Who Then Is This?

September 23, 2010
Memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, priest

One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays. The sun rises and the sun goes down; then it presses on to the place where it rises. Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north, the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds. All rivers go to the sea, yet never does the sea become full. To the place where they go, the rivers keep on going. Ecclesiastes 1:4-7

“Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him. Luke 9:9

Piety
Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will shout for joy!

Father, help us to seek an authentic and loving answer to our relationship with you. Through Jesus Christ, never stop pursuing your relationship with us no matter how much we revert to the ways of the word that never change. Use the Holy Spirit to build that love on your agenda, not ours. Amen.

Study
“Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”

Jesus preaching and healing had made an impression on many people. The word had even reached King Herod. This is the same vain man-king who at first seemed conflicted over what to do about John the Baptist but relented to the wishes of his wife and daughter and had the prophet beheaded.

“Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”

Even Herod wanted to know more about Jesus.

Action
In every age, the Lord has been our refuge. In the age of the Hebrew Bible before Christ appeared as man. During the years Christ lived among us. And it continues now when the Holy Spirit continues His presence in the world. Are you asking yourself the same question Herod pondered? Are you trying to see Christ in the world today?

When was the last time or the first time you asked yourself this same question? “Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”

What was your answer? Are you still pursuing the question? Cursillo gives us a chance to know ourselves and to know Jesus. The next opportunity will be a weekend for men coming up in October 8-11 at the San Damiano Spirituality Center. The scripture theme for the weekend is “Turn to me.” (Isaiah 45:22).

Help the team recruit candidates for the weekend who are anxious about getting to know Jesus. And support them with your Palanca. Send cards and letters to the address on the team webpage:

http://www.arlingtoncursillo.org/CursillosSubweb/m121/m121.aspxhttp://www.arlingtoncursillo.org/CursillosSubweb/m121/m121.aspx

Nothing

September 22, 2010

Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Every word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Add nothing to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be exposed as a deceiver. Proverb 30:5-6

He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet 3 in testimony against them.” Luke 9:3-5

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. Amen.

Study
Nothing. Else.

The implication that flies off the page to me today is the strong message that we are to fully rely on God and the Word. Add nothing else so we do not put our interpretation upon the Word – possibly misleading others. Then, when we go out into the word, bring nothing else along. Maybe we should hold hands and stick together as Robert Fulghum (Author of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten) advises, but Jesus instructs us to take nothing else but our companion for the journey.

How many of us have recently taken a summer vacation or other short trip? What did you pack for that journey? Clothes. Bathing suit. Sunblock. Digital camera. Computer. Battery. Charger. Books. Music player. Beach chairs and blankets and towels. Games. Cards. Bikes. Food for the car. Food for the room while away. And once we got to wherever we were headed, we bought more stuff. Some disciples we would make!

“Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.”

Action
Every word of God is tested. How about you? Are your words all tested before they go out? Are your actions? Is your life?

What is your test? The Suscipe by St. Ignatius of Loyola presents us with a test that seems well-related to today’s readings. If we are to take the Challenge of Nothing, then the only option is to get rid of everything else.

Offer back to the Lord everything else… your freedom, your mind, your desires, your stuff. Can we face life and live out this prayer? Can we accept only God’s love and grace? Is that enough for you and me?

What can you offer back to the Lord today?

I Call Sinners

September 21, 2010
Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

By Beth DeCristofaro

…grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Matthew 9:9-13)

Piety
Lord Jesus, I give you thanks for calling me, a sinner. May St. Matthew be a model. Help me to follow you. Help me not concern myself with the destination but the commitment to living a life of mercy, a life that matures into an ever closer relationship to you. Help me to place you before all else. May all I do bring glory to God rather than myself. Amen.

Study
St. Matthew. I picture him sitting outdoors at the tax stand, maybe near the temple or one of the gates of the city. He was probably dressed better than most of the Jews who came to pay their taxes. I imagine he had a pillow to sit upon, lunch brought to him and a skin of wine at his elbow. His beard would have been perfumed, neatly trimmed. He would have been aware and particular of his appearance in order to play the part. But in his spirit I am sure he was sick. He was taking money from his fellow countrymen to give to the oppressors, and probably lining his own pockets from the takings. What ever he might have looked like, could he have been comfortable in his own skin? He was a betrayer of his heritage and a thief. Then Jesus called him. He got up and followed.

Jesus calls me. How eagerly do I get up and follow? Right now I’m job hunting. It’s perhaps my most least-favorite duty in the universe. It calls for organization – not my prime skill – as well as tenacity and good selling energy. Last week, I asked a friend for her prayers. I asked that the Holy Spirit help me in finding the right job which God has in store. Her answer rocked me back a bit. She took my arm and said to me: “Pray that you listen to the Holy Spirit.”

It’s not really the same thing to pray for the job or to pray to listen to God. God invites us to pray specifically. But God also graces us each one according to the measure of Christ’s gift … until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Am I ready to follow and help in attaining to the unity of faith and the knowledge of God’s Son? That’s a big order because I don’t really know what that even means. I do know what it means, however, to be a volunteer manager, a teacher or a chaplain. Matthew got up and followed without knowing. His gifts were revealed to him as he followed, listened, and committed to Jesus. Jesus knows my gifts. May I be open to His use of them.

Action
Spend some time in prayer for someone (or those someones) who you feel are sinful, unrighteous. Ask that they hear the Holy Spirit with the ears of their hearts. Ask the same for yourself. Ask that your heart be filled with mercy and that your spirit be eager to spend your gifts for Jesus.

Despite the Cost

September 20, 2010
Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegŏn, priest and martyr, and Saint Paul Chŏng Hasang, martyr, and their companions, martyrs

Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. Say not to your neighbor, "Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give," when you can give at once. Proverb 3:27-28

“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.” Luke 8:16-17

Piety
LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy mountain?
Whoever walks without blame, doing what is right, speaking truth from the heart; Who does not slander a neighbor, does no harm to another, never defames a friend; Who disdains the wicked, but honors those who fear the LORD; Who keeps an oath despite the cost, lends no money at interest, accepts no bribe against the innocent. Whoever acts like this shall never be shaken. Psalm 15:1b-5

Study
Who, indeed, may dwell on the mountain of the Lord?

Actually, one answer may be no one. No one may dwell on the mountain of the Lord. Think about the mystery of the Transfiguration. When Jesus appeared to his three beloved disciples with Moses and Elijah, Peter wanted to erect three tents for them. But the Lord said no. Now was not the time to be separated from the community, dwelling on the mountain.

Ministry meant then and means today that we must minister within the community, among the children of the light, and reach out to those who have not yet accepted the light.

Luke furthers this by sharing Jesus’ explanation that we must not light a lamp and put it under a bushel.

Action
Today is the day that we must be fully present to those around us. We must be among them to respond to their needs. Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. As the writer of Proverbs urges, “Give at once.”

Too often we are weighing the pros and cons, the pluses and minuses. Fuhgeddaboudit. Give now. Despite the cost. The martyrs we honor today did not analyze the pluses and minuses before they picked up their cross daily to follow Jesus.

Is there a charity or cause to which you have been meaning to send a contribution? Don’t let the sun set on today without putting a check in the mail or sending a payment via your favorite electronic means.

True Wealth

September 19, 2010
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ

The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done! Amos 8:7

If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Luke 16:11-13

Piety
“No person can serve two masters.” Piety is how we serve Christ. Leaving a car door open can be an invitation to the evil spirit. It only took a few moments for a book on tapes to be gone. A change purse went with it. Leaving a door unlocked was but a moment of distraction. I did not want to put the evil spirit to work. I look at how irritated I am with myself and have to laugh. But it is a hollow sounding laugh. I do not like being so dumb that I would leave something out to be taken. It is a simple statement to say God is love. God is unable to not love us in each moment of our lives. Each moment is a chance for us to see what the Lord is saying to us as we reflect on what is happening or happened in the moment that disturbs us. How is God’s love in a small loss? To have a small loss and to be bothered by it reveals the importance of the ordinary in our lives. As our gospel tells us, we reveal to others by our being trustworthy in small matters that we can be trusted in the big moments of our lives. The little moments of our lives reveal what we are made out of. Our piety challenges us to love God in the little things of our lives. Personal space violated teaches us to be respectful of the personal space of others. We serve our heavenly Master in how we serve our companions of life. How we serve one another present to us in the now reveals how we serve the God we do not see. How should we serve Christ?

Study
We profit by the study of the lives of the Saints because we see men and women who were able to give their all to what they were doing. We need to be honest to ourselves by studying how much of ourselves we put into the job we are doing. We give too little when we give less than our all. When we study Christ we realize he loved us just as the Father loved him. Study allows us to grow in loving each other even as Christ has loved us. No greater love has anyone than to give their lives for the sake of their neighbor.

Action
Our moment now makes all of our life worthwhile once we realize it only takes the moment we are in to change the world we are living in for the better. That is the best reason for putting out our best effort. Our stewardship is seen in all the actions of our lives. We do not need to wait upon something we think is worthy of our time and energy to put out our best effort in what we are doing. The Sacrament of the Present Moment is built around how the ordinary of life can be truly extraordinary. We have a God potential in our lives by giving all of ourselves to the person we are with. Now is the start of the whole rest of our lives. Now is the only moment that touches the eternal now that is heaven. The most important action of our lives is always what we are doing now. This is the moment good and pleasing to God for which our whole lives have been prepared for. We are the profitable servants when we open our hearts and give our lives to what we are doing NOW for the sake of Christ in each other. Then we are serving only one master. Dumb moments of little losses can be changed into great moments of real gain. Christ our Master makes all we do worthwhile.

Unless it Dies

September 18, 2010
Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind; but God gives it a body as he chooses, and to each of the seeds its own body. 1 Corinthians 15:36-38

The seed is the word of God…But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance. Luke 8:11, 15

Piety
Seed, scattered and sown, wheat, gathered and grown, bread, broken and shared as one, the living Bread of God.
Vine, fruit of the land, wine, work of our hands, one cup that is shared by all, the living Cup, the living Bread of God.

1. Is not the bread we break, a sharing in our Lord? Is not the cup we bless, the blood of Christ outpoured?

Seed, scattered and sown, wheat, gathered and grown, bread, broken and shared as one, the living Bread of God.
Vine, fruit of the land, wine, work of our hands, one cup that is shared by all, the living Cup, the living Bread of God.

2. The seed which falls on rock will wither and will die. The seed within good ground will flower and have life.

Study
Is there any more apt analogy for the change needed within our lives than the seed. The analogy of the seed in both our readings drives home the importance of change in our lives. For the new to emerge, the old must pass away. There is no turning back.

Look at a seed. Take one out of a piece of fruit. When you contemplate the seed of an apple or orange, what do you see? The small shell that is buried in the ground, surrounded by dirt, mud, fertilizer? The sprout shooting up from the ground? The fragrant apple or orange blossom that must wither and die to make way for the fruit?

What do you see?

Now leave behind your fruit seed and think of a grain of wheat. Imagine all the change and transformation that takes place with the seed from a stalk of wheat. Just like our apple seed, it is planted and sprouts. The seed becomes a plant. The stalks yield grains which are ground to become flour. Just like you can not turn the flour back into the stalk, the stalk cannot be changed back into the seed. It has changed.

Take that flour and mix it with a little water and yeast to make dough. Bake that in the heat of an oven and you have bread. Bless and break that bread and it changes again into the body of Christ.

The farmer who planted the seed will no more recognize the loaf of bread transformed into the Eucharist than will the disciples recognize the body of the Risen Christ.

Action
We are asked to change just like the seeds in the garden of life. However, we do not known if we are on rocky ground or fertile soil. We do not know if we will win when we fight against the weeds of our life. Let today’s Word of God be the yeast of change in your life.

My Joy Will Be Full

September 17, 2010

Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

By Melanie Rigney

If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. Then we are also false witnesses to God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:12-17)

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. (Psalms 17:15)

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources. (Luke 8:1-3)

Piety
Lord, let me believe.

Study
Today’s first reading is stark and challenging. It’s not enough to believe Christ rose from the dead, Paul tells us; you have to believe that you too will be raised after death.

Jesus was fully man and fully God, after all. It’s an interesting parlor game to talk about what he knew and when he knew it about his life and his ministry and his excruciating death… and that beautiful Easter morning when the tomb was found empty, for he lived again. But he isn’t like us. He turned away the devil. He turned the other cheek. He tolerated, no, he loved the apostles and other followers, no matter how dense and clueless they were.

In the end, it doesn’t matter when he knew. What’s important is that he showed everyone his belief, his faith in the Father’s wisdom, no matter what was asked of him. He calls us to do the same—nothing more, nothing less.

Action
Poke your faith around a little. Where is your preaching empty?

I Am What I Am

September 16, 2010

Memorial of Saint Cornelius, pope and martyr, and Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr

For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God (that is) with me. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10

“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Luke 7:41-43

Piety
Jesus, I am what I am just like Paul is what he is and the sinful woman is what she is. Your love and forgiveness will help me rise above my nature and imitate your example. I am not fit to be your follower. Give me the grace of Paul and Simon so that I might judge rightly and follow you. Amen.

Study
Paul is the sinful woman and the man with teh greater debt. Just like she showed great love when her sins were forgiven, Paul/Saul showed great love when he was forgiven for his sins committed when he persecuted the early Christians.

A persecutor like Saul may have appeared to be disqualified from apostleship, but in fact God's grace has qualified him. His experience is mirrored in the parable of the two debtors as well as in the comparison between the Pharisee and the sinful woman.

How do we react to Jesus’ ministry? Are we like the Pharisee who invites Jesus into our lives only to act with self-righteousness? Or are we like the woman who recognizes her sinful nature? Her reaction to the forgiveness was to shower Jesus in her love and tears.

Action
His action (love/forgiveness) is a consequence of her faith in seeking out Jesus. Her action (love/praise) is the consequence of His forgiveness. What behavior is Jesus trying to help us to rise above? Gossip? Greed? Selfishness? Use his love as your ticket away from such behavior. In His love is the strength we need to break the bounds of old habits.

Love Never Fails

September 15, 2010

Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. 1 Corinthians 12:31

"Behold, your mother." John 19:27b

Piety
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise. Sing to God a new song; skillfully play with joyful chant. For the LORD'S word is true; all his works are trustworthy. The LORD loves justice and right and fills the earth with goodness. Psalm 33:2-5

Study
Today is the feast day for our home parish: St. Mary of Sorrows, Fairfax, VA. The parish has been a fixture in this wealthy and growing and diverse region for more than 150 years.

As we enter the Worship Center, we have numerous chances to behold our mother walking past the statue of her which graces the walls there and another which stands beside the altar and another with Joseph and Jesus stands sentinel as we come and go to the parking lot. A reproduction of the Pieta also rests inside the sanctuary. At the Historic Church, a grotto like that in Lourdes, stands in front of the church building.

Beholding our Mother means more than just meditating on the various statues throughout the parish grounds. Mary showed us the more excellent way of obedience and action. First, she agreed to participate in God’s plan for salvation. Before the Lord could send His son into the world, Jesus needed to find the love of a mother to nurture him and help him grow into the man who would become our savior.

Today’s Psalm echoes one of the central passages from Mark’s Gospel. Psalm 33 teaches us that “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.” God has chosen Mary to be his own and our Mother of Sorrows and we see why in this passage:

But he said to them in reply, "Who are my mother and (my) brothers?" And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. (For) whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." Mark 3:33-35

The key lies in doing the will of God. Mary accepted that will and acted upon it. If we are to behold the more excellent way that she leads us toward, then we must follow her example and do the will of God.

Action
This week, the state of Virginia has plans to continue the long tradition of state-sponsored murder with the execution of Teresa Lewis. Lewis is accused of planning the murder-for-hire of her husband and son in order to collect insurance money and run away with another man. We have the choice to follow the more excellent way of love and mercy.

According to an article in The Washington Post: “If neither the U.S. Supreme Court nor Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) intervenes, Lewis will become the first woman executed in Virginia in nearly 100 years and the 12th nationwide since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976. Both of her co-conspirators, the men who fired the deadly shots, received life terms. Lewis's execution is scheduled for Sept. 23.” She did not pull the trigger yet she is the one person on death row.

Church teaching is unequivocal about this. If a reliable alternative to the death penalty (like life in prison with parole) exists, then as Catholics, we should ask our leaders to halt this execution.

Please consider contacting the Governor to ask him to change her sentence. You may contact Governor McDonnell directly (1) by phone at 804-786-2211, (2) by mail at Office of the Governor, Patrick Henry Building, 3rd Floor 1111 East Broad Street Richmond, Virginia 23219, or (3) through the governor's web page, at http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Contact.cfm.

Or consider signing this petition http://www.saveteresalewis.org/petition.html which seeks to have her sentence commuted to life in prison.

The Son of Man Gives Eternal Life

September 14 2010

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

By Beth DeCristofaro

Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:9)

They remembered that God was their rock, God Most High, their redeemer. But they deceived him with their mouths, lied to him with their tongues. Their hearts were not constant toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant. But God is merciful and forgave their sin; he did not utterly destroy them. Time and again he turned back his anger, unwilling to unleash all his rage. (Psalm 78:36-38)

Jesus said to Nicodemus: "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." … For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:13-15, 19)

Piety
"How splendid the cross of Christ! It brings life, not death; light, not darkness; Paradise, not its loss. It is the wood on which the Lord, like a great warrior, was wounded in hands and feet and side, but healed thereby our wounds. A tree has destroyed us, a tree now brought us life" (Theodore of Studios).

Study
Veneration of the Cross began in the Eastern church in the fourth century and came to the West during the seventh. Theodore’s words: “How splendid the cross of Christ!” rings true for us today but we tend to forget that in Jesus’ day and even into the early church, the cross was a symbol of cruel punishment and oppression. Crosses, laden with the dead or dying, were places of despair.

With Jesus acceptance of death upon this instrument of torture, succumbing even unto death, his resurrection into new life transforms the symbol into a sign of freedom from sin and death. The Israelites had only to look upon the bronze serpent to be healed of the serpents’ poison. We can choose to look upon the cross, and see more than suffering, see beyond despair. The death symbol for the oppressed peoples of the Roman empire is now the life-symbol for Christians.

Action
What is a place of suffering in your life right now? Can you stand at the foot of the cross with that suffering? Can you accept that Jesus suffered for you and suffers with you now? Pray for strength. Pray for the Spirit to sustain and guide you. Pray for life. Pray for freedom not only from your suffering but from the bonds which suffering puts upon you such as resentment, hopelessness, confusion, the desire to lash out against those who have caused your suffering. You are not alone. God loves you even as he loved his Son who chose suffering in order to offer freedom.

But Say the Word

September 13, 2010

Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the Church

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes…Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 1 Corinthians 11:26, 33

And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed.” Luke 7:6-7

Piety
“Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word, and I shall be healed.”

Study
Luke portrays Jesus as a man of piety, study and action -- praying, preaching, healing, answering prayers, debating the Pharisees, and exorcising demons. He goes the way and shows the way so we can follow. Jesus singles out his encounter with the centurion as an example of how the Church he is building will stretch beyond the Jews. The centurion exemplified the spirit expressed today in Psalm 40: “To do your will is my delight.”

The attitude he embodies is noted well by Jesus. Even though the Jews faced persecution and hardship at the hands of the belligerent forces from Rome, Jesus listened to the plea from the centurion and makes the Psalm come to life: “May all who seek you exult and be glad in you.” Jesus not only granted his prayer but he commented to those around, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

Value in relationship was a central theme in the Sunday Gospel about the lost sheep, the lost coins and the lost son. Today, we see the centurion go to great lengths to aid the servant who was of such value to him. Rather than just go out and commandeer another to serve him, the centurion seeks healing for the valuable man already in his service.

Action
If Jesus were to come to Fairfax County, would he find such faith in the people filling up the pews of our churches or would he find that faith in the more unlikely places where we might not look? Under superhighway bridges where the homeless sleep? In the parking lots of convenience stores and paint stores where immigrant laborers seek our day jobs tending our lawns and making needed repairs to our homes? In the under-funded AIDS clinics where indigent patients hope to find ways to afford the life-saving drugs prescribed by doctors of those with insurance?

Rather than climbing the ladder of success, Jesus tells us today to “wait for one another” just like he waits for the centurion. We are asked not to leave anyone behind. Just like the centurion seeks help for his servant, the shepherd seeks out the one lost sheep and the widow searches for her lost coin, we are to follow the ways Jesus exhibits and leave behind our human (selfish) ways and focus on being in right relationship with God and each other.

There may be a little centurion in all of us. We are reminded of his humility and obedience at every Mass in the prayers before communion. However, we are no longer asking the Lord to heal our servant but to heal ourselves. Our prayer will be answered in the same way that Jesus answered the prayers of the Roman centurion.

Went Back

September 12, 2010

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ

"Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’" So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people. Exodus 32:13-14

This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. 1 Timothy 1:15-16

So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. Luke 15:20

Piety
The years go by and it almost seems nothing has changed. The Lord is on the back burner now and it seems as if he is not getting the prime time he deserves. Piety becomes more and more nebulous as we see how half heartedly we do the things of the Lord. Consolation seems little and is far between the times of dryness. It is hard to believe that the Lord has chosen us. It is not that we have chosen the Lord. We accept the call and come to recognize the call in the good things we are able to do in life as we reach out for the missing sheep of the gospel story. We are looking for the missing coin. We search the house and when the coin is found, we rejoice. God rejoices in us as we the missing coins of the gospel story are found by the Lord. We could never really get far from him. He is always inviting us to come closer. We are the lost coins he finds.

Study
We take a good hard look at all the ways the Lord is saving us. He calls us by the kind words of a friend calling us back to the straight and the narrow path. He is with us in every good book we have a chance to read that reveals something of the Master’s plan for us. He talks to us through the sermons of the lives of the good people around us who preach by their lives, if not even with their words. He is calling us by the calls to kindnesses that are the opportunities to do good for our neighbors. Our spiritual reading opens our eyes to how we can get closer to the Lord in the actions of our lives. We do not have to be the Prodigal Son of the Gospel story. We can stay close to the Father by the goodness of our lives. The Saints show us the way as they make Christ real by their lives and their goodness. Christ is constantly being updated in our world when we live out the good things about Christ that we study.

Action
We make the choice to return to our Father’s house. We discover that the Father is always waiting for us to come back. The Father celebrates our returning home. We are always God’s children even when we do not deserve to be called such. We take the actions of love. We run out to welcome back our brothers and sisters who had lost their way. We share the best of ourselves. We open up our hearts to those who have seen the error of their ways. The best of all the actions we can do in the name of the Love of Christ is to have a place in our hearts for everyone who would share our journey with us. We join with the rejoicing of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. We enter into the joy of the Lord. Each day we try to recognize a virtue in each person that comes into our lives. The hidden moments of our lives when we do what needs to be done without being asked give us the chance to share Christ without anyone noticing what we do. We live our lives for Christ by staying close to the Father. We become Christ to our world.

Looking Up

September 11, 2010

Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

How can I repay the LORD for all the good done for me? Psalm 116:12

I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. Luke 6:47-48

Piety
Father, as we pray, we often lift up our eyes to you in praise and worship. Today, as we recall the terrible events of this date nine years ago, send us the Holy Spirit to remind us that we are a people united by your love and the sacrifice of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to always be a people who look up to you in hope, never in fear and never in hatred for anyone who is created in your image and likeness. Amen.

Study
November 11, 1918. December 7, 1941. August 6, 1945.

November 22, 1963. January 28, 1986. September 11, 2001.

Dates. Every generation has its dates with history – dates upon which everyone who was alive and older than age 5 can tell you exactly where they were when they got certain news. These shared experiences unify generations and citizens. Depending on your age, you can probably instantly identify what happened on the historical dates listed above. These share experiences also united us in other ways.

Nine years ago, following the attacks and the national response, people also flocked back to their church or a church. The fear of the unknown and the piety for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice on that fateful day united us not only in national spirit but also in religious devotion.

Some of us endured a funeral or several funerals for loved ones killed in the planes or on the ground. Others suffered from injuries. Others survived and wondered why they were able to get out of the Twin Towers or the Pentagon while friends were not.

Union also is the theme of today’s Good News. Communion with Christ is exclusive and goes above and beyond any other such communion. But the union alone is not what marks us as a people. We are marked by what we do and how we act because of that union and because of that love. As St. Paul notes in the First Reading from his letter to the Corinthians, we are known by the quality of our deeds if we are followers of Christ.

Action
The unity of September 11, 2001 has faded into history for some. Today, our country is torn apart by issues and actions like how to end the wars, where to build mosques, whether or not to burn Korans, and the fear of the unknown enemies lurking around every corner. However, the unity of our faith is not built upon fear and division. It is a religion built upon the rocks of faith, hope and charity.

One of my enduring memories of 2001 is a song which reflects the hope of tomorrow. The song “Looking Up (Three Days in September)” by Cletus Kennelly was written on September 13 and the lyrics recall the days after 9/11 when the skies were empty. However, life returned to normal and the skies were once again filled with the planes that were grounded after the attacks. Even though the skies were empty, we kept “looking up.” Even though we were stumbling in the darkness, our faith kept us “looking up.”

Today, as we recall those killed and injured in the attacks and in the wars which followed, let us also remember the enduring faith that is our communion in Christ, a faith that keeps us “looking up.”

What are you planning to do today to commemorate the memories of those who died on this date? The Psalm suggests a strong theme of thanksgiving for the blessings bestowed upon us by the communion cup and communion bread. How can we repay the Lord for our blessings today as we remember those who have been called into full communion with Jesus in heaven?

Run So as to Win

September 10, 2010

By Melanie Rigney

Friday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

For a sun and shield is the Lord God, bestowing all grace and glory. The Lord withholds no good thing from those who walk without reproach. (Psalms 84:12)

"Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:39-4)

Piety
Lord, I am in this to win it. Help me to remember every step, every mile, is not a practice sprint, but truly a part of the most important marathon I could ever run.

Study
I’ve lost close to a hundred pounds twice in my life. Both times, when I was tantalizingly near the goal… five or ten pounds away… I eased up. I quit monitoring my eating habits. And in both cases, the pounds came back on a lot faster than they’d gone off.

There can be a temptation to stop and call it good in our faith lives too. Can’t we take a little time off from trying to reflect Christ’s love to others, especially to people we really don’t like? Can’t we cut back just a bit on our charitable donations so that we can manage a new car payment?

Paul gives us the answer in today’s first reading; a half-hearted effort, shadowboxing as it were, won’t win the race. We must train constantly, drive ourselves, be disciplined. For while we all can win the race, we can only win it if we’re in it to win it, every minute of every day. Whether we’re teacher or disciple, taking a lap or two on autopilot won’t work. If we ease up too long, we may disqualify ourselves.

And about my struggle with weight? I’ve still got a way to go, but I’m down three dress sizes from this time a year ago. I think before I put anything in my mouth. I contemplate the true reason I want something to eat. I’ve disciplined myself to working out three times a week. This time, I’m in it to win that battle too.

Action
Identify the part of your training that could use a coach? Reach out to someone who can help you with it.

Love Builds Up

September 9, 2010

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, priest

[K]nowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him. 1 Corinthians 8:1c-3

“But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.” Luke 6:27-30

Piety
Take, Lord, and Receive

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will.All I have and call my own.Whatever I have or hold, you have given me.I return it all to you and surrender it wholly to be governed by your will.Give me only your love and your grace and I am rich enough and ask for nothing more.
St. Ignatius, from the end of the Spiritual Exercises

Study
The readings this week have focused on the new ways that Jesus has introduced. Joseph was asked to wed Mary even though the old ways of doing things would allow him to break off his relationship with her. The man with the withered hand found out that he did not have to wait until tomorrow to be healed because Jesus said loving each other takes precedence over following the old laws governing the Sabbath.

Today, Jesus introduced another new concept. Previously, the command to “love your neighbor” concerned your fellow citizens. Now, however, Jesus extends that command to love beyond those who live around us and cover even our enemies.

Not only must we love those who are our enemy, but also we must take the Ultimate Humility Challenge. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.

The prayer from the end of the Spiritual Exercises takes up this very theme. Not only are we to give and give, but also we are to return everything to Jesus.

Who among us would be tempted to say, “That’s not fair!” We would be right if Jesus was going to be limited to human standards. However, Jesus is breaking the mold. No longer will the laws of the Hebrew Bible or the American Dream establish the social contract. Now, love supersedes all. Love builds up.

Action
Today, we celebrate the Memorial for St. Peter Claver, one of 50 Jesuits who have been elevated to “Saint” or “Blessed” in the church. These individuals and groups have turned their back on what the world thinks is fair. They have accepted and put into practice the love that Jesus commands.

Take inventory of the items you have collected in your life. What can you surrender so others may benefit. Maybe some items in your closet not worn over the past year. Maybe some time that you might otherwise spend watching football this fall.

After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, entire neighborhoods were devastated. Some have yet to rebuild. Others are slowly being rebuilt. The rebuilding needed an impetus to get started. The parish of St. Peter Claver was among the first to be rebuilt in the devastated neighborhoods around the French Quarter. Today, homes around it are slowly recovering.

Volunteers are still needed and welcome to assist this vibrant parish community with various stages of repair in the church, school and community. If you are going to be in the New Orleans area soon and are interested in volunteering, please call the Parish Office at 504-822-8059 to leave your name, telephone numbers, and indicate the type of volunteer help you are offering.

Come Forth

September 8, 2010

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth…” Micah 5:1-3

…[B]ehold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." Matthew 1:20-23

Piety
With delight I rejoice in the Lord. (Isaiah 61:10)

Study
Joseph had his life well planned out. The Israeli Dream circa 1 B.C. Establish a decent career in a trade (carpentry). Get a house (Nazareth). Find a wife (Mary). Get married and have kids. But as the poet Robert Burns has noted: “The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew, And leave us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy!”

His betrothed was found to be pregnant. Rather than cause her public shame, Joseph decided to quietly and privately break off the relationship. He would not “come forth” in this marriage. Instead, he and Mary would part ways. Until God intervened with His Plan. Enter God’s Dream circa All Time: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us."

Joseph had a unique role in fulfilling this other Dream. He had to make a choice between his dream and God’s. What would “come forth” from this union was the promised savior of all.

Action
Come forth. God has plans for each of us.

One of my favorite jokes goes something like this: Q. How do you make God laugh? A. Tell Him your plans.

We are surrounded by the forces calling for us to fulfill the American Dream circa 2010. Get that nice new car to stimulate the economy. Climb the corporate/career ladder. Put your children through the best schools. Pick out that retirement home early and save for the day you can kick back and enjoy it.

What if God has other plans?

In his book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt issues a challenge to us like the angel of the Lord issued to Joseph. Toss out that dream of yours and latch on to that dream of God’s.

Consider how we have interpreted the Good News to support our own social, political and cultural preferences. When Jesus challenges us to “Come Forth,” he challenges us to abide with him as He dwells with us.

In a column on this book appearing in yesterday’s New York Times, David Brooks summarizes Platt’s message: Jesus…made it hard on his followers. He created a minichurch, not a mega one. Today, however, building budgets dwarf charitable budgets, and Jesus is portrayed as a genial suburban dude. “When we gather in our church building to sing and lift up our hands in worship, we may not actually be worshipping the Jesus of the Bible. Instead, we may be worshipping ourselves.”

Is there any mega-Church bigger than our Roman Catholic Church? Yet God turned to Mary and Joseph, Peter and Paul, and you and I and asks to build a personal relationship with Him. He wants us to come forth from our dream into his. Today, as we focus on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, reflect on how you can transition into a lifestyle more aligned to “God with us.” What is your first step?

The Tormented Were Healed

September 7, 2010

Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

By Beth DeCristofaro

Why not rather put up with injustice? Why not rather let yourselves be cheated? Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers. Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God? (1 Corinthians 6:7-9)

(Jesus) came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people … came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all. (Luke 6:17-19)

Piety
Lord Jesus, Heal those parts of me which are flawed, fearful, angry, paranoid, self-righteous or in other ways fixated on myself and my status in this world. Heal me and help me to be attentive to the needs of others and your will. Draw me ever closer to you today, Lord. Help me not inflict injustice or cheat my brothers and sisters. Help me choose the right thing in my life today.

Study
When I’m in large groups of people, I don’t do very well. Give me one or two good friends or interesting strangers any day. This introversion and, I’ll admit, fear, makes me tongue tied at busy nursing stations, social gatherings, airports and the like. I nearly turn into a proverbial wall flower. Usually the professional role takes over and I certainly function just fine. Some people even are amazed when I tell them how paralyzing it is for me to walk into a room full of people. Be assured this isn’t as difficult in Cursillo events because no one can stand alone very long in a Cursillo group without someone coming over with a hug, smile and a “how ya doin’?”

Whatever our fears, compulsions, obsessions, attitudes are, if they get in the way of our being Christ to others or if they harm others, these are the ills which Jesus can heal. Paul speaks particularly to the Christians of Corinth, warning them of relying on the pagan justice of their culture, but his words ring with conviction today: don’t inflict injustice on others even if you do so unconsciously through fear or the need to be successful. It is God who will judge and determine consequences. Instead, rely on the strength of Jesus who let power go out from him to heal, who was not afraid to heal even in front of powerful critics.

Action
In today’s gospel, Jesus went off alone to pray and when he returned he named the twelve who would become his apostles. In concert with God, ask for healing. Take time alone with Jesus. What in your inmost being, in your life needs healing? Listen today, don’t talk.

Consider attending school of leaders or a Cursillo gathering to which you have not yet gone. Or take advantage of “Just Faith,” “Engaging Spirituality” or another program in your parish/diocese which will allow you to prayerfully reflect on how you act as Christ in your daily doings.

Stretch Out Your Hand

September 6, 2010

Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" Looking around at them all, he then said to him, "Stretch out your hand." He did so and his hand was restored. Luke 6:9-10

Piety
Lord Jesus Christ, you have given your followers an example of gentleness and humility, a task that is easy, a burden that is light. Accept the prayers and work of this day, and give us the rest that will strengthen us to render more faithful service to you who live and reign forever and ever. Amen (Night Prayer from http://www.daily-word-of-life.com/catholic_prayers.htm)

Study
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians takes up various issues of bad behavior. Measured against the standards of the early Christian community, steps must be taken to correct behavior that is outside the new norms of Christian community. Jesus, as we see in the reading from Luke, had already set new standards of behavior for the community. However, the community at that time measured Jesus’ behavior against the existing standards. Therefore, the Pharisees were enraged and started to take steps to correct Jesus’ behavior.

The dividing line is Jesus who came among us to introduce a new social contract. As a witness to this new way of living together, Jesus cured the man who had the withered hand and presented himself in the temple in the Sabbath. "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" Rather than rest from all labor, Jesus takes us out of our old ways of living and into new directions. Paul’s metaphor to “clean out the old yeast” is at work today in both readings.

As we learn in the note in the New American Bible: “In the Jewish calendar, Passover was followed immediately by the festival of Unleavened Bread. In preparation for this feast all traces of old bread were removed from the house, and during the festival only unleavened bread was eaten. The sequence of these two feasts provides Paul with an image of Christian existence: Christ's death (the true Passover celebration) is followed by the life of the Christian community, marked by newness, purity, and integrity (a perpetual feast of unleavened bread).”

Action
As we celebrate Labor Day 2010, the world of work is moving into new directions as well. Bishop William Murphy of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops noted this change in the 2010 Labor Day statement entitled “A New ‘Social Contract’ for Today’s ‘New Things,’” which can be found online (www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/labor_day_2010.pdf).

Just like the man with the withered hand benefitted from the new social contract that Jesus set forth in today’s Good News, workers today need the same kind of outreach and action from all sectors in our culture including religion, politics, business and more.

“America is undergoing a rare economic transformation, shedding jobs and testing safety nets as the nation searches for new ways to govern and grow our economy,” said Bishop Murphy. “Workers need a new ‘social contract.’” Bishop Murphy said that creating new jobs would require new investments, initiative and creativity in the economy. He also drew on the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI, which call for placing the human person at the center of economic life and emphasize the role of civil society and mediating institutions such as unions in pursing the common good.

As you enjoy this holy day and civil holiday, read and reflect upon the implications of Bishop Murphy’s complete statement on your life whether you are a worker, manager, business owner, retiree, student about to enter the world of work (inside the home and beyond).

If you are not working for reasons such as illness, unemployment, family priorities or other reasons, how can you stretch out your hand to others, no matter what your personal circumstances to help them without boasting or pride but out of the same spirit of love and life shown by Jesus every day?

Consider also that we may be the man with the withered hand. How can we accept the aid of others in humility and with thanksgiving?

The Cost

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ

For what man knows God's counsel, or who can conceive what our LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? Wisdom 9:13-16

“I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord.” Philemon 13-16

"If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Luke 14:26-28

Piety
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” The invitation to discipleship has its loudest expression in the crosses we carry in the name of Jesus. The hurts, the pains and the brokenness of lives around us can make our crosses seem light. Following Christ and closeness to his cross are one and the same in the Spiritual journey. What is the something that I am putting before Christ in my life? Busy at something and making time for an interruption hardly seems a cross. But people come before things in our following of Christ. How I make space for the least person who comes into my life is where I see closeness to Christ at work. We are all called to treat the least person in our lives as Christ. He brings us to the truth of love of our neighbor as the true self love. We are called to be brothers and sisters of each other. We have a great work to accomplish in our lives which is the spreading of the kingdom of God. Christ tells us that anyone who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be his disciple. He calls us into the intimacy of his life. He asks us to value our closeness to Christ more than anything else in our lives. He gives us the chance to find him in all things.

Study
We need to look closely at where we spend our time and our money. What are the things that I value in life more than the chance to serve Christ’s mission. The examination of the things that I am doing each day to be closer to Christ is one of the most important studies of life. There are problems in our world that we avoid because they interfere with our comfort zones. How true it is that the work of the Lord needs prayer, fasting and good works that we may ring true in his plan. When am I with another for reasons other than their good? I must do something about laziness in my life if I truly am going to be a servant of the Lord. I must discover what I value more than Christ in my life. I must study who is taking the place of Christ. Am I searching for Christ in all the companions of my life? Saints are transparencies of Christ. Sinfulness can cloud the life of Christ within us. I must love the Lord my God with my entire mind, my heart and my soul. Study gives us the chance to find more of Christ in each other.

Action
We must make Christ all in all. The efforts to serve Christ in each moment of our lives will turn us into true lovers of each other. It is the cross of Christ that distances us from anything that separates us from Christ. Paul gives us a wonderful example in sending Onesimus back to be with the one Onesimus owed service to. Paul gives us the example of making all those around us free to do what God expects of them. We are partners of Christ when we honor the freedom of each other. We give Christ reign in our hearts when we work as beloved brothers and sisters of each other. We work out God’s plan in our lives with difficulty. The difficulties are the cross of Christ which is redemptive for those we offer our work up for. We might not be called to be prisoners for Christ. But we should be prisoners of our love for the good of each other. When we invite Christ into our lives, he sends the Spirit that we can search out what the plan of God is for us and thus find our paths on earth made straight.

What David Did

September 4, 2010

Saturday of the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

For as I see it, God has exhibited us apostles as the last of all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and human beings alike. We are fools on Christ's account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clad and roughly treated, we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands. When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we respond gently. We have become like the world's rubbish, the scum of all, to this very moment. 1 Corinthians 4:9-13

While he was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Have you not read what David did when he and those (who were) with him were hungry? Luke 6:1-3

Piety
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallow be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.

Study
Bread and manna are at the heart of sacred scripture in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Today we reflect on one of those stories. Jesus used the bread in the temple to communicate important lessons that have become central tenants of our faith experience.
First, this story points out that serving the needs of people who are homeless and hungry takes precedence over obedience to the Sabbath command for rest. For if we take observation of the Sabbath to heart, in that devotion is an obligation to love and serve the Lord, the church and each other. This is an obligation that cannot be ignored.

The notes to the NAB explain the actions and words of the Pharisees. “The argument is that the law itself requires work that breaks the sabbath rest, because of the higher duty of temple service. If temple duties outweigh the sabbath law, how much more does the presence of Jesus, with his proclamation of the kingdom (something greater than the temple), justify the conduct of his disciples.”

We cannot ignore our duties when Jesus is truly present in the temple and in our daily lives. He dwells in the temple as the Son of God and begs to dwell with us. If he is to change the way that people view the temple and its related duties, then he starts with his own personal example. He takes the bread and changes it. Now longer is the bread the central object in the temple. When Jesus is present, he is the Lord of the Sabbath. This bothered those who were in the comfort zone of the law. Change comes hard but change comes. That is why Jesus connected these actions to what David did in the temple when those who were with him were hungry. David provided "precedence" for the cahnging of the law. Jesus provided precedence for the changing of the hearts.

This episode recalls the feeding of the 5,000 when he took five barley loaves and multiplied them to feed the entire population assembled to hear Him and be in His presence. It also is a foreshadowing of the central prayer in our faith that the Lord will share when he is asked to teach us to pray.

Stay tuned also for the central bread-changing incident of Jesus’ journey with us and prepare to participate in this dinner today and tomorrow and everyday.

Action
What role does your daily bread play in your life?

When you wake up this morning, will you have a slice of toast? An English muffin? A blueberry muffin? French toast? Or maybe a bagel?

At lunchtime, will you place your favorite food between two slices of whole wheat bread to make a sandwich? Will you opt for a “sub” on a torpedo roll or other variety of bread to accompany your lunch? Maybe half a sandwich and a bowl of soup?

When dinner rolls around, will you find yourself in a restaurant with family and friends, around the kitchen table, around the picnic table or around the television? Will there be a basket of dinner rolls and butter on the table? What else might be on the menu this holiday weekend? Hotdogs and hamburgers on bread? Pizza on bread?

Bread is ingrained in our lives and our diets. Wheat along with corn at the very heart of the ways we satisfy a hungry stomach. Jesus wants to satisfy a hungry stomach but also want to satisfy a hungry heart and soul. He knows his disciples will be of no value of they are sent into the world without meeting their basic needs. So He takes on that responsibility. However, Jesus now asks us to be his arms and legs to assure that all God’s children have their basic needs met.

As you pick up that bread during one of your meals today, consider the people around the world who will not pick up a crumb. The victims of the floods in Pakistan are among the latest people to suffer a tremendous natural disaster this year.

However, even though the human toll of these floods is high, the charitable response has been low. Perhaps we have been distracted by the whirl of activities surrounding the end of the summer vacation season. Like the Pharisees were distracted by the law, we might have been distracted by our road trips, the last weekend the neighborhood pool was opened, or the final preparation for sending our children back to school.

This week, NPR did a story examining why we have given less to the victims of the Pakistan floods than earlier disasters this year. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129605789

Guidestar.org has gathered a list of charities which are helping to alleviate suffering in Pakistan since the monsoon rains caused the flooding. Check out this list and consider donating to one of these causes. http://www2.guidestar.org/rxg/give-to-charity/nonprofits-working-in-pakistan.aspx

The One Who Judges Me Is the Lord

September 3, 2010

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

By Melanie Rigney

It does not concern me in the least that I judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgment on myself; I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord. (1 Corinthians 4:3-4)

Commit to the Lord your way; trust in him, and he will act. (Psalms 37:5)

“… New wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” (Luke 5:38-39)

Piety
Stretch me, Lord. Transform me into something new and help me to embrace that transformation, remembering that I am beautiful in Your eyes.

Study
It takes effort, sometimes a lot of it, to break out of or at least question a routine that we’ve always followed. It’s easy to see the Pharisees and scribes shaking their heads in disapproval in today’s Gospel when Jesus responds to their criticism of his followers eating and drinking instead of fasting. There’ll be time enough for that later, he tells them; they should feast with me while I’m here.

We fall into the same trap when we do the same things we’ve always done: overextend ourselves at work, at home, or in volunteer activities. Overeat. Gossip. Overwhelm our friends and family with self-centeredness and pessimism. Discount the faith or political opinions of others when they differ from ours. Doing what we’ve always done, as Einstein said, is the definition of insanity. It’s also a powerful weapon that the enemy uses against us in spiritual warfare.

Change is hard, but it is required if we are to truly grow in Christ’s love and service. Those old wineskins can be hard to discard, but discard them we must as the Lord acts in us. Those around us may not always appreciate or agree with our growth. Gossiping, substance abuse, and the like seem more acceptable if everyone’s doing it, and changing can cost us friends. Remember, as Paul says, “the one who judges me is the Lord.” His opinion is the only one that matters, short term or long term.

Action
What are you doing out of habit, not because you are called to do it? Pray for discernment.

This World is Foolishness

September 2, 2010

Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

“Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God.” 1 Corinthians 3:18-19

“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” Luke 5:8b-10

Piety
Gracious God, we moderns try so hard to be reasonable, rational, logical, and enlightened, and sometimes it just all gets in the way of following You . . . for your ways are not our ways. Instead of conforming You to our world, conform us, O God, to yours. Come to us now and feed us with heaven’s fool, so that we may serve You as joyful, passionate Fools for Christ. In whose precious name we pray. Amen. (By Rich Knight as published on the website http://www.firstparishyork.org/full-backup/sermons/fools.html)

Study
Become a fool. Now that is advice we do not get everyday. Usually we get Poor-Richard-Almanac-ed to death. “Learn your lessons well.” “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” “Believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see.” The little witty expressions, proverbs and aphorisms we encounter everyday are intended to make us wise…actually healthy, wealthy and wise.

However, the reality is that this advice to become a fool is totally consistent with the character we are asked to take on in the Good News. Humility. Servant-Leadership. Obedience. When we put God first, we put ourselves last. We can never do that if things get in the way. Not just material things. Attitudes can get in the way, too. Wisdom can get in the way.

Don’t let your illusion of wisdom get in the way of your relationship with God. Because Jesus asks us to put that wisdom aside as he teaches us his brand of foolishness:

If someone strikes you, turn the other cheek.
If someone asks you to walk a mile with them, go two.
If someone asks you for your shirt, give him your jacket, too.
Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, and bless them.

Action
What steps do you need to take in order to become a fool for God?

Noah built a boat while his neighbors laughed. Abraham almost killed his only son. David went into battle with the much stronger Goliath. And the King of Kings was born in a stable to a pregnant teenager in the middle of one of the poorest areas in the world. Does any of this make sense? It probably does not make any sense unless we are being shown examples so that we might follow them.

Who is your model motley fool for Christ?

For Sarah Melici, her model was Dorothy Day. Sarah stars in a one-person show called “Fool for Christ: The Dorothy Day Story.” Check out her website. If you can not see her show in person, then consider renting or buying the DVD.
http://www.foolforchrist.com/

What can you do that will make you appear foolishly wise this week?

God’s Co-Workers

September 1, 2010

Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:7-9

After he left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. Luke 4:38-39

Piety
A Future Not Our Own: The Romero Prayer
By Ken Utener

It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

Study
We all have a job to do. However, we should not get so wrapped up in doing our job that we lose sight of whose work we are really carrying out.

St. Paul knew that he was just the “one who plants and the one who waters.” He realized that it was God who was the source of growth.

Peter’s mother-in-law also had a job to do. Even before Peter was called to follow Jesus, she was cured of her illness and served the Lord. Her work was a beginning, a step along the way which led to something much greater.

Action
There are twelve men (including the two spiritual advisors) who have begun to prepare for the fall Cursillo under the guiding hand of “master gardener” and Rector Mike Green. The rest of our community may not be there to deliver the Cursillo experience to the candidates who will assemble October 8-11 at the San Damiano Retreat Center. However, we can participate in the work they do, we can help water the seeds of this weekend through our prayer and support of the team in formation.

Please visit the team page. Offer your Palanca for the team in formation and talk to God now about candidates you would like to sponsor on the weekend. http://arlingtoncursillo.org/CursillosSubweb/m121/m121.aspx

Hear the Spirit Who Is From God

August 31, 2010

Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

By Beth DeCristofaro

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms. (1 Corinthians 2:12-13)

…they were astonished at (Jesus’) teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “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, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. (Luke 4: 32-35)

Piety
In humility is the greatest freedom. As long as you have to defend the imaginary self that you think is important, you lose your peace of heart. As soon as you compare that shadow with the shadows of other people, you lose all joy, because you have begun to trade in unrealities and there is no joy in things that do not exist. (Thomas Merton)

Study
“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!” In the notes on this passage from the NAB, it is pointed out that Luke uses these chapters to show Jesus as prophet, teacher, exorcist and healer. Yet earlier in this same chapter, Jesus was expelled from the towns where he grew up. Here in Capernaum, not only does a demon recognize what the townspeople could not, Luke points to the belief that God –Jesus prominent in the struggle - would wrest the world from the control of evil. The language of the demon is antagonistic but Jesus prevails. Here, these townspeople are awed and inspired by his words and his actions.

Jesus speaks and acts not with earthly wisdom. But it is the effort to hold on to earthly wisdom which motivates those who oppose him. And Jesus allows them the freedom to reject him. He offers that freedom to us today as well. He frees the sick man from the demons who controlled him. He offers us freedom from the earthly attitudes and knowledge (not wisdom) which we cling to. He continues to speak with authority and free us each and every day.

Action
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. God’s action in our lives continues today. Take 23 minutes and listen to a revealing piece on children and religion from the program “Interfaith Voices.” Interviewing a Muslim, a Jew and an Evangelical Christian who are all 10-12 years old, the producer hears similarities in their relationship with and their reliance on God. The segment is titled “My God.” It is the second part of the show. The link is: http://www.interfaithradio.org/

Spirit and Power

August 30, 2010

Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:3-5

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:18-21

Piety
Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, Upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, Not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, Until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. Isaiah 42:1-4

Study
What do you think the vision of God was for the people sitting in the pews that day in Nazareth? From some historical accounts, they might have been waiting for a God who was going to free them from the Roman occupation just like God freed their ancestors from slavery in Egypt.

This young man, a carpenter’s son picks up the Book of Isaiah and proceeds not just to proclaim that sacred scripture but he offers commentary on it. The crowd knew very well this scripture from their oral traditions. They know that the prophet Isaiah explains that “Until [the Lord] establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching.” His teaching apparently has arrived.

“Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” They now anticipate freedom, liberty, and victory. That is what Jesus said. No?

But wait, Jesus left out an important passage from Isaiah 61:2 that contains the promise of “a day of vindication by our God.” If the people can not expect vengeance, then what can they expect?

It appears that this scene may be where the concept that God comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable has its origin. No sooner are the people amazed at what Jesus has to say than does he start to turn the tables on them. In Luke4:22, “…all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.” By Luke 4:28-29, (seven sentences later), “they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.”

This Jesus was not preaching what they wanted to hear. In the course of these seven sentences, Jesus sets in motion the fulfillment of the scriptures. However, he sets in motion not the fulfillment of any human agenda for vengeance, but rather God’s agenda which calls for the Servant of the Lord to be sacrificed.

Action
What is your vision of God when you are sitting in the pews this week in Fairfax? Have you transferred onto God your image of what you want him to do? One scholar has commented that God created us in his image and we have returned the favor.

Are you more ready than the people in Nazareth to accept the sacrifice and resurrection story that begins to unfold today? Or are you awaiting a God who will solve all your problems like Dr. Phil? Are you awaiting a God who will lead you into battle like Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great?

Are you ready to hear his message and see it to fulfillment?

With Humility

August 29, 2010

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Rev. Joe McCloskey, SJ

[C]onduct your affairs with humility and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself the more, the greater you are and you will find favor with God. Sirach 3:17-18

“[W]hen you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13-14

Piety
Humility is an elusive virtue at best. The humble person does not know self as humble. We meet person after person in our lives that possessed of wonderful gifts lack confidence in themselves. The pretense of having it all together is what characterizes false humility. Humility is a true self awareness. Recognition of all our gifts as come from God makes genuine humility possible. The humble person knows the truth of self. What you see is what you get. To blow one’s own horn misses the reality of humility. Humility does not need to defend itself. Humility allows a person to be trusted. Humility is the reflection of the truly human in a person. The humble person acknowledges God as the source of the good in one’s life.

Study
We study the environments around us to see what we can do. We know by honest reflection on ourselves what we can best do. Study of the people we work with allows us to see where we best fit in. Self-awareness allows us to offer ourselves for the job that needs doing. The Consciousness Examen helps us to grow in appreciation of what we do best and where the Lord most needs us to work. We learn by praying over our day with the Examen where the Lord was most at work in our lives. Gradually we turn over our lives to the work of God in us. Each morning we make our offering of the day and offer ourselves to the Lord with a clean slate to be used by the Lord for the work of the Kingdom. The greatest possible good, for the greatest number of people in the shortest possible time is a rule of thumb on how to select our work. At the end of the day we give to the Lord credit for the good he has been able to do through us. Humility allows us to tell the Lord he has used us well when we see the good he has accomplished through our efforts.

Action
Actions speak humility louder than words. Doing the best one can does not need explanation. We do not have to defend ourselves when we are trying our best to do the job at hand as well as we can. God sees our intentions more than our performances. We do not have to put on airs when we are doing the job that needs doing. Humility makes us freer to work at our own pace without worrying about what otters might think. Our best needs no defense because humility gives us the pleasure of freedom to work as best we can. We are free to let those who can do the job better have their chance. We do not have to defend our chance to do a job because humility speaks for itself in the way it makes others free about us to do their best also. We see the work we do as a share in God’s work and that makes us free to allow God to work through others when he does not need our contribution. Humility makes us a bigger part of the Bigger Picture of God’s plan for us. Humility gives us our awareness of the job we are meant to do for the Lord. We are able to rejoice in how well the Lord uses us when we give him the credit for the good we do. Humility is God’s truth in us, active in God’s work through us.

Chosen to Be His Own

August 28, 2010
Memorial of Saint Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church

Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

“After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’” Matthew 25:19-21

Piety
Psalm 33:11-15

But the plan of the LORD stands forever, wise designs through all generations.
Happy the nation whose God is the LORD, the people chosen as his very own.
From heaven the LORD looks down and observes the whole human race,
Surveying from the royal throne all who dwell on earth.
The one who fashioned the hearts of them all knows all their works.

Study
If we are not careful in reading and interpreting today’s Gospel, we might mistakenly conclude that the Lord wants us to pile up material possessions for him. However, let’s consider this story in light of our three tripod legs of piety, study and action.

Piety will give us a love of God and an acceptance that the Lord is our most important friend in life. When we believe in God and his son our Lord Jesus Christ, we are included in the Kingdom. Those who are excluded are those who refused to believe in Jesus. God chooses as his own those who have the piety to know the difference. So even if we are descended from the prophets and patriarchs (as were the people of Israel), that does not give us a birthright into heaven. Such a right only comes to us from practical wisdom (gained through study) and action to help others as if they were God.

From our study, the servant, who knows God, invests his talent for God’s purpose. These servants are good and faithful people who will then benefit from living in God’s presence. The servant who does not invest his talent is guilty of inactivity or lack of action. He not only neglected God but failed to gain the practical wisdom to know what to do in that situation.

As we learn in today’s psalm, “…the Lord’s eyes are upon the reverent, upon those who hope for his gracious help.” Thus God gives more – understanding and wisdom – to those who accept the paschal mystery. The corollary is that from the one who does not accept the Lord in love and express that in action, God will take away any such gifts of the Holy Spirit such as wisdom or understanding.

Action
God chooses the foolish to shame the wise.

God chooses the weak to shame the strong.

God chooses the lowly so that no one might boast of themselves before God.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is a classic summary of salvation history. Moses the slave became the great leader bringing his people out of the desert to the Promised Land. David the boy-soldier became the great warrior-turned-king who killed the giant enemy and led a great nation. From the womb of young Mary, a lowly pregnant teen from Bethlehem came forth the king of kings.

Who are the foolish in today’s society? Let us look to them for wisdom.

Who are the weakest ones in today’s world? Let us help them and share their strength.

Who are the lowliest in the society? Let us advocate on their behalf and show that we have the gift of practical wisdom and will act upon it.

I Will Destroy the Wisdom of the Wise

August 27, 2010

Memorial of Saint Monica

By Melanie Rigney

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the learning of the learned I will set aside. (1 Corinthians 1:18-19)

The Lord brings to nought the plans of nations; he foils the designs of peoples. But the plan of the Lord stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations. (Psalms 33:10-11)

(When the foolish virgins returned from buying oil, they found the bridegroom and the wise virgins had entered the feast and locked the door. They said,) “’Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:11-13)

Piety
Lord, sometimes I am foolish beyond belief. Please let me never take You for granted. May I never run out of the oil that feeds faith and keeps it burning bright.

Study
The foolish virgins were stunned. They were sure the oil in their lamps would last until the beginning of the feast. But the feast’s start was delayed because the bridegroom was late… and by the time they realized the error, bought more, and returned, the door was locked.

We might wonder about those stingy “wise” virgins. Shouldn’t they have shared what they had? Why did they tell the other women to leave? Hadn’t it occurred to anyone that the feast would begin as soon as the bridegroom arrived?

The challenge is that no matter how altruistic, how giving we may be of our time, talent, and treasure, if we don’t hold on to enough oil to keep our own faith lamps glowing, we risk losing it all. If we deplete our spiritual resources, it becomes easier and easier to think it is okay to run on fumes. Maybe we didn’t take the time we needed in prayer. Maybe we were too busy helping our friends and families to spend serious time with the Scripture. Everything seems to keep humming somehow, and we figure stealing away a little more time and energy from our relationship with Christ won’t hurt.

Except that it does.

We’re not smart enough or holy enough to put on spiritual lives on autopilot. No one, not Peter, not Paul, not Saint Monica, not anyone can mail it in and expect to find an open door, for as Christ told his followers, we know neither the day nor the hour. He wants us to travel light, certainly. But not empty.

Action
Take a look inside your lamp. How low is your oil? Take the time to replenish it.