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WEDDING HOMILY

1) Genesis 2:18-24 2) 1 John 3:18-24 3) Mark 10:6-9

FOCUS: The union of a couple in marriage reflects the great love of God on earth.

And may it be the blessing you share with all those you love, Who this day make merry That in you the great love of GodHas found a home on earth.*

This verse, part of a blessing, captures much of what we celebrate today with the marriage of N and N.

All gathered here are part of this joyful occasion; it is we “Who this day make merry that the great love of God has found a home on earth.” Yes, today we celebrate the great love of God, who has found a home on earth in the couple before us.

The words we just heard from Scripture point to this great love – a love not of word, not of speech, but of deed and truth. A love that shows itself, not in what we say, but in how we live toward one another; how we accept one another; how we care for each other’s burdens; how we celebrate other’s joys – a love that will be shown to the world by how N and N live as a couple.

In providing an account of the creation of the first man and first woman, Scripture points to this love with a significant word. We heard in Genesis how God decides to make a suitable partner for the man. A suitable partner; a companion; and more than a companion. The word used is ezar(pronounced “AY-zar”). It is often translated “helper.” But it does not mean a helper like an apprentice, or an assistant. This very word is used, over and over again, to describe what God is to us. The psalms, for example, repeatedly use this same word, ezar – to provide a picture of God’s care for us. “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains, my help (my ezar) comes from the Lord” (Ps. 121:1-2); “Our help (our ezar) is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 124:8); “God is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help (a partner - ezar) in times of trouble” (Ps. 46:1).

Isn’t this also a description of what marriage will be for a couple whose focus is on God? – that each one will be a partner, a companion, to the other; that in times of trouble, one will be an ever-present help, a reflection of God on earth to the other; that in times of joy, one will be the ever-present companion to share that joy. Each will make it abundantly clear to the other – by their care, by their acceptance, by their mercy, by their love – how very much God loves them. Moreover, as a couple, they will be a symbol, a sign, a reminder of God’s love to the world.

On this wonderful occasion, N and N, congratulations! May you continue to show all “the great love of God, who has found a home on earth.”

*Written by Sister Jeannette Abi-Nader, HM, on the occasion of a community member’s 25th anniversary. Used with permission.

FUNERAL HOMILY

Isaiah 25:6a, 7-91 Thessalonians 4:13-18Matthew 11:25-30

FOCUS : We are called to lighten one another’s burden of grief.

Today we are gathered to honor the memory and pray for the soul of N. We do so in natural human grief at our loss but also, as the readings tell us, in faith that N. will find an eternal home with God. Today’s readings give us reason for hope and consolation.

The first reading from Isaiah tells us that God favors life over death. Isaiah looks to the day when God will destroy the veil that veils all peoples – the prospect of death. Before Jesus’ death and resurrection, this veil was firmly in place as many people saw no hope after a loved one had died. With Jesus’ resurrection, however, that veil is already being removed. While we will suffer sadness at the death of a loved one, we do so with hope, as Paul reminds us, that we, too, will rise again to enjoy eternal life.

In the Gospel, Jesus’ promise of rest for those who come to him, weary and burdened, can be applied to those who have died. As we entrust N. to God’s mercy and love, we have hope that he/she will now have eternal rest – everlasting joy and peace. But we who are left behind are heavily burdened with grief and sorrow at our loss. Jesus promises to make our burden light, too, if we agree to be yoked with him. Jesus, who wept at the death of his friend Lazarus, understands our grief and does not see it as a lack of faith. Our grief is an honest human reaction to the sudden loss of someone we love – and the knowledge that we will have to carry on for the rest of our lives without the physical presence of that person.

As we learn to adjust to this new life, we know that Jesus will be with us in the months and years to come when sadness takes ahold of us. By his presence and love, Jesus can make that burden light. We also know, as Christians, that Jesus’ resurrection gives us hope of eternal life for our loved one and ourselves.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to take part in his mission, to help one another carry the burden of grief. We have a special role in one another’s lives because of our shared grief – the role of support and comfort, and of accepting that support and comfort from others when we need it. We can also offer the hope of the Resurrection to one another while accepting one another’s natural sadness. As we encounter other people who are grieving their own loss, we will be better equipped to help them, knowing that sometimes presence and a listening ear are enough.

YEAR BWEEKDAYS II

Monday, October 1, 2018 MONDAY OF(Lec. 455) 26TH WEEK1) Job 1:6-22 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 9:46-50 (OBL MEM

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus,Virgin and Doctorof the Church)

FOCUS: Live in communion with the world by resting in communion with God.

We live in divided times. There is strife amongst nations, and within nations. Individuals see themselves as belonging to a certain ethnic group or economic class or political party, and woe to those who are not a part of those same groups. Is this what the Reign of God should look like – a place in which division is the norm? This could be the very question that underlies today’s readings.

In our first reading, Satan tests God, challenging him that Job will blaspheme you to your face, if Job is stripped of everything. Satan seems certain that faithful Job will turn against God. In the face of great loss, however, Job says, The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord! In his grief, Job doesn’t condemn God, but rather, blesses God. How many people have lost something or someone valuable, and have questioned God, or even given up their belief in God? Not so with Job – it appears that he grows closer to God, rather than estranged. How strong his faith must be.

In the Gospel, the disciples are divided, for they want to know who is the greatest, and of course, there can only be one. In response, Jesus calls for them to welcome a little child as they would welcome him. In Jesus’ time, a child had very low status. To welcome a child would be to demean oneself, but Jesus implies that he has the same status as a child – is he humbling himself, or raising the child up? The message is that worldly status is irrelevant, for that creates division. Seeing each person as the image of God is what matters, for all of creation is imbued with life from God.

Can the world divide us if we put our life in God at our center? In 2015, Pope Francis gave this advice to Vatican workers: Take care of your spiritual life, your relationship to God, because this is the backbone of everything we do and everything we are . Our faith is founded in the belief that we are all created by God, to love God and to love one another. This is what unifies us. This world may try to create division, but let us heed Jesus’ words, that whoever is not against you is for you Let us see the ways in which Jesus brings us all to his side. May the Eucharist enrich our lives to strengthen our common bonds, to look past division and to see how together we work for the fulfillment of the Reign of God.

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Tuesday, October 2, 2018 TUESDAY OF(Lec. 456) 26TH WEEK1) Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23 IN ORDINARY TIME(Lec. 650) (OBL MEM2) Matthew 18:1-5, 10 The Holy Guardian Angels)Gospel related: CCC 329, 336, 526, 2785

FOCUS: God and the angels are with us; we are never alone.

Many children have irrational fears: the bogey man, monsters under the bed, etc. As we grow up, some of those irrational fears are dispelled, but it seems that we never completely escape that feeling of fear. Rather than the bogey man, we begin to fear loneliness, isolation or failure, whether it be in work, relationships, athletics or life in general. These fears are not necessarily irrational, but almost always present a false reality in which we are all alone and need to do this all by ourselves – which couldn’t be further from the truth. Our opening prayer in Mass today asked God, “send your holy angels to guard us… that we may always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their company.” Each of us is blessed with the enduring presence of an angel who is charged with guiding and protecting us as we journey through this world. We are never alone. We never have to fight alone.

We are never alone. We know from Scripture and from Church teaching that angels are very real, that they do exist, and that they are present to us always, but most especially in our moments of need. Saint Basil taught that “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life” (CCC 336). In those moments that we fear isolation or loneliness, we should take comfort and consolation in these words. Despite what we might feel in the moment, God will never abandon us, and has sent us angels as a reminder of this truth. Those angels are a connection between God and us, for our angels in heaven always look upon the face of [the] heavenly Father.

We also do not fight alone. The angels are not simply bystanders. In those moments where we struggle, are tempted or feel crushed by the burdens we carry, we may be tempted to cry out, “I’ll never be able to do this!” The irony of this is that it may be true: we can’t do it ourselves. But we don’t have to because God and the angels are with us; all we need to do is become aware of their presence and ask for their help.

As we celebrate this feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, may we become ever more aware of these simple truths: we are never alone and we never have to fight alone. God has blessed us with angels that we may rejoice in their company. God has blessed us with angels that we may always be defended by their protection.

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Wednesday, October 3, 2018 WEDNESDAY OF(Lec. 457) 26TH WEEK1) Job 9:1-12, 14-16 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 9:57-62Gospel related: CCC 544

FOCUS: Following Jesus is a joy and a challenge.

The words of Jesus in today’s Gospel, as he lays out the responsibility of discipleship, provide an opportunity to examine our own perception of what it means to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Certainly, there are many of us who, proceeding along this journey, might willingly state, as his followers did, I will follow you wherever you go.

But what does that entail? Jesus tells his disciples, follow me, and then explains that in order to do that, the first priority is to proclaim the kingdom of God. All else pales in comparison. So when Jesus says that No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God, we might ask ourselves if we understand and live out what that means.

Each of us must face this question straight on and ask God what following him looks like for our own life. It takes a careful ear to hear what God asks of us. For the followers of Jesus in his time, they had to be on the move in order to spread the word of salvation to all. It was both a physical and metaphorical removal of themselves from any attachments. Today, a turning away from our attachments in order to follow Jesus and proclaim the Gospel may be as simple (and difficult) as letting go of material things, or letting go of fear that is holding us back.

Whatever holds us back limits our freedom to proclaim the kingdom to others. We may have difficulty fully trusting in God’s plan for us. God invites us to have faith. To be fit for the kingdom is to let go, in order to discover. It is to move forward with a passionate desire to lead others to Christ. We can do that wherever God places us.

Jesus is not promoting irresponsibility, but rather giving a proper ordering of priorities. In following him, all else falls into place. When we go on mission with him, and we are all in, without hesitation, we help to bring about the kingdom. How each of us does so may look different by degree, status or culture, but in essence it is the same: being fit for the kingdom means a willingness to follow Jesus – faithfully.

That we are here, proclaiming our belief in the Triune God, and partaking of the Eucharist, is a testament to our basic understanding of Jesus’ words today. May the graces we receive here allow that understanding to grow and flourish in our lives and in the world around us.

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Thursday, October 4, 2018 THURSDAY OF(Lec. 458) 26TH WEEK1) Job 19:21-27 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 10:1-12 (OBL MEM

Saint Francis of Assisi)Gospel related: CCC 765, 2611, 2122

FOCUS: When we respond to God’s call, we’re given all we need to share the Good News of his love with others.

When Jesus sent seventy-two disciples to spread the Good News of God’s kingdom, he told them to take no money or possessions with them. He instructed them to extend peace to others, to accept whatever hospitality was offered and, if rejected, to move on without retaliation.

What an appropriate Gospel reading today, on this Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi. Hundreds of years after those first disciples were sent out, Saint Francis, in responding to God’s call, lived out those instructions.

Son of a well-to-do merchant, Francis had an easy, fun-loving lifestyle as a young man. However, after suffering a serious illness, he gave up the emptiness of self-indulgence to follow God’s plan for his life. At first, Francis began building up God’s kingdom literally, by repairing chapels. As God led him to a deeper understanding of his mission, Francis grew in both love and humility.

Choosing poverty, Francis let go of possessions and the obligations they bring. That freed him to become a channel of God’s peace. He lovingly shared that message of peace with everyone he encountered, including lepers, robbers, prostitutes, and even a Muslim Sultan. Francis was humble enough to ask for, and accept, hospitality and charity from others in order to accomplish his mission. He suffered his share of scorn and rejection, but was not deterred because he was anchored in God’s love.

Like those disciples who have gone before us, we’re called to carry the message of God’s love to those who hunger for it. While we may not be required to live in the extreme poverty that Francis did, we are challenged to let go of whatever distracts us from sharing God’s love with others.

We may not feel fondness for everyone, but we can treat all those we encounter with courtesy and respect. When our efforts are rejected, we’re free to move on without retaliation. We can leave the consequences of other people’s choices in God’s hands and focus on our own choices and responsibilities.

It’s a tall order. Of course we can’t do it alone. Like Saint Francis, we need the wisdom and strength of God’s Spirit. We can nourish ourselves through prayer, reading Scripture, and especially through the Eucharist. We also need the support of fellow believers, our family of faith. After all, Jesus didn’t send the disciples out alone, but sent them out two by two. God gives us all we need to spread the Good News. It’s up to us to accept his gifts and respond.

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Friday, October 5, 2018 FRIDAY OF(Lec. 459) 26TH WEEK1) Job 38:1, 12-21; IN ORDINARY TIME

40:3-5 (Opt. Mem.2) Luke 10:13-16 Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos,

Priest)Gospel related: CCC 81, 858

FOCUS: Let us listen to God when he speaks to us.

In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus assailing the towns encircling the Sea of Galilee for rejecting the message delivered by his followers. For in doing so, they were rejecting him, as well as the One who sent him. Jesus made it very clear to these towns that their lack of repentance would result in complete condemnation.

In our first reading, even Job himself knew and did not reject the one who would eventually send Jesus: the Lord God Almighty. Job had had an intimate conversation with God after he’d cried out to him in his despair at having lost all that mattered in his life. And while God made it very clear to Job that he had not the tiniest bit of comprehension of the glory of God – that Job was not present at creation, could not navigate the cosmos, and would never have any idea how to keep it all in perfect motion – Job did not reject God. Unlike the contemporaries of Jesus’ disciples, Job listened. He recognized the mighty deeds of God and repented.

Job realized, in all his misery and pain, that God – God’s own self – had spoken to him. The God who is present in the netherworld as well as the heavens, the God who formed his inmost being, the God who knows even his thoughts from afar, cared enough to actually speak to him.

The people of Galilee heard the Lord speak to them as well, but they did not recognize him. They did not accept his messengers. They did not repent. And so they were condemned.

Being a follower of the one true God can be a difficult task, and being in a relationship with him in no way makes us immune to loss and pain, to suffering and despair, to rejection and loneliness. But it is in listening to God, in recognizing God’s messengers in our lives, that we remember that we are most wonderfully made by a God whose right hand holds us fast, even when we are too numb to feel it.

When we partake in the Eucharist, as we will shortly do, we are reminded that God loved us enough to send us his own self. We are reminded that being a true disciple means we will be guided by him along the everlasting way of love.

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Saturday, October 6, 2018 SATURDAY OF(Lec. 460) 26TH WEEK1) Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 10:17-24 (Opt. Mem.

Saint Bruno,Priest;USA: Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher,

Virgin;Saturday in honor

of BVM)Gospel related: CCC 787, 1083, 2603

FOCUS: Jesus shows us who the Father is.

In today's Gospel, Jesus says that no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son reveals him. We come to know the Father through Jesus, who took on our nature so that we might be reunited with the One who made us: to know him and to love him. Of course, there is a difference between knowing God and knowing about God.

In our first reading Job has known about God for a long time. He has even worshiped him, but did not really know God. He made some assumptions about God, but until he gave himself over completely, he could not actually know him. By the end of the reading we see that Job did come to know God intimately – like a child knows his father. And once that more complete knowledge was his, he repented and was greatly rewarded.

It was because of this knowledge that Job felt the need to repent. He was already loyal in the face of other people's criticism of God, and he never lost faith. Still, when he came to know God more fully, he saw his own shortcomings of faith; he realized more deeply the love God has for all he created, and saw how much he had underestimated the power and majesty of God – the Supreme Being.

In the Gospel, the seventy-two disciples returned from their mission with a different idea of God than they had when they left. Still, that understanding was limited and lacking the depth to which Jesus would call them. He taught them that God's greatness is sometimes manifested in fantastic cures and conversions, but that these things are what God does, not who he is.

Who did Jesus show them – and us – the Father is? The Father is, as Job says, the One who can do all things, and that no purpose of [whose] can be hindered. He is the Lord of heaven and earth, who created us in his image, sustains us in his love, and reached out to us to save us when we could not save ourselves.

Today, let us consider our own relationship to the Father and Son, and reflect on whether we are content to know only about God, or whether we allow ourselves to be transformed so as to come to know and love him. Let us humble ourselves before the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and seek the help of Jesus in truly knowing the Father and how much he loves us.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2018 TWENTY-SEVENTH(Lec. 140) SUNDAY1) Genesis 2:18-24 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Hebrews 2:9-113) Mark 10:2-16 or

10:2-12Gospel related: CCC 699, 1244, 1261, 1627, 1639, 1650, 2364, 2380, 2382; CSDC 217

FOCUS: To understand marriage we must first understand God’s design for family life.

For people of faith, marriage has but one meaning, purpose and design – that given to it by God. God – who created and celebrated the first wedding when he presented Eve to Adam as his perfect companion and suitable partner.

And yet as we know, married life can be both loving and challenging. Each year millions of marriages are celebrated and sadly, millions of marriages break down, often with pain and mutual recriminations. As Church, we are not immune to this pain and suffering, and in fact gives credence to the beautiful teachings that underpin our theology of marriage. If it were not sacred and beautiful, its breakdown would not hurt.

Jesus was not going to be caught out by the Pharisees as they tried to force his hand on the thorny issue of divorce and the Mosaic Law. Neither was he going to short-change his listeners, for as Hebrews tells us: He “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels,” that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. More plainly, he became one with us so that we might understand in a deeper way God’s redemptive plan for creation.

Therefore, instead of getting caught up in the competing arguments, Jesus simply sidesteps the question and instead affirms the ancient Scripture in Genesis that men and women were made for each other – called to be united as one body. Together, as husband and wife, they are to strive to be suitable partners for each other, forsaking all others.

This is a hard teaching. And his audience then may be very similar to his listeners today: human beings with different experiences, trying to live a life of faithful discipleship in a world of imperfection and brokenness. So today, instead of simply laying the teaching out there, perhaps it would be better to ground and support it with the words of our Gospel acclamation: If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us. For true marital unity is not something we can achieve on our own, but only when we are united with Christ and when we treat each other with a Christ-like love and compassion.

Today, as we gather, there are a thousand untold stories in the lives of those who stand beside us in our journey. As the Scriptures are proclaimed and broken open, let us rejoice with those who live God’s design for marriage and who know his many blessings. For those who struggle, let us love and support them to attain this goal; and for those who suffer the pain of marriage breakdown and divorce, let us help them to discover hope – for no situation is beyond redemption.

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Monday, October 8, 2018 MONDAY OF(Lec. 461) 27TH WEEK1) Galatians 1:6-12 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 10:25-37Gospel related: CCC 1293, 1825, 2083, 2822; CSDC 112

FOCUS: Lord, who is my neighbor?

Let’s picture ourselves out on a walk or a run. We have our earbuds in and are listening to our favorite tunes when we go around a bend in the road and come across a man half-beaten to death. Nowadays, we have our cell phones with us and we can call an emergency number. We can offer words of comfort, cleanse some wounds or offer a drink of water while waiting, but we’re aware that once the authorities arrive they will assume further responsibility for “our neighbor.”

The Samaritan in today’s Gospel didn’t have that option. Even if he did, he might not have gotten the assistance we would because of where the incident took place. The Jews and the Samaritans in Jesus’ time were bitter enemies, and he was in enemy territory on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho – the road between the high holy ground of the Jewish Temple and the town where the Israelites first entered the Promised Land centuries earlier. It was notSamaria.

It likely stuck in the craw of the Jewish legal scholar to have the hero turn out to be, in his mind, “one of the bad guys.” This is what happens when we test God as the lawyer did. He thought he had set himself up nicely when he correctly answered Jesus’ question about how to inherit eternal life – love God and love your neighbor.

But the legal scholar had to ask just one more question in an attempt to justify himself. It took him to a reality he didn’t want to visit – the Samaritan treated the victim as his neighbor, while the priest and Levite did not. The lesson taught here is one that applies to us as well – God’s way is the right way.

In today’s first reading, Saint Paul emphasized to the Galatians that the Gospel he preached was the true Gospel because it came to him through a revelation of Jesus Christ. The Good Samaritan parable is also about that revelation –that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is “love God and love your neighbor.”

We hear God’s word and partake of his body and blood so that we, too, might proclaim this same Gospel in word and deed. Whether we are the Samaritan, or the one in need of the Samaritan’s help, in the kingdom there is no division. Let us prepare ourselves to love one another.

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Tuesday, October 9, 2018 TUESDAY OF(Lec. 462) 27TH WEEK1) Galatians 1:13-24 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 10:38-42 (Opt. Mem.

Saint Denis,Bishop,and Companions,Martyrs;

Saint John Leonardi,Priest)Gospel related: CSDC 260

FOCUS: Jesus is inviting us to a personal encounter with him, and he waits for us in the Eucharist.

Often in gatherings of friends or family, one or two people seem to disappear from the crowd as they flit between the table and the kitchen and the door. They are so concerned with making sure that everyone’s needs are taken care of that they are not really present to their visitors. And then, eventually, the party is over and the hosts realize that they barely chatted with guests, much less enjoyed their company.

Each of us has probably been that person, and so we can sympathize with Martha. It seems like Jesus is being unfair, as if he is choosing Mary’s side. But look at it instead as an invitation: an invitation for Martha to join her sister at the feet of our Lord, listening to him.

Just like Mary and Martha, Jesus is inviting all of us to a personal encounter with him. All of us – the busy, the quiet, those of other faiths and those with no faith at all.

When Saint Paul encountered Jesus, everything changed for him. He immediately stopped persecuting Christians and began traveling as a missionary, preaching the Good News to the Gentiles.

People were amazed that the one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. Isn’t that an amazing witness?

Just like Paul, Jesus is inviting us into a personal encounter.

But how can we encounter Jesus now? In the word we hear proclaimed. In his body and blood: either through reception of the Eucharist, or in adoration.

Jesus’ invitation may not be the blinding revelation Saint Paul had, but if we are open to hearing him, he can still work through us to bring the Gospel to others.

As we prepare for the Eucharistic celebration, let us pray that the Lord will help us to welcome Jesus into our hearts, as Martha welcomed him into her home. Let us ask Jesus to help us listen to him, as Mary did. Let us pray he helps us bring the Gospel to others, as Saint Paul did.

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Wednesday, October 10, 2018 WEDNESDAY OF(Lec. 463) 27TH WEEK1) Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 11:1-4Gospel related: CCC 520, 1425, 2601, 2632, 2759, 2773, 2845

FOCUS: The Lord’s Prayer is ever-ancient and ever-new as we offer it to him, with all that we are in the present.

We have our children memorize the Lord’s Prayer from an early age, along with many devotional prayers, such as the rosary. The Lord’s Prayer is so important that it is recited at every liturgy.

In the early Church, the Christian community chose to withhold teaching the Lord’s Prayer to those interested in becoming Christian until they were baptized. Saint Ambrose of Milan considered it a “pearl of great price,” and from the earliest times, there were theological and practical reasons for sharing the prayer this way. Not least of which was that, in those days of the Roman Empire, the prayer that Jesus taught us was treasonous! Christianity proclaims one God in heaven, and – contrary to state doctrine at that time – that God was not Caesar. Christians had to be so committed to their faith that they would risk their lives just to pray.

Today, there are places where Christians face these grave trials in practicing their faith. Yet they proclaim the Lord’s Prayer in earnest. For most of us who live in relatively Christian, or pluralistic, cultures, our trials can seem comparatively mundane, and as this prayer is so commonplace, we run the risk of taking it for granted. We run the risk of seeing it as fading wall paper, rather than our spiritual mantra, holy plea and radical directive.

Yet, the Lord’s Prayer is immensely challenging in ways great and small. For example, though a simple task, what an immense feat of faith it is to truly rely on the Lord for our daily bread. Most of us tend to rely on ourselves first. But perhaps in our Christian duty to be mindful of the poor, as Saint Paul points out today, we are to invest in each other, especially the least among us, and rely on God’s providence for our own futures.

It is a healthy exercise to meditate on each line of the prayer so as to keep the prayer truly in our hearts and relevant to our lives. For example, “Our Father who art in Heaven.” What does that mean to us? Why is it significant that we start out with the word “Our” and not, “My”? How we answer those questions gives us great insight into how we approach a relationship with God, and our lives of discipleship.

As we come together around the altar, let us be mindful of what the Lord has given us – both in himself and in the words to approach him with our needs. May both of these gifts empower us to, as our psalmist says, Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.

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Thursday, October 11, 2018 THURSDAY OF(Lec. 464) 27TH WEEK1) Galatians 3:1-5 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 11:5-13 (Opt. Mem.

Saint John XXIII,Pope)Gospel related: CCC 2613

FOCUS: Have faith in God and perseverance in prayer.

The good manners we learned from our parents have conditioned us to cringe when we hear someone call another person stupid. As a result, we are taken aback when we hear Saint Paul use this word twice in our first reading. Needless to say, he was more than a little upset with the Galatians, because they were putting their salvation in jeopardy.

As believers, we are called to follow the laws laid out in God’s word. We follow the Ten Commandments. We follow the beatitudes. We follow the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. We do so because of our faith. Hopefully, our faith, our love of God and our love for others is our motivation for following both civil law and religious law.

We follow Jesus’ teachings not because we have to, but because we want to follow his way. We desire the salvation that has been offered. When we live our faith, good things happen. It is when we fail to follow Jesus that we stumble – we sin. Best we stay on the righteous path.

Jesus teaches us about persistence in today’s Gospel. He assures us that our prayers are heard and answered. We know our prayers are heard, but sometimes we think they’re not answered. Too often, we place before the Lord a want, not a need, and expect Jesus to tend to that want in the manner and way of our choosing. For example, “Lord, just give me the lottery numbers and I will help so many people besides myself.” Well, that is not going to happen!

But if we have a true need for the Lord’s guidance we pray, “Lord, help me with a difficult situation at work.” If we pay attention to Jesus’ response rather than our own solution that keeps failing, we will be given insight into a different way, a more loving way to meet the challenge before us at work. This takes faith, as Saint Paul tells us. This takes perseverance, as Jesus teaches us.

Today we remember a gentle giant of the Church, Pope Saint John XXIII. He was a man who persevered in prayer, listened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and led the Church through a time of holiness and renewal that continues to this day.

Like him, and as the Scripture today exhort us, let us not grow too comfortable in the way things are. Rather, through prayer and a strong faith, let us work for the way things might be, bringing about the kingdom here on earth and attaining it for ourselves in eternity.

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Friday, October 12, 2018 FRIDAY OF(Lec. 465) 27TH WEEK1) Galatians 3:7-14 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 11:15-26Gospel related: CCC 385, 700 CSDC 325, 326

FOCUS: The love of Christ conquers evil.

One of the greatest mysteries of our faith is the existence of evil. Saint Augustine, a renowned spiritual father of the Church, once said, “I sought whence evil comes and there was no solution." His own painful quest would be resolved only by his conversion to the living God (CCC 385).

Today’s Gospel doesn’t explain the origin of evil, but Jesus does tell us how to conquer it. Like Saint Augustine, we must turn to Christ.

Our Gospel begins after Jesus drives a demon out of a mute person. While many are amazed, there are those who accuse him of allegiance to Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Others demand more signs. Jesus responds by pointing out the absurdity of their thoughts – why would Satan battle against himself? Then he tells the crowd it is by the finger of God – the same finger of God that wrote the Ten Commandments – that he conquers evil.

How does the Lord conquer evil? Through Christ’s death and resurrection, he takes away the sin of the world. This doesn’t mean we become sinless or free from committing sins, just that Christ has remitted our eternal punishment for them. So when we sin, and repent, the Lord forgives.

However, leaving behind past sins is not enough. False security makes us even more susceptible to Satan’s domination. We must fill those empty spaces, where sin once resided, with love. Otherwise we create a void where, as Jesus warns, an unclean spirit will return with seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there. Ultimately, it’s by replacing sin with Christ’s love that the enemy is defeated. This is full conversion – the way God wants us to live our faith.

In today’s reading, Paul reminds the Galatians that the one who is righteous by faith will live. For much of their lives, the Galatians lived under strict Mosaic law. However, as Paul points out, no one is justified before God by the law because none of us are free from sin. The blessing of Abraham is extended to us through Christ Jesus; we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Jesus says whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we partake in the ultimate expression of love as Jesus joins each of us to his body, blood, soul and divinity. This is the source and summit of our Christian life (CCC 1324). United with Christ, the devil is powerless against us.

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Saturday, October 13, 2018 SATURDAY OF(Lec. 466) 27TH WEEK1) Galatians 3:22-29 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 11:27-28 (Saturday in honorof BVM)

FOCUS: Through our baptism, we have been clothed in Christ.

Our readings today illustrate how God has always had a plan for his chosen people. In the first reading, Saint Paul reminds the people of Galatia (which was part of what is now Turkey) that before Christ, people were under the Old Testament law. That means they had to follow exactly what the law of Moses proclaimed in order to find favor with God. But with Christ's birth, passion and resurrection, we have been given the choice to follow God's way, by grace through our faith in Jesus. Through our baptism, we have been clothed in Christ. We have become one in Jesus, and free to follow his will as well as his example.

Our short Gospel reading is from Luke. We are transported back to Jesus' time on earth when he was teaching and ministering to those in need. The crowd was amazed after witnessing him casting out demons. One woman joyfully declared, Blessed is the womb that carried you. Jesus does not deny that our Mother Mary is blessed, but informs the woman, as well as the crowd, that those who hear the word of God and keep it also are blessed. He's referring to all believers from his time on earth as well as through the centuries of Christian faith. And that includes us here today.

We are part of God's family, just like the Israelites were, and just like his disciples and followers were when Jesus walked on this earth. And according to our Gospel reading, we, too, are blessed if we hear God's word and follow it. So, the charge for each one of us here today is this: we are hearing God's word right now and he wants us to participate in his salvation for the world.

The choice, then, lies within our power. Should we choose to embrace all that Jesus teaches, we will be blessed. That is God's promise. And we do have that choice. Through faith, we are the children of God. Today, let us encourage each other to follow Jesus even more closely and faithfully than we did yesterday. The blessings are more powerful than we can ever fully understand.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2018 TWENTY-EIGHTH(Lec. 143) SUNDAY1) Wisdom 7:7-11 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Hebrews 4:12-133) Mark 10:17-30 or

10:17-27Gospel related: CCC 1618, 1858, 2728

FOCUS: God allows us to choose – day by day – the path that we will follow.

Today’s readings present us with examples of people making choices. Solomon, in the first reading, clearly chooses God’s gifts of prudence and wisdom over other gifts that might be tempting to others: power, riches, and even health and beauty. Guided by the spirit of wisdom, he sees beyond the desirability of the things of this life to perceive the beauty of God’s wisdom – a beauty that might be hidden to others. The rich young man in the Gospel, responding to the draw of Jesus, seeks to go beyond the basics of his faith that he practiced from his youth to follow Jesus, but the price is too high for him. He is not yet ready to give up his wealth and prestige.

It is so easy to get caught in the same trap as the rich young man. After all, what he had – wealth, possessions, power and prestige – are held up and respected in many cultures of our world. Solomon’s values – and those of Christians – are much less visible and obvious. Many would label the rich young man as foolish to give up all the advantages he had always enjoyed to follow a preacher.

In contrast, the Apostles – who admittedly had less to give up than the rich young man – were more easily willing to give up all they had to follow Jesus. Yet, they also took a risk – giving up their trades and a way of life that they knew and that had become comfortable for them – in order to follow Jesus. Like the rich young man, they were drawn to Jesus, but unlike him, they were able to give up the familiar to follow Jesus.

Jesus continues to call the people of our world to follow him, to take on his values and those of the Gospel, to prefer God to riches and pleasure. The key is to listen prayerfully for Jesus’ call in life, and to follow him in that call. He could be calling today’s young men to priesthood, or young men and women to religious life or to the vocation of marriage. Jesus might offer others the path of a difficult life as a physician, requiring a great deal of personal sacrifice for the healing of others, or the path of an educator who dedicates his or her life to teaching and guiding students. God aligns each call with the interests, personalities and gifts of the recipient and with the needs of the world.

But God does not offer us these choices only once in a lifetime. Each day is filled with countless choices, from how we respond to a particular situation to the books we read, the attitudes we take on each day, or the ways we spend our waking hours. We here present have made a wondrous choice: to allow God to transform us in word and sacrament. So as we listen carefully in prayer and allow the Spirit – God’s wisdom – to guide us, and soon partake of the Eucharist, let us commit to making choices that reflect only the values of the Gospel – the values of God’s law.

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Monday, October 15, 2018 MONDAY OF(Lec. 467) 28TH WEEK1) Galatians 4:22-24, IN ORDINARY TIME

26-27, 31–5:1 (OBL MEM2) Luke 11:29-32 Saint Teresa of Jesus,

Virgin and Doctorof the Church)

FOCUS: For freedom Christ set us free.

Jesus tells the crowd in today’s Gospel that there is something greater than Solomon here… and there is something greater than Jonah here. Those statements would have been attention-getting, if not downright shocking to his listeners, who would have known their Scripture and their history.

Jesus refers to the story of Solomon, of whom there was none greater in wisdom, and whom even queens – who were not part of the nation of Israel – came to consult. And he refers to Jonah, whose faithful prophecy and preaching caused the whole of Nineveh – also not part of Israel – to repent and convert. And now this man Jesus is telling them – the children of Abraham, of the covenant of Israel – that what stands before, and surrounds, them is even greater than all of that. They seek this sign of God’s favor and promise, and yet they miss what is right in front of them: Jesus, who is the Incarnate presence of God’s abundant love.

Christ’s message to the crowd is the same as that found in the history to which he refers: hear the word of God; listen to it; repent. Otherwise, as he refers to them, they are just as outside of the nation of Israel as those to whom Solomon spoke wisdom and Jonah preached repentance. They are an evil generation that is not only unfaithful to the original covenant, but blind to the new one. And at the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it.

Paul’s words today, from his Letter to the Galatians, directed to those who have heard God’s word and believed, gives us further indication of that which is greater than both Solomon and Jonah. Therefore, brothers and sisters, he says, we are children not of the slave woman but of the freeborn woman. For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. Christ’s presence is the reality that we are no longer subject to death and sin, but eternal life.

Indeed this is greater than anything that has come before.

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Tuesday, October 16, 2018 TUESDAY OF(Lec. 468) 28TH WEEK1) Galatians 5:1-6 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 11:37-41 (Opt. Mem.

Saint Hedwig,Religious;Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque,Virgin)

Gospel related: CCC579, 588, 2447

FOCUS: The greatest commandment is to love God, our neighbor and ourselves.

In our first reading, Paul is addressing Gentile converts living in the area of Galatia. There was disagreement in the early Christian communities about whether or not Gentiles had to adhere to the Jewish law, specifically that of circumcision, before becoming Christian.

In this regard, Saint Paul explains that it is through the Holy Spirit, by faith, that they will establish a right relationship with God, through Jesus. Not by circumcision. Adherence to the Mosaic law had been a necessary component of the covenant with God, but Jesus – the new covenant – was now the fulfillment of the law. Thus, the essence of the Mosaic law – love of God and love of neighbor – is expressed in relationship with God through the Spirit, by faith in Jesus Christ through love of God, neighbor and self.

In our Gospel passage, we hear another discourse regarding law. Jesus knew that the Pharisee at whose house he ate was hypocritical in his own living out of the Mosaic law: Pharisees followed the letter of the law in matters that could be seen by others. Yet, on the inside, their hearts were full of ill will. So Jesus chastised him, and all Pharisees, for this. His solution, give alms to the poor and be washed clean on the inside, was a way of connecting the love of God with the law. For only if love is the summit and source of our actions are we truly following what God commands.

This is the essence of the Good News: Jesus fulfilled the law, and commands us to do as he did – to love God, to love neighbor and to love oneself. As Eucharist, he himself is the source and summit, and when we partake of him we are given the grace to live as he commands, which leads to eternal life.

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Wednesday, October 17, 2018 WEDNESDAY OF(Lec. 469) 28TH WEEK1) Galatians 5:18-25 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 11:42-46 (OBL MEM

Saint Ignatius of Antioch,Bishop and Martyr)

FOCUS: Let our lives be guided by the Spirit.

Jesus says, Woe to you! two times in the Gospel today. He is warning the Pharisees and the scholars of their hypocrisy. Many of them had become quite full of themselves and their status as scholars of the law of Moses. In their pride, they had become obsessed with wearing the trappings and reaping the benefits of their status. They were more devoted to the superficial signs of their power than to growing in their love for God.

Insensitive to the needs of the people who looked to them for judgment and guidance, they pronounced judgements that were hard to carry, and they did not lift one finger to help the people they served. They also misled others who looked to them for guidance and example. Others become contaminated by interacting with them, like those who walk unknowingly over unseen graves.

Jesus’ anger stresses the importance of not only knowing God and his law, but also of living and acting according to his law of love for God and for others. 

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians today provides a perfect complement to Jesus’ warning in the Gospel. Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These are the qualities that disciples of Jesus should exhibit. Jesus knew that living as his disciples would be challenging, and so he promised, and sent the Spirit for us. The Spirit provides these fruits that enable us to meet and overcome the challenges we face.

If we are guided by the Spirit, and make our love for God a priority in our lives, his Spirit becomes the law that forms our attitude and guides our behavior toward others. And when we commit and strive to live according to the Spirit, those fruits will multiply and attract others. Our lives will have the light of life, as our psalmist says, and others will seek its source – the God we love. 

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Thursday, October 18, 2018 SAINT LUKE,(Lec. 661) EVANGELIST1) 2 Timothy 4:10-17b - FEAST2) Luke 10:1-9Gospel related: CCC 765, 2122, 2611; CSDC 259, 492

FOCUS: The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.

The Evangelist who wrote the Gospel of Luke wrote both the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. And in both prefaces, Luke addresses a certain Theophilus, who would appear to be the generous patron who supports the writing of both texts. We can imagine that considerable resources would have been needed to provide the materials and labor needed to compose these texts. Luke had a generous patron who is truly a “lover of God,” which is what “theo-philus” means. In the preface to the Gospel, Luke speaks of the work he’s done gathering texts, listening to eyewitness accounts and exploring everything with fresh eyes; he records the deeds and words of Jesus. The resulting Gospel is an orderly account of Jesus’ life and works.

So, when today we hear Jesus’ advice to his followers on entering the town and how to act, we listen attentively to his words of wisdom. This wisdom was helpful for his followers – some practical advice when going out to do ministry to the places Jesus plans to visit. He sends the seventy-two before him to prepare the way; they are commissioned to preach and teach. The harvest is abundant, Jesus says. People are eager to hear what they have to say. And although they are sent by Jesus himself, some are rejected.

Anyone engaged in ministry can relate. Their work is not always appreciated or welcomed. Jesus warns of this early on. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Innocent lambs facing threatening wolves – quite a striking image. In other words, believers working on Jesus’ behalf – preaching, teaching, building the kingdom – will face challenges.

Yet, we must persist. Jesus set before us this example, and gives advice on how to handle this type of rejection. Shake off the dust, leave, and continue on to minister in new places, to new people. After all, the harvest is abundant. Jesus assures us in the work we do, the kingdom of God is at hand. Despite what happens, this work is righteous. Persist. Keep at it. We hear this echoed in the Letter to Timothy, 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.

We’re not in this alone. God gives us strength when we’re challenged. In Jesus’ own death and resurrection, remembered in this sacrament, he offers the greatest witness to God’s love.

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Friday, October 19, 2018 FRIDAY OF(Lec. 471) 28TH WEEK1) Ephesians 1:11-14 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 12:1-7 (OBL MEM USA:

Saints John de Brébeufand Isaac Jogues,Priests,and Companions,Martyrs)

Gospel related: CCC 342, 678

FOCUS: Our help, and our hope, is in the name of the Lord.

In today’s culture, the word hope is often thrown around as synonymous with what amounts to positive thinking or optimism, as if looking at the world through happy, colored glasses would make everything okay – or at the very least, better. While well-intentioned, this understanding of hope may tug at our emotional heartstrings, but it lacks depth and, ultimately, perspective.

For those of us who hope in Christ – as Saint Paul described in today’s first reading from Ephesians – hope is deeply rooted in reality, no matter how dark that reality seems or how unpleasant.

Surrendering to this hope is first and foremost based on the truth that God is, indeed, in this reality we face, in the here and now. When we hope in Christ, we draw strength and confidence from the word of truth we have heard with our heart. God is here. He is in this moment, as it is, walking with us. We know that all is well, not because things will turn out as we think they should, but because we trust with all of our might, and a good deal of grace, that God remains with us.

As Christians whose hope is in Christ, we claim and proclaim the Gospel of our salvation. We don’t need to be afraid, Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel, because God our Father sees us, he notices our every need, and he claims us as his own. We are his children, who can therefore, with confident hope, claim our inheritance, and be sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.

Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, whose feast we celebrate today, understood and lived this type of confident hope throughout their lives. They heard God’s call to the priesthood, and eventually to proclaim the Gospel of hope to the missions of North America, and they said yes, over and over, until this yes called for their martyrdom. As has been true throughout history, the Church in North America sprang from the blood of these martyrs, faithful Christians who dared to hope in Christ with their entire beings. Their stories challenge us to surrender ourselves to hope, allowing God to shine through our lives. We are not all called to be martyrs, but we are all called to holiness. We are all called to answer the same, yes.

Our help, and our hope, is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

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Saturday, October 20, 2018 SATURDAY OF(Lec. 472) 28TH WEEK1) Ephesians 1:15-23 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 12:8-12 (USA: Opt. Mem.

Saint Paul of the Cross,Priest;Saturday in honorof BVM)

Gospel related: CCC 333, 1287, 1864

FOCUS: The joy of God is mercy.

Pope Francis wrote, Thejoy of God is mercy, the joy of God is forgiveness! Here is the entire Gospel! (Happiness in This Life, 2017).Today's readings give us some ways to consider that.

The reading from Ephesians shows us that Paul is full of joy at the faith of the people, and he offers them hope of even better things to come. He expounds on God’s mercy, declaring the hope and inheritance they have through Christ. Christ, who was raised from the dead and now sits far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. Christ, the Incarnation of God’s mercy, and the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Then, in the Gospel, we learn at least three aspects of God's mercy and how it brings joy. First, anyone who acknowledges Jesus before others, Jesus will acknowledge in heaven; he knows our name and remembers what we do. In our faithful witness to the Gospel, God’s mercy is ours – freely given.

A second glimpse of God’s mercy is found in Christ’s proclamation that there is only one sin that is unforgivable: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. If blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the only unforgivable sin, that means every other sin we might commit is forgivable. Even when we sin and fail in our lives of discipleship, Christ’s mercy awaits us in our repentance and seeking of forgiveness, because in doing so we acknowledge him as our Lord.

Finally, if we are ever persecuted for our belief in Jesus, the Holy Spirit will be with us, telling us what to say to our accusers. He rewards our steadfast faith in him by being with us even in our darkest moments. His mercy endures forever.

Much can be written about, and heard, regarding the mercy of God. But it is in our participation in the Eucharist that we have the most perfect example; the one which brings the joy to which Pope Francis referred. For the joy in the mercy of the Eucharist is the promise of eternal life. This is indeed the Good News.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018 TWENTY-NINTH(Lec.146) SUNDAY1) Isaiah 53:10-11 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Hebrews 4:14-163) Mark 10:35-45 or 10:42-45Gospel related: CCC 536, 608, 618, 1225, 1551, 1570; CSDC 193, 379

FOCUS: In the kingdom of God, even suffering can have a new purpose and meaning.

Our reading from Isaiah’s Songs of the Suffering Servant, while short, can often be easily overlooked as we rush to comment on the somewhat audacious and self-centered demands of the disciples in the Gospel. But Isaiah actually sets the scene for the Gospel passage by addressing the question of human suffering. As people of faith, suffering seems to go against our basic image of God as loving and caring, and in the face of the many expressions of suffering we are often left with the question – how could God let this happen?

Throughout history, many philosophers have attempted to answer this thorny question; for some, suffering is a divine punishment, for others a test or an opportunity to strengthen faith or to show heroic virtue or fidelity. Yet in the end, it remains a mystery – beyond our comprehension. As Christians, we often seek an explanation from Scripture. Isaiah tells us that the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity, and Hebrews tells us that Jesus was similarly … tested in every way. At first glance neither sounds helpful, but when we look again through the eyes of faith, we see that these words are not simply meant to explain suffering, but to help us realize that even in suffering there can be good.

The suffering of the Servant is not without purpose or meaning, for the prophet tells us that through suffering he shall justify many. The term justification is central here. It’s a term that implies that one has been acquitted and restored to right relationship with God, and that another has paid the price. Christ, in his suffering, has paid the price so that we can confidently approachthe throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

Discovering meaning in suffering is also an element in today’s Gospel passage. Having basked in the glory and fame of Jesus, the disciples want a little more – a place of status and glory in the kingdom. What they are surprised to hear is that authority and leadership in the kingdom is not about glory but about self-giving – even to the point of suffering and possibly one’s death. Clearly this is a reversal of their world view.

So if discipleship and authority have a new meaning in the kingdom, is it too much to conclude that suffering, too, may have a new meaning? While it cannot be avoided or even fully explained, we can begin to use it for a greater purpose: we can learn from it and, as people of faith, join our suffering to those of the Suffering Servant whom we now recognize as Christ. Perhaps, then, our sufferings might not seem so inscrutable or meaningless. Perhaps, then, we might become Christ to others – an image of the Servant in the midst of our world. What gives us final hope is that not only did Christ experience suffering, as we do, but he ultimately overcame it in the Resurrection. Our hope is that we now can share in that triumph.

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Monday, October 22, 2018 MONDAY OF(Lec. 473) 29TH WEEK1) Ephesians 2:1-10 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 12:13-21 (Opt. Mem.

Saint John Paul II,Pope)Gospel related: CCC 549; CSDC 325, 326

FOCUS : Let us ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in good works.

In Jesus’ parable, he tells of a rich man who planned to store up good things from his bountiful harvest so that he could spend years relaxing. However, that night the rich man died and all his preparations were for nothing, because he was not rich in what matters to God.

Why was the rich man a fool? He relied solely on himself and not on God.

That is not to say that we should be irresponsible with our finances or that it is wrong to enjoy life and relax. But we must also strive to do the things that matter to God – following his commandments, loving others and loving him.

And what we own and accomplish in our lives, no matter how great or small, is tiny compared to what our generous God has freely given us: forgiveness and new life in Christ.

Saint Paul teaches us that God loves us so much – he loves you and me and each of us so much – that he desired to draw us into relationship with him. Through our baptism, we were buried with Christ and rose with him. Through this same grace, we will be seated in heaven so we might be able to see the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

God is more generous than we can possibly imagine. He lavishes graces upon us, his children, not because we are good, but because he is good. Even in the midst of our sins, he loves us. In each of our lives, the Lord has reached out to us in mercy to bring us to new life in Christ.

Saint Paul points out that the grace of God saves us; we cannot earn our own salvation. Therefore, no one may boast.

As Catholics, however, we do not hold to a doctrine of sola fide, or faith alone. Our faith and love of God should produce fruit – that is, good works. Saint Paul says that very plainly: For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

As we begin to prepare our altar table to receive Christ in the Eucharist, let us thank God for his abundant blessings, and thank him for granting us the grace to be saved. We also ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in good works. We pray we may remain humble as we remember that everything is a gift from our generous God.

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Tuesday, October 23, 2018 TUESDAY OF(Lec. 474) 29TH WEEK1) Ephesians 2:12-22 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 12:35-38 (Opt. Mem.

Saint John of Capistrano,Priest)Gospel related: CCC 2849

FOCUS: As members of God’s household, let us continue to serve God and God’s people faithfully.

Our readings for today offer some beautiful reflections on our identity as Christians. Paul, in his Letter to the Ephesians, writes that, because of Jesus’ sacrifice for all of us on the cross, we are no longer alienated from God or from the community of Israel. Jesus has brought us all together, so that we are no longer strangers and sojourners but members of the household of God. Even more amazing, together as a Christian people, we have been made into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

This might seem like a lofty image of the Christian family, yet Paul reminds us throughout this beautiful passage that all of our identity is based on Jesus. Jesus not only became our peace, but continues to hold us together as one body, as one temple of the Holy Spirit. Without Jesus, and without the entire body of Christ, our fellow Christians, we could not claim the lofty status of temple or citizens with the saints in heaven.

Jesus also adds humility to our status as he compares us to servants in today’s Gospel, called to be ever faithful and vigilant until the return of the master. While we are called to be one in prayer as the dwelling place of the Spirit, we are also called to be one in service – to each other and to the wider world, to whomever and wherever Jesus, our Master, might call us. As Jesus demonstrated throughout his life, we are to balance our service with prayer. Through our prayerful communion with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we are given the inspiration, guidance and strength we need to serve others – the people in our lives and within our reach who are in need.

As we continue to be vigilant and faithful servants in this life – balancing prayer and service – we can be assured that one day Jesus will call us to take our place as citizens of heaven, even then keeping in mind always the needs of those who are on their way home.

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Wednesday, October 24, 2018 WEDNESDAY OF(Lec. 475) 29TH WEEK1) Ephesians 3:2-12 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 12:39-48 (Opt. Mem.

Saint Anthony Mary Claret,Bishop)Gospel related: CCC2849

FOCUS : We are called to walk in the footsteps of the Master.

In light of today’s Scriptures and today’s memorial of Saint Anthony Marie Claret, let’s take a moment and reflect on what it means to be a servant-leader. This is not a term used in everyday conversation, especially when it comes to leadership styles. We might hear instead, “she is a consensus builder, or, he is an autocrat.” Or, “she is hard to work for”; “he is the best boss I have ever had.”

Many of us might not remember that one of the titles for our Holy Father is “Servant of the servants of God.” He is called to be a servant-leader fashioned after Jesus’ own leadership style. Likewise, the clergy and all pastoral leaders are called to model their leadership style after that of Jesus. In fact, everyone here is called to model our leadership style after that of Jesus. As faithful disciples we, too, are called to be servant-leaders, for there can be but one Master – and that is the Lord.

What does it mean to be a servant-leader? It means to not ask anyone to do something we are unwilling to do, or have done, ourselves. Asking the kids to take out the trash has credibility not because of our authority as a parent, guardian or babysitter, but because we are willing to take the trash out too. Asking employees to do the so called “heavy lifting” is most effective when we are right there doing the lifting with them.

Imagine if our civic leaders adapted their leadership styles to that of a servant-leader: how much we could accomplish together! Jesus gives two different examples of servants in today’s Gospel: a prudent and faithful one, and an unwise and unfaithful one. The saint we memorialize today, Saint Anthony of Claret, was clearly the former. He took the call to be a servant of the Master to heart. He was a servant-leader, never forgetting his humble beginning as a weaver. He is the founder of the Claretian Order, which to this day continues the work of evangelization and outreach to the marginalized.

This understanding of service and servant-leadership is important to our own work of evangelization. Saint Paul reminds the early Christians once again that the Church is to be a big tent, open to all – Gentile and Jew – not just to a select group of people. When we model a welcoming Church, we follow in the master’s footsteps. When we walk the walk and don’t simply talk the talk, others will want to learn from us how to follow the quintessential servant-leader of all time, our one and only Master, Jesus Christ.

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Thursday, October 25, 2018 THURSDAY OF(Lec. 476) 29TH WEEK1) Ephesians 3:14-21 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 12:49-53Gospel related: CCC 536, 607, 696, 1225, 2804

FOCUS: Unite in prayer for the Gospel.

Paul begins his address to the Ephesians today: Brothers and sisters: I kneel before the Father … that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory, the strength of the Spirit, the love of Christ in their hearts, and to be filled with the fullness of God. He desires for them what anyone who cares for another in Christ would – that they may truly believe and embrace God’s plan of salvation in Christ.

It is a powerful image, really, to know that Paul was on his knees in prayer for those he loved and ministered to. And we might consider that perhaps he does the same thing still, in heaven, for us here today. Praying for us and interceding for us in the hope that we, too, would come to know the fullness of God that he now knows.

Hearing Paul’s words, and knowing of his prayers, is comforting, especially when we pay attention to the words we hear from Jesus in the Gospel: I have come [not] to establish peace on the earth … but rather division. He promises that households will be divided, with parents against children and in-laws against in-laws.

It is clear from Jesus’ message, and from what history has proven, that the proclamation of the kingdom will be both received and rejected by humanity. There will be dissension, and the blazing, refining fire will purify some and leave others as ash. And this is why prayer for one another is so important.

Paul’s prayer is directed at a community that has already accepted the Gospel, but that does not mean they don’t need fortification in their resolve to live it. Nor does it mean that his prayer is confined to that time and place in human history – for God’s time is not our time. Paul’s prayers, and ours, are meant to draw all to the Gospel. They are meant to allow Christ’s message to be heard, and to bring those who hear it through any division and to the peace of Christ that is not of this world.

In every Mass we pray for each other, and for the needs of others and the salvation of the world. As we do so here today, may we remember those who have gone before us united in prayer, and give thanks for the power of prayer that is united for the Gospel.

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Friday, October 26, 2018 FRIDAY OF(Lec. 477) 29TH WEEK1) Ephesians 4:1-6 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 12:54-59

FOCUS: Through our baptism, we are called to be humble, gentle, patient and loving toward others.

When we have a difference of opinion with someone or when someone challenges our work, many of us respond by raising our defenses and preparing our counter-arguments. We raise our hackles so to speak, and are ready to argue, to justify, to defend. We might not be as inclined to listen, to seriously entertain the other person’s argument or position.

Today, Jesus asks us to do just that: to let go of that argumentative inclination. We may not be on the road to face a magistrate, and we may not be facing prison, but persevering in our need to be right, or refusing to accept that it is possible that we have been at fault also has its costs. Such costs can continue to haunt us for years, particularly when these arguments occur in the context of our closest relationships.

The approach Jesus asks us to embrace instead is one of dialogue. It is only by truly listening with an open heart and mind to the other that we can find common ground and come to a mutually agreeable understanding.

Not only does Jesus’ approach make sense, it also is in keeping with the practice of the virtues of humility, gentleness, patience, and love which Paul talks about in the first reading. For it takes the combination of all these to listen to another person without rushing to fill the space with our ideas and thoughts, without striving to show how smart and knowledgeable we are by pushing forth our way of seeing things.

And how can we become such examples of gentleness, humility, patience, and love? It is only when we are able to remember that there is something greater for which we are made: participation in the body of Christ. And this body, into which we were incorporated at baptism, is animated by a Spirit of unity, not division, and is held together by the bond of peace, not conflict and discord, and it offers us a share in God’s eternal love.

In light of this great gift we have freely received, what is so important about winning an argument? About being right? Especially when they lead us away from what truly matters – from our ultimate destiny and hope.

Brothers and sisters, as we come to the table of the Lord, let us do so hungry for that nourishment that will strengthen us in our resolve to become the people we are called to be: gentle, humble, patient and loving.

Saturday, October 27, 2018 SATURDAY OF(Lec. 478) 29TH WEEK1) Ephesians 4:7-16 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 13:1-9 (Saturday in honorof BVM)

FOCUS : We are equipped for building up the body of Christ.

In today’s Gospel, we hear of two separate incidents in which people are tragically killed. Galileans were killed by Pilate, and eighteen people died in the collapse of a tower at Siloam. It would be easy for Jesus’ audience to think these individuals were somehow greater sinners than all other Galileans, or more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem. But Jesus disabuses this notion, and tells them the victims were no more sinners than anyone else. He echoes Ecclesiastes: that rain falls on rich and poor the same way; both good and bad happens to both good and bad people.

Sin itself is not the issue, but repentance. We are all sinners – that almost goes without saying. But do we all repent? Jesus points to every person’s need for repentance. He illustrates this with his parable of the fig tree, showing us that bearing fruit for God goes hand-in-hand with repentance. Bad things will continue to happen, but good things can come from our cooperation with God, through the loving example of Jesus.

We can imagine ourselves in the parable. For all of our human history to that point, we, the fig tree, have not produced fruit. The vineyard owner – God – has noticed the lack of production and tells the gardener to cut it down. The gardener, Jesus, beseeches God, the owner, on behalf of the fruitless tree, to give it one more year to respond to his care. The owner agrees. And here we are. Jesus has indeed become our mediator and advocate.

And this is the two-step process Jesus will use to make us – the tree – healthy. He will tear out the ground around our roots, the sinful soil from which we have used up the nutrients for what we want, that which has fed our own desires and egos. And he will replace it with healthy, rich soil, which contains humility and love – nutrients we need to bear fruit.

So the Good News is this: We cannot control all that happens in our lives and we cannot avoid calamity and hardship, but we can – through humility and repentance – return to God, through the help of Jesus, and bring about good in this life. We cannot escape suffering and death in this life, but we can unite ourselves with Christ, who has defeated death, and live eternally with him.

In Paul’s Epistle, he reminds us that we are equipped for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ.

May we bear good fruit.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2018 THIRTIETH(Lec. 149) SUNDAY1) Jeremiah 31:7-9 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Hebrews 5:1-63) Mark 10:46-52Gospel related: CCC 548, 2616, 2667

FOCUS: The Lord removes our blindness that we may see and serve Christ in each other.

Today, Jeremiah promises God’s chosen people that they will soon return from exile in Babylon. God renews his covenant through the prophet. As all are gathered together for their return to Jerusalem, they will come with the blind and the lame in their midst.

Blindness was thought to be a curse from God. Those who could not see could not work. If you could not work, you could not feed your family. Bartimaeus, our protagonist in the Gospel, had endured great poverty due to his condition. What was his life like? Could he sustain a wife and a family? Had he become a burden to his father Timaeus? Whatever the case, he cries out Son of David, have pity on me. So many people who could see Jesus did not believe he was the Son of God. Bartimaeus, who has never seen anything, truly makes an act of faith in calling out to the Lord. Not only does the blind man demonstrate great faith, but also great determination, as he refuses to allow the others to prevent him from attracting Jesus’ attention.

Jesus the High Priest so beautifully described in today’s Letter to the Hebrews, who deals patiently with the ignorant and erring, grants Bartimaeus’ greatest wish. In doing so, he restores him to life. The Lord does the same for us when he removes the blindness that afflicts us – those hard-to-see places in our lives that seem to keep us from seeing suffering or need around us.

Notice that when Bartimaeus is healed, he does not immediately return to his village and family. Instead, he received his sight and followed him on the way. He became a disciple, wishing to follow Jesus, and perhaps share with others the good fortune he has received. Bartimaeus, sight restored, could say with Jeremiah, Shout with joy for Jacob … proclaim your praise and say: The Lord has delivered his people. We pray that the Lord will deliver all of us from blindness to sight, from death to new life. Once we see the world and those around us through the new eyes of faith, then we can truly find and serve Christ in one another.

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Monday, October 29, 2018 MONDAY OF(Lec. 479) 30TH WEEK1) Ephesians 4:32–5:8 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 13:10-17Gospel related: CCC 582; CSDC 261

FOCUS: We, like the infirm woman, are children of God whom Jesus wants to set free.

Child of God. Daughter of Abraham. These phrases can seem abstract – like nice ideas rather than tangible realities – until we put faces to them.

The crippled woman in today’s Gospel was a daughter of Abraham – a member of God’s chosen people – truly a beloved child of the Father. We don’t know if she felt aware of her dignity as a daughter of the Lord, but for any number of reasons, she was at the synagogue that Sabbath day when Jesus was there. Our Lord recognized her burden, and he set her free of her infirmity.

Jesus is also here in our church, and he waits in the tabernacle under the guise of bread and wine to set us free of our infirmities. What weighs on our souls? Pain? Habitual sin? Feelings of unworthiness? Give them to Jesus. Hear him call you a son or daughter of Abraham, a child of God.

But know that being a child of God comes with a responsibility to act a certain way. Saint Paul says, You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.

As children of God, we are called to imitate Christ. That’s a pretty high standard, and sometimes it can be intimidating to even try. But we should also take note of what Saint Paul isn’t saying – he’s not saying “Be God.” The woman in today’s Gospel wasn’t trying to solve her problem herself; she simply showed up and was open to an encounter with Jesus.

As beloved children of God, we should strive to act the part. But how? Saint Paul says to live in love, be kind … compassionate, forgiving, give thanks. Avoid all kinds of immorality, impurity and greed. While that is helpful, it is rather superficial if it is not tied with our faith. But Saint Paul ties it in clearly: we love others because Christ loves us. We forgive others, because God has forgiven us.

We recognize the light and the dignity of our brothers and sisters, and take action to help each other and better their lives, even if reaching out may cause others to scorn us, as they did Jesus.

That is how we can live as children of light, as the beloved children of God. And when we are the woman in today’s Gospel, we should at once stand up and glorify God. Today, let’s each pray that we can open our hearts to allow Jesus to heal our infirmities, and that we will continue to live as a beloved child of God.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2018 TUESDAY OF(Lec. 480) 30TH WEEK1) Ephesians 5:21-33 or IN ORDINARY TIME

5:2a, 25-32 (Lec. 122)(Lec. 480)2) Luke 13:18-21Gospel related: CCC2660

FOCUS: The kingdom of God grows through prayer and our love for one another.

It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind of our everyday lives. School, careers, family and other obligations demand our time and attention. When this happens, it’s easy to feel disconnected with God. We may feel there’s very little time to pray, read Scripture or maintain relationships with others at church. The kingdom of heaven can seem far away – a destination we hope to reach only when we pass from our life on earth.

Jesus teaches us that the kingdom of God isn’t a distant place. It’s here now and continues to grow every day. Like a mustard seed, it starts small then develops into a large bush, where birds come to dwell in the shelter of its branches. Like yeast combined with flour, it spreads throughout our world. The tiniest amount helps us rise and transforms us into something new.

Jesus was sent to establish God’s kingdom on earth. As his disciples, we continue this mission. We have been entrusted to help build the kingdom! One way we do this is through family.

Family emerges from the sacred bond between husband and wife. Paul tells wives and husbands to be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Their love should reflect the intimate relationship between Christ and the Church. From and in this union springs life – allowing the kingdom to grow.

Prayer is another way we can help to establish the kingdom of God. “Prayer in the events of each day and each moment is one of the secrets of the kingdom revealed to ‘little children,’ to the servants of Christ, to the poor of the Beatitudes” (CCC 2660). The catechism goes on to say, “all forms of prayer can be the leaven to which the Lord compares the kingdom” (2660).

We unite ourselves with Christ’s mission when we celebrate the Eucharist. As we prepare for this sacrament, let us pray, as Pope Francis suggests, “’for the grace of docility to the Holy Spirit.’ Indeed, he went on to say: we are often “docile to our whims, our judgments,” and we think: “I do what I want.” But “the kingdom does not grow in this way,” and “we ourselves do not grow.” It is, rather, “docility to the Holy Spirit that will make us grow and transform as the yeast and seed” (October 2016).

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Wednesday, October 31, 2018 WEDNESDAY OF(Lec. 481) 30TH WEEK1) Ephesians 6:1-9 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 13:22-30

FOCUS: We are called to live our Christian discipleship to the best of our ability.

Each of us has a vocation to holiness. Whether it be lived as a spouse, mother or father, a priest or religious, or as a single individual, we all have our own unique challenges to fully living the Christian life.

The difficulties arise when we consider the vast scope of living according to the teachings of Christ, while we are beset by the problems, temptations and dilemmas that we encounter in the world. Today’s readings offer us guidance on the application of discipleship in the context of our daily lives.

The first reading from Ephesians is straightforward in its instruction: Paul exhorts children to obey their parents, and parents to be patient with children. He demands the same mutual respect among slaves and masters. Paul’s words can be considered in our own family dynamics, and in our modern-day professional relationships. Everyone in the working world has a “superior.” Even if one is an entrepreneur, or the CEO, one still has an obligation to the customers or investors. Paul’s words instruct us that we must be honest and diligent, even if the “superior” may not be watching. God still watches, and he expects that we will conduct ourselves virtuously at all times.

The Gospel is less specific in its approach than the epistle reading. Here, Jesus is answering the question as to how many people will be saved. His words clearly indicate that how we are in relationship with God, and how authentically we believe, will factor in to our ability to enter the kingdom. And that will be determined, among other ways, by how we treat one another – even and especially when the only one who can see us is God. Jesus never said that it would be easy, hence his description of the gate as narrow. We are called to diligently endeavor to follow Christ within our state in life and to the very best of our ability.

One key to this is a continuous examination of how we live our lives. The sacrament of reconciliation is a very useful tool in this area. It gives us a quiet moment when we can reflect on how we conduct ourselves across the spectrum of the roles we fill in our discipleship, and our striving for holiness. We can gain pardon from God for where we have fallen short, and gain insight on where we can improve or what habits must change to create wholeness between our beliefs and actions. In addition, we will gain the grace necessary to recognize issues where they arise and be able to take corrective action. It will take effort, but partnered with God in this way, we cannot help but succeed in entering the narrow gate.

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1NOVEMBER12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

YEAR BWEEKDAYS II

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018 ALL SAINTS(Lec. 667) - SOLEMNITY1) Revelation 7:2-4, 9-142) 1 John 3:1-33) Matthew 5:1-12aGospel related: CCC 520, 544, 581, 764, 1716, 1720, 2305, 2330, 2518, 2546, 2763; CSDC 492

FOCUS: The Feast of All Saints reminds us of the connection that all believers share as part of the Body of Christ.

Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints, a celebration that offers a glimpse of what awaits all who remain faithful to Christ. It is a chance to see what love the Father has bestowed on us because we are called the children of God.

On this day, we have the hope of unity, of wholeness. We find hope in the witness and example of those who have gone before us and are now in heaven – those who faced division in their communities, division in their families, even division in their own lives, but who persevered and who now stand as witnesses. They now stand with us in our own efforts.

We can find comfort in our union with these great saints – a union, not of geography (my church or my city) – but a union that transcends place. A union, not of time – my lifetime or my generation – but one that transcends time itself, for it reminds us that we are in union with the entire body of Christian believers, those who live here now, those who have gone before us and those who will come after us.

Each of the readings today tell us a little bit about this body of Christ, this union of Christian believers. They are children of God. They are, then, not separate members from different families, but brothers and sisters of one family.

They are the multitude – not from one place or time, but from every nation, every race, every people and every tongue.

They are the blessed – not blessed as the world bestows blessings. They are not the strong, the proud, the owner of great fortune or the powerful. No, they are the poor in spirit, the meek, the peacemakers, those who show mercy, the clean of heart. They are the children of God, united in their humility, their mercy, their pureness of heart.

Let our celebration today of these holy men and women remind us of our union in Christ, of our one baptism shared across multitudes of people. Let it remind us of our call to live and care for one another as brothers and sisters – as children of one God.

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Friday, November 2, 2018 THE COMMEMORATION(Lec. 668) OF ALL THE FAITHFUL1) Wisdom 3:1-9 DEPARTED2) Romans 5:5-11 or (ALL SOULS’ DAY)

Romans 6:3-93) John 6:37-40Gospel related: CCC 161, 606, 989, 994, 1001, 2824

FOCUS: We are all one in the body of Christ.

Today the Church prays for all the faithful who, at death and though destined for heaven, are not yet prepared to enter into that joy. Yet they are also not deserving of total separation from God. These are the Holy Souls – those who are being purified/prepared for eternal life. They are being purged – hence the term purgatory – of all remaining imperfections. Today is a sobering reminder that heaven should never be taken for granted and that we need Christ, for he alone is the way to eternal life.

This knowledge should fill us with hope as it is another expression of divine mercy. In understanding God’s will –that all share in his eternal life – we are compelled to pray ever more fervently that the Lord would hear our prayer and strengthen our hope. For Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. Jesus came to draw us to himself and to the Father, and he reminds us, this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day.

As hands are washed before eating, and feet are cleansed before entering sacred ground, so are souls purged of all remaining tint of the effects of sin – so as to enter heaven purified and completely holy.

Purgatory is really an encounter with the Lord, as Pope Benedict once described it: “This encounter with him, as it burns us, transforms us and frees us, allowing us to become fully ourselves … the holy power of his love sears through us like a flame … the way we live our lives is not immaterial, but our defilement does not stain us forever if we have at least continued to reach out towards Christ”(Spes Salvi, #47, 2007).

Let us then pray for all our beloved dead. We know that our prayers are beneficial because we are all one in the Body of Christ. And may these blessed souls in turn pray for us and our salvation, when they have taken their place in the fullness of God’s presence.

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Saturday, November 3, 2018 SATURDAY OF(Lec. 484) 30TH WEEK1) Philippians 1:18b-26 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 14:1, 7-11 (Opt. Mem.

Saint Martin de Porres,Religious;Saturday in honorof BVM)

Gospel related: CCC 575, 588; CSDC261

FOCUS: Humility is required to gain a seat at the Lord’s banquet.

The banquet scene in today’s Gospel is something we can relate to in our society. There are proper places to sit for guests of honor. Etiquette dictates our seats at functions such as wedding receptions. If we are an invited guest and try to sit next to the bride or groom, we will be asked to find a seat at another table. Jesus uses places at the table in the Gospel not to teach etiquette to the Pharisees, but to present a bigger message about sharing in the banquet of the kingdom of heaven.

The Gospels tell us often about the Pharisees looking for ways to trap Jesus and discredit him. We see in the first verse today that people at the banquet were watching Jesus. In Saint Luke’s words, they were observing him carefully. The parable about seating at a banquet is about humility, something the Pharisees are rarely accused of in the Gospels. The Lord’s message is in the last line: For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Jesus is telling us, through the Pharisees, that our seats at the eternal banquet will be earned through humility.

Saint Paul, throughout his writings, always speaks of his place in relationship to God. In today’s first reading, we find him in a quandary, wondering whether his imprisonment would end in his death. He expresses an initial desire to die to be with Christ, but by the end of the reading shows a humility Jesus was hoping to see in the Pharisees. He concludes that he is likely to continue his evangelizing work for the Lord.

The most obvious message for us today is to substitute humility for pride in our lives. But how? By praying for it. Praying to recognize it, praying for the gift of it as virtue, and praying to be open to its challenges. Prayer, along with humility, will leave no room for pride, and allow us to have our rightful seat at the Lord’s banquet. This is the banquet whose foretaste we share here.

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2018 THIRTY-FIRST(Lec. 152) SUNDAY1) Deuteronomy 6:2-6 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Hebrews 7:23-283) Mark 12:28b-34Gospel related: CCC 575 CSDC 40, 112

FOCUS: We are commanded first to love God with all that we are and then to love our neighbor as ourselves.

There is a lot of love in today's readings. In the first reading, Moses tells God's people to love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. The second reading reminds us that Jesus gave himself as the perfect sacrifice for all of us – the ultimate sign of love. The responsorial psalm repeats, I love you, Lord, my strength. And in the Gospel, Jesus adds a new commandment, Love your neighbor as yourself.

God’s love is unconditional. God does not expect us to be perfect in order to earn his love. He freely gives it in spite of our faults, our imperfections, weaknesses and sinfulness. But God commands that we do the same. He calls us to put him first in our lives, before our worldly goods, our ambitions and all that consumes our daily lives.

But for today, let's spend a few minutes giving some extra attention to that other commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves.

On the surface, this seems an easy message to understand and to practice in our daily lives, but deeper reflection challenges us to rethink this. Love your neighbor as yourself is not a suggestion; it is a command. To be true followers of Christ requires that we live out this command. The challenge comes when we answer the question, “Who is our neighbor?”

This is not a geographical question, but a theological one. Every human being is our neighbor, by virtue of being made in God’s image. Because in the end, it comes down to this: “love the ‘unlovable.’” Love those who are hard to love, those who have hurt us and those we just don’t like very much. Clearly, loving is not always easy. It requires forgiveness. It demands putting aside judgments, and it forces us to reach beyond our own wants and needs to put others first. Sometimes, it is so hard that it requires grace and prayer, and God’s guidance and intervention. But God’s abundant strength empowers us, and he will give us all we need to love others, even when it is challenging and difficult.

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Monday, November 5, 2018 MONDAY OF(Lec. 485) 31ST WEEK1) Philippians 2:1-4 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 14:12-14

FOCUS: Inviting others to the banquet of Christ is the mission of the Church.

In both our passages today – the first reading from Paul to the Philippians and the Gospel of Luke – we cannot miss the call to unity and caring for our brothers and sisters. It is love in its purest form, when we put others before ourselves and put our energy into caring for them. When we invite the most vulnerable into the life of the Church, we reflect what it means to be disciples of Christ, living and moving in the kingdom of God. Or as Paul says, we participate in the Spirit and become united in heart.

What does it look like to do nothing out of selfishness, as Paul tells us to do? How do we regard others as more important than [ourselves]? In our everyday life, what would it look like to look out for the interests of others? The answer will be different for each of us. This passage almost serves as an examination of conscience for us as we reflect on our own attitudes and behaviors. It is participating in the Spirit, having compassion and mercy, having the same mind, that will bring ultimate joy, according to Paul.

Paul’s Letter to the Philippians fits perfectly with today’s Gospel passage where Jesus offers an essential example of how caring for the interests of others looks. The metaphor of the invitation to the banquet challenges our thinking. Who invites strangers to their table, rather than just their friends? Who invites people who might require a little more from us than simply pulling up a chair and engaging in some dynamic conversation over dinner? Who seeks out those in the community and invites them to their table?

God does, that’s who. And when we consider that the Eucharist is the greatest banquet of all, and that all are called to it, we cannot miss that we have been given immense grace; an immense gift. And it is one we are called to share. Status does not matter. Jesus is telling us that everyone is welcome. This is the heart of evangelization, the mission of the Church that continues today.

To act on the invitational message of Jesus requires a willingness to go outside our comfort zone and invite others to his banquet, to his Church, to his flock, and as Paul says, to look out for our brothers and sisters. May the sacrament we share today empower us to do just that.

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Tuesday, November 6, 2018 TUESDAY OF(Lec. 486) 31ST WEEK1) Philippians 2:5-11 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 14:15-24

FOCUS: Our emptiness before God prepares us to receive the gift of God’s abundant love.

Who wouldn’t want to go to a party? Yet the invited guests in Jesus’ parable all had something better to do. One bought a field, one wanted to check out his new oxen. They preferred to spend time with their possessions – which may or may not have been work-related. It’s a bit more understandable that a newlywed wanted to be with his bride. Even so, couldn’t they both have enjoyed the feast together? Surely the host would have made room for one more.

A banquet is an apt metaphor for God’s heavenly kingdom. God not only nourishes us with what we need, but fills our hearts abundantly with his love. But to enjoy this love feast, we need to do more than say yes to the invitation. We need to show up and participate. We need to respond in love to God and to one another.

Christ freely offers to nourish us with his very self – body and blood, soul and divinity – at every Eucharist. Allowing that nourishment to transform us into disciples for the world is how we help build the kingdom into which we have been invited, and baptized.

Taking time to nourish ourselves in God’s loving presence becomes a strong foundation for all of our relationships, and builds the virtue of humility. This is the same humility the ones who ended up participating in God’s banquet had: the poor, the blind, the lame and strangers on the road – presumably including the homeless, vagrants and outsiders. They knew a good thing when they heard it. They were in need and had the humility to accept and appreciate a freely given gift.

Jesus emptied himself in surrender to his Father’s loving care. Let’s embrace our own emptiness. We may not be financially needy or physically disabled, but maybe we’re in need of emotional comfort, crippled by fear or blinded by tunnel vision. We may not be drifters, but maybe we feel adrift without a sense of purpose. Maybe we feel like strangers in our own homes. If so, God is waiting to welcome us with open arms and offer us all the love our hearts can hold.

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Wednesday, November 7, 2018 WEDNESDAY OF(Lec. 487) 31ST WEEK1) Philippians 2:12-18 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 14:25-33Gospel related: CCC1618, 2544

FOCUS: The task the true disciple must bring to completion is to build the kingdom of God.

Strange words from Jesus that hating one’s parents, siblings, spouse and children is a prerequisite for being a true disciple. Could our Lord Jesus Christ really be telling us to turn our backs on those we love the most in the world? On top of that, he appears to be demanding that his followers give up everything they own.

For the people of Jesus’ time as well as ours, that seems an insurmountable burden. No family. No possessions. That is just a cross too heavy to bear. But is that the cross Jesus is talking about when he admonishes that every one of his followers must carry his or her own cross?

The parables in this passage from Luke’s Gospel do not involve possession-less people. Just the opposite, in fact, since one is a builder calculating the expense of completing a tower, and one is a king determining the sufficiency of his troops for battle. It appears not to be the lack of material goods, then, that is important, but the necessity of reflection before action, the requirement to weigh the costs before undertaking a project so as to be able to see the task through to the very end.

The task of a disciple of Jesus is to build the kingdom, to help make visible the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. Physical possessions are often very necessary to carry out that endeavor. If the physical possessions become an impediment to completing this task, however, the true disciple must be prepared to renounce them rather than fail to finish the Lord’s work.

So, too, our loved ones – those to whom we are closest. If we begin using them as an excuse to not desire the good and to not work toward it, then we have to recalibrate our priorities. We must shift our focus to become full-hearted followers of Jesus. And if our concern for our own needs, our selfishness and our pride get in the way, those attitudes in ourselves must die as well.

Saint Paul reminds the Philippians to do the work, and to do it without grumbling or questioning, so as to shine in a world that puts possessions and personal desires above all else. A world that puts anything and everything above the most important task of being children of God: without blemish, able to complete the work of obtaining salvation and of dwelling forever in the house of the Lord.

Whatever exists in our lives that blocks us from doing that is indeed a burden too heavy to bear.

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Thursday, November 8, 2018 THURSDAY OF(Lec. 488) 31ST WEEK1) Philippians 3:3-8a IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 15:1-10Gospel related: CCC 545, 589, 1443, 1846

FOCUS: All of heaven rejoices when sinners repent.

Today's Gospel is straightforward: heaven rejoices when a sinner repents. The lesson is clear: repent and remain in God.

If this is so straightforward and obvious a lesson, why did Jesus feel he needed to explain it by using a parable? And why does he use such outlandish examples? Would a shepherd really leave all his sheep to search for one? Would a woman really throw a party if she recovered one coin when she still had nine others?

The prophet Isaiah told us that God's ways are not our ways (Is 55:8-9). This Gospel illustrates that. Sin is a break in the relationship between God and the individual. His plan for us is to be with him forever. When we sin, we threaten that possibility. When we repent, we make it whole again. So when we value our relationship with God and choose what he would want over some temporary feeling of power, success or revenge, we can appreciate how that would be cause for all of heaven rejoicing.

The outsized examples and the use of a parable may be ways to help us stop and take special note of what this teaching is really about. It is about how the little things matter when it comes to our relationship with God. As we walk up to receive the Eucharist today, let us do a short examination of conscience and focus on the little things of our everyday lives. Let's repent for those times we have put our relationship with God in the background and put our own desires first. God understands and forgives us, leading the celebration in heaven over another sinner who has repented.

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Friday, November 9, 2018 THE DEDICATION(Lec. 671) OF THE LATERAN1) Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 BASILICA2) 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17 - FEAST3) John 2:13-22Gospel related: CCC 575, 583, 584, 586, 994

FOCUS: God is present in both our sacred places of worship and in the assembly, the People of God.

The Church has set aside today as the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the home church of the Bishop of Rome, the pope. This feast gives us the opportunity to reflect on the theological connection between the “temple of stones” and the living Church.

Paul refers to the Christians in Corinth as God’s building, set aside and holy as a temple or church is holy. They are, in fact, God’s building because the Holy Spirit dwells in each of them, just as the Spirit dwells in all of the baptized members of the Church. No wonder, then, that Paul calls the people holy, even with all of their faults and mistakes.

Jesus literally risks his life to defend the sanctity of the Temple in Jerusalem against those who have made God’s house a marketplace. Even in his anger against the merchants and money-changers in the Temple, Jesus recalls the strong connection between house of worship and the worshipers, referring to himself as the temple that will be torn down and yet rise again in three days.

Jesus’ death and resurrection, foretold that day in Jerusalem, is what makes us Church – the mystical body of Christ, bound by one baptism and nourished by his body and blood. Our bodies are temples, which literally house our Savior upon reception; we are holy houses for the Spirit of God in the world. And we come together in these holy and sanctified houses of worship, with the knowledge that this building, and each one of us, is a dwelling place of God.

So let us reverence our sacred spaces, constructed and furnished for the sole purpose of offering a place to worship God. And let us have respect for ourselves and one another who image the very God we worship.

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Saturday, November 10, 2018 SATURDAY OF(Lec. 490) 31ST WEEK1) Philippians 4:10-19 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 16:9-15 (OBL MEM

Saint Leo the Great,Pope and Doctor

of the Church)Gospel related: CCC 2424; CSDC 181, 453

FOCUS: To serve God with our whole heart requires giving and trust in the Lord.

The New Testament is littered with warnings against idolizing the false god of riches.

“Mammon” isn’t a word we use in everyday life, so it’s worth looking up. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, mammon is “material wealth or possessions especially as having a debasing influence.” Mammon is referring to valuing wealth so much that it devalues us. It is replacing God with the idol of possessions. The Church does not teach that being rich is sinful, but that the love of money is the root of all evil.

In the first reading, Saint Paul gives us a concrete example of how to worship God over mammon. He thanks the Philippians for their gift – one that, presumably, Saint Paul did not ask for, since he talks about being self-sufficient. We learn that the Church in Philippi has sent him aid multiple times, even when no other church was doing so. Saint Paul’s response to their generosity is telling: I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account ... My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

He uses the language of a business transaction, but we know it is more than that, as evidenced by his use of the word sacrifice. And that is the key to making sure we do not idolize wealth: by being willing to give it away.

Saint Paul also tells us that he has experience living in different circumstances, both abundant and humble. His strength, he says, comes from Christ. His trust in the Lord to give him what he needs allows him to be content no matter his circumstances. That is the message he shares with the Philippians, and that is the message he shares with us.

Today, let us ask God to show us where we are clinging to serving mammon, and pray he help set us free to more fully serve him. The Lord is the only master we want to serve. We pray also that we, like Saint Paul, can practice contentment in whatever state of life we are in, and that we may live generously trusting in God, like the Philippians.

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2018 THIRTY-SECOND(Lec. 155) SUNDAY1) 1 Kings 17:10-16 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Hebrews 9:24-283) Mark 12:38-44 or

12:41-44Gospel related: CCC 678, 2444

FOCUS: In Thanksgiving we respond to the Lord, who sacrificed his Son so that sin may be taken away.

When we gather together around the table of the Lord, we come to say “Thank you” to the One who cares for us. “Thank you” for the many blessings that we are blessed to receive. “Thank you” for the gift of our lives. Perhaps even “Thank you” for the sufferings that may stand before us. The word “Eucharist” itself means “Thank you.” It is right and just to give thanks to the One who has created us, has redeemed us and makes us holy. The One who sacrificed himself completely so that sin and death would be overcome.

In the first part of today’s Gospel, Jesus warns the crowd to beware of the religious leaders who liked to be held in great esteem, at the expense of the widows. They demonstrated piety and accepted honors not accorded to others. But they did not really do anything for the community. They did not care for those who were entrusted to them.

Contrast this with the widow whom Jesus points out: she contributed to the synagogue treasury from her want; she gave her whole livelihood in order to ensure that others within her community might have something. And while Jesus does not ask this question, we might: which of these two examples tells us something essential about who God is? Clearly the widow.

God is like that widow in his care for us: he holds absolutely nothing back. He gives us everything he has, and is. Including himself. As the widow sacrificed, so Jesus sacrificed his very life for the sake of the world. And the Eucharist we share is our participation in this salvation, and our thanksgiving for it.

It is not a passive thanksgiving, however. And perhaps this is a message we can take from the Gospel today. Formed and transformed by the Eucharist, it is a person of faith who sees that God’s justice is sorely needed in this world. In the psalms, the Lord gives sight to the blind, cares for the oppressed, protects strangers and sustains widows. As Domus Dei, that is, the House of God, the Church’s mission is to see that God’s house is in order by seeing to it that justice is made manifest in this world.

This is us. We, the Church, give thanks to God for his generous gifts by sharing the good news of salvation and by giving our time, talents and treasure so that no one is left uncared for – that no one is left without.

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Monday, November 12, 2018 MONDAY OF(Lec. 491) 32ND WEEK1) Titus 1:1-9 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 17:1-6 (OBL MEM

Saint Josaphat,Bishop and Martyr)Gospel related: CCC 162, 2227, 2287, 2845

FOCUS: Lord, increase our faith.

Our readings today exhort believers to be consciously aware of our behavior. Our actions and reactions have an enormous effect, negatively or positively, upon people around us and upon those we encounter. The first reading from Titus focuses on the call of presbyters. Paul's exhortation is that those who are ordained must be people of good character and temperance. But that admonition isn't only for priests. It is for all of us. Our priestly role as conformed to Christ by our baptism means we are called to sanctify the world from within. So our good character and virtue are important as well.

Each one of us has influence upon others, and it should be for good, not ill. To cause someone to sin is unconscionable. In the Gospel today, we hear Jesus tell his disciples, It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to sin.

But there is hope. Jesus isn't going to command us to do something without giving us the tools and strength to do it. Through grace and sacrament, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we can have the virtues of which Paul speaks: being believers; not accused of licentiousness or [of being] rebellious … blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled.

With these virtues, not only can we refrain from sin and causing others to sin, we can forgive those who sin against us. Jesus tells us if our brother or sister sins and asks for forgiveness, we are to forgive him or her. And we are to do so over and over and over again many times. When this is difficult, we can ask, as did the disciples, Increase our faith, and he will. For God will always give us the strength to follow his path.

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Tuesday, November 13, 2018 TUESDAY OF(Lec. 492) 32ND WEEK1) Titus 2:1-8, 11-14 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 17:7-10 (OBL MEM

USA: Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini,Virgin)

FOCUS: We fulfill an obligation of discipleship when we engender a servant’s heart.

Our Gospel reminds us that nothing is owed to us. We need to work hard and serve others not for recognition or reward, but because it is what we are called to do. God’s generosity to us is unmerited on our part: he gives because he loves us, not because we “earn” it. Our response to that generosity, is a loving attitude of service to the One who has given us everything.

Jesus delivers the words of today’s Gospel after the Apostles ask him to increase their faith. He tells them to adopt the attitude of an unprofitable servant, whose duty is to labor for the master. In a similar manner, disciples serve the Lord by doing what is commanded.

To live as servants involves humility. It’s a transformation of our hearts to find ways to serve others and a renouncing of selfish desires. It’s authentic conversion that leads us to salvation.

Our first reading tells us to be eager to do what is good: to reject godless ways and live temperately, justly and devoutly. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, whose memorial we celebrate today, was eager to do good despite obstacles she encountered. She is quoted as saying, “I will go anywhere and do anything in order to communicate the love of Jesus to those who do not know Him or have forgotten Him.” This saint served immigrants, the poor, abandoned, uneducated and sick by founding orphanages, schools and hospitals around the world. In 1917, she died at one of her hospitals in Chicago.

While Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini was an extraordinary servant of God, we find the ultimate model in Christ – the Servant King, obedient to God through his sacrifice for all mankind. As we prepare to unite ourselves to Christ through the Eucharist, let us contemplate the ways we have been called to serve "the poor and the suffering, in whom the Church recognizes the image of her poor and suffering founder" (CCC 786). This is discipleship with a servant’s heart.

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Wednesday, November 14, 2018 WEDNESDAY OF(Lec. 493) 32ND WEEK1) Titus 3:1-7 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 17:11-19Gospel related: CCC 586, 2463

FOCUS: Let us approach the table of our Lord with gratitude.

Gratitude is an extremely important element to our relationship with God. While it is important to be grateful for the gifts God has given us in life, the most important gift of all is the salvation we have received from Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. The grace and mercy given to us by God through Christ is so profound that it must compel a complete transformation of our conduct and attitude.

Paul clearly is making this point in his epistle to Titus. The saving grace from Christ realized by us in baptism allows for the complete remission of our sins and the restoration of our relationship with God. This is something we cannot achieve by our merits. No deed of any person could ever be so meritorious as to equal the effect of the sacrifice of Christ. Therefore, knowing the depth of forgiveness that we have received, we must in turn show this mercy to others. Refusing to forgive others can no longer be abided because the trespass committed against us is a small matter compared to the sins we have been forgiven in Christ. In this way, our gratitude to God acts in a transformative way in how we treat one another.

This transformative aspect can be seen in today’s Gospel, where Jesus cleanses the ten lepers. The one who returned was glorifying God in a loud voice, and fell at the feet of Jesus to thank him. Jesus could see that the miracle he performed had not only healed him physically, but had changed him internally. That man likely continued his life living in a spirt of gratitude for the mercy God had shown him. Whatever his character might have been before, it was entirely transformed in that moment.

We are like the lepers who were cured. Before we were baptized, we were spiritual lepers. We had a disease for which there is no apparent cure, and had been condemned to an eternity apart from God. The sacrifice of Christ was the miracle that cleansed us of our sickness and restored the relationship with God which was lost through original sin. Today we have a choice in how we respond: let us be like the one who returned to Christ with a heart fully permeated with gratitude – with a spirit of thankfulness so strong that we allow it to transform us in how we relate to God and to one another. Let us approach the table of our Lord with gratitude, and leave here with it in our hearts.

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Thursday, November 15, 2018 THURSDAY OF(Lec. 494) 32ND WEEK1) Philemon 7-20 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 17:20-25 (Opt. Mem.

Saint Albert the Great,Bishop and Doctorof the Church)

Gospel related: CCC 2463

FOCUS: Bringing about the kingdom of God on earth is hard work, but it is worth it.

Saint Paul’s Letter to Philemon is the third shortest book in the Bible with 335 words. The largest portion of those words makes up our first reading today. Paul, now an old man writing from prison, implores Philemon to treat Onesimus as his brother. He tells Philemon that this is something he should want to do, not have to do. This is good advice for us, too. True Christian freedom is following Jesus’ way because we want to, not because it is something we think we have to do.

For example, can we remember when the light bulb went on inside our heads – the day we realized in our youthfulness that pitching in with things around our home made sense? When we all worked together, life at home was pretty good; when we didn’t, not so much. When we, our siblings and parents did things because we wanted to, not because we had to, we were living Saint Paul’s advice to good old Philemon.

It was on those special days we experienced harmony. It was elusive, but it was there and we had to work to make it happen. But we were glad to do it. It felt good.

Jesus speaks of the elusiveness of the kingdom of God. Just when we think we grasp and understand it, it eludes us. It takes work, but it, too, is worth the effort. Seeking out the kingdom of God here on earth; working toward the kingdom of God here on earth is work, hard work, but isn’t it worth it?

Issues such as poverty, homelessness, hunger and disease exist. We cannot pray them away. Rather, our prayer is where we gain insight into how to make changes that will in turn reduce and eventually eliminate such harshness. It is hard work. It can be quite elusive at times. Yet, God has given us all the talents – all the blessings – we need to bring about the kingdom of God here on earth. There is immense freedom in that – knowing that God has provided the way, we need only to follow.

God freely chose us because he loves us. When we freely choose God in return, out of want, love and desire – and not because “we have to” – we experience harmony, and the peace that Christ desires for us. It makes the hard work of bringing about the kingdom that much sweeter, because God’s desire and our desire are one. Let us pray that for each one of us, it may always be so.

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Friday, November 16, 2018 FRIDAY OF(Lec. 495) 32ND WEEK1) 2 John 4-9 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 17:26-37 (Opt. Mem.

Saint Margaret of Scotland;Saint Gertrude,Virgin)

Gospel related: CCC1889, 2463; CSDC 34, 583

FOCUS: Remain in the teaching of the Christ.

At the heart of the Gospel reading today, Jesus offers a strong message to his disciples. They will not know when the Son of Man will be revealed, but they need to be ready. Just as their ancestors were surprised by devastation and destruction, so will the coming of the Son of Man be the same for them. Like Noah and Lot, they will be eating and drinking, working and living their normal lives, when it will arrive unexpectedly. They cannot know the day or the hour.

But how can we be ready for the coming of the Son of Man, or anything, when we don’t know when it will happen? The reading we heard today from the letter from Saint John to his community provides the guidance we need. Wasting our time trying to guess or worrying about it won’t help. But we can be ready. We need only to walk according to his commandments; we need to love one another.

In the daily demands of living, it is easy to become so involved in completing and achieving and succeeding that we forget to look around to see how we can serve one another. But it is in the ordinary, everyday events of life that we can help make the kingdom of God present by adhering to John’s words: remain in the teaching of the Christ. These things Christ taught: care for each other, the poor and the sick; reach out to forgive one another; share the Good News of Jesus with others in our words and deeds. This is how we make the kingdom present.

When the kingdom is present,we do not need to know or worry about when our end will come. By walking in the law of the Lord,we will be ready – we can leave everything behind – and, as the Gospel acclamation proclaims today, stand erect and raise [our] heads because [our] redemption is at hand.

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Saturday, November 17, 2018 SATURDAY OF(Lec. 496) 32ND WEEK1) 3 John 5-8 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 18:1-8 (OBL MEM

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary,Religious)Gospel related: CCC 675, 2098, 2573, 2613

FOCUS: Persistent prayer is a hallmark of faith.

Prayer is one of the most valuable gifts God gives us. Today’s Gospel reminds us that prayer isn’t reserved for saints and prophets. We all need to pray without becoming weary.

Jesus uses the parable of a persistent widow to help the disciples realize the power of unceasing prayer. The widow’s constant urging convinces the judge to render the just decision she requests. Jesus contrasts the dishonest judge to God. He asks, Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Then, he assures us that the Lord will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.

Taking a second look at this parable, we discover even deeper truths about prayer. We realize prayer isn’t initiated by us. Rather, it’s our response to “the living and true God tirelessly call[ing] each person” (CCC 2567), much like the persistent widow calling to the judge.

We also realize that prayer doesn’t change God. His constant urging changes us, like the dishonest judge who was moved by the widow’s persistence. Jesus says whatever you did for these least brothers of mine, you did for me (Mt 25:40). The widow would have ranked low in society, and in the end, the judge shows her charity just as the Lord opens our hearts to doing his will.

Prayer can be a battle. It’s easy to get distracted. Even worse, our faith can be shaken when prayer seems ineffective. During these times, we need to trust that God will answer our prayers, although perhaps not at the time or in the way we expect.

For it is through prayer that we find one way in which we can be co-workers in the truth, as the letter from John exhorts us. Today is the memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. As a princess, she performed acts of mercy and used her riches to help her people. A co-worker in the truth, Saint Elizabeth was praised by Pope Benedict XVI as a "model for those in authority."

Feel the Lord calling you to prayer – urging you to become a co-worker in the truth. It’s through prayer that we grow in faith, hope and love. It’s through prayer the Lord finds faith on earth.

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 THIRTY-THIRD(Lec. 158) SUNDAY IN1) Daniel 12:1-3 ORDINARY TIME2) Hebrews 10:11-14, 183) Mark 13:24-32Gospel related: CCC 474, 673

FOCUS: By his cross, Jesus has redeemed the world.

As we draw near the end of the liturgical year, we notice that the readings at Mass seem to focus on events that will occur at the end of time.

In our first reading today, written at the time of the Babylonian Exile, more than five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Daniel speaks of salvation and damnation. In a time of war and enslavement, Daniel’s vision spoke of the ultimate triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness – a feat we know to be accomplished in and by Jesus Christ, both on earth and in heaven.

Similarly, Jesus in Mark’s Gospel refers to the end of time when the Son of Man comes in the clouds with great power andglory.Of that day or hour, no one knows, Jesus said. However, with Jesus’ image of the sprouting leaves on the fig tree, his very presence in the world was a powerful sign that the Day of the Lord is always at hand, summoning us to live in right relationship with God and each other. Perhaps if we knew the day of our death or the moment of Christ’s return, we might procrastinate and delay living the life of faith and throwing off the old ways of sin. Jesus has left us instead in a healthy state of suspense, where the anticipation of his return suggests that we should be living the corporal and spiritual works of mercy every day, so that we might be found prepared upon his return.

The Letter to the Hebrews captures these mysteries perfectly, reminding us how in the Mass, we see memorialized the one offering by which Christ has made perfect those who are being consecrated. As we prepare to celebrate the end of the liturgical year next Sunday, and the beginning of a new one with the coming Advent Season, let us be mindful that heaven and earth will pass away but the saving words of the Lord will endure forever.

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Monday, November 19, 2018 MONDAY OF(Lec. 497) 33RD WEEK1) Revelation 1:1-4; 2:1-5 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 18:35-43

FOCUS: All who call upon the Lord are blessed with sufficient grace.

Today’s first reading continues a theme from yesterday’s Gospel, pondering visions and proverbs relating to the coming – and also the return – of the Son of Man. Even more important, the readings today and for the next few days feature story after story portraying God’s ability to act through those who are willing to receive his grace in preparation for his return.

We begin today with the opening passages of the Book of Revelation, one of the most difficult books in the Bible to understand because of its unfamiliar writing style and its symbolic imagery. Yet what an appropriate reading for these final days of the liturgical year, when we are reminded that the appointed time is near.

The writer of Revelation first proposes a beatitude, or blessing, upon those who listen to God and heed what is written. It is a very personal, even intimate, passage. I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, says the voice of God, noting and acknowledging all that we have suffered in God’s name – and commending us for not growing weary, not giving up.

And yet, the message challenges us, it is not enough to simply go through the motions, no matter what we have endured or accomplished, if, ultimately, we have lost the love – that passionate falling-in-love with the Lord that marked the beginning of our walk with him. The passion required of us must be nothing less than genuine love. The blind man, confidently yelling for Jesus, symbolically portrays this in today’s Gospel. Later this week, we will hear the same passion in Zacchaeus, a grown man climbing a sycamore tree just to reach Jesus. All who call upon the Lord are blessed with sufficient grace – and all things work together in preparation for the coming of the King and his kingdom.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2018 TUESDAY OF(Lec. 498) 33RD WEEK1) Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 19:1-10Gospel related: CCC 549, 1443, 2412, 2712

FOCUS: Jesus calls each of us by name, and waits for us to respond to him with a sincere heart.

In the first reading, we hear the words that John is to use in letters to two of the early Churches. They are words of praise, but also words that point out areas in which they need to improve: the Church members have lost their fervor and are no longer on fire for the Lord. The people are urged to remember how they once were, and to strive to renew their commitment to Jesus and his mission of salvation.

The Gospel also contains a message of commitment and passion. Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector in Jericho, had a reputation as a harsh man, lining his own pockets with the collections he made. He also was seen as a traitor, working for the Roman rulers and against his own people.

But Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus changes him. There is a total change of heart. The fire has been lit in Zacchaeus and the sinful part of his heart has been burned away, leaving the good part to flourish.

The same thing can happen to each one of us. Just as Jesus did with Zacchaeus, he calls each of us by name. He invites himself into our lives and our homes. If we open ourselves to him, if we choose to respond to him with a sincere heart, we can catch that fire, too.

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Wednesday, November 21, 2018 WEDNESDAY OF(Lec. 499) 33RD WEEK1) Revelation 4:1-11 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 19:11-28 (OBL MEM

The Presentationof theBlessed Virgin Mary)

Gospel related: CCC 1880, 1936; CSDC 326

FOCUS: Whether in heaven or on earth, we are called to be faithful citizens and servants.

Today's readings give us a glimpse of citizenship in heaven and a challenge to live out our call as Christians – as citizens of earth – diligently and humbly during our journey to heaven.

The Book of Revelation gives us a glorious vision of angels and saints gathered around God's throne in humble adoration. While giving constant glory to God, the elders cast their own crowns to God, their Creator. Clearly, these citizens of heaven owe their very existence and any authority they may have to God, and humbly acknowledge their complete dependence and God’s goodness.

Perhaps this vision can inspire us Christians as we follow our own call to serve Jesus, our King. In Jesus' parable, the servants of the would-be king are given gold coins to trade. The servants are rewarded whether they return five or ten gold coins. Only the one who hides his gifts, who is too afraid to invest what he was given, is punished.

Jesus, our King, is demanding in that he expects us to be faithful to our call to use whatever gifts or opportunities we have for the sake of advancing his Gospel, his kingdom. At the same time, we are to be mindful of the needs of all around us and to respond in any way we can that befits our state in life. We are called to do our part, whether we have special gifts that earn the proverbial ten coins of the parable, or a smaller number. Knowing these were gifts given to us for the sake of others, we can be bold in using them, with the knowledge that we have the strength and support of Jesus to back us in these efforts. Jesus does not want false humility from his followers and servants – he expects the true humility of knowing that we have certain gifts that can benefit others around us, and that he will give us the strength and wisdom to use them.

As we strive to be diligent citizens on earth – on the way to citizenship in heaven – we can look to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, as our guide and inspiration. Today we celebrate Mary’s presentation, when her parents dedicated her to God. We were also dedicated to God at our baptism. Let us ask Mary, our Queen and Mother, to give us generous and courageous hearts, and to use the talents and opportunities given to us by God to build up the kingdom of God here on earth, on our way to heaven.

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NOTE: Or for Thanksgiving Day in the United States of America, any readings from the Lectionary for Ritual Masses (vol. IV), the Mass: "In Thanksgiving to God," nos. 943-947).Thursday, November 22, 2018 THURSDAY OF(Lec. 500) 33RD WEEK1) Revelation 5:1-10 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 19:41-44 (OBL MEM

Saint Cecilia,Virgin and Martyr)

Gospel related: CCC 558

FOCUS: Jesus comes to bring peace and lead the people forward.

With such a short text for our Gospel reading today, it can be helpful to look at the whole chapter from the Gospel of Luke, or at least the sections which bracket today’s reading. Right before we hear of Jesus’ lament for the city of Jerusalem, we hear of his entry into Jerusalem, the traditional Palm Sunday reading. Luke’s account is sandwiched between a parable and Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple. Even as Jesus prepares to enter into the final stage of his ministry, he is still very much at work teaching and preaching.

This lament for Jerusalem is found only in Luke. As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.” The evangelist calls our attention to these words of Jesus, and we’d do well to heed them. Jesus comes to bring peace and lead the people forward. By not accepting Jesus – he who mediates peace for the world – Jerusalem lacks peace and becomes the victim of destruction. The footnote in the Bible tells us, “Luke may be describing the actual disaster that befell Jerusalem in A.D. 70 when it was destroyed by the Romans during the First Revolt.”

Luke’s inclusion of this historical event highlights something unique about this Gospel account. The Gospel of Luke explores the events of Jesus’ life and puts them into their larger historical context. The events of Jesus’ life, even the major ones such as his entry into Jerusalem, took place at a set time and place. Luke shares the broader context of what’s happening in the world around Jesus. The events of Jesus’ life affect the rest of the world, not just those immediately around Jesus.

The evangelist seeks to expand the daily concerns of the Christian community. Although Luke still believes the Second Coming to be a reality, he is more concerned with presenting the words and deeds of Jesus as guidelines for disciples now. In Jesus, we find the ideal model of Christian life and piety. Jesus is the example for all of us to follow and model our lives upon. All of this fits with Luke’s Gospel as being the Gospel for the Gentiles: that is, sharing the Good News with all people, not just the Jewish communities. God’s salvation is meant for all – and this is the message we are commanded to share. So let the Word we hear today, and the sacrament we encounter, give us the tenacity and courage of Luke – that the world may find peace.

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Friday, November 23, 2018 FRIDAY OF(Lec. 501) 33RD WEEK1) Revelation 10:8-11 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 19:45-48 (Opt. Mem.

Saint Clement I,Pope and Martyr;Saint Columban,Abbot;

USA: Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro,Priest and Martyr)

FOCUS: Making time for the Lord in prayer will help us persevere through the trial of the cross.

The Book of Revelation can seem somewhat strange to us, as it is a style of writing we are not at all used to hearing. In fact, we may stay away from it because of all the end-of-the- world predictions that have been made in its name. But when we stay away, we miss its powerful message of Christ’s final victory, a message that offers great hope in our times of trial and suffering when all seems lost.

In the passage we heard today, John swallows a small scroll. Strange thing to do. Adding to the strangeness, the scroll is said to taste sweet but was also sour. The scroll, of course, contains words. What words in this case? The promise of victory made to all Christ’s followers – sweet words to live by, wonderful promise to hold on to. But what must we all experience before that glory? The cross – including its trials and sufferings.

And that is our challenge: to live through the cross. If only we could jump right into the Resurrection and skip the hard part. But the cross comes to all of us. What sustains us through it? What helps us persevere in faith with the hope of the glory ahead?

The Gospel gives us insight into this question. The Temple area had become a place of commerce, a place for business. Jesus enters and clears out all these temporal activities and restores the space as a place of prayer and teaching, and all the people were hanging on his words. Like that Temple area, our hearts can get crowded with daily worries and responsibilities: bills, work, chores, caring for loved ones. And important as they are, these daily concerns can seem more important than prayer, and leave little time for encountering the Lord and listening to his words.

As we gather at the table where we celebrate the Lord’s paschal mystery – his passing through the cross into the glory of the Resurrection – let us humbly ask the Lord to “drive out” all those things that keep us from truly hanging on his words – that we might experience his peace now and persevere through the trials that will come.

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Saturday, November 24, 2018 SATURDAY OF(Lec. 502) 33RD WEEK1) Revelation 11:4-12 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 20:27-40 (OBL MEM

Saint Andrew Dῦng-Lᾳc,Priest,and Companions,Martyrs)

Gospel related: CCC 330, 575, CSDC 193, 379, 491

FOCUS: Jesus teaches about resurrection by proclaiming that the Lord is God of the Living, not of the dead.

After the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, “Come up here.” Our first reading from Revelation, describing the suffering and then ultimate glory of martyrs, is in line with November’s theme of the end times and in reflecting on what happens to us after death.

So it is in the Gospel. The Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection, were trying to trap Jesus with their little quiz. Jesus deftly handles their questions and tiptoes past their trap. While they no longer challenged him publicly, Jesus would, as we know, ultimately lay down his life due to the political forces among both Roman and Jewish leadership, such as these teachers who did not approve of Jesus’ message.

Today the Church memorializes Saint Andrew Dῦng-Lᾳc and companions, who were martyrs. It is estimated that more than 300,000 Christians have been martyred in Vietnam since Christianity’s arrival in the 1600s. For these hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese martyrs, there was much more at stake in their persecution than their own livelihood. Their families, their histories and their futures were threatened. And yet these witnesses of devotion to God laid down their very lives to proclaim Jesus as Lord.

In 1988, Pope Saint John Paul II canonized 117 of these Vietnamese martyrs, whom we celebrate today. During the canonization Mass, he called upon them saying, “Vietnamese martyrs! Witnesses of Christ's victory over death! Witnesses to man's vocation to immortality … As you have participated in his suffering and his cross, so you have a part in the salvation of the world. Your harvest endures in joy!”

There will be end times for us, too – for our earthly life here, and at the final judgment. As we remember these courageous witnesses of faith, may we draw inspiration and courage of our own so we, too, may hear a voice from heaven calling us to come up. That we, too, may have a harvest enduring in joy. Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc and Companions, pray for us!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2018 OUR LORD(Lec. 161) JESUS CHRIST,1) Daniel 7:13-14 KING OF THE UNIVERSE2) Revelation 1:5-8 - SOLEMNITY3) John 18:33b-37Gospel related: CCC 217, 549, 559, 600, 2471

FOCUS: Jesus Christ is a King unlike any other. In his kingship, Jesus offers us an example of how to live.

When we think of royalty, what may come to mind most quickly is the British royal family. There has been much coverage of that family through the years. Often we may have thoughts of a glamorous life of ease and luxury. Over time, though, we have come to see them as a sometimes dysfunctional family that can be painfully, woefully human. This does not seem to be the kind of King we celebrate in Jesus.

As a nation that fought a revolution to throw off the reign of an unjust tyrant, our own kind of “royalty” can disappoint, too. Presidents, politicians, great athletes and stars of stage and screen can too easily let us down. We hope for them to show us an image of a better way to be as people, yet they often let us down because we see their all-too-human side.

As we celebrate this Solemnity of Christ the King, it is apparent that we need a different image of kingship. We should look to the ancient image of a king to better understand what this solemnity says about Jesus, and what it entails for us as members of the kingdom of God.

The ancient ideal of kingship meant that a king was one who was faced with making difficult decisions with wisdom, mercy and justice. Ancient kings were meant to live lives in service to their people, being willing to set a faith-filled and servant-like example. Kings were meant to serve as peacemakers, and were to be willing to give their lives in service to their people. They were called to live holy lives, and to lay down their lives for their people if necessary.

This ancient image of the king helps us to better understand Jesus Christ, the King. He is the one who offers us an example of living to emulate in our daily lives. He is the one who seeks to bring peace into the midst of conflict. His wisdom, mercy and justice are a pattern for our own deliberations and actions. He is willing to offer us life by laying down his life for us on the cross.

As the best of Kings, Jesus teaches us by his example that true kingship is not about glamour, power or wealth. It is about service. As our King, and as the example and model for our daily living, Jesus shows us by his life that we are called to humble, loving service. Our King shows us that we are to be merciful, just and truthful, willing to bring God’s peace to challenging situations. Like Christ, our King, we are called to lay down our lives so that others may live.

This is the kind of kingship into which each of us has been baptized. This sort of kingship offers a vision of a new heaven and new earth. It also demonstrates that we, like Jesus, must be willing to stand in tatters before the powers of the world, ready to offer our lives in pursuit of the kingdom of God.

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Monday, November 26, 2018 MONDAY OF(Lec. 503) 34TH WEEK1) Revelation 14:1-3, 4b-5 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 21:1-4Gospel related: CCC2544

FOCUS: In the poor widow, Jesus finds true faith.

Care for the poor is a basic Christian responsibility. We believe that all people are created in the image and likeness of God, and all life is sacred and deserving of dignity. This belief shapes our moral actions. It calls us out of ourselves to a commitment to all around us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus holds up an example of the poor woman as a model of how to care for others. She sacrifices what she has, so that others may have something. The rich in this story give from their excess, likely having little impact on their own lives. Jesus says, I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood. She offers her whole livelihood. In this woman very few noticed, he finds true faith and a model to uphold.

What can we learn from her? Why does the evangelist include this little scene? The widow shows us what it means to have faith in God. She understands that all she has is a gift from God, and meant to be shared as gift for others. Nothing comes before her faith and commitment to God. In her sacrifice, she comes to appreciate even more what she does have, and develops greater empathy for those who have none. She offers all she has, her livelihood, to make her offering and honor God. She trusts that God will provide.

Let us pray for the grace to follow this widow’s example. To place God, the source and reason we even have a life and a livelihood, at the center of our being. To honor God through a livelihood directed toward holiness, rather than one with a temporal focus. And may the Lord find in us, too, a true faith and model to uphold.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2018 TUESDAY OF(Lec. 504) 34TH WEEK1) Revelation 14:14-19 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 21:5-11

FOCUS: Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

For all of the early Christian communities, there was a sense that the “end times” – the Second Coming of the Son of Man and the final judgment of the world – was to happen soon. Therefore, it would be especially important to hear the Gospel and follow Jesus, and to share the message far and wide with all people. This certainly comes through in our readings today.

Luke’s audience, and his community, was mostly Gentile (those not originally claimed by God under the covenant with Abraham). This is a people under persecution and facing great challenges in living a life of discipleship under secular rule. Writing after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD had taken place, Luke is demonstrating in today’s Gospel passage not just the saving mission of Jesus Christ, but his prophetic power. Jesus says, See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, “I am he,” and “The time has come.” Do not follow them! In presenting this encounter with Jesus, Luke is ensuring that those who hear this message understand that it is only Jesus who is the Way. They need not fear or be swayed from the message, no matter what events befall them.

John’s vision in Revelation is of parallel consequence: he sees a harvest whereby those who have followed Jesus are gathered unto God himself, while the ungodly are cast into doom. John’s audience would also have been struggling under Roman rule, and suffering post-destruction of the Temple. And despite the somewhat graphic nature of the vision, the message is still one of hope: in the end, those who have remained with Jesus will flourish with him in eternity.

Two thousand years later, the Second Coming has not taken place. Bad things continue to happen. Wars continue to break out, epidemics occur, earthquakes shake the earth, apartments catch fire, churches and temples crumble. Preachers still come along in every generation to tell us the end is near.

Yet, also two thousand years later, the promise of salvation has not changed; the commandments have not changed; the way to eternal life has not changed. They may not always be easy, but they are simple: love one another, and remain in the Lord. As our Gospel acclamation says today, Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

So let us pray for perseverance and for one another – to be ever open to God’s invitation to us. And when the Son of Man comes, may we be in his harvest.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2018 WEDNESDAY OF(Lec. 505) 34TH WEEK1) Revelation 15:1-4 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 21:12-19Gospel related: CCC 675

FOCUS: By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

Today’s Gospel is about persecution, but it isn’t a message of fear. It’s one of hope. Trials and persecution are inevitable, yet we mustn’t worry. When our time comes, we can trust that we will be blessed with the wisdom to deliver testimony that cannot be resisted or refuted. We must remain strong and not let fear or anger toward those who persecute us get in the way of bearing witness to the truth. Perseverance will secure our lives.

Even if we are not formally persecuted for our faith, each of us will be tried during our pilgrimage here on earth (CCC 675). It could be a colleague challenging our faith, or a relative questioning why we follow Christ. Jesus wants us to use these encounters to give our testimony.

Knowledge of the Bible and religion can equip us for these times, but a personal story about how the Gospel has touched our life can be even more powerful. Like the disciples, we must use our testimony to bring others closer to Christ. We may not know the words we’ll say, but Jesus wants us to be ready.

Perhaps it seems contradictory for Jesus to tell the disciples that some of them may die, then promise not a hair on their head will be destroyed. But he is speaking of their ultimate end, not their earthly one. Jesus promises divine protection. In Revelation, we see a vision of the martyrs’ fate. Those who are victorious over the beast play harps and sing over a sea of glass. Their perseverance secures them eternal life in heaven.

In the midst of hardship and persecution, we must trust the Gospel. We must bear witness to the truth. God is present with us just as he was present when his Son faced persecution.

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Thursday, November 29, 2018 THURSDAY OF(Lec. 506) 34TH WEEK1) Revelation 18:1-2, 21-23; IN ORDINARY TIME

19:1-3, 9a2) Luke 21:20-28Gospel related: CCC 58, 671, 674, 697

FOCUS: As followers of Christ, we are reminded that in the end, Jesus will return victorious in glory.

Today’s readings feature frightening imagery: armies, destruction, fallen cities. But they include something else as well – joyful hope.

The first reading, from the Book of Revelation, uses harsh Old Testament language and symbolism to prophesy the destruction of Babylon, which followed false gods and persecuted Christians (for John, Babylon means Rome). It ends, however, with the people of God celebrating, singing Alleluia!and praising God’s justice.

In the Gospel, Jesus predicts the fall of Jerusalem, which occurred in 70 AD. He describes the terrible destruction of the city and temple by Rome, which the Jewish historian Josephus later tells us resulted in 1.1 million Jewish casualties and 97,000 people enslaved.

Then, however, Jesus reminds us that he will come again in glory, and that our redemption is at hand.

So what is a modern-day Christian to make of all this? We are millennia removed from the demise of Jerusalem and Rome. But time marches on: every day we draw nearer to the end of time as well as the end of our individual lives. As the liturgical year draws to a close, the readings remind us that someday, all this will be over and Jesus will return. We say each Sunday in the creed: “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” The end of the liturgical year also reminds us to examine our own lives: to see if we are living each day in a way that, were we to die today, we would be welcomed into the kingdom.

Each of us who shares in the Eucharistic banquet is called to the wedding feast of the Lamb. Blessed are we! We know that just as our Lord predicted the fall of Jerusalem, so, too, can we rely on his promise that he will return in power and glory.

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Friday, November 30, 2018 SAINT ANDREW,(Lec. 684) APOSTLE1) Romans 10:9-18 - FEAST2) Matthew 4:18-22Gospel related: CCC 878

FOCUS: Following Jesus is the greatest good in life.

Brothers and sisters: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

These words today from Saint Paul to the Romans are simple and straightforward. And yet each one of us, in our own way, knows how easy and difficult it can be to do both. The Church, in her wisdom, knows this, and gives us models of faith to encourage and inspire us in our journey. So today we celebrate the feast day of Saint Andrew, who – per Christian tradition – preached the Gospel in the Black Sea region after Christ’s death and resurrection.

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus calls Peter and his brother Andrew – a Greek name which means “manly” – to leave behind their lives as fishermen. Come after me, Jesus says, and I will make you fishers of men. And with no further discussion, or questioning, or thinking about what people would think of them, Matthew tells us: At once they left their nets and followed him.

Regardless of what the rest of his life looked like – and there are some variances within the history – the key aspect to the life of discipleship is found right here: Saint Andrew did not hesitate when Jesus called, and he lived a life of witness to the Gospel.

For each one of us, our call and response will differ in degree, but not in kind, from that of Saint Andrew. Jesus invites us to share the message of hope, to bring salvation to all, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. And it is Paul who reminds us of the importance of our mission: But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent?

Perhaps Saint Andrew would add, “And how can people be sent, unless they respond?” Our presence here today says we have already responded to that initial invitation. So let us pray for the grace to “be sent” as we are needed, like Saint Andrew was. And, as Saint Andrew did, to confess Jesus’ name and resurrection in such a way that others will do the same.

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DECEMBER1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1 9 20 21 22 23 24 25 VIGIL25NIGHT25DAY

26 27 28 29 30 31

Saturday, December 1, 2018 SATURDAY OF(Lec. 508) 34TH WEEK1) Revelation 22:1-7 IN ORDINARY TIME2) Luke 21:34-36 (Saturday in honorof BVM)Gospel related: CCC 2612

FOCUS: Joy and turmoil exist side by side in our lives.

There is an episode in the old comedy series “Everybody Loves Raymond” where his parents are stressing out when they realize the gift of fruit which Ray gives them is not a onetime thing. Fruit will be coming every month for the next year. They simply don’t know how to handle this.

In our first reading, we hear about the tree of life that produces fruit twelve times, once each month. Unlike Ray’s parents in the sitcom, there is no need for us to stress, for like the other images within this reading, the tree and its fruit speak of the good things to come in the kingdom of God.

With this image of the kingdom of God, the Church brings to close another liturgical year. Advent, and a new liturgical year, start tomorrow, and they begin the same way this year ends. (Spoiler alert, tomorrow’s Gospel is an expansion of today’s reading. It’s amazing how the Church does this, isn’t it?)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples to not let their hearts become drowsy. We must remain vigilant, Jesus tells us, and try to remain free from the anxieties of daily life.

So whether it is the last day of the Church year, the beginning of Advent, Lent, Christmastide or the Easter Season, or any other day, we are to stay steadfast and ready for an encounter with our God. Yes, difficult things will and do come our way, but we have been blessed with a faith and with a community of believers that assists us in facing any storm now present or on the horizon.

Our two readings today stand in contrast to each other, as do our lives at times. Our first reading speaks to the glory of the reign of God, and the Gospel speaks of turmoil. Glory and turmoil co-exist more than we sometimes realize, but they are at the heart of our faith: in a God who died and then rose; in a kingdom present and not yet fully realized; in practical daily moments where we welcome the birth of a new child, with joy, and yet may be mourning the death of older loved ones in our lives.

Through it all, when we stay connected to God and follow his instructions, we weather the storms and celebrate the joys of life and, when necessary, we do so at the same time. Yes, the Church year ends today and another starts tomorrow.

Our whole life is a series of beginnings and endings – some filled with joy, others with turmoil. All these things prepare us for the ultimate end and the grand new beginning we will each face some day. Let us not stress over this reality, rather, let us embrace it. May we choose to live our lives focused on what is in store for us in the kingdom of God.

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YEAR CWEEKDAYS I

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2018 FIRST SUNDAY(Lec. 3) OF ADVENT1) Jeremiah 33:14-162) 1 Thessalonians 3:12–4:23) Luke 21:25-28, 34-36Gospel related: CCC 671, 697, 2612

FOCUS: In looking forward to the return of Christ in glory, our hearts are full of hope and expectation.

As we hear today’s readings, two temptations so easily appear: first, we might presume that since we have been waiting so long for the return of Christ, that it won’t be anytime soon and so we will have lots of time to prepare. The other is, we may assume that his return is any moment now, so that we live in fear of that great day – frozen and unable to hope or to embrace life’s adventure. Neither of these temptations is worth embracing. Instead, we look forward to his return, and aswe wait, we use the time to grow in our relationship with the Lord, while understanding that this world is not our ultimate home.

Today’s Gospel can seem very sobering. Jesus doesn’t mince his words – there is going to be a reckoning, a judgment – and we do not know when. But we know it is coming, and therefore we need to be vigilant, prayerful and ready. This is not a pious platitude, but a tenet of faith that we profess in our creed. The judgment will be a real one; the review of our life with its many choices and options will be laid out before us in the bright light of God’s revelation and mercy.

But there are also two other themes in this Gospel passage that we need in order to have the full picture. First, as Christians, we are encouraged to stand tall in the knowledge that our redeemer is at hand, and to hold fast to the hope that our faith gives us even in times of trial and tribulation. We know the final outcome in the great battle between good and evil – Christ’s triumph over death. Our task is to ensure that we are on that winning side by living lives worthy of him. We cannot take it for granted, but instead daily renew our commitment to fulfill the hope that is within us – and live our lives in the sure and certain knowledge that our redemption is at hand.

Second, as Christians we are called to be realistic, to face up to the fact that our world is broken and in need of healing, and yet we are never hopeless. Indeed, the Christian view is to see imperfection not as a lost cause but as an opportunity for healing and redemption. All is never lost until that moment of final judgment.

This is what we celebrate in the Advent season – a time of preparation and anticipation. We look forward to the coming of Christ, and as we look forward we strive to be vigilant, prayerful and worthy to stand before him when he comes in glory.

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Monday, December 3, 2018 MONDAY(Lec. 175) OF ADVENT1) Isaiah 2:1-5 - FIRST WEEK2) Matthew 8:5-11 (OBL. MEM.

Saint Francis Xavier,Priest)Gospel related: CCC 543, 1386, 2610

FOCUS: True faith in God is not dependent on the results of our prayers.

In the Gospel of Matthew, a centurion makes an appeal to Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant. Jesus responds, definitively, saying, I will come and cure him, but the centurion, speaking from a position of confidence in Jesus, humbly states he is not worthy to have Jesus come to his home. Jesus recognizes the true faith of the centurion, and praises him for having faith in the power and promise of God, even before that power and promise is demonstrated. From that moment, the centurion’s faith has been held up as a model of trust in Jesus.

Centurions were Roman soldiers, and as this centurion acknowledged in his conversation with Jesus, he was in charge of soldiers and completely understood the authority that goes with such a position. All he would have to do is tell people what to do and they would do it. But, with Jesus, he was not making a forceful command when he asked that he heal his servant. He was speaking from a position of humility and faith. He was a Gentile, and his faith in Jesus was reflected in his confidence that Jesus would heal his servant. Even a powerful Roman soldier was subject to the true power of God when it came to miraculous healings. There was a limit to the soldier’s power.

It is interesting that this person of strength and authority – this centurion of the Roman army – is held up by Jesus as the sole person in all of Israel who has such faith. Jesus indicates that even those who anticipate enjoying the heavenly banquet alongside Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will not hold a place of honor due to their lack of faith.

There are reasons that the healing of the centurion’s servant, which we know from the entire Gospel to have happened, is not actually included in the passage proclaimed today. One of those reasons might be this: our trust is not that God will always give us exactly what we want, but that he loves us and is always present to us – that he always gives us what we need, and that eternal life is given to all who seek him. We are confident in this, no matter the outcome of our prayerful pleadings. Challenging? Yes, of course, but notice that the centurion’s faith did not come after the healing, but was expressed before. Our faith, also, is not dependent on the outcome, but is centered on the God who first called to us, and on our humble response as we trust in him.

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Tuesday, December 4, 2018 TUESDAY(Lec. 176) OF ADVENT1) Isaiah 11:1-10 - FIRST WEEK2) Luke 10:21-24 (Opt. Mem.

Saint John Damascene,Priest and Doctorof the Church)

Gospel related: CCC 1083, 2603

FOCUS: Let us share the Good News with childlike fervor.

A little child will guide those who live in the peaceful kingdom that Isaiah described in today’s first reading. Jesus praised his Father for revealing the mysteries of his kingdom, not to intellectuals, but to the childlike. What is it about little children?

Little children are honest. We know exactly what they’re thinking and feeling. Maybe that is one reason they’re so trusting. Hypocrisy wouldn’t occur to them. Also, little ones haven’t had time to become arrogant or close-minded. With limited experience of their own, children accept what parents, siblings, teachers and others tell them at face value. Because so much of the world is new to them, children are open to new experiences.

They’re especially open to love – wherever it comes from. Little ones don’t care about someone’s social status, bank account or intellect. They know who treats them kindly and who they feel safe with. They’re receptive to love – and when they give it, it’s genuine.

Those same qualities – honesty, open-mindedness, trust and humility – create an environment where faith, peace and love can thrive. No wonder God can reveal the mysteries of his kingdom of love to those who are childlike. They’re the ones most open to receive it.

We, as adults, spend a great deal of time acquiring knowledge, which is a good thing. The risk we run is that the more knowledge we acquire, the more likely we are to think we have all the answers. We might rely too heavily on what we think we know or on what the world considers shrewd priorities: money, power, notoriety. Knowledge isn’t bad, but when we make idols out of our own intellects, we can become smug, close-minded and focused on protecting our own egos.

We can refuse to see with childlike trust those truths that counter what logic tells us. Isaiah gives us an example. Those naturally in conflict, like wolves and lambs, can live together in peace with a little child leading them. Now, we don’t need to be naïve. Conflicts will arise at work, at school, at home and elsewhere, but humble acceptance of ourselves and others can alleviate those conflicts and breed mutual respect. We can live in peace in spite of our differences when we let go of our egos and allow ourselves to be led by a childlike heart. It’s no wonder the Prince of Peace chose to come to us as a little child.

Let us now approach that Prince of Peace, as loving children; with hearts and hands ready to receive and accept his body and blood; with childlike fervor to share the Good News we have heard.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2018 WEDNESDAY(Lec. 177) OF ADVENT1) Isaiah 25:6-10a - FIRST WEEK2) Matthew 15:29-37Gospel related: CCC 1329, 1335

FOCUS: True disciples of Jesus care for all people, as does the Lord on his holy mountain.

Today’s Gospel passage is not the only retelling of a time when Jesus fed the multitudes from a very small resource. Why does the author, Matthew, stress this type of miracle in his Gospel? Perhaps it has something to do with the Lord’s mountain, about which the prophet Isaiah proclaims.

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples. All people. Not just people who look like us, or live in our neighborhood, or share our hemisphere. He will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations. The Lord will remove the reproach from the whole earth. Not just from Israelites, but from Gentiles. He will destroy death forever, for all.

Jesus was on that mountain when he fed the multitudes. He healed the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. He was there for any and all who came to him and believed in him. Maybe the repetition of the miraculous feeding with different details was meant by Matthew to draw attention to just that. The Lord God is present to us, and promises us a holy mountain upon which we will have eternal succor. Jesus comes as the Incarnation of that promise, and we – like the disciples and the crowds – may choose to follow, believe and be nourished.

Jesus provided a feast so great for all the people that there were baskets of leftovers. But Jesus did not feed the people alone. He gave the food to his disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. And the disciples did not give food only to Jewish people. They did not only tend to the healthy in the crowd. The disciples gave the food from Jesus to all people who asked for, and accepted it – who all ate and were satisfied. That is what a disciple of Jesus does: feeds all people. Not only those who look like them or talk like them or live like them or worship like them. A disciple of Jesus cares for all people, as does the Lord himself on his holy mountain.

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Thursday, December 6, 2018 THURSDAY(Lec. 178) OF ADVENT1) Isaiah 26:1-6 - FIRST WEEK2) Matthew 7:21, 24-27 (Opt. Mem.

Saint Nicholas,Bishop)Gospel related: CCC 443, 1821, 1970, 2611, 2826; CSDC70

FOCUS: The teachings of Jesus provide our lives with the solid foundation we need.

In today's first reading, Isaiah calls God the eternal Rock on which Israel is built. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches that those who listen to his words and act on them are like people who build their houses on a foundation of rock, rather than on sand. When the storms of life come, those with the rock foundation will stand strong, while those who built their lives on a sandy foundation – not listening to Jesus or following his teachings – will have nothing on which to stand.

Jesus and Isaiah paint dramatic images in these readings, made even more meaningful by the storms, landslides and other natural disasters that challenge people all over the world. In times of trouble, we need something or someone to hold onto. God provides that someone: his son, Jesus. And as terrible as natural disasters are, adversity, like serious illness, divorce, drug abuse, or loss of a job can be even more soul-challenging. Jesus is there with and for us in each of those times, giving us a place to plant our feet and withstand the assault.

We have to be careful not to misunderstand this offer of help. God never said we would not have rough times. Those times will surely come. The great thing is that we do not have to face them alone. We have the Creator of the Universe, and his Son, the Savior of the World, by our side. Still, bad things do happen to good people. Relying on God to help us through them is what these readings are about. We can trust God to be there, strengthening us, guiding us, helping us make wise decisions. He never forces his way in, however. He waits for us to turn to him, trust him and open ourselves to his guidance.

As we are in the first week of Advent, we have begun our preparations for the coming of the Lord. Today is also the feast of Saint Nicholas, who is honored for his holiness, his defense of the faith, and for his generosity. Because of his acts of charity, he has become associated with gift giving at this time of year. On his feast it is appropriate to be grateful for both material and spiritual gifts. The best gift we have received is our salvation. Let us use this day to thank God for all he has done for us, for the helpers he has sent us, like Saint Nicholas, and for being with us always.

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Friday, December 7, 2018 FRIDAY(Lec. 179) OF ADVENT1) Isaiah 29:17-24 - FIRST WEEK2) Matthew 9:27-31 (OBL MEM

Saint Ambrose,Bishop and Doctorof the Church)

Gospel related: CCC439, 2616

FOCUS: We must dare to ask for great things and have great faith, just like the blind men.

Saint Teresa of Ávila is quoted as saying “You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him.”

The two blind men in today’s Gospel do just that: they asked Jesus for a great thing. The called him Son of David, one of his Messianic titles, and begged Jesus to have pity on them. They believed, deeply, that Jesus could heal them, and ultimately, it was up to them whether this happened. Jesus says, Let it be done for you according to your faith, and their eyes were opened.

As always, our Lord does not force himself upon us. He extends the offer and patiently waits for our response; in this case, for the men to affirm their faith. When they did, a miracle happened.

If Jesus said to us, Let it be done for you according to your faith, what would happen?

The prophet Isaiah describes a land where injustice and ignorance cease. This comes through faith. And there are many small ways we can help bring about that vision: for example, instructing others about the faith, setting a good example of revering God, helping the lowly. Just as during Advent we await the Second Coming of our Savior, we can continue the work of building up the kingdom of God here. But we cannot do this alone; we must ask the Father how we each fit into his plan, and pray for the strength to act.

What if we dared ask Jesus to have pity on us, and on the world, and to use us as his hands and feet to do the Lord’s work? What if we dared to ask him to lead us anywhere for his glory? Our presence here at this Mass, in essence, does just that.

And when Jesus replies to us, Let it be done for you according to your faith, we know what happens first. We come to the altar to be transformed into a people who do as the blind men did: to go out and spread word of him through all that land. As to what else will happen? That is up to us – according to our faith.

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Saturday, December 8, 2018 THE IMMACULATE(Lec. 689) CONCEPTION OF THE1) Genesis 3:9-15, 20 BLESSED VIRGIN MARY2) Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 (Patronal Feastday3) Luke 1:26-38 of the

United States of America)- SOLEMNITY

(Holyday of Obligation)Gospel related: CCC 64, 148, 269, 273, 276, 332, 430, 437, 484, 486, 488, 490, 491, 494, 497, 505, 510, 559, 697, 706, 709, 723, 2571, 2617, 2677, 2812, 2827, 2856; CSDC 59

FOCUS: You have found favor with God.

Today, the Universal Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – the fact that Saint Anne and Saint Joachim conceived Mary without the stain of original sin (St. Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854). She was redeemed from the moment of her conception (CCC 491). Today’s Gospel reading reminds us of why this was so – she was to be the Mother of God. The angel Gabriel announces her role in God’s plan of salvation: this spotless Virgin was to bear the Son of God and she was to call him Jesus – “God saves.”

This poor, young woman from Nazareth had such faith in the plan of God that she said “yes.” Unlike Adam and Eve, Mary was not blinded by the allure of earthly things, nor the trickery of evil, nor the promptings of other humans. She simply responded, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done unto me according to your word. God found in her the acceptance that he had awaited from the beginning. “Without a single sin to restrain her, she gave herself entirely to the person and to the work of her Son” (CCC 494).

What can we learn from Mary? While none of us is perfect like she was perfect, we can certainly see in Mary the model of humility and obedience. Perhaps, in this Advent season, we can focus on God’s plan of salvation and less on the trappings of material things. Perhaps we could better appreciate that we, too, have found favor with God. For the Child which Mary carried in her womb came to redeem each of us and all of us – Christ has saved us, and Christ’s grace continues to sustain us. Mary’s Son would be called holy, the Son of God. He has given us a share in his divine life so that we, too, may be holy.

Paul reminds us of this in the second reading: God … 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 through Jesus Christ … so that we might exist for the praise of his glory.

Can we live up to this? Can we recognize that God has chosen us, too? Can we live a life of holiness? Let us turn to God in prayer and seek to know his plan for us. Let us not hesitate to listen to his answer, because nothing will be impossible for God.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2018 SECOND SUNDAY(Lec. 6) OF ADVENT1) Baruch 5:1-92) Philippians 1:4-6, 8-113) Luke 3:1-6Gospel related: CCC 535

FOCUS: The Lord will purify us, perfect us and prepare us for himself.

Many of us have likely heard the phrase “All roads lead to Rome.” The Roman Empire prided itself on its complex system of roads connecting every part of the empire with the capital. These stone-paved roads stretched throughout Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. They were built by slaves and paid for by taxes from conquered lands. These roads were feats of engineering, passing over hills and mountains, under aqueducts, taking many twists and turns to avoid nature’s obstacles. They were anything but straight.

John the Baptist would have traveled Roman roads many times in his life, as did those who came out into the desert to hear him preach. It was there, where the roads end in the desert, that John tells his disciples to build a new road – one for God’s Son: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John was not telling them to pick up shovels and pick axes. Rather, he prayed that they might pave a way for the love of the Lord to enter their hearts and touch their souls.

John is the last prophet before Jesus, as well as his first disciple. For those willing to undertake this ambitious task of making a straight path for the Lord, John tells them they will be met along the way by God in the flesh. He comes alongside us to assist us in our “road-making” and bridge-building, making winding roads both straight and smooth, by forgiving us our sins and removing obstacles from our path. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The Lord will purify us, perfect us and prepare us for himself.

This road work began in us on the day of our baptism, and it continues until we meet the Lord at our death, as Paul told the Philippians: I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it. To help things along, the Apostle encourages us to increase in knowledge, love and perception, discerning what is of value. This Advent season, what is of greatest value is not the large number of gifts soon to appear under the tree. Rather, it is the gift of God’s only Son who hung on the tree of the cross for us and for our salvation.

During this busy season, we do so much to prepare for the coming of Christmas. Let us make sure we spend at least as much effort this Advent season preparing for the coming of Christ, both his birth in Bethlehem and his return in glory as our King. At this Eucharistic table, we partake of the promise found in the words of Isaiah, and John: and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. May we too, then, prepare the way of the Lord as we go forth and proclaim the Good News we have heard and received.

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Monday, December 10, 2018 MONDAY(Lec. 181) OF ADVENT1) Isaiah 35:1-10 - SECOND WEEK2) Luke 5:17-26Gospel related: CCC 1116

FOCUS: We are called to wait in hope for the Lord’s forgiveness and healing to take root and lead to transformation.

In today’s Gospel, we hear about some men who bring a paralyzed man, maybe a friend, to the Lord. They had obstacles to overcome – carrying him there, figuring out how to get him into such a crowded room, etc. Some might have been deterred at the seemingly impossible task, but not these men. They persevered. And once they had succeeded, once their friend was right in front of Jesus, they waited and hoped. And their hope and their faith were rewarded with forgiveness and healing: their friend was transformed into a new person, able to do what he couldn’t do before. Can we imagine how those men must have felt? The joy at seeing their hope fulfilled?

Many of us have at some point brought a friend, a loved one, a son, a grandchild, to the Lord. And like the men in the Gospel, we probably encountered obstacles, not least among them, our friend or loved one themselves. Our loved one, young or old, who finds the whole thing “boring,” who doesn’t see the point of Church, doesn’t believe in all that “God stuff.” And sometimes, these obstacles deter us and we throw our hands up and give up because it’s too exhausting to argue. Other times, we persevere maybe for no other reason than that we are obstinate.

But maybe the obstacle isn’t other people, maybe it’s us. We want something to happen and to happen now, and to happen just so. Yes, the men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus, but then they had to wait. They had to wait for the Lord to act, and they had to wait and see how their friend responded. They could neither make Jesus nor their friend do what they hoped each would do. But God is merciful, Jesus forgave and healed the paralytic, and he responded instantly to this transformation. Things don’t always work out in just this way, though; sometimes, in God’s mercy, we wait and God blesses us with something – but we do not respond as quickly or as readily as the paralytic did.

And how hard it is to wait with hope for healing and transformation to take root. How hard it is to accept that we can’t make this happen for others – that we must leave the work of forgiveness, healing and transformation in the Lord’s capable hands. But fortunately, the Lord doesn’t leave us to struggle with this challenge alone. He strengthens us in hope and in faith through the gift of his very self in the Eucharist, reminding us that he is always with us – always forgiving us, and always healing and loving us.

So let us wait, in hope, for all that God will do in, through and for us, even as he is doing things right now. Let us persevere in faith, remembering that through the redemption and advocacy made possible in Jesus Christ, we are always, like the paralytic in the story, placed into the middle [and] in front of the Lord.

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Tuesday, December 11, 2018 TUESDAY(Lec. 182) OF ADVENT1) Isaiah 40:1-11 - SECOND WEEK2) Matthew 18:12-14 (Opt. Mem.

Saint Damasus I,Pope)Gospel related: CCC 605, 2822

FOCUS: Jesus teaches that each and every person is precious to the Father.

Despite technology’s ability to build connections with people around the world, research shows that loneliness is becoming epidemic. For those among us who have felt deep pangs of loneliness, depression or low self-esteem at some point, it can be difficult to imagine being loved by someone so much that he or she would go to the far reaches of the earth to rescue us and bring us back into the fold. Yet that is what Jesus proclaims today in the Gospel of Matthew.

The shepherd will leave, not only the majority, but practically his entire flock, to go find the stray. In most cases, the sheep would be watched over by a fellow shepherd, or left in some form of protection. This is not a reckless move by the shepherd. But the parable is not about the shepherd (or human beings in general), but about God: God, whose full and boundless love for us naturally seeks us out. God, whose limitless and uncontainable grace can find us wherever we are. God, whose careful attention to his flock as a whole means no one is left vulnerable while he pursues those who stray.

As the arms, feet and face of Christ for others, we, then, take this as our own mission: to seek out and bring to our Church family those who may have strayed, or who are at the margins. To maintain care for one another within the community, through God’s provision of the Church, while constantly reaching out to find the ones missing from the flock. For “there is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer” (CCC 605).

The Good News to live and share is this: If we, or anyone, has unwittingly strayed too far from God, let us not despair. We will likely find the road back to God will be easier than the road away, because Christ, has noticed, he is pursuing us already, and as soon as we turn back to him, he will put us on his shoulders and carry us back home.

This Advent season, let us, as a church community, cry out the Good News – comforting God’s people – and focus our efforts on making a path of sincere kindness, hope and joy unto to the Lord, bringing with us every stray that may have once been far from the fold.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2018 OUR LADY(Lec. 690A) OF GUADALUPE1) Zechariah 2:14-17 or - FEAST: USA

Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab2) Luke 1:26-38 or

1:39-47NOTE: Or any readings from the Lectionary for Ritual Masses (vol. IV), the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nos. 707-712.Gospel related: CCC 64, 148, 269, 273, 276, 332, 430, 437, 448, 484, 486, 488, 490, 491, 494, 495, 497, 505, 510, 523, 559, 697, 706, 709, 717, 722, 723, 2097, 2571, 2617, 2619, 2675, 2676, 2677, 2812, 2827, 2856; CSDC 59

FOCUS: All people are invited to be a part of the kingdom of God.

Today’s feast, on which we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe, gives us an appreciation for Mary from a different perspective than the one we celebrated recently on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

In 1531, Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a poor Aztec convert to Christianity. She asked him to plead with the bishop of nearby Mexico City to build a church. The bishop countered that he required a sign. When Juan Diego again saw Mary, she directed him, in the middle of the winter, to gather flowers growing on a hillside and to show them to the bishop. When Juan Diego opened the cloak in which he had gathered the flowers, a beautiful image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was revealed. To this day, that cloak continues to inspire pilgrims who journey to Mexico to behold its beauty.

In the sixteenth century, the country that is now Mexico was under Spanish rule, and the native people were subject to the Spaniards. As with many indigenous peoples, they were exposed to many customs and traditions that the newcomers brought, including religion. This is how Christianity first came to the people, and it blossomed with Mary’s appearance to Juan.

During this Advent season, we recall that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to herald good news. Gabriel could have come to any Jewish girl, but he came to a simple girl living in the country. The mother of our Savior was humble – not a person of means or status. Likewise, Mary could have appeared to anyone in Mexico, but instead of revealing herself to a person of religious power and influence, she came to a native peasant with little social standing.

The indigenous people celebrated that Mary came to one of their own. And as a result of her apparitions to a simple man, Christianity truly began to become the religion of the people. In the words of the prophet Zechariah today, Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you. The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe helps all of us to remember that we truly are a catholic Church – a universal Church for all people, in which all people are invited to join, and in which all people ought to be welcomed.

This Catholic Church is where the Body of Christ comes alive. Let us remember the words that Our Lady of Guadalupe spoke to that simple peasant man: “Am I not here, I, who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, the crossing of my arms? Am I not the source of all your joy? What more do you need? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you.” May we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe by making these words come alive for ourselves and for all of our brothers and sisters with whom we rejoice in sharing our faith.

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Thursday, December 13, 2018 THURSDAY(Lec. 184) OF ADVENT1) Isaiah 41:13-20 - SECOND WEEK2) Matthew 11:11-15 (OBL MEM

Saint Lucy,Virgin and Martyr)Gospel related: CCC 523, 719

FOCUS : We have been given the gift of Jesus Christ, who enables us to be strong and to follow him.

As we proceed on our journey through Advent, we encounter readings which give us food for thought. God gave us the Scriptures in order for us to know him better and to walk with him more closely. We have some very powerful readings today which may have provoked some questions as we heard them. What is God saying to us?

In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus is speaking to a crowd of people. He declares that there is no one greater than John the Baptist. What a surprise it must have been for them to hear Jesus say this, since their history includes such figures as Abraham, Moses, Elijah and Elisha. Now John the Baptist was being called the greatest? But Jesus is not finished. He adds, Yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.

Jesus is pointing out the difference between human status, and status in the kingdom of heaven. Of all those born of women, there is none greater than John. Why? Because he is the one who points most directly, most tangibly, and most historically present to the promise of God found in Isaiah: their redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. And yet, because of this redemption, where all are now able to see and know, observe and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, divisions and inequality cease for those living within the fullness of the kingdom.

The kingdom of heaven on earth has suffered adversity from the very beginning. Believers from the Old Testament, the New Testament and up until today have faced challenges and persecution for their faith. This has meant martyrdom for many. But it is not always so dire. Sometimes it means that we have interior struggles as we stay faithful to God and his Church. Many of us wrestle with inadequacies when we believe we've failed God. Perhaps we haven't spent enough time in prayer or adoration. Perhaps we haven't been charitable. We have defects and weaknesses, probably too many to name.

But thanks be to God! He knows all that about us. He knows our missteps and faults. And he's given us a path to the fullness of his kingdom in heaven, despite our actions, if we continually turn to him for forgiveness through prayer. He has given us the sacrament of reconciliation so that we can be forgiven for our sins. We have a way to reach him through the body and blood of Jesus Christ. God does not want us to fail. He has equipped us from the very beginning to be part of his kingdom of heaven here on earth, and in its fullness in his presence for eternity.

This is the message of hope our Lord has for us. Let us use this time of Advent to turn our hearts toward him through reconciliation and the Eucharist. The sacraments are here to bring us closer to God, and ultimately into his kingdom. They are the best gifts from God, given to his people. Let us accept them as the gifts they are and move forward.

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Friday, December 14, 2018 FRIDAY(Lec. 185) OF ADVENT1) Isaiah 48:17-19 - SECOND WEEK2) Matthew 11:16-19 (OBL MEM

Saint John of the Cross,Priest and Doctorof the Church)

FOCUS: Let us bring prayer and reflection into our Christmas preparations.

It is one thing not to know what we want to order for dinner when we go out to a nice restaurant, because there are so many great choices. It is an entirely different matter when we don’t know what we want in life. In the latter instance, we sometimes resort to making excuses for not moving forward in fulfilling the goals we have set for ourselves.

Isaiah speaks of God like a loving parent, setting before his children what is good for them. God shows the people of Israel the way they are to go. Prosperity is theirs if they keep God’s commandments. As with many children, Israel has to keep learning the hard way, thinking they know better.

Now it is true that sometimes children or grandchildren understand some things better than older generations. Take, for example, our current phones, computers or any other electronic device. “Truly the children will lead them” rings true here! However, when it comes to showing kindness and compassion, care and concern for others, and general maturity about who and what is good for us, it is best to not rely on children. For learning to do these things well comes through observing the good and not-so-good example of others.

This may be the point Jesus is making in the Gospel today. While on the one hand, we know that to be open to receiving the gift of the kingdom requires having faith like a child, Jesus is chastising the crowds for behaving with childish immaturity, and not making a decision about what they want – refusing to take what is freely being given to them.

We are halfway through Advent, give or take a day, and it benefits us to reflect on how we are doing in our preparation to celebrate Christmas. Are we present with childlike openness, or are we struggling to choose from all that is in front of us, sacred and worldly? So many people are stressed out because they have once again allowed themselves to become too busy this time of year. We might counter that stress by finding the quiet moments we need to prepare a room for Jesus.

There are many ways to do this. We can try combining our prayer time with our gift-wrapping time, taking special effort to pray specifically for the needs of a person as we wrap his or her present. We can reflect on Jesus as the Light of the World as we light up our homes inside and out. In practicing hospitality for guests, we can formulate a habit of welcoming Christ in one another, and into our hearts. We can make room for Jesus in our family celebrations through the use of Scripture, special Christmas blessings and Catholic traditions. Finally, before opening any gifts together, we can acknowledge the greatest gift ever to be received, and the giver who provides it.

This is a season of joy and anticipation. Let us allow God to bring that about in our preparations – that we may grow in our appreciation for all he has done for us. And then let us tell the whole world what we have experienced.

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Saturday, December 15, 2018 SATURDAY(Lec. 186) OF ADVENT1) Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11 - SECOND WEEK2) Matthew 17:9a, 10-13Gospel related: CCC 718

FOCUS: Let us proclaim the Good News of the Lord.

The context and description of the scene in today’s Gospel is not without purpose. Jesus and some of his disciples – in this case Peter, James and John – are coming down from the mountain. The mountain upon which they had just witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, and the appearance of Moses and Elijah. A mountain which may or may not have direct historical or geographical reference, according to Biblical scholarship, but certainly has a theological one for Matthew’s Gospel.

For on that mountain – that is, high above the day-to-day and temporal reality of the world – the disciples have had a vision of and a proximity to the kingdom of heaven in its fullness. A kingdom initiated on earth but not yet come to complete fruition. Because of this, the disciples cannot remain there. So they descend with Jesus; they descend back to the plains and the crowds, in order to witness to the Good News. But they have a question as they do so – about Elijah.

Jesus answers them, and we are told that the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the BaptistHow did they understand this? In his reply, Jesus both affirms the scribal doctrine, and expands upon it. We know from Sirach’s words today what the disciples already knew about Elijah – he was a man of zeal, a preacher of reform and repentance who prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel about the coming of the Messiah.

But Jesus’ words convey a further truth not as obvious to the disciples: since Elijah’s time, the expectation of and anticipation for the Messiah had been corrupted by error and worldly depravity. Therefore a “new Elijah,” so to speak, was brought forth by God to herald the Christ. A man of zeal, a preacher of reform and repentance, who would baptize with water before Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

As both prophet, and herald-by-sight of the Messiah – Behold the Lamb of God, we know he said – John stands as a metaphor for all of us to come down from the mountain. That is, in baptism and by the grace of the sacraments, we too have had a “mountaintop encounter” with the fullness of the kingdom. The Eucharist is a window into heaven, and a bridge between heaven and earth.

And just as the disciples could not stay on that mountain, and John the Baptist could not help but announce the Messiah when he saw him, we, too, have a role in proclaiming the Good News. Let us pray for the zeal to do so.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2018 THIRD SUNDAY(Lec. 9) OF ADVENT1) Zephaniah 3:14-18a2) Philippians 4:4-73) Luke 3:10-18Gospel related: CCC 535, 696, 2447

FOCUS: Rejoice in the Lord, again I say rejoice!

This third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday – a rejoicing reflected in rose vestments and the choice of Scriptures. We are more than halfway through our season of vigilant preparation and persevering prayer, as we ready ourselves to both celebrate the coming of Christ in history and look forward to his return in glory. For Christians, this theme of rejoicing lies at the heart of our faith. Even if we are struggling with life’s great issues, we are still called to be people of joy and to be ready to share that joy with others.

So what does this spiritual or holy joy look like? Clearly, it is not the same as pleasure or human satisfaction – these are emotions that are short-lived and derived from the external, they are what we perceive and experience. Spiritual joy arises from our interior life – our relationship with the divine. Like a well bubbling up from the depths of the earth, spiritual joy wells up even in the midst of life’s struggles and becomes the hallmark of the true Christian.

Zephaniah is exultant in his description of God’s faithfulness and promise. Saint Paul, too, wants his community in Philippi to be joyful, not with a superficial rejoicing but with a joy that flows from the Lord as they await his imminent return in glory. To maintain this joy, Paul reminds them to stay prayerful at all times.

Yet in the midst of all this rejoicing, we hear another voice –the Baptist calling us to repentance and justice But it is the question put to John that catches our attention – what should we do? It’s a practical question, and John has practical answers. They are not to retreat from life, but be converted to a just way of living. They are not simply to put on sack-cloth and ashes or retreat to the Temple, but be sensitive to the needs of justice – to be sharers rather than takers. Tax-collectors are not to resign but be just, soldiers are not told to desert but to use their power fairly. This is a Gospel of people power, where the message can change the very face of the world.

And what must we do? How can we bring about change in our world? As spouses and family members, we can strive to love with a God-like love. As parents and guardians, we can teach our children that their true value lies not in material things or the latest gadget or brand, but in how they treat others and serve the less fortunate. As civic-minded people, by using our freedom to serve our community. As employers and employees, by paying a just wage and working hard. And as Christians, by being faithful to the Gospel and rejoicing in God’s presence and promise! The list is endless – and it is only when we are faithful to Christ that we will know real joy and understand the challenging hope of Advent.

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Monday, December 17, 2018 MONDAY(Lec. 193) OF ADVENT1) Genesis 49:2, 8-10 - THIRD WEEK2) Matthew 1:1-17Gospel related: CCC 437; CSDC 378

FOCUS: In order to understand the future, we have to understand the past.

When we drive down the road, we watch not only what is in front of us, but also what is behind us. “Look ahead and look back” is also what our two readings say today. The selection from Genesis gives us Jacob’s farewell discourse to his sons prior to his death. In this address, he looks forward to the future of his children – whose descendants formed the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Special preeminence is given to Judah, for the land of Judah would become the heart of David’s earthly kingdom.

In today’s Gospel, Matthew looks back at the genealogy of Jesus, starting with the father of Israel – Abraham – and concluding with Jesus, the Messiah. Matthew is saying, “don’t forget the past,” while also noting that there is something special straight ahead. Knowledge of our past makes our future clearer.

On the surface, these opening verses of Matthew’s Gospel may seem little more than a long list of names. But the audience of Matthew’s day was very aware of their significance in salvation history. There are three sets of fourteen generations listed – from Abraham to David, from David to the exile and from the exile to Jesus. The significance of the number fourteen is still discussed by biblical scholars, but the bottom line is that David, the king, is directly linked to Jesus, the Messiah.

Also noteworthy in this genealogy is that Jesus is described in verse one as the son of David, the son of Abraham. This recognition of David ahead of Abraham, the father of Israel, makes the point right up front that Jesus is the royal Messiah – fulfilling Old Testament prophecies. In the words of the Church, “Jesus of Nazareth [is] the definitive incarnation of what the Old Testament foretold about the figure of a king” (CSDC 378).

These readings link the first books of the Old and New Testaments. In fact, the Greek words that open Matthew’s Gospel “could literally be translated ‘book of Genesis,’” according to the authors of The Gospel of Matthew(Mitch, Sri, 2000). The readings should broaden our awareness of what Christmas really means. It’s not just about a baby being born. It is the significant event in salvation history. The readings show that God has a plan – that he called Joseph to take Mary as his wife, “so that Jesus … should be born of Joseph’s spouse into the messianic lineage of David” (CCC 437).

In the next week, let’s ponder the plan God has for us, and thus enjoy the fullness of Christmas.

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Tuesday, December 18, 2018 TUESDAY(Lec. 194) OF ADVENT1) Jeremiah 23:5-8 THIRD WEEK2) Matthew 1:18-25Gospel related: CCC 333, 430, 437, 452, 486, 497, 744, 1507, 1846, 2666, 2812

FOCUS: We await in joyful hope, the coming of the Lord.

As we continue through Advent, this third week is one which encourages us to be joyful in our waiting for the Christ child. We are edging ever-closer to the great light that shines on the world in that modest stable in Bethlehem. This is a busy time of year for many of us, and we may have found that the weeks leading up to this one have been anything but peaceful and restful. But as we move deeper into this beautiful liturgical season, it is not too late for us to prepare our hearts properly.

It is not uncommon that when we get busy, our prayer life can suffer tremendously. Those few quiet moments we had dedicated to daily prayer can be pushed aside with the rush of family or work responsibilities, and our preparations for our Christmas celebrations. It would be good for us, during this third week of Advent, to return to the joy we experience whenever we turn closer to God.

Let us look to Scripture for guidance. Let us step into the words of the prophet Jeremiah. They are words of hope; words of salvation. There will be security! There will be justice! Whatever may be happening in our own lives, we will find our strength in the Lord, just as the people of Israel did. Standing amidst the rubble, as Jerusalem’s people were sent into exile, Jeremiah suffered greatly as he spoke out against its conquerors. What rubble do we find ourselves standing in today? What is causing us great suffering? Relief can be found in the event described in today’s Gospel – the coming of Jesus.

There is much to be joyful about as we anticipate the coming of our Lord – both today, and at the end of time – when we hope to join him for all eternity in heaven. But to be able to withstand the trials of this life, and face them with hearts full of love, we must cling to the One who saves us. Let us strive this week not to allow our daily concerns to cast a shadow over the beauty of the Incarnation and all that we receive through this miraculous event. Let us dedicate ourselves today to make an even greater effort to lean in, closer to God, so that we may be overwhelmed by his gift, rather than by our trials.

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Wednesday, December 19, 2018 WEDNESDAY(Lec. 195) OF ADVENT1) Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a - THIRD WEEK2) Luke 1:5-25Gospel related: CCC 332, 523, 696, 716, 717, 724, 718, 1070, 2684

FOCUS: God is good and his timing is perfect; surrendering to his plan for us ultimately brings deep joy.

In today’s first reading, an angel tells the wife of Manoah – a woman who’d been unable to have children – that she would bear a son to be consecrated for God’s special purpose. Her son, Samson, would deliver the Israelites from the Philistines, who had been oppressing God’s people for forty years (Judges 13:1).

In the Gospel, we hear about another childless couple. An angel of the Lord announces to Zechariah that he and his wife Elizabeth, both of advanced age, would bear a son to be named John, who would fulfill God’s purpose. This John, whom we know as John the Baptist, would prepare the way of the Lord and bring many people back to God.

During their long, childless years, both couples might have felt impatient, sad, and discouraged. Imagine the joy they must have felt when their deepest desires finally aligned with God’s plan.

The child born to Manoah and his wife had a role to fulfill at the right time. Samson was chosen by God to deliver his people from their oppressors. We may never know why it took forty years for the time to be right for Samson’s birth, but God’s timing is always perfect.

Similarly, although Elizabeth and Zechariah endured many years of unfulfilled longing, their child was to prepare the way of the coming Messiah. John the Baptist came into the world at exactly the right time to fulfill the plan God had in mind for him as herald of our Savior.

God knows the deepest yearnings of our hearts. Even so, it’s not always about us and our personal desires. Of course we feel impatient, sad or discouraged when our longings don’t seem to be satisfied. In spite of our feelings, we can be reassured that God has a plan for us and his plans are always for good.

Difficult as it is to wait, we can trust God. When the time is right and we’re ready, God will provide all that’s needed for our well-being. We might not get what we want. On the other hand, we might get what we want but not according to our timetable or according to our specifications. Even so, we can trust that we’ll be given all that God has in mind for us – and what he has in mind for us is our greatest good. When we surrender our will to God’s, we may not always find instant happiness. What we will find is a deep joy that comes from being in harmony with his plan.

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Thursday, December 20, 2018 THURSDAY(Lec. 196) OF ADVENT1) Isaiah 7:10-14 - THIRD WEEK2) Luke 1:26-38Gospel related: CCC 64, 148, 269, 273, 276, 332, 430, 437, 484, 486, 488, 490, 491, 494, 497, 505, 510, 559, 697, 706, 709, 723, 2571, 2617, 2677, 2812, 2827, 2856; CSDC 59

FOCUS: Like Mary, we should place our trust in God and not in the kingdoms of the world.

Ahaz, King of Judah, was afraid. His throne was threatened by the combined forces of Syria and Israel. His advisor, the prophet Isaiah, pled with him to be faithful and courageous, to look only to the Lord for help. The Lord even addressed Ahaz directly, instructing him to ask for a sign that would confirm the prophet’s promise to the king of the Lord’s protection.

But Ahaz was weak. His mind was closed. He refused to ask the Lord for a sign. He turned instead to Assyria and became a servant of its king instead of a servant of the Most High God. In doing so, he became instrumental in undermining, both spiritually and politically, the very foundation of the kingdom of Judah.

But the Lord would still give a sign, not to persuade Ahaz, but to confirm the truth of the prophet’s words: that God would always protect God’s people. The sign is: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. This name means “God with us.” And we now know it was not a ruler who would bring God’s promise to fulfillment. It was instead a lowly maiden from Nazareth, a poor village in Galilee – an obscure town of about 150 people.

She was afraid, this young woman named Mary. The words of the angel troubled her greatly, and Gabriel had to tell her not to fear. But unlike Ahaz, who disregarded the words of God’s messenger Isaiah, Mary listened to the words of God’s messenger, Gabriel. And she accepted the sign God gave to her, that her relative Elizabeth – who was too old to bear a child – had actually conceived and was in the sixth month of her pregnancy. Unlike Ahaz, Mary was faithful. Unlike Ahaz, she was courageous, thereby becoming instrumental in bringing to the world a king whose kingdom will never end – a king who will rule over the house of Jacob forever.

No one gathered here is an ancient king or a first-century maiden. But our world is no less one of fear and conflict, where great faithfulness and courage is often required. When we face those moments where difficult decisions need to be made, it is the example of the young girl, and not the great ruler, that we ought to follow. We should place our trust in God and not in the kingdoms of this world. We ought to listen to God’s messengers in our lives and recognize the signs that confirm God’s promise of protection. We should remember always that Emmanuel means “God with us.”

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Friday, December 21, 2018 FRIDAY(Lec. 197) OF ADVENT1) Song of Songs 2:8-14 or - THIRD WEEK

Zephaniah 3:14-18a (Opt. Mem.2) Luke 1:39-45 Saint Peter Canisius,

Priest and Doctorof the Church)Gospel related: CCC 148, 448, 495, 523, 717, 2676, 2677

FOCUS: When we accept God's plan for our lives, miraculous things can happen.

We started this week, liturgically, with shouts of joy. Gaudete Sunday encouraged us that the Savior would soon be coming. We continue that rejoicing through today's readings, especially in the passage from the Song of Songs. This is a beautiful love poem, using the metaphor of human love as a way to begin understanding the love God has for us. God is the lover and we, his people, are the beloved.

The Gospel continues the theme in this Advent preparation for the Christ child, sent by God [who] so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life(John 3:16). Yes, the love God has for us was ultimately shown through the life, death and resurrection of his son, Jesus.

Today's Gospel is an early picture of Jesus, even before he was born, causing rejoicing in the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth, relatives of Mary and parents of John the Baptist. John, still in his mother's womb, jumped for joy at the presence of the unborn but living Jesus.

Both Elizabeth and Mary were participating in miraculous births. They both accepted that God was using them to establish his kingdom on earth. Neither knew what this meant, exactly, but they trusted God, and gratefully accepted his plan for their lives. In addition, neither the older Elizabeth nor the young Mary understood how these babies came to be living within them. Elizabeth was beyond childbearing age, and Mary had never been intimate with a man. All they knew was that God had entered their lives in a very special way, and that love was at the center of whatever would be happening.

As Mary approached her cousin's home the Holy Spirit, who is love, filled Elizabeth, prompting her to proclaim the goodness of the Lord and honoring Mary for her faith that God would fulfill his word. She speaks of Mary's unborn child as the fruit of her womb. What a beautiful way to think of a baby! It is like a glorious tree giving its sweet yield.

Today's liturgy is filled with metaphors and poetry. They raise us above the normal conversation, especially as the secular aspect of the Christmas celebration gets closer. May the beauty of these words and images help us all stay focused on the wonder of Christ's birth and the love that is ours every day.

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Saturday, December 22, 2018 SATURDAY(Lec. 198) OF ADVENT1) 1 Samuel 1:24-28 - THIRD WEEK2) Luke 1:46-56Gospel related: CCC148, 273, 422, 706, 722, 971, 2097, 2465, 2599, 2619, 2675, 2676, 2807, 2827; CSDC 59

FOCUS: Hannah and Mary provide models of thanksgiving through sacrifice and praise for God’s goodness.

In today’s readings, we see two holy women’s responses to experiencing God’s favor.

Hannah was barren, and begged the Lord to give her a child. We learn that when her son Samuel was born, Hannah took him to the Temple along with sacrificial offerings. Then, she also did something almost unimaginable: she left Samuel in the Temple. But it is important to realize she was not abandoning her son, but rather recognizing that every good gift comes from God, including children. In thanksgiving for the miracle of bearing a son, she returns Samuel to God, the author of all life. As she leaves, the next chapter begins with her singing a song of praise to the Lord not unlike Mary’s Magnificat.

That brings us to today’s Gospel, in which we hear Mary’s song of praise as she exclaims to Saint Elizabeth: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

It sounds as if the words are ready to burst from her soul to praise the Lord.

Let us imagine Mary at this moment. She has just traveled about ninety miles of rough, hilly terrain while newly pregnant – a true feat, as any mother will confirm. She has arrived at the home of her kinspeople, Elizabeth and Zachariah, exhausted and dirty. Our Blessed Mother, already carrying the infant Jesus, was surely wondering how her story would play out – betrothed and with child, having been visited by an angel and told strange tidings.

And yet, she responds beautifully: with a canticle of joy and thanksgiving that has been prayed for two millennia. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation, Mary says. What was true for Hannah was true for Mary, and it is true for us as well. Our God is a Father who remember[s] his promise of mercy, even when our prayers are answered in ways strange-to-us, and even when the answer is a gentle “no” when we want it to be yes.

What we see today is a proper way to respond to God with joy and thanksgiving. Both women worship God, Hannah with sacrifice and Mary with praise, and both glorify God while remaining humble – Hannah in dedicating her son and Mary in her Magnificat. The Church teaches us: “To adore God is to praise and exalt him and to humble oneself, as Mary did in the Magnificat, confessing with gratitude that he has done great things and holy is his name” (CCC 2097).

Do we give thanks to God, even when life is complicated, difficult or uncertain? With Hannah and Mary as our models, let’s thank him now for filling up the lowly – us – with good things as we prepare our hearts to receive Jesus in the Eucharist.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2018 FOURTH SUNDAY(Lec. 12) OF ADVENT1) Micah 5:1-4a2) Hebrews 10:5-103) Luke 1:39-45Gospel related: CCC 148, 448, 495, 523, 717, 2676, 2677

FOCUS: In this season of wonder, let us contemplate the gift that Jesus is to us.

Today, as we begin this very short Fourth Week of Advent, the readings give us much to reflect on about Jesus – God’s gift to all of us. Micah tells the Israelites that from Bethlehem shall come a ruler, whose origin is from of old, and he will stand firm and shepherd his flock, God’s people. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus did not come to offer God holocausts and sin offerings, but obedience to his Father’s will. Finally, Elizabeth, formerly barren, is with child and she greets as Lord the unborn child that her young kinswoman is carrying.

Jesus far exceeds our imagination in both his power and his humility. We are assured throughout the readings about the greatness of Jesus: he is to be the ruler of Israel for all time, with greatness and majesty. Elizabeth recognizes him for who he is: the Son of God, the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb.

Yet, even as we recognize the greatness of Jesus, we know of how humbly and quietly he came into the world – born in a tiny village that was too small to be among the clans of Judah – and born to a young peasant girl who was also a virgin, from an unknown town, Nazareth. He came in humble obedience to God, and lived his entire life following God’s will – even to the point of rejection and of suffering terribly on a cross. As we learn in the Letter to the Hebrews, through Jesus’ offering of himself and his complete obedience to God’s will, he consecrated a people for God, once for all.

As people consecrated to God through Jesus, we can continue in our lives the work our Savior began when he was born in a manger. The readings remind us that God was able to work through a very small town, a humble young virgin, an older woman who was presumed to be sterile, and a tiny baby. This great God – who created a vast universe virtually out of nothing – can also do much in our lives, through our limited resources, time and talents.

So, as we celebrate in three days the gift that God gave us through the Incarnation of his Son, let us also pray that we can be gifts to one another and to those whom God has sent us to serve. Let us pray for obedient hearts, that we might always strive to know God’s will in our lives and to follow that will. Let us pray that, like Elizabeth, we might be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to see God’s work in unexpected places and people.

And let us pray that, like Mary, we can give birth to Jesus in our world today – that through us, Jesus might be the Shepherd of the troubled souls whom we encounter in our daily lives. May we at all times, throughout our lives, allow Jesus to do the will of God through us, in whatever big or small way he chooses.

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Monday, December 24, 2018 MONDAY(Lec. 200) OF ADVENT1) 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 - FOURTH WEEK2) Luke 1:67-79Gospel related: CCC422, 523, 706, 717

FOCUS: The Light of Christ has come into the world to illuminate our darkness.

Today concludes the fourth week of Advent. We have been waiting and preparing for the celebration of the birth of our Savior and his coming at the end of time. These days of preparation may have brought us a mixture of joyful moments, and possibly some difficulties as well. Life can be like that. Yet we still have much for which to be thankful. Our Advent waiting may be compared to a time of pregnancy; a time of joy and longing, yet one which can hold the potential for suffering and pain. We may even begin to wonder if our waiting for our Savior will ever end.

The fact is that joy and suffering are necessary ingredients in our preparation to welcome the Savior of the World into our hearts. We are not alone if we think that we have difficulty preparing to receive Emmanuel, “God with us,” into our lives Advent after Advent.

In our first reading, King David stumbles in his efforts to prepare a place for God in his life. He is a great king, and he assumes that he knows what God needs. God disagrees. David thinks he should build a house for God that is equal to or better than his new palace of cedar. God thinks differently. God instead recalls for David the marvelous deeds that God has and will bring about. It was God who did everything for David – taking him from the pasture and making him king. God reminds him of his promises to provide for David’s prosperity with a homeland, as well as protection from their enemies. God wants David to realize that everything that he is and all that he has accomplished is the result of God’s initiative, not David’s.

In our Gospel reading today, Zechariah does just the opposite of David, as we see. He sings a song of praise to God – not only for the gift of his newborn son, John – but for all that God has done in faithfulness to the covenant with Abraham and his descendants. As we look to the birth of our Savior and to the unfolding of the Christmas season, we, too, have the opportunity to remember all that God has accomplished in our lives. The Canticle of Zechariah can be our song of preparation as we wait these final few hours for the coming of our Savior, both now and at the end of time. His song can help bring our Advent to a fruitful close just as it does in today’s Gospel passage.

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Three Homilies are given for the Solemnity of Christmas: Vigil, Night, and Day ~ Holy Day of Obligation.

CHRISTMAS, 2018 - VIGIL THE NATIVITY(Lec. 13) OF THE LORD1) Isaiah 62:1-5 - SOLEMNITY2) Acts 13:16-17, 22-25 (Vigil Mass)3) Matthew 1:1-25 or 1:18-25Gospel related: CCC 333, 430, 437, 452, 486, 497, 744, 1507, 1846, 2666, 2812; CSDC 378

FOCUS: God has a plan – a plan to offer us salvation and fill us with his love.

A difficult challenge in many Christian circles is to attempt to read the whole Bible in a year. In doing this, a person begins with the Book of Genesis with the creation of the world and ends with the new heavens and the new earth in Revelation; they begin with Adam and end with Jesus. What becomes abundantly clear as a person works their way through the Bible is that this is a love story. The entire Bible is a love story, a real-life tale of God seeking after us. From the very beginning of time, God has had a plan – a plan to offer us salvation and to fill us with his love. That plan finds its realization today. God has entered into human history, He has taken on our nature; he is Emmanuel – God is with us.

Today we celebrate the fact that God has pursued us with reckless love. That throughout all of human history, he never gave up on us, but continued to call us into a relationship with him. The glory that we experience today is that Jesus freely chose to take on our nature in order to offer us salvation. No more shall people call you “Forsaken,” or your land “Desolate,” Isaiah says, but you shall be called “My Delight”, and your land “Espoused.” For the Lord delights in you. This delight is not just a feeling or sentiment, but has resulted in action – today Jesus Christ is born for us.

But we must recognize that God will never force himself upon us. He will call and invite, but never demand. Joseph models a proper response to God’s invitation. Even when he doesn’t completely understand, even when he’s confused about how or why God is acting in a certain way, he still chooses to obey. Because of this, Joseph took Mary into his home to care for her and protect her, and Jesus was born. The angel had promised him, She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. When we participate and obey God’s plan for us, amazing things will happen.

As we celebrate God’s love for us during this Christmas season, we recognize that God wants to work in and through us like he did with Joseph and Mary. In following God’s plan for our life, we are able to bring Jesus into the world.

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CHRISTMAS, 2018 - NIGHT THE NATIVITY(Lec. 14) OF THE LORD1) Isaiah 9:1-6 - SOLEMNITY2) Titus 2:11-14 (Mass at Night)3) Luke 2:1-14Gospel related: CCC 333, 437, 448, 486, 515, 525, 559, 695, 725

FOCUS: In the beauty of Christmas, God embraces our humanity so that we may embrace his divinity.

Christmas is a time of year that seems to naturally encourage us to share greetings of peace and love, revealed in the tender hugs we often exchange with one another. We share these expressions of mutual affection as a way of showing our love and support for one another, and as a way to grow in relationship with one another. There is something about the words and gestures that we exchange at Christmas that reveals a sort of vulnerability that we might not otherwise show at other times of the year.

The vulnerability and love that we so easily show one another at Christmas mirrors God’s own vulnerability and love for us in the great mystery of the Incarnation. Each year at Christmas, we recall that the Son of God has embraced us and all humanity in a tender yet powerful way.

When Jesus was born in the Bethlehem manger, God came to us with a human face. In the Incarnation, the all-powerful God of the Universe embraced the fragile human race as a tiny, vulnerable baby. In a manner beyond the power of speech, God shared a greeting of peace with us on that first Christmas night, and drew us into a warm and loving embrace.

At Christmas, we remember that God not only chose to embrace us, but that he wanted to do so. After centuries of holy men and women – of prophets, priests and kings, and their unceasing efforts to speak and act on behalf of God – God made a definitive statement, not acting remotely or from a distance, but rather coming in person to show how much he desires a personal relationship with each and every one of us. Just as the tiny Christ child was embraced and lovingly placed in the manger, that same tiny Christ child offered a loving embrace of the entire human race, showing in his tender love a better way for us to live as the children of God.

In the quiet beauty of Christmas, we are reminded that Jesus chose to embrace our human frailty, and to begin the process of lifting us heavenward. In time, his embrace would cause him to take upon himself even our faults and shortcomings, in order to do for us what we could never do for ourselves: be our Savior. In so doing, Jesus encourages us to embrace a better way of living – a holy way of living – a way that leads to life in its fullness. In the midst of the miracle that is Christmas, Jesus teaches us that the fullness of life comes through embracing a way of living that makes us deeply open to and vulnerable to the love and grace of God.

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CHRISTMAS, 2018 - DAY THE NATIVITY(Lec. 16) OF THE LORD1) Isaiah 52:7-10 - SOLEMNITY2) Hebrews 1:1-6 (Mass During the Day)3) John 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-14Gospel related: CCC 151, 241, 268, 291, 423, 445, 454, 461, 473, 496, 504, 505, 526, 530, 594, 612, 705, 706, 717, 719, 1216, 1692, 1996, 2466, 2780, 2787; CSDC 121, 262

FOCUS: The Son of God shares in our human life and we share in his divine life.

Today, the world recalls that the Son of God was born in the small town of Bethlehem. We rightfully celebrate that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. But do we fully appreciate all the ramifications of this greatest Christmas gift?

Soon after today’s celebrated idyllic scene of the birth in the manger – with curious animals, marveling shepherds, adoring wise men – we will begin to see the totality of Christ’s salvific mission. This God-made-man lived on this earth for a very short time, and often under the shadow of persecution and doubt (CCC 530). His parents fled to Egypt, innocent babes were slaughtered, kings saw him as a threat, neighbors didn’t believe him and critics labeled him as a blasphemer. Jesus preached a message of peace and reconciliation, yet some rejected his words. He restored people to health and brought them back to life, yet accepted his own death on a cross. Finally, he rose triumphant from the grave. We know this Jesus. We know the rest of his story.

Today, the beginning of John’s Gospel reminds us of the source of that story – Jesus’ divinity. He was God who existed at the beginning of time. He was God the Son who knew God the Father and revealed him to anyone who would listen. He was God who was conceived in human form by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet he was a God who knew human hearts and understood human frailties. The very purpose of his Incarnation was to raise us up, to save us from our sins, to put us back into right relationship with God, and to give us, once again, a share in the divine life. God has spoken to us through the Son.

As we busy ourselves with activities today, let us take time to marvel at our participation in the divine life. Made in God’s image, we, too, are children of God, born of God in baptism. From the fullness of Christ, we have all received grace. Sinners though we are, we have been redeemed from a life of sin. Self-centered though we may be, we are capable of love. Skeptical though we may be, we have been blessed with the ability to see the good in others. Selfish though we may be, we have been moved to compassion for the immigrant, the poor and the sick.

Long after the manger in Bethlehem and the grave in Jerusalem, Christ continues to share his divine life with us. Christ is present at every Mass we offer, at every sacrament we celebrate, at every blessing we pray. The Word is present when every word of his Scripture is proclaimed. Christ is present in every jail cell, in every sick room, in every lonely corner. He is present when we invoke his name in prayer, and even when we do not. This is how we share in his divine life – imbued with his grace, surrounded by his Spirit, molded by his message. Today and every day, let us be attentive to his sanctifying grace and become what we are truly meant to become.

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Wednesday, December 26, 2018 SAINT STEPHEN,(Lec. 696) THE FIRST MARTYR1) Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 - FEAST2) Matthew 10:17-22Gospel related: CCC 161, 728, 1821

FOCUS: We are called to challenge our own preconceptions and be attentive to ways the Holy Spirit may be speaking to us.

Today’s first reading describes the escalation of tension between Stephen and those who ultimately stone him. In it, we find a contrast between one who had no choice but to speak the words of the Holy Spirit, and those who absolutely refused to listen to the Holy Spirit.

As a listener, we know what is going to happen. We know that Stephen will be stoned if he doesn’t stop speaking. If we were there, we might even say to Stephen, “Stop. Don’t you see that they will kill you?” But Stephen cannot stop. The Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.

Note what the crowd does next. They don’t stone him right away. First, they covered their ears, and then they rush upon him together.

Imagine, for a moment, what type of anger or hatred or fear would drive someone to kill another. Wouldn’t it be out of some sort of self-defense? Not, in this case, a physical self-defense. No, it is a different sort of preservation. Perhaps they so identified with their own concepts of right and wrong, perhaps they were so sure of their own beliefs, that any other possibility would destroy everything they held dear. Who is this Stephen who would threaten all we believe? What could he possibly tell us? Who is he to accuse us? We will close our ears. We will defend our thoughts, our beliefs. And we will do it together – in a crowd, thinking like the crowd, believing like the crowd.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of violence as well – the violence that people will commit rather than accept the witness of the Holy Spirit: Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child.

The challenge for us today is to be open to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises it will be given to us, and we must, like Stephen, be willing to listen. There is an additional part of this challenge, however, and that is to be aware of any preconceived notions that may obstruct our ability to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit, no matter how willing we are. This can be difficult.

The Holy Spirit cannot be stopped. We must be willing, unlike the crowd, to consider how the Holy Spirit might, just might, be speaking to us. We must be willing to consider the Stephens who may be in our midst, pointing out uncomfortable truths, challenging us to welcome the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

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Thursday, December 27, 2018 SAINT JOHN,(Lec. 697) APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST1) 1 John 1:1-4 - FEAST2) John 20:1a, 2-8Gospel related: CCC 515, 640, 2174

FOCUS: Saint John’s carefully crafted Gospel enables us to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Character development, that is, building a picture of each person who surrounds or comes into contact with Jesus, is intentional in the Gospel of John, and it goes beyond what we see in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). Indeed, each individual we meet in John’s Gospel is a highly developed and nuanced figure. From the somewhat short encounters with the Samaritan woman and the blind man, to the more major figures such as Peter and the Beloved Disciple, to those who fall in-between, such as Nicodemus, Mary, Thomas and Phillip, the individuals the evangelist uses to tell his story are kind of like characters in a play.

Some of these well-known figures of the Gospel are portrayed as more positive and others appear more negative. But, it would be simplistic to lump them into just such a simple dichotomy: good/bad or believers/non-believers. These individuals are far richer and more complex than that. In John’s Gospel, we see so many subtle shadings and nuances of these flesh-and-blood Christians in their communities, that we can relate them to the same kinds of subtle shading and differences in our own faith lives.

The Samaritan woman, the blind man, Peter, the Beloved Disciple, Thomas, Nicodemus, Mary and Phillip are not only unique in their descriptions and development, but also in their stories of personal faith development. Each one of them encounters Christ, and each is transformed as a result. In the Resurrection account we hear in today’s Gospel reading, we see this most notably in the person of Mary Magdalene. Her meeting of Christ changes her from a character who is somewhat on the periphery, to that of the prominent role as the first messenger of the Good News that Jesus is raised. Mary Magdalene meets Jesus, touches the risen Christ and proclaims the Resurrection to the followers.

Jesus is the one constant in the Gospel, and the various people we meet in the Gospel stories emphasize his significance. Their understanding becomes our understanding as readers/listeners of this beautiful Gospel. We have come to see and understand who Jesus is through their eyes and their journeys of faith, and their responses can become possible responses for us. We can be like Thomas, Mary or Peter, or even like the Beloved Disciple. There is a place for all of us in this relationship with Jesus. Where do we fall?

On this feast of Saint John, the Apostle and Evangelist, we take the time to celebrate him for his own faith in Jesus Christ, and all he gives to the Church in his writings. His carefully crafted Gospel enables us to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ. In it we find ourselves, and our own journeys of faith, and can find comfort in the sense that even if we aren’t perfect, we can grow. This Gospel gives us hope and life. For as John says: But these [things] are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name(20:31).

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Friday, December 28, 2018 THE HOLY(Lec. 698) INNOCENTS,1) 1 John 1:5–2:2 MARTYRS2) Matthew 2:13-18 - FEASTGospel related: CCC 333, 530

FOCUS: Like Jesus, we are called to bring light into our troubled world.

Early in this joyful Christmas season – while we are still surrounded by festive lights and the atmosphere of joy and celebration – the Church confronts us with the stark realization that darkness, evil and sorrow are still at work in the world. Jesus’ birth brings about the “opposition of darkness to the light” (CCC 530), as Herod, in insecurity and rage, sends his men to kill all the boys in Bethlehem who are of Jesus’ approximate age. Eventually, the powers of darkness will kill Jesus, too – after he has begun his mission of proclaiming the reign of God through preaching and miraculous works – but this time the Light will overpower the darkness through his Resurrection.

As difficult as this Gospel is to hear in the midst of our Christmas celebration, it is a real reminder that God’s love, light and truth will face opposition in this world. At times, the darkness seems to be winning. We know that from our own experience today. The people of our world face the darkness of war, cruelty, violence, poverty, human trafficking and so many other ills brought on by human beings.

John’s Letter helps us to address the darkness we find in our world, and in our own lives and hearts. He reminds us, first of all, that we are all sinners and that if we believe we are not, we are deceiving ourselves. Before we can speak to other people whose sins and actions are adding to the darkness of the world, we as Christians need to acknowledge our own sins, our own ways of turning away from God. As Catholics, we have the wonderful sacrament of reconciliation to help us examine our conscience, turn to our Advocate, Jesus, and receive his absolution – bringing us once again into the light. This allows us to walk in truth and light with Jesus and our fellow Christians, and to work with others to bring light into the world – wherever we live and however we can.

Let us resolve, in this beautiful Christmas season of light and of love, to keep Jesus’ light burning in our hearts. With this light, we can allow Jesus to work through us, bringing light and truth into the hearts of those around us and around the world.

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Saturday, December 29, 2018 THE FIFTH DAY(Lec. 202) WITHIN THE OCTAVE1) 1 John 2:3-11 OF THE NATIVITY2) Luke 2:22-35 OF THE LORD

(Opt. Mem. Saint Thomas Becket,

Bishop and Martyr)Gospel related: CCC 149, 529, 575, 583, 587, 618, 695, 711, 713

FOCUS: Our relationship with Jesus is revealed in the Temple by the words of Simeon.

Scripture tells us that Simeon came in the Spirit into the temple and was present when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to be consecrated to the Lord. As he held the infant Jesus, he submitted the end of his earthly life to God because the One whom he had been awaiting had finally arrived. We learn from Luke that Simeon was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. We cannot miss the presence of the Holy Spirit in this great event!

We also rejoice in the coming of Jesus – both now as we recall his birth, and in the future at his Second Coming. And we, too, have great cause for this joy. The presence of the Christ child, bringing a new advent, a kingdom of compassion, mercy, love and salvation, has the power to transform not only us, but our whole world. Simeon calls Jesus, a light to reveal [God] to the nations and the glory of [God’s] people Israel.

It is important to note that God’s revelation of his son, Jesus, is one meant for all people, for all time. There is no one outside his view. And we are in a privileged position, as was Simeon, to give testimony through our faith, that he, indeed, is the glory of God. This may sound like a lofty ideal, but it is what we are called to do as disciples of Christ. Each time our love of God is evidenced through our words or actions, we give birth to the name of Jesus in the circles in which we move. We are more prepared to do this, the closer we grow to Christ.

As we move through this octave of the nativity, it is a good time for us to reflect on our own relationship with God, and our role as a disciple. Where in our own lives do we reveal our belief in Jesus? How do we, like Simeon, point to Christ with absolute awe and say, “I am ready now Lord, because I have seen your Son!” This remarkable event in the Temple reveals an intimate connection between Simeon and Jesus, as well as the connection between Jesus and us. To hold the Christ child so close to our own heart can be transformative, as we contemplate our union with him.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2018 THE HOLY FAMILY(Lec. 17) OF JESUS, MARY1) 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28 AND JOSEPH2) 1 John 3:1-2, 21,24 - FEAST3) Luke 2:41-52Gospel related: CCC 472, 503, 517, 531, 534, 583, 2196, 2599 CSDC 259

FOCUS: To walk in the path of the Holy Family is to imitate their holiness, humility, gentleness and deep concern for one another.

The Gospels give us very few details of the daily life of Jesus growing up in Nazareth. Here and there we get snippets of what his early life must have been like, and of course we can fill in some of the missing details from what we know of first-century life in Palestine. As a carpenter, Joseph was probably a man of modest means from the lower middle class. While a member of the Davidic clan, he and his family, and indeed his community, lived modestly.

Today’s Gospel passage, often known as the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple, is very familiar. Here the Holy Family has traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, and on their way home they realize that Jesus is no longer with them. Passover was, and continues to be, the key defining feast of Judaism – a commemoration of Israel’s liberation from slavery and the source of its identity as God’s Chosen People. Today, it stands as the backdrop to Luke’s revelation of Jesus’ fullest and deepest identity. Here, the Gospel tells us, Jesus reveals himself as the Father’s Son who has come among us to answer the great questions of human experience.

Filled with concern for his safety and indeed with a little bit of righteous annoyance, the parents return to Jerusalem where they find him – not with children of his own age but with the elders. We can all imagine their emotions and fears before they found him, and their relief and joy when they found him safe.

This Gospel, however, is not so much a commentary on family life, but more a testimony to its importance in God’s plan for our world. Having experienced the wonder of Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph do not keep his holy presence to themselves nor closet him away from the world. Instead, as faithful people of the Covenant, they ensure that he is brought up as part of a worshipping and faith-filled community. There, he would grow in grace and favor even in the face of life’s struggles and challenges.

Today’s feast sets before us the truth that, with God’s help and despite all the challenges of life, we can grow in goodness and holiness. Imagine what a difference we could make in our own families if we sought to understand more fully, as Saint John reminds us in our second reading, that we already share a holy dignity as God’s children and a holy destiny that has yet to be revealed.

As we celebrate the Holy Family, let us invite Christ Jesus to bring his loving presence into our homes this day – binding us together, healing our rifts and allowing us to give ourselves over to loving God and others. Then we would truly be God’s holy family.

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Monday, December 31, 2018 THE SEVENTH DAY(Lec. 204) WITHIN THE OCTAVE1) 1 John 2:18-21 OF THE NATIVITY2) John 1:1-18 OF THE LORD

(Opt. Mem.Saint Sylvester I,Pope)

Gospel related: CCC 151, 241, 268, 291, 423, 445, 454, 461, 473, 496, 504, 505, 526, 530, 594, 612, 705, 706, 717, 719, 1216, 1692, 1996, 2466, 2780, 2787; CSDC 262, 121

FOCUS: Christ is the Lord of new beginnings.

On this last day of the year, we may reflect on the past twelve months, celebrating our personal successes and mourning our losses. The news outlets will offer retrospectives of political and economic events, grand triumphs in sports, heartbreaking natural disasters and photo galleries of celebrities who have passed on.

But it is also a time to look forward, a time of new beginnings. Massive crowds will gather in cities throughout the world to count down the last ten seconds of the old year and joyously welcome in the new. Many of us will celebrate in smaller ways, with a group of friends or family. Whether boisterous or boring, we mark the start of a new year with hope and anticipation.

So today’s reading from the Gospel according to John is highly appropriate to this season of new beginnings: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word, of course, is Christ, through whom all things came to be at the moment of Creation. But God did not create the world and then walk away. He is with us always, and at a certain point in time he entered into our human history to live with us and die for us: the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Making resolutions for the coming year is a tradition for many people. But it is also often the target of satire and humor, as the list of resolutions looks remarkably the same year after year. We resolve to quit smoking, or lose weight, to learn a new language, or simply try to be kinder or more patient. Life might seem like an endless cycle of repetition. We celebrate in the same way, at the same time each year. We make, and break, the same resolutions. Nothing seems to change.

But something has changed. Christ has come. He has given us the power to become children of God, by believing in him. We cannot change by our own power. Our repetitious list of resolutions is proof of that. The only way we can truly change, in a deep and meaningful way, is through Christ. Christ’s power has broken through into our world – into our hearts.

As the old year expires and a new year is born, we should remember that we, too, are re-born, as children of God. Across the globe, crowds will celebrate with festive displays of fireworks – light to dispel the darkness of the past and welcome the promise of the future. As Christians, we celebrate the coming of the true Light, Christ our Lord, who enlightens the lives of everyone.

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