Saturday, November 1 2014; Solemnity of All Saints

Reading 1
rv 7:2-4, 9-14

I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.

After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”

All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:

“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”

Responsorial Psalm
ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Reading 2
1 jn 3:1-3

Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.

Gospel
mt 5:1-12a

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 
He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE SPIRIT OF HALLOWEEN

"Who are these people all dressed in white? And where have they come from?" –Revelation 7:13

Some people think that the name for this holy day, "All Saints," means that all people become saints and go to heaven. However, "the gate that leads to damnation is wide, the road is clear, and many choose to travel it. But how narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!" (Mt 7:13-14)

How do we escape damnation and become a saint, that is, become holy? We become holy not by our power but by the Holy Spirit (see Zec 4:6). We become holy when in one Spirit we are baptized into one body (1 Cor 12:13). We grow in holiness as we follow the lead of the Spirit, Who makes us holy (Gal 5:25). "If by the Spirit" we "put to death the evil deeds of the body," we will live and become holy (Rm 8:13). If we pray in the Spirit (Eph 6:18; Jude 20) and love in the Spirit (see Gal 5:22), we will become holy as the Lord is holy (1 Pt 1:16). We will become holy in every aspect of our conduct (1 Pt 1:15) as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). May this holy day be truly holy by the power of the Holy Spirit. Come, Holy Spirit!

PRAYER: Father, I choose to be poor, sorrowing, and lowly in my hunger for righteousness and holiness (see Mt 5:3-6).

PROMISE: "We are God's children now; what we shall later be has not yet come to light. We know that when it comes to light we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." –1 Jn 3:2

PRAISE: "They cried out in a loud voice, 'Salvation is from our God, Who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb!' " (Rv 7:10)

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Friday, October 31 2014; Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
phil 1:1-11

Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus,
to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you,
praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the Gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right that I should think this way about all of you,
because I hold you in my heart,
you who are all partners with me in grace,
both in my imprisonment
and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel.
For God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (2) How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
lk 14:1-6

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them 
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” 
But they were unable to answer his question.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: FINISHING SCHOOL

"He Who has begun the good work in you will carry it through to completion." –Philippians 1:6

Hours before His death, Jesus Himself prayed to His Father: "I have given You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do" (Jn 17:4). At His death, Jesus "said, 'Now it is finished.' Then He bowed His head, and delivered over His spirit" (Jn 19:30).

Paul, having the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16), stated in the last years of his life: "I put no value on my life if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus" (Acts 20:24). Paul proclaimed: "The Lord stood by my side and gave me strength, so that through me the preaching task might be completed" (2 Tm 4:17). Before his death, Paul also proclaimed: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tm 4:7). Paul assured the church of Philippi: "I am sure of this much: that He Who has begun the good work in you will carry it through to completion, right up to the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil 1:6).

The Lord has called us to make our lives beautiful temples of the Spirit to His glory (see 1 Pt 2:5). Our concern is that we may not "complete the work" (Lk 14:29). Then all who see our lives will not give glory to God; rather, they will jeer at us and say: "They began to build what they could not finish" (see Lk 14:30).

However, because we have been baptized into Christ and have the mind of Christ, we can confidently say: "The Lord will complete what He has done for me" (Ps 138:8).

PRAYER: Father, may I cross Your finish line.

PROMISE: "He took the man, healed him, and sent him on his way." –Lk 14:4

PRAISE: Charles prays, studies the church's teachings (especially the Bible), and reads the lives of the saints to help increase his faith.

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Thursday, October 30 2014; Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
eph 6:10-20

Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the Devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood
but with the principalities, with the powers,
with the world rulers of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist on the evil day
and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,
and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones and also for me,
that speech may be given me to open my mouth,
to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel
for which I am an ambassador in chains,
so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10

R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Gospel
lk 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: ARMED AND DANGEROUS

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, the word of God." –Ephesians 6:17

Life is a wrestling match against demons (Eph 6:12). Our offensive weapon in this battle is the Holy Spirit working through His Word and in prayer (Eph 6:17-18).

To defeat the devil, we need to do what Jesus did when He was tempted (Mt 4:4, 7, 10) – we must wield the sword of God's Word (see Rv 1:16) in the power of the Spirit. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Rm 10:17, our transl.). Therefore, the Word of God is the basis for faith. Moreover, we must grow strong in our "holy faith through prayer in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20). Both proclaiming God's Word in the Spirit and praying in the Spirit strengthens our faith. By such faith, we conquer the world (1 Jn 5:5) and claim Jesus' victory over Satan, the prince of the world. The Spirit gives us the gift of faith (1 Cor 12:9) and the fruit of faith (Gal 5:22). Moreover, faith is how we move mountains (Mt 17:20) and destroy the strongholds of the evil one (2 Cor 10:4).

Consequently, Satan repeatedly tempts us to sin and thereby stifle the Spirit (1 Thes 5:19). This is his attempt to disarm us. We must resist his temptations and thus live the life in the Spirit, the life of faith and victory.

PRAYER: Father, may I be armed and Satan disarmed (Lk 11:22), and not vice versa.

PROMISE: "Pray that I may have courage to proclaim it as I ought." –Eph 6:20

PRAISE: Jim's wife felt her parish was dead and wanted to leave the Catholic Church. Jim refused to allow her to leave. Years later, the two are major leaders in several Catholic ministries.

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Wednesday, October 29 2014; Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
eph 6:1-9

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Honor your father and mother.
This is the first commandment with a promise,
that it may go well with you
and that you may have a long life on earth.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,
but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling,
in sincerity of heart, as to Christ,
not only when being watched, as currying favor,
but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
willingly serving the Lord and not men,
knowing that each will be requited from the Lord
for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. 
Masters, act in the same way towards them, and stop bullying,
knowing that both they and you have a Master in heaven
and that with him there is no partiality.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14

R. (13c) The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.

Gospel
lk 13:22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them, 
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE LORD OF THE WORKS AND THE WORKS OF THE LORD

"Let all Your works give You thanks, O Lord." –Psalm 145:10

When the Bible uses the word "slaves," it usually corresponds to our word "employees." Thus, we may find five commandments for employees in today's first reading.

"Obey your human masters with the reverence, the awe, and the sincerity you owe to Christ" (Eph 6:5). This applies not only to the good and reasonable bosses, "but even those who are harsh" (1 Pt 2:18). This is not possible naturally, but is a "work of grace" (1 Pt 2:19)."Do not render service for appearance only and to please men" (Eph 6:6). Paul said: "If I were trying to win man's approval, I would surely not be serving Christ!" (Gal 1:10)"Do God's will with your whole heart as slaves of Christ" (Eph 6:6). Because we love Jesus with our whole heart (see Mt 22:37), we work with our whole heart."Give your service willingly"(Eph 6:7). "Everyone must give according to what he has inwardly decided; not sadly, not grudgingly, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7).Do "it for the Lord rather than men" (Eph 6:7).

The Bible tells us Who to work for, how to work, how not to work, and how to relate to our bosses. If we work accordingly, not "for perishable food but for food that remains unto life eternal" (Jn 6:27), we will receive an inheritance from the Lord as our reward (Col 3:24). Work for love of the Lord.

PRAYER: Father, may I put in a good day's work for You each day.

PROMISE: "Try to come in through the narrow door." –Lk 13:24

PRAISE: Starting her day with Mass helps Carol work cheerfully and zealously.

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Tuesday, October 28 2014; Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Lectionary: 666

Reading 1
eph 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God, 
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Gospel
lk 6:12-16

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SON

"You form a building which rises on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Capstone." –Ephesians 2:20

As this is written, the Catholic Church is maligned in many arenas. Our leaders are scorned in the media and hammered by the general public. Dissent from within the Church also plagues our leaders. Failures of Church leaders are trumpeted from every public forum, while their virtuous acts receive little notice.

This is not much different from the time of Jesus. The apostles were "men of no standing" (Acts 4:13). They were "a spectacle to the universe," "fools on Christ's account," "the world's refuse, the scum of all" (1 Cor 4:9, 10, 13). Throughout history, Church leaders have had their failings. Many apologists note that the fact the Catholic Church still exists is proof that God leads the Church, for no institution with our failings and weaknesses could stand if God was not holding it up (cf Acts 5:38-39).

Therefore, rejoice that you, a living stone for Jesus (1 Pt 2:5), are called to be "fitted" into the Church (Eph 2:21). Rejoice that you are resting upon the shoulders of the apostles and the bishops, the successors of the apostles. Because there are many great leaders in the Church, when a leader fails and leaves a hole in the structure upon which we are built, we will not crumble, for we are built into the Church "in" Jesus (Eph 2:22).

Jesus has prepared a place for you in His Church (see Jn 14:2). "Go out now and take your place" (Acts 5:20).

PRAYER: Father, I pray "first of all" for "those in authority" in the Church (1 Tm 2:1-2). May I submit faithfully to them "that they may fulfill their task with joy, not with sorrow" (Heb 13:17).

PROMISE: "You are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God." –Eph 2:19

PRAISE: Sts. Simon and Jude submitted to their Lord and were given authority over nations and demons.

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Monday, October 27 2014; Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 479

Reading 1
eph 4:32-5:8

Brothers and sisters:
Be kind to one another, compassionate,
forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us
as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.
Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you,
as is fitting among holy ones,
no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place,
but instead, thanksgiving.
Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person,
that is, an idolater,
has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty arguments,
for because of these things
the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
So do not be associated with them.
For you were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light. 

Responsorial Psalm
ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

R. (see Eph. 5:1) Behave like God as his very dear children.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Behave like God as his very dear children.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Behave like God as his very dear children.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Behave like God as his very dear children.

Gospel
lk 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
“There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”
The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?”
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: "NO PROBLEM" OR "KNOW PROBLEM"?

"There was a woman there who for eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit which drained her strength." –Luke 13:11

The American church may be the woman in today's gospel: possessed, drained, and stooped for eighteen years. In the Catholic community, we have been drained of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life, drained of almost a whole generation of young people, and drained of faith because we have compromised with our secularized and materialistic culture.

As is customary in situations of bondage, we have denied the problem and thereby prolonged it. Instead of admitting something's seriously wrong, we use euphemisms, such as "merger," "restructuring," and "transition" in place of "close-down," "salvaging," and "deterioration." There is something inside us that resents being set free (Lk 13:14), since we know that freedom implies giving up our sinful ways, and we clutch sin, "holding on for dear death."

We are in an adulterous relationship with the world. "Make no mistake about this: no fornicator, no unclean or lustful person – in effect an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with worthless arguments" (Eph 5:5-6). We must admit we have a problem. The devil has entered through our disobedience, and we must repent of our sins. Jesus wants to release us from our shackles, if we only admit we need Him (Lk 13:16).

PRAYER: Father, I repent of refusing to admit my need to repent.

PROMISE: "As for lewd conduct or promiscuousness or lust of any sort, let them not even be mentioned among you; your holiness forbids this." –Eph 5:3

PRAISE: Katrina was addicted to alcohol and drugs for many years. Jesus set her free. She now has a job and freely gives praise to Jesus on the bus ride to work.

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Sunday, October 26 2014: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 148

Reading 1
ex 22:20-26

Thus says the LORD:
"You shall not molest or oppress an alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. 
You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. 
If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me,
I will surely hear their cry. 
My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword;
then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.

"If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people,
you shall not act like an extortioner toward him
by demanding interest from him. 
If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge,
you shall return it to him before sunset;
for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body. 
What else has he to sleep in?
If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate."

Responsorial Psalm
ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51

R/ (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R/ I love you, Lord, my strength.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.
R/ I love you, Lord, my strength.
The LORD lives and blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.
R/ I love you, Lord, my strength.

Reading 2
1 thes 1:5c-10

Brothers and sisters:
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake. 
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord,
receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit,
so that you became a model for all the believers
in Macedonia and in Achaia.
For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth
not only in Macedonia and in Achaia,
but in every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything. 
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God
and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead,
Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

Gospel
mt 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking,
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" 
He said to him,
"You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: LOVE LOVE

"I love You, O Lord." –Psalm 18:2

God is Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16). Because He is Love, we are in the image of Love, for we were created in His image (Gn 1:27). Because He is Love, our sins against Him are very serious – so serious that the nature of all human beings was wounded due to the first sin. Because He is Love, God gave us the opportunity to become new creations (see Jn 3:3, 5; Gal 6:15) by giving us His Son (Jn 3:16). Because God is Love, He became a human being to die on the cross and rise from the dead for our salvation. Love became flesh (see Jn 1:14). Love had nails driven into Him and thorns pressed into Him. Love became a bloody mess, brutally rejected and gasping for breath. Love was buried; Love rose; and Love is enthroned in heaven forever.

Because Love first loved us, we love Love (1 Jn 4:19). By His grace, we love Love with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength (Lk 10:27; Mt 22:37). We love Love by loving ourselves, our neighbors (Mt 22:37-39), and even our enemies (Mt 5:44). We live in Love (Jn 15:10). Love LOVE.

PRAYER: Lord and Love, may I live in You and You in me (1 Jn 4:16).

PROMISE: "You turned to God from idols, to serve Him Who is the living and true God and to await from heaven the Son He raised from the dead – Jesus, Who delivers us from the wrath to come." –1 Thes 1:9-10

PRAISE: Praise Jesus, our risen Lord and Love! He has taken "His seat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven, as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs" (Heb 1:3-4). Alleluia!

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Saturday, October 25 2014; Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 478

Reading 1
eph 4:7-16

Brothers and sisters:
Grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Therefore, it says:

He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;
he gave gifts to men.

What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended
into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended
far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.

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,
so that we may no longer be infants,
tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching
arising from human trickery,
from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.
Rather, living the truth in love,
we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ,
from whom the whole Body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
with the proper functioning of each part,
brings about the Body’s growth and builds itself up in love.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Gospel
lk 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply, 
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way 
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed 
when the tower at Siloam fell on them–
do you think they were more guilty 
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”

And he told them this parable: 
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, 
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree 
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also, 
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; 
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: FRUITFULNESS OR DOOM

"Perhaps it will bear fruit. If not, it shall be cut down." –Luke 13:9

We must bear the fruit of evangelization and holiness. The alternative is to be cut down like an unfruitful tree (Lk 13:7, 9), and get thrown into the fire to be burnt (see Jn 15:5-6), possibly undergoing tragedies (see Lk 13:1-5) on this earth and finally undergoing the ultimate tragedy of everlasting separation from God in hell. Therefore, we must bear fruit both for our own sakes and for the salvation of as many people as possible (1 Cor 9:19).

The Lord is so strict and severe about this because He is Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16). As Love, He wants all "to be saved and come to know the truth" (1 Tm 2:4). Everyone in the world has the need and the right to hear and see the Christians of this world proclaiming the Gospel and living it in holiness. Therefore, the Lord commands us to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8) and to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). Otherwise, we will be punished.

We can be sure of bearing fruit and of saving ourselves from the terrible effects of fruitlessness by living in Jesus and accepting Him as Lord of our lives so that He will live in us (Jn 15:5). To do this, we must die to ourselves (see Jn 12:24). "Continually we carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus, so that in our bodies the life of Jesus may also be revealed" (2 Cor 4:10). We either die, live in Christ, and bear fruit, or we live for ourselves, are fruitless, and are doomed. Decide to be fruitful now.

PRAYER: Father, like a grain of wheat, I fall to the earth and die to bear much fruit (Jn 12:24).

PROMISE: "It is [Jesus] Who gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers to equip the saints for the work of service to build up the body of Christ." –Eph 4:11-12, our transl.

PRAISE: Jessica rejoiced in the deeper unity she and her husband enjoyed after he came into the Church on Easter Vigil.

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Friday, October 24 2014; Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 477

Reading 1
eph 4:1-6

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
through the bond of peace; 
one Body and one Spirit, 
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Gospel
lk 12:54-59

Jesus said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: MANY-SPLENDORED UNITY

"Make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin." –Ephesians 4:3

To live lives worthy of our calling as Christians, we must become one as Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are One (see Jn 17:21). We are called to live in divine, Trinitarian, multi-faceted unity. There are seven major facets to our unity with God. "There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope given all of you by your call. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all" (Eph 4:4-6).

These many facets themselves are multi-faceted. There is one bread and one body when we receive the body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion (1 Cor 10:17). In Christian community, we are "of one heart and one mind" (Acts 4:32). In marriage, the husband and wife "are no longer two but one flesh" (Mt 19:6) as they grow to be more deeply of one heart and one mind.

Unity is like a diamond of divinity and Trinity. Unity from God's perspective is pure simplicity. From our human perspective, unity is a rich complexity. Unity is a mystery and a "great gift of the Holy Spirit" (Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, Pope John Paul II, 20).

Let us live lives worthy of our call to be one through, with, and in Him. We were created and redeemed to be one. Let us "make every effort to preserve" and deepen our love in the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:3).

PRAYER: Father, "how good it is, and how pleasant, where brethren dwell at one!" (Ps 133:1) Give me a heart for Trinitarian unity.

PROMISE: "Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain." –Ps 24:3-4

PRAISE: St. Anthony continued to preach Christ in the face of several assassination attempts.

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Thursday, October 23 2014; Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 476

Reading 1
eph 3:14-21

Brothers and sisters:
I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine,
by the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus
to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19

R. (5b) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel
lk 12:49-53

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father, 
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

"I kneel before the Father from Whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name." –Ephesians 3:14-15

Jesus has "come to light a fire on the earth" (Lk 12:49). He begins this by dismantling families held together by factors not according to His will (see Lk 12:51ff). For example, many marriages and families stay together because of fears, addictions, finances, or confusion. Under such circumstances, these families will never be what God wants them to be. Therefore, Jesus will dismantle these families and then reunite them in love, self-sacrifice, holiness, and peace. In this way, He will light a fire to purify and renew the face of the earth (see Ps 104:30).

Do you have mixed motives in your relations with your family members? Is your family staying together in pure love, or are there other factors? Cooperate with Jesus as He picks apart any sins, selfishness, or self-deception in your family. Then ask Jesus to give to your family:

"gifts in keeping with the riches of His glory" (Eph 3:16),interior strength "through the working of His Spirit" (Eph 3:16),His indwelling (Eph 3:17), andcharity as its "root and foundation" (Eph 3:17).

After being dismantled and re-assembled by Jesus, you and your family "will be able to grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love, and experience this love which surpasses all knowledge, so that you may attain to the fullness of God Himself" (Eph 3:18-19).

PRAYER: Father, make our families holy by Your standards.

PROMISE: "To Him Whose power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine – to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, world without end. Amen." –Eph 3:20-21

PRAISE: St. John was governor of his city. He was captured and imprisoned during a battle. While in prison, he gave his life to Jesus, and when released, he became a priest.

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Wednesday, October 22 2014; Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 475

Reading 1
eph 3:2-12

Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation,
as I have written briefly earlier.
When you read this
you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
which was not made known to human beings in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit,
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same Body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

Of this I became a minister by the gift of God’s grace
that was granted me in accord with the exercise of his power.
To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given,
to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,
and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery
hidden from ages past in God who created all things,
so that the manifold wisdom of God
might now be made known through the Church
to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.
This was according to the eternal purpose
that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness of speech
and confidence of access through faith in him.

Responsorial Psalm
is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. (see 3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Gospel
lk 12:39-48

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly. 
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: MORE

"When much has been given a man, much will be required of him. More will be asked of a man to whom more has been entrusted." –Luke 12:48

Jesus spoke the above words to St. Peter and the apostles. We might not be expected to perform the works of St. Peter, but none of us are off the hook when it comes to serving the Lord. As Catholics, we have received the sacraments of Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation. We've heard the message of salvation. As the song says, "We have been told" about Jesus, and His cross, death, and resurrection. We've received Jesus into our very bodies in the Eucharist. We have been privileged to read and hear the sacred Scriptures, revealed directly from God in heaven. We've received the Holy Spirit and His gifts.

Look how much we have received! God would not be just if He did not expect a fruitful harvest in return for His freely given gifts (see Mt 25:14-30; Lk 12:46-48). What boss would not demand a good job from an employee He had trained so thoroughly?

Let us give our lives in service to the Lord – not grudgingly, but cheerfully and bountifully (2 Cor 9:6-7). Though we must bear a harvest, we are not God's employees or slaves; we are His children! (Rm 8:15) Jesus even calls us His friends (Jn 15:15).

Can you imagine how fervently the Lord longs to entrust "all His property" (Lk 12:44), the earth and its people, to His disciples? If we disciples of Jesus do not step forward to care for God's property, we are handing control to those motivated only by greed, selfishness, or power. Jesus expects "more" from us. Step up and get to work.

PRAYER: Jesus, so often I only think of pleasing myself. Transform my mind to think only of pleasing You (Ps 104:34).

PROMISE: "In Christ and through faith in Him we can speak freely to God, drawing near Him with confidence." –Eph 3:12

PRAISE: Jesus delivered Robert from a life of selling and abusing drugs.

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Tuesday, October 28 2014; Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Lectionary: 666

Reading 1
eph 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God, 
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Gospel
lk 6:12-16

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: DRY WALL

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near through the blood of Christ. It is He Who is our Peace, and Who made the two of us one by breaking down the barrier of hostility that kept us apart." –Ephesians 2:13-14

The phrase rendered "barrier of hostility" above is literally "the dividing wall of the barrier." We all experience the pain of being separated by a dividing wall. Some experience this in troubled marriages; it feels like the Great Wall of China stands between you and your spouse. Invisible, dividing walls and barriers of hostility are all too often present in family relationships. Some who read this are in prison: for you, the "dividing wall of the barrier" is not invisible but is a physical, harsh daily reality. Others suffer hunger, persecution, poverty, and injustice due to the dividing walls of social classes based on money, prejudice, ethnicity, and power.

Whatever dividing wall stands in your life, bring that wall to Jesus. He is constantly praying that all His people would be one, as He and the Father are one (Jn 17:21). Jesus alone walks through walls (Jn 20:26). He breaks down the walls that keep people apart (Eph 2:14). The Lord broke down the walls of Jericho when His people came before Him in obedience, trust, and praise (Jos 6:20).

While behind the wall, "fix your eyes on Jesus" (Heb 3:1) instead of the wall. The Lord is writing on the wall to convict the hearts of people on both sides (see Dn 5:5). He stands by the wall with a measuring line, plotting its destruction (see Am 7:7-9). Only in Jesus do walls come tumbling down. Your body may be trapped but your heart, mind, and spirit are not. Pray: Lord, "by the help of my God I leap over a wall" (Ps 18:30) into Your arms.

PRAYER: Father, I am trapped behind a wall now, but by Your grace, I will live forever behind the walls of the heavenly city (Rv 21:14).

PROMISE: "It will go well with those servants whom the Master finds wide-awake on His return." –Lk 12:37

PRAISE: Louise led her kidnapper to give his life to Jesus. He felt Jesus take away the hatred from his life.

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Monday, October 20 2014; Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 473

Reading 1
eph 2:1-10

Brothers and sisters:
You were dead in your transgressions and sins
in which you once lived following the age of this world,
following the ruler of the power of the air,
the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient.
All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh,
following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses,
and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest.
But God, who is rich in mercy,
because of the great love he had for us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions,
brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
raised us up with him,
and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come
he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace
in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so no one may boast.
For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works
that God has prepared in advance,
that we should live in them.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4ab, 4c-5

R. (3b) The Lord made us, we belong to him.
Sing joyfully to the LORD all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. The Lord made us, we belong to him.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. The Lord made us, we belong to him.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise.
R. The Lord made us, we belong to him.
Give thanks to him; bless his name, for he is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. The Lord made us, we belong to him.

Gospel
lk 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”
He replied to him,
“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”
Then he said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’
But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: CULTURE-WARS

"That is the way it works with the man who grows rich for himself instead of growing rich in the sight of God." –Luke 12:21

The man in today's Gospel reading decided to save for the future. He said to himself: "You have blessings in reserve for years to come. Relax! Eat heartily, drink well. Enjoy yourself" (Lk 12:19). In today's culture, we would call him a wise man, "but God said to him, 'You fool!' " (Lk 12:20) Unless we receive a special revelation as did Joseph (Gn 41:35), we are not to save our money and possessions; rather, we are to distribute them. This comes as a terrible shock to a society full of savings accounts.

Every culture has its strengths and weaknesses, its insights and blind spots. Every culture clashes with the Gospel in some areas. Jesus is a Sign of contradiction (Lk 2:34). If we are true followers of Jesus, we are not trapped in our culture, but by grace we are freed to see and accept the full truth of the Gospel.

What will you do with today's Gospel reading? Rather, what will you let it do with you? What are we to do with Jesus, Who refuses to let us make Him in our image and likeness? The message of today's Gospel reading is a fantastic opportunity or a terrible stumbling stone. Jesus said: "Blest is the man who finds no stumbling block in Me" (Mt 11:6). Accept Jesus as Lord of your life and your culture.

PRAYER: Father, may every culture bend at the name of Jesus (see Phil 2:10-11).

PROMISE: "We lived at the level of the flesh, following every whim and fancy, and so by nature deserved God's wrath like the rest. But God is rich in mercy; because of His great love for us He brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin." –Eph 2:3-5

PRAISE: St. Paul advised: "Conceal yourselves in Jesus crucified, and hope for nothing except that all men be thoroughly converted to His will."

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Sunday, October 19 2014; Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 145

Reading 1
is 45:1, 4-6

Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,
whose right hand I grasp,
subduing nations before him,
and making kings run in his service,
opening doors before him
and leaving the gates unbarred:
For the sake of Jacob, my servant,
of Israel, my chosen one,
I have called you by your name,
giving you a title, though you knew me not.
I am the LORD and there is no other,
there is no God besides me.
It is I who arm you, though you know me not,
so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun
people may know that there is none besides me.
I am the LORD, there is no other.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10

R/ (7b) Give the Lord glory and honor.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R/ Give the Lord glory and honor.
For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.
R/ Give the Lord glory and honor.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts.
R/ Give the Lord glory and honor.
Worship the LORD, in holy attire;
tremble before him, all the earth;
say among the nations: The LORD is king,
he governs the peoples with equity.
R/ Give the Lord glory and honor.

Reading 2
1 thes 1:1-5b

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God,
how you were chosen.
For our gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.

Gospel
mt 22:15-21

The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. 
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" 
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? 
Show me the coin that pays the census tax." 
Then they handed him the Roman coin. 
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" 
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: MISSION-MINDED?

"...so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun men may know that there is none besides Me." –Isaiah 45:6

On this World Mission Sunday, the Church asks us as Christians what our relationship is to the nations of the world. We must give the nations what belongs to them (see Mt 22:21). Especially, we must give Jesus to the nations, for He belongs to all people and we all belong to Him (see 1 Cor 3:21-23). Therefore, Jesus commands us to "make disciples of all the nations" (Mt 28:19) and "tell His glory among the nations" (Ps 96:3). We must "say among the nations: The Lord is King" (Ps 96:10) so that the "families of nations" may "give to the Lord glory and praise" (Ps 96:7).

Are you giving the nations their due? Do you pray daily for all nations "to be saved and come to know the truth?" (1 Tm 2:4) Do you love and befriend people from other nations in your schools, businesses, and neighborhoods? Are you praying for yourself and others to become local or foreign missionaries? Do you give substantial offerings to further the Church's missionary outreach?

One of Jesus' last and greatest commandments is: "Make disciples of all the nations" (Mt 28:19). By grace, in love, and for Jesus – do it!

PRAYER: Father, send the Spirit to make me a witness for Jesus and a missionary (Acts 1:8).

PROMISE: "Our preaching of the gospel proved not a mere matter of words for you but one of power; it was carried on in the Holy Spirit and out of complete conviction." –1 Thes 1:5

PRAISE: Praise be to "our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to Him now and to the day of eternity!" (2 Pt 3:18)

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Saturday, October 18 2014; Feast of Saint Luke, Evangelist

Lectionary: 661

Reading 1
2 tm 4:10-17b

Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world,
deserted me and went to Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Luke is the only one with me.
Get Mark and bring him with you,
for he is helpful to me in the ministry.
I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas,
the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.

Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm;
the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.
You too be on guard against him,
for he has strongly resisted our preaching.

At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18

R. (12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Gospel
lk 10:1-9

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, ‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: CATHOLIC WORKERS

"The harvest is rich but the workers are few; therefore ask the Harvest-Master to send workers to His harvest." –Luke 10:2

Jesus needs many more workers to reach the more than four-billion people who don't know Him. He also needs many more workers to help the nearly two-billion Christians grow in holiness. Therefore, "take courage" and work for Jesus (see Hg 2:4). Work, even if you think you have worked "in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent" your strength (Is 49:4). Work, even if you consider yourself inadequate and without much to offer compared to other parts of Christ's body (see 1 Cor 12:15-16). Work, even if you or others think you're not needed (1 Cor 12:20-22). Work, even if you are very late for work. The Lord in His mercy may give you a full-life's pay for very little time on the job (Mt 20:9). Work, even if you have to suffer, as Jesus the Worker suffered.

St. Luke gave up a good job as a doctor (see Col 4:14) to work for Jesus. The benefits of working for Jesus didn't seem that good. You couldn't have even a walking staff, a traveling bag, or sandals (Lk 10:4). However, Luke did one of the greatest, most fruitful works in history. He wrote the Gospel of Luke and theActs of the Apostles. Be like Luke. Work "for food that remains unto life eternal" (Jn 6:27).

PRAYER: Father, may Your love impel me to work for You with zeal (see 2 Cor 5:14).

PROMISE: "The Lord stood by my side and gave me strength, so that through me the preaching task might be completed and all the nations might hear the gospel." –2 Tm 4:17

PRAISE: St. Luke "carefully traced the whole sequence of events from the beginning" and "decided to set it in writing for you" so that you "may see how reliable" the message of Jesus is (Lk 1:3-4). Praise You, Lord, for inspiring Luke to preserve Your good news for our sake.

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Friday, October 17 2014; Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

Lectionary: 471

Reading 1
eph 1:11-14

Brothers and sisters:
In Christ we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,
the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
which is the first installment of our inheritance
toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13

R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten stringed lyre chant his praises.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Gospel
lk 12:1-7

At that time:
So many people were crowding together 
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.

“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE DOWNPAYMENT

"When you heard the glad tidings of salvation, the word of truth, and believed in it, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit Who had been promised." –Ephesians 1:13

We're all going to rise from the dead. Those who believe in Jesus and have lived for Him will see Him face to face and be perfectly happy forever with Him in heaven. We know this because the Lord has revealed it to us through His Church and Word.

Many people, however, deny such things as resurrection from the dead, Judgment Day, heaven, and hell. They live as if this life is all there is (see 1 Cor 15:32). To confirm us in our belief in eternal happiness, our heavenly Father and Jesus have sent the Holy Spirit. "We yearn to have our heavenly habitation envelop us" (2 Cor 5:2). "God has fashioned us for this very thing and has given us the Spirit as a Pledge of it" (2 Cor 5:5). "He is the Pledge of our inheritance, the first Payment against the full redemption of a people God has made His own, to praise His glory" (Eph 1:14). By the Holy Spirit, we experience God's love, have an awe in His presence, become empowered by His gifts, receive true freedom, and are transformed into God's image and likeness.

This amazing life in the Spirit is the first payment, the pledge of our inheritance. We won't live long enough to personally experience the fulfillment of many of God's promises. By the Spirit, however, we will experience a few of God's wondrous works. These initial experiences confirm us in our faith that everything else the Lord has promised will be done (see Jos 23:14). Those of us who are alive in the Spirit have seen enough of God's glory to know that it's all true. Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit!

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, be as active as possible in my life.

PROMISE: "Fear nothing, then. You are worth more than a flock of sparrows." –Lk 12:7

PRAISE: St. Ignatius advised his flock: "Turn a deaf ear to the talk of anyone whose language has nothing to do with Jesus Christ."

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Thursday, October 16 2014; Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 470

Reading 1
eph 1:1-10

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
to the holy ones who are in Ephesus
and faithful in Christ Jesus:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.

In Christ we have redemption by his Blood,
the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.
In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us
the mystery of his will in accord with his favor
that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,
to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.

Gospel
lk 11:47-54

The Lord said:
“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets 
whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute’
in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: HEAD UP

"God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the mystery, the plan He was pleased to decree in Christ, to be carried out in the fullness of time: namely, to bring all things in the heavens and on earth into one under Christ's headship." –Ephesians 1:9-10

God's plan is to "bring all things in the heavens and on earth into one under Christ's headship." Jesus promised: "And I – once I am lifted up from earth – will draw all men to Myself" (Jn 12:32). We must let ourselves be drawn to Jesus and then be in right relationship to Him, the Head of His body. Then we will fulfill God's plan. Our job is to work so that everyone will be under Christ, the Head, in everything. Thus, Jesus should be recognized as the Head of state as well as the Head of the Church. Jesus should head up our businesses, schools, hospitals, ministries, marriages, families, and homes. We should recognize Jesus as the Head of all boards, committees, councils, and meetings.

When we let Jesus head us up, we then begin to be in proper relationship not only with Him but also with each other. We and those around us fall into place. Then we are happy and content because we are who we were created to be. We are not dislocated but healed (see Heb 12:13). We no longer feel like misfits; we finally are at home. For years, we have tried to use our own heads to get our lives together, only to become even more fragmented and scattered. Let us now let Jesus head up our lives so that we can become one with Him and His body in an amazing way.

PRAYER: Jesus, I choose You for my Head.

PROMISE: "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God." –Ps 98:3

PRAISE: St. Hedwig and her husband were married for fifty-two years. They dedicated their marriage to the Lord Jesus, raised six children, and were only known to have had two disagreements.

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Wednesday, October 15 2014; Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 469

Reading 1
gal 5:18-25

Brothers and sisters:
If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. 

Responsorial Psalm
ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

R. (see Jn 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Gospel
lk 11:42-46

The Lord said:
“Woe to you Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces. 
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”

Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,
“Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.”
And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law!
You impose on people burdens hard to carry,
but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: FLESHING IT OUT

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires." –Galatians 5:24

By "the flesh," the Bible refers to our fallen human nature. "The tendency of the flesh is toward death" (Rm 8:6). "The flesh in its tendency is at enmity with God; it is not subject to God's law. Indeed, it cannot be; those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rm 8:7-8). A few of the works of the flesh are: "lewd conduct, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, bickering, jealousy, outbursts of rage, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like" (Gal 5:19-21). The flesh can be used to enslave us (see Rm 7:14) and will try to start a civil war against our own souls (1 Pt 2:11). Therefore, it is unrealistic and foolish to make provisions for the desires of the flesh (see Rm 13:14; 8:12). The flesh must not only be controlled, but crucified (Gal 5:24). Otherwise, we will stifle the Spirit (see Gal 5:17), become slaves, and destroy ourselves.

We crucify "the flesh with its passions and desires" by living in the Spirit and following the Spirit's lead (Gal 5:25). The Spirit lusts "against the flesh; the two are directly opposed" (Gal 5:17). "If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the evil deeds of the body, you will live" (Rm 8:13). The Holy Spirit wants to get all our attention, time, and energy. Then there's nothing left for the flesh, which then dies of neglect and starvation. Even when the flesh tries to assert itself, its desires are ignored because of our immersion into, that is, baptism in the Spirit. May we live in the Spirit and with the Spirit in us. May we be so Spirit-filled that there is no room for the flesh.

PRAYER: Father, may I love You so much that I will crucify my flesh and be crucified to the world (Gal 6:14).

PROMISE: "In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness, and chastity." –Gal 5:22-23

PRAISE: St. Teresa wrote: "How different (our love) would be, how much more like that of heaven, if we really knew our Lord!"

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Tuesday, October 14 2014; Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 468

Reading 1
gal 5:1-6

Brothers and sisters:
For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

It is I, Paul, who am telling you
that if you have yourselves circumcised,
Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised
that he is bound to observe the entire law.
You are separated from Christ,
you who are trying to be justified by law;
you have fallen from grace.
For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness.
For in Christ Jesus,
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything,
but only faith working through love.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 119:41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48

R. (41a) Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Let your mercy come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will walk at liberty,
because I seek your precepts.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will delight in your commands, 
which I love.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will lift up my hands to your commands
and meditate on your statutes.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.

Gospel
lk 11:37-41

After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE POINT OF MOST RESISTANCE

"If you give what you have as alms, all will be wiped clean for you." –Luke 11:41

To have all our sins wiped clean, we must repent and give our lives to Jesus. This conversion is an interior decision expressed in a tangible way. For some, conversion is most pointedly expressed by changing jobs or changing friends. For others, forgiving an enemy or returning to church are critical issues. For still others, such as the Pharisees, the concrete expression of conversion is a matter of money, since the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tm 6:10).

Many of the Pharisees observed only the letter of the law. They tithed (Lk 11:42) and gave alms. However, they did not live the spirit of the law, for they were avaricious men who gave themselves to money rather than to God (Lk 16:13-14). Jesus challenged them to heartfelt almsgiving. This would have been a sign of their conversion, and all would have been wiped clean for them.

What would be evidence that you have repented and given your life to Jesus? (see Lk 3:8) Where do you need to swallow your pride? Where are you holding back on the Lord? What are you doing only in the letter of the law and not the spirit? Give in; give all, and "all will be wiped clean for you" (Lk 11:41).

PRAYER: Father, I give in to Your will at my point of most resistance.

PROMISE: "Let Your kindness come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your promise." –Ps 119:41

PRAISE: Pope St. Callistus I, one of the early pope-martyrs, praised God by living a life of extraordinary forgiveness.

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