ask the help of each other. How many people to we fail to ask because we think they are too busy. Who can be too busy for the work of the Lord? Even as Simon and Andrew and James and John followed Christ, We need to disentangle ourselves from our business with things of our world to follow the Christ who will make us fishers of men. We need to direct our attention to the work of the Lord.

Such a Crowd

2012-01-21T05:56:00.001-05:00

January 21, 2012

Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

He went home again, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relations heard of this, they set out to take charge of him; they said, 'He is out of his mind.' Mark 3:20-21

Piety

Father, help me listen and understand your Word so that my attitudes and actions may follow the path you want me to walk.

Study

Mark's Gospel continues to recount episodes of tension between Jesus and all those around him. Sometimes he challenges the rulers in the temple with his healing. Sometimes he challenges those who are healed to keep quiet. Sometimes he challenges the prevailing religious practices (like fasting).

Today, Jesus returns home. It is one thing for the crowds to press upon him on the side of a mountain when preaching and healing or to gather around him on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Now, the crowds of the poor follow him home. This create a new tension -- tension within his family.

The family wanted to get things back to normal -- stay in their "comfort zone." Jesus' family tries to rationalize his behavior and cannot so they conclude that he must be out of his mind. Yet no one could ever truly take charge of Jesus -- not his parents when he went off preaching in the temple, not the Church leaders or the Roman authorities. It was Jesus taking charge and pushing all of them out of their comfort zone in order to help the poor and open their ears to the Word of God.

Action

The Good News challenges all of us to question our attitudes and actions, what we say and what we do; and the actions and words of those around us. In this 24/7 news cycle (and on the day of the South Carolina primary), we should listen carefully to the words that are being broadcast at every turn.

A group of Catholic leaders from all facets of the church and universities signed an open letter to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former Senator Rick Santorum, asking them to refrain from racial stereotyping and other demeaning comments as they seek the presidency.

According to a posting on the website for Faith in Public Life, Newt Gingrich has frequently blasted President Obama as a “food stamp president” and implied that some African Americans are more content to collect welfare benefits than work. Rick Santorum attracted scrutiny for telling Iowa voters he doesn’t want “to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money.”

The open letter reminds the two presidential candidates that U.S. Catholic bishops have called racism an “intrinsic evil” and consistently defend vital government programs such as food stamps and unemployment benefits that help struggling Americans. The letter reads, in part:

"Some presidential candidates now courting “values voters” seem to have forgotten that defending human life and dignity does not stop with protecting the unborn. We remind Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Santorum that Catholic bishops describe racism as an “intrinsic evil” and consistently defend vital government programs such as food stamps and unemployment benefits that help struggling Americans. At a time when nearly 1 in 6 Americans live in poverty, charities and the free market alone can’t address the urgent needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. And while jobseekers outnumber job openings 4-to-1, suggesting that the unemployed would rather collect benefits than work is misleading and insulting.

As the South Carolina primary approaches, we urge Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Santorum and all presidential candidates to reject the politics of racial division, refrain from offensive rhetoric and unite behind an agenda that promotes racial and economic justice.

What attitudes does the Good News challenge in your life?

The Lord Will Judge

2012-01-20T06:36:00.002-05:00

January 20, 2012

Second Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

By Melanie Rigney

David bowed to the ground in homage and asked Saul:"Why do you listen to those who say, 'David is trying to harm you'? You see for yourself today that the LORD just now delivered you into my grasp in the cave. I had some thought of killing you, but I took pity on you instead. I decided, 'I will not raise a hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed and a father to me.' Look here at this end of your mantle which I hold. Since I cut off an end of your mantle and did not kill you, see and be convinced that I plan no harm and no rebellion. I have done you no wrong, though you are hunting me down to take my life. The LORD will judge between me and you, and the LORD will exact justice from you in my case(1 Samuel 24:9-13)

Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me. In you I seek refuge. In the shadow of your wings I seek refuge till harm pass by. (Psalms 57:2)

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. (Mark 3:13-15)

Piety

Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve tried to take over Your job. Help me to leave the judging to you.

Study

My ex-husband used to call me “Supercop of the World.” Too many items in the 10 items or fewer line at the supermarket checkout? I’d bust you. Pulled in front of me in traffic a little too close for my comfort? I’d honk at you. In college, a friend and I chose to make public in the newspaper a personal indiscretion by one of our colleagues. Years later, I’d commit the same indiscretion. Yes, God does have a sense of humor… and a gentle way of showing us that when we fail to accept His grace and guidance, none of us is any better or worse than anyone else on this planet.

David, one of the most flawed and most insightful and faithful people in the Old Testament, had a golden opportunity to kill Saul, who was in hot pursuit of David. David’s men urged him on. David was close enough that he cut off part of Saul’s cloak. And yet, David, who in so many other instances would lack self-control, found it. “The Lord will judge between me and you,” he tells Saul. Ultimately, David becomes king himself.

So often in our lives, we’d like to be judge, jury, and executioner. It’s easier to consider the situation from our own perspective only, rather than consider the other viewpoint… or, better still, leave the judging up to the Lord. May we all learn from David’s example.

Action

The Diocese of Arlington Cursillo Secretariat will make a decision next Tuesday, January 24, on our lay director for the coming three years. Thanks to all of you who have offered prayers and your thoughts. We invite you to join us for Mass at 7 p.m. at St. Charles Borromeo, 3304 N. Washington Blvd. in Arlington, and then to take part in a community celebration that will follow at St. Charles immediately after the Secretariat meets to discern. If you can’t join us in person, please join us in spirit and prayer. For more information, visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org.

Cured the Many

2012-01-19T06:57:00.000-05:00

January 19, 2012

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, "You are the Son of God." He warned them sternly not to make him known. Mark 3:10-12

Piety

Father, help us to put aside our own agenda which is driven by personal goals. Give us the wisdom to dedicate our lives to helping the economically, politically and spiritually poor around us as they struggle without all the graces and gifts with which we have been blessed. Amen.

Study

A touch. A glance. A moment. That is all the crowds of poor people wanted. As word spread about the healing powers of Jesus, the crowds swelled. As the miracles multiplied, word spread further. Amid all this seeming success, Jesus again echoes his plea to those healed to keep quiet about his actions.

In these early days of his ministry, perhaps he repeated this request so often for the same reason he questioned his mother at the wedding at Cana. "My time has not yet come."

Ever since Jesus cast out the unclean spirits in the temple (Mark 1:22ff), he has embarked on a campaign of healing throughout the countryside away from the prevailing authorities in the temple. He embarked on numerous episodes of curing lepers and paralytics, eating with sinners and tax collectors, breaking the prevailing laws about fasting, and more. Crowds followed him -- not crowds of leaders but crowds made up of the poor and sick. Jesus exhibited the preferential option for the poor long before that term became popular.

Jesus wanted to build up his relationship with the people through these direct corporal acts of "mercy not sacrifice" and miracles. This would hold off his confrontation with the leadership of the church and the Roman authorities until he was ready to take them on. In addition, it would enable Jesus to strengthen his connection with the community members who wanted to be close to him

The people wanted a touch. The leaders wanted an interrogation. Jesus the Healer and Jesus the Exorcist challenged the ruling leaders of the church. Jesus the Cavort-er with sinners and tax collectors challenged the political and social order.

So perhaps by asking people not to speak about the miracles, Jesus could control the timing of his inevitable confrontation with authorities and lay the ground work for the kind of community he wanted to be associated with -- a community serving the poor and powerless.

Action

After a close moment with Jesus, people could not keep it to themselves. Group reunion allows us to be aware and accountable to our commitment to the building blocks of piety, study and action. And then it opens up a path for us to discuss this with others.

How is your group reunion progressing? Are you still meeting so that you can share your journey and close moments? Make a resolution to reconnect with your group this week.

In What or Whom Do You Trust?

2012-01-18T02:38:00.001-05:00

January 18, 2012

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

By Colleen O'Sullivan

David continued (speaking to Saul): “The Lord, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine.” (In speaking to Goliath) David answered him: “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.” (I Samuel 17:37a, 45)

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death. (Mark 3:1-6)

Piety

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

Study

Many years ago, when I was in my twenties and fresh out of school, I remember my father sharing his “philosophy of life” with me. His bottom line was that a little money can solve just about anything. He was a child of the Depression era. His family was very poor when he was growing up. I imagine there were times when he literally went to bed hungry because there was no money for food. Where I have a closet full of clothes; he had two pairs of pants and two shirts. His life experiences led him to put his trust in money and savings.

In our first reading today, we read about the famous battle between David and Goliath. We see Goliath full of confidence in the fact that he is a hefty, burly man, possessed of great strength. He is renowned for his battlefield prowess. As he goes into battle, his experiences as a warrior lead him to put his trust in his weapons: a sword, a spear and a scimitar (a curved sword).

Throughout the ages, we human beings have invested our trust in a variety of ways: Eve in the words of the serpent, Adam in Eve’s proffered gift of forbidden fruit, the Israelites in a golden calf, rulers in their power over other people, teenagers in the approval of their friends.

In today’s Gospel reading, we see the Pharisees blindly putting their trust in the letter rather than the spirit of the law.

St. Augustine describes this human yearning in his autobiographical Confessions. He says our hearts are restless until they rest in God. We’re all looking for something or someone in which to put our trust, something or someone to be our rock or our mainstay. The trouble is that many of us look in the wrong places. Money can ensure that we have food, clothing and shelter, but even great wealth can’t buy us friendship, love or eternal life. Physical prowess isn’t lasting; we all eventually grow older and weaker. Trusting in the wily words of the Evil One or the gleam of false idols gets us nothing but trouble. Blindly following religious laws without understanding the loving spirit behind them can make us mean-spirited.

In our readings today, we see David and Jesus putting their trust in the right place. Saul tries to discourage David from going into battle against Goliath. He tells the youth that he is too young and inexperienced. But David says that he is a shepherd and has always trusted God to keep him safe from predators while tending his flock, and the Lord has never failed him. God has always protected him. He trusts God.

Jesus puts his faith in his relationship with his Father and in doing the good for others that he knows is his Father’s will. He’s both angry and sad that the Pharisees are so faithful to the last little detail of the Jewish law yet totally blind to the loving intent behind it. The law was meant to bring people closer to God. Jesus trusts his loving Father.

Action

When have you experienced that restlessness or yearning that St. Augustine speaks of? What false idols have you turned to in your life? Whatever they are, the Lord asks you to lay them down and renew your trust in God.

God Looks Into Our Hearts

2012-01-16T19:37:00.000-05:00

January 17 2012

Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot

By Beth DeCristofaro

(Samuel thought,) "Surely the LORD's anointed is here before him." But the LORD said to Samuel: "Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart." (1 Samuel 16:6-7)

Then (Jesus) said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath." (Mark 2:27-28)

Piety

Saint Anthony, you spoke of the importance of persevering in our faith and our practice. Help us to wake up each day with new zeal for the Christian life and a desire to take the next challenge instead of just sitting still. Amen. (www.catholic.org)

Study

During my Cursillo weekend, back in 2001 (and on every weekend I have joined as team member) I have heard – and indeed said myself – “I’m just not worthy. Why would God love me?” This fear, insecurity, self-debasement still afflicts me off and on, especially on those days when I am particularly out-of-sorts with myself. When I am feeling most put-upon by my responsibilities. When I am feeling most inadequate for the duties of my job. When I am feeling holier-than-thou as wife and mother. When I am feeling self-righteous as I identify the “injustices” perpetrated by others which I, of course, would never do.

Actually, the question is a good one. Why would God love someone so prone to sin and failure? Today’s Gospel and the life of St. Anthony the Abbot give us interesting insight. Anthony was an ascetic, choosing a holy life after hearing the words of the Gospel which motivated him to give up his wealth. His life story is full of struggles with temptation and his constant passion to live solely reliant on God. In each victory over sin or distraction, Anthony recalled himself to the presence of God. His life, recorded in autobiography, was an inspiration for many to choose a Christian path.

Jesus reminded the Pharisees that God defines holiness. And God defines love. God loves so unconditionally that we can only reject, God doesn’t withhold. So our question is answered: God loves this crabby, selfish, incomplete, struggling, kind, faithful woman because God created me to love. You too.

Action

St. Anthony chose a life of self-denial to be present to God. Thomas Merton chose solitude but wrote and spoke sharing the joy of his journey to and with God. “It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race although it is a race dedicated to many absurdities and one which makes many terrible mistakes; yet with all that, God Himself gloried in becoming a member of the human race! … we are because of Him who dwells in us. But precisely in Him and by Him we are deeply involved by compassion: yet compassion is useless without freedom.” [i]

St. Anthony believed that acting on a hope or belief brought that belief deeper into his own heart and brought him ever closer to God. What can we act upon, by relying on God, perhaps something challenging, new or untested, that will bring ourselves closer to God? We will find love there.

[i] Thomas Merton: A Book of Hours, Kathleen Deignan, edt., Sorin Books, Notre Dame, IN, 2007, pp.52, 56.

New Wine into Fresh Skins

2012-01-16T06:30:00.000-05:00

January 16, 2012

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

John's disciples and the Pharisees were keeping a fast, when some people came to him and said to him, 'Why is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?' Jesus replied, 'Surely the bridegroom's attendants cannot fast while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then, on that day, they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. No! New wine into fresh skins!' Mark 2:18-22

Piety

Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty. (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 1963)

Study

Here we are near the beginning of only the second week in Ordinary Time in our new liturgical cycle and already Jesus the rebel comes to the forefront. It is somewhat fitting that this apparent episode of civil disobedience falls on the holiday when we celebrate the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you watch the televised news today or listen to the radio, chances are good that you will hear a recording of the "I Have a Dream" speech by Dr. King that was delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. But while this is his most popular speech, I have always been more inclined to The Letter from the Birmingham Jail.

Like Christ and John the Baptist and Peter and Paul and others too numerous to mention, Dr. King and many others in the struggle for justice and civil rights saw the inside of a jail cell. He did not pass Go. He did not collect $200. In April, 1963, five months before the March on Washington and five years before his assassination in Memphis, Dr. King found himself on the inside of a jail cell writing to fellow members of the clergy in the same way St. Paul wrote epistles to the early Church leaders.

Dr. King told his fellow clergymen, why he was in Birmingham.

"I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. "

The bottom line for Dr. King was that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Just as Jesus embraced the creative tension that his lack of fasting created, so too did Dr, King embrace the tension of his direct action. He wrote:

Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation.

Action

What will be your plan of action for today? What tension will you create and cultivate that will help pave the way for change? Dr. King wanted to bottle a new wine of action in the south nearly 50 years ago. What action and injustice do you want to address today?

Come, And You Will See

2012-01-15T00:28:00.000-05:00

January 15, 2012

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time B

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ

The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me." Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:8-10

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" - which translated means Teacher -, "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come, and you will see." John 1:35-39a

Piety

Piety includes how we glorify God in our bodies. Our prayers, fasting and good works are how one recognizes the Temple of the Holy Spirit within each of us. Our sensitivity to the call of the Lord is what wakes us from our lethargy and allows us to ask the Lord to speak to us. “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” needs to be the cry of our hearts as the day goes on. The Corporal Works of Mercy are the actions that open the doors of heaven to us. What we do for the hungry, thirsty, sick, naked and imprisoned make up the work of our bodies as we listen to the Lord in the needs of our companions of life. What we do for the person who cannot thank us are the golden works of mercy that show a claim on heaven for each and every one of us. Piety wakes us up to the needs of the poor of the Lord. It allows us to make every word of the Lord to us to be with effect. It is how we say to the Lord “Here am I; I come to do your will.”

Study

Our study of the life of John teaches us how to point out the Lord to the others of our lives. We call attention to the Lord. The Lord is forever inviting us to come and see. Just like Andrew who showed the Lord to his brother, we are called to share with our family how the Lord is the fulfillment of our hearts’ desires. There is the cry of our hearts that we have found the Lord that is heard by those who see the good we do in the name of the Lord. Gradually we are awakened to the good we can do. Study is how we listen to the Lord. It makes us quicker to recognize the call of the Lord.

Action

Our actions speak louder than words. The Lord has a name for each of us. The good we intend is what the Lord is seeing. The Lord is not stuck on our production. He is focused on what we intend to do in his name. The work of the Lord is connected to the love of our hearts in what we do for those who need us. The call of the Lord is to love one another as he has loved us. Our actions give flesh and blood to the goodness of Christ. We are called to make Christ real by what we do and say. Each moment has the possibility of a thousand years of love if we bring the Lord into what we are doing. God sees us in Christ his son. Each of us has the uniqueness of Christ. God does not clone us to his son. God gives us our name in heaven by what we do for each other in the name of Christ. We give Christ his hands and his feet on earth by what we do in his name and where we go to make his love felt. Christ himself gives us a foothold in heaven in so far as the best of ourselves is already in heaven in Christ.

And He Got Up And Followed Jesus

2012-01-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

January 14, 2012

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul's head; he also kissed him, saying: "The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage. You are to govern the LORD's people Israel, and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout. "This will be the sign for you that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage." 1 Samuel 10:1

Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed Jesus. Mark 2:13-14

Piety

Father we offer to you our prayer of Thanksgiving for the ministry of your new permanent deacons -- Dave Mauer, Dennis Holley and their brothers who are being ordained today. May these men and all who are called to follow you, lead us in their lives of piety, study and action. Amen.

Study

Is this the Year of Obedience? That's the theme which has been jumping off the pages (screens?) of the readings this year and into my head.

Maybe that is the independent rebel in me fighting off the call and acting more like the leper who could not obey Jesus' simple request this week (not to tell anyone he had been healed). Instead, the leper acted more like the angels on Christmas morning blaring their trumpets from the heights of the mountains.

It seems so easy to just be like Levi. Jump down from the tree and obey. Ignore what other people will say about cavorting with sinners and tax collectors.

It seems as if Levi was predisposed to want to follow Jesus. Why else would he have been drawn to climb that tree and get a better view of Jesus walking past? What tree will you climb to get a better view of Jesus today?

Action

Today, Dave Maurer and Dennis Holley will be among seven men ordained to the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Arlington, VA. They climbed the tree of five years of formation in order to take a giant leap forward in following Jesus.

Their hands and heads will be anointed today by Bishop Paul Loverde. Like Saul, they will help to spread the Word through their leadership, friendship and service to the Body of Christ from their families to the whole Church. Let us prayer for the success of their ministry and that through their faithful following, that they may lead us to walk the path of peace.