Unconditional Love:

Desire for God encompasses the drama of the human condition with its frailty, weakness and self-centeredness, because this is where God comes to meet us and where God loves us unconditionally.

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Anyone who wishes to frolic with the devil cannot rejoice with Christ.

- Saint Peter Chrysologus (406-450)

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Gn 18:20-32
Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8
Col 2:12-14
Lk 11:1-13

As a Franciscan, I try to be attuned to the central theme St. Francis of Assisi lived out in his life. In countless ways, Francis celebrated and preached the Incarnation. Jesus came to reveal in his humanity the awesome reality of who God is for us. In Jesus, we see "the human face of God." Francis delighted in communicating to people a very personal God. I believe that's what made St. Francis attractive to the people of his time—the very down-to-earth way in which he preached, taught, and especially lived a life that pointed to the closeness of God to us. And the God Francis reflected was a God of love, forgiveness and mercy.

Today's first reading, where Abraham bargains with God, as well as our Gospel, where Jesus teaches us to pray, are united in their use of very down-to-earth, human imagery to portray God’s mercy. Abraham and God dicker back and forth over how many good people it will take to save Sodom from destruction. In Jesus' parable about prayer, God is the friend we bother in the middle of the night, and wear down with our persistent begging for what we need.

God is ready to give us our daily bread—and more: forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit, if only we ask. If we think of God as a loving friend, a kind caring parent, one who will enter into our human need and meet us there, then prayer will come a bit easier: It's what Jesus taught us!

Scripture:

•“For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.” (Genesis 18:32)

•When I called you answered me; (Psalm 138:3)

•You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God… (Colossians 2:12)

•I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened (Luke 11:9,10)

Reflection:

•What is your deepest desire? What do you pray for?

•If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?

•What does it mean to rise with Christ? What is beyond death?

•If you were to ask God to open any door for you, what would be on the other side? Do you have the courage to ask and to open that door?

“Riches mean nothing to us any longer. Our days are too empty of meaning. We suffocate, in rhetoric and boredom. The time has come to cry out the Gospel, by means of our lives. Francis, think of us. Do not abandon us. Ask the Lord whether he wishes to have from us women as well, a pledge to leave all things to live in the poverty of the Gospel and the charity of Jesus.” (Clare speaking to Francis)

The Light of God:

We are invited into relationship with God who loves us and is faithful to us even when the world around seems to fail. For it is in darkness that God’s light shines radiantly. Thus we must enter into the darkness to see the light.

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No one of you should say, "Blessed are they who have deserved to receive Christ into their homes!" Do not grieve or complain that you were born in a time when you can no longer see God in the flesh. He did not in fact take this privilege from you. As he says, "Whatever you have done to the least of my brothers, you did to me."

- Saint Augustine

Become a Peacemaker:

To be a peacemaker is to accept the gift of peace given to us by Jesus Christ, that is, to accept God’s love in Christ, a gift which is given to us in the wounds of the crucified Christ.

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In all your actions, in all your words, whether you walk or eat, whether you speak or keep silent, whether alone or in company, lift your eyes to Him as your model. By this you will inflame your love; you will increase your confidence in Him, you will enter into a holy familiarity of Him, and you will become perfect in every kind of virtue.

- Saint Bonaventure

The Way to Peace:

The path to peace means undergoing conversion in the deepest core of one’s self and finding one’s true self in God. It is a path of relationship with God that is centered on the Word made flesh, the person of Jesus Christ.

“Believers – How Strong?”:

In the parable of the “Sower” Jesus was making a point to the crowd that they were “followers” with “no roots and depths” and would flee as soon as there was danger. Those who heard this knew that Jesus was describing their weak faith. How do you think Jesus would describe your faith at this moment?

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Our exterior behavior must correspond to the inner state of our soul, that we might be pure for Him who sees the interior.

- Saint Gregory of Nyssa (330 - 395)

Our Relationship With God:

Because we are created by God we long for God. In God is the source of my identity, the truth of who I am and who I am called to be. If I am to find happiness I can only find it in God.

God-Centred Life:

All holy people have the common virtue of being very focused on loving God and living for Him in times of joys as well as in pains and sufferings. Do we lose our focus on God when we are being tempted or tested? Pray for the grace to live for God and love Him more fully.

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He who wants to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come in conflict with it.

- Blessed Titus Brandsma (1881-1942)

The family is the foundation of society. In it the various generations come together and help one another to grow wise and to harmonize personal rights with the other requirements of social life.

- Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 52

A Disciple’s Prayer:

O Lord Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer, show me the real way to be your follower. Give me the wisdom and humility to learn from your words and from the church which you left after raising up disciples in your own name.

“Self-Glory” – Faith:

Today’s Gospel challenges us to be Christ-like in every thing we do. Our good thoughts, words and deeds must be done for God’s greater glory. To check our motives, it is good to ask ourselves, “How important are people’s praises to us in whatever we do?”

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There are moments in life of special importance such as when the Lord shows us the way to be followed and then leaves it up to our will to respond.

- Blessed Margarita de Maturana (1884-1934)

Inherit the Earth:

Scripture says that the meek will inherit the earth. Such a promise strikes our ears as rather grandiose, like hyperbole or grand overstatement. It obviously does not mean the earth in which we live; it means the heavenly world. Our reward for meekness involves spiritual realms, blessings that will last forever.

Relationships – Faith:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that His relationship with His Father is the most intimate and fullest of all realities. Likewise, we need to ask ourselves who we consider to be most important in our lives. Every person and thing we love in our lives must be focused through our love for God.
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In all that you undertake, direct yourself, not only with your understanding, but particularly pay attention to the voice of your heart.

- Saint Maximilian Kolbe

Gift of Reverence:

O Holy Spirit, give me your gift of reverence that I may always pass through life in a certain silent awe, knowing that you will have passed over the darkness and emptiness of the void and called it to life and that you call me to a more loving life in this world and to eternity in the next.

Signs – Faith:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reprimanded those who demanded signs before they would accept Him as their Saviour. We may rightly ask God to reveal His Will to us, but to “demand” God to prove Himself by giving us what we want is a grave insult and ingratitude to God. Pray to be more grateful to God.

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If you are ashamed of being poor and despised, consider how your God has gone before you, once his servants and friends had abandoned him on earth, because I [Jesus] was not looking for friends on earth but friends in heaven.

- Saint Bridget of Sweden (1302-1373)

Pain and Suffering:

My Redeemer—your Redeemer—has the right to be called that because he suffered with us as well as for us. God could have saved us in some simpler, less terrible way than subjecting himself to the worst that human beings could do, but he wanted us to know how much he loved us when we are in pain and suffering.

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It is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions.

- Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Gn 18:1-10a
Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 5
Col 1:24-28
Lk 10:38-42

We might call today "hospitality Sunday." Our Gospel story is the familiar account of Jesus visiting the home of Martha and Mary. Martha sounds a lot like my Italian grandmother. I remember how, as a child growing up in the house where my grandmother lived, I would watch her prepare for Sunday company. Guests who came to our house would be the center of attention. My grandmother would work feverishly before the guests arrived to prepare the meal. During the meal she would fuss at them, to make sure they had enough to eat—of every dish on the table. Woe to you if you failed to sample everything my grandmother had prepared! She imitated Martha's busy concern for guests, making sure they had all they needed.

But there's another side of hospitality besides fussing over the food or accommodations for a guest. It’s taking the time to listen, to give the other our full attention. Last Sunday the story of the Good Samaritan urged us to take a risk to become involved with others as a true neighbor. Today we have the "how-to" of Christian neighborliness. In our parishes, neighborhoods and city, we need both dimensions of Christian hospitality: actively serving while we seek to truly listen and understand.

Scripture:

•Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree. (Genesis 18:4)

•Who will dwell with the Lord? One who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart. (Psalm 15:1,2)

•…it is Christ in you, the hope for glory. It is he whom we proclaim… (Colossians 1:27b,28a)
•She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. (Luke 10:39)

Reflection:

•Do you find Christ (and through Christ, God the Father) through a busy life or sitting quietly “listening to him speak”?

•How do you “walk blamelessly and do justice”?

•Do you take time to “bathe your feet, and then rest yourself under a tree”?

•What is Christ asking and giving to you?

•Discuss some ways that you may proclaim Christ.

Remember, even those who live justly do so not through human merits but through divine helps. No persons live justly unless they have been made just; and humans are made just by Him who can never be unjust. As a lamp is not lighted by itself, so the human soul does not give light to itself but calls out to God: “You indeed, O Lord, give light to my lamp.”

Let Me Welcome You:

Let me seek and find you, recognize and serve you in all who suffer. Give me the grace, O Savior of the world, to bring your presence even to your enemies and to persist faithfully in witnessing to them even when I find it painful to do so.

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For Christ had been predestined to be the Son of Mary, just as Mary had been predestined to be the Mother of Christ.... For to these three things had Mary been predestined: motherhood, grace, and glory.

- Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619)

God is love, and all his operations proceed from love. Once he wills to manifest that goodness by sharing his love outside himself, then the Incarnation becomes the supreme manifestation of his goodness and love and glory. So, Christ was intended before all other creatures and for his own sake. For him all things were created and to him all things must be subject, and God loves all creatures in and because of Christ. Christ is the first-born of every creature, and the whole of humanity as well as the created world finds its foundation and meaning in him. Moreover, this would have been the case even if Adam had not sinned

- St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Universal Church, Capuchin Educational Conference, Washington, D.C.

Live My Life for You:

O Lord Jesus Christ, give me the grace to become your true disciple. Let me see ever more clearly that faith in you is not simply conviction of my mind—but a call to live my life for you and with you.

Mercy - Faith: In today's Gospel, Jesus explains that mercy pleases Him more than sacrifices. This is because mercy shows that we are able to go beyond our own needs and pride, and put the needs of others before our own. However, sacrifices can be offered without any deep conversion of heart.

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Ambition makes us desire honors before deserving them.

- Saint Francis de Sales

Lift Me Up:

I am often cast down, defeated, and broken; often blind and insensitive even to those I love; often caught up foolishly in that which is passing away before my eyes. Spirit of truth, when this road is long and weary and I am fearful and tired, lift me up on your eagle wings so that I may not fail utterly those whom you have given me in this life to influence, to help and to support.

Burdened World – Faith:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus comforts those who are “overburdened by life’s demands: great anxieties, sacrifices of bringing up a family etc Jesus urges all of us to “find rest in Him.” Do we dare to trust God enough with our lives or are we trying to take “control” of every part of our life?

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In the midst of sickness the best prayer may be offered, and it is a mistake to think it can only be offered in solitude.

- Saint Theresa of Avila (1515- 1582)

Reach Down, O Lord:

Jesus, Our Savior, knock down with your wounded hand at the closed doors of our hearts and call to us in the streets of life. Give us direction in the confusion and cares of this painful journey. Stay with us, O Lord, for evening comes and the shadows grow long.

“Revelation to Children”:

Jesus praises the receptivity of children to the graces and faith that His Father has given to them. In contrast, adults often put up obstacles in the way of God’s Will like pride, selfishness etc. Thus, we do not become as Christ-like as God wills of us. i.e. to be more forgiving, humble etc.

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The Sermon on the Mount is not a social program per se, to be sure. But it is only when the great inspiration it gives us vitally influences our thought and our action, only when faith generates the strength to renunciation and responsibility for our neighbor and for the whole of society, only then can social justice grow.

- Pope Benedict XVI

A Haven of Rest:

Because he is the God of peace, the Father provides this inner haven for each of us, a shelter that allows us to survive during difficult times, a place where we can receive the light of grace. If we are trying desperately to hold onto him, God will allow us to find this precious place of peace. He will hold out his hand.

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I will not deny my faith in any way because I want to save my soul. I do not really know whether it is a gain to exchange the crown of martyrdom with two or three years of life in freedom. But I leave the good Lord to decide.

- Blessed Pavol Gojdiè (1888-1960)

Prayer, the Breath of Life:

Prayer is the breathing of the spiritual life. No prayer, no life. Prayer is the way we speak to God, as well as the way he communicates with us.…We all need to pray, and pray better. A person who does not seek to grow in the life of prayer will, sooner or later, not pray at all.

“Are We Worthy of Jesus?”:

Jesus asserts that to be “worthy” of Him, we should not be too preoccupied with trying to avoid the pains of life e.g. illness, strained relationships etc. Instead, we should try to unite our sufferings to Christ’s Cross by offering our pains for the good of others e.g. for their conversion etc.

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May Mary, the Queen of Mount Carmel, help every Christian to meet God in the silence of prayer.

- Pope Benedict XVI (July 16, 2006)

Be With Us in the Dark:

O Jesus, you who experienced and shared this devastated world with us, we trust you to be with us in the dark times. At moments, life can be beautiful and fulfilling; at others, it can be like a hell.…Hold onto my hand in the darkness. Come to me in the lonely night.

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To reach God, little attention must be given to reason and great attention to grace, little to books and everything to the gift of God, which is the Holy Spirit. For in truth, a poor and unlearned old woman can love God better than a Doctor of Theology.

- Saint Bonaventure (1221-1274)

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Dt 30:10-14
Ps 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37
Col 1:15-20
Lk 10:25-37

Cincinnati, is a city of neighborhoods. Cincinnatians will tell you that they’re from Clifton or Hyde Park or Delhi or Over-the-Rhine. We think locally, proud of the different neighborhoods we come from.

Today, we hear in the Gospel the familiar story of the Good Samaritan. The key question is: Who is my neighbor? When the Jewish audience first heard this parable, there must have been shock: Jesus says a Samaritan—a member of a group the Jews shunned—was neighbor to the man in trouble, because he showed mercy. This story fits into one of Luke's special Gospel themes—the welcoming of the strangers, the outcast, the poor, into the circle of God's Kingdom. Luke's missionary community must have faced a special challenge to welcome people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.

Perhaps this is a good Sunday to examine our parish's hospitality and welcoming attitude. Who is my neighbor? is an important question for every Christian community. Though we may take pride in the history and traditions of our parish, we cannot exclude strangers or newcomers. Rather, we must recognize Christ in the stranger, as we heed Jesus' command to "Go and do likewise."

Scripture:

•For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you.…No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out." (Deuteronomy 30:11,14)

•I am afflicted and in pain; let your saving help, O God, protect me. (Psalm 69:30)

•through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)

•But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. (Luke 10:33,34)

Reflection:

•Does the Good Samaritan save the man attacked by robbers, or does the man attacked by robbers save the Good Samaritan?

•Describe the law that is in your heart (see Deuteronomy 30:14).

•Consider how Jesus saves you by “the blood of the cross” and how you save others and others save you through “the blood of the cross.”

•Who are we called to save? How is it possible?

He says: It is a joy, a bliss, an endless delight to me that ever I suffered for you. And this is the bliss of Christ’s deeds, and this is what he means when he says: We are his bliss, we are his reward, we are his honour, we are his crown. For he still has that same thirst and longing which he had upon the Cross, which desire, longing and thirst, as I see it, were in him from without beginning…

For as truly as there is in God a quality of pity and compassion, so truly is there in God a quality of thirst and longing and the power of longing; and the power of this longing in Christ enables us to respond to this longing and without this no soul comes to heaven. And this quality of longing and thirst comes from God's everlasting goodness, and this is the characteristic of spiritual thirst, which will persist in him so long as we are in need, and will draw us up into his bliss.

Bring Us Home:

Bring us home, Father, after the contest of this life. Bring back the lost sheep and summon those who have struggled even haltingly along the way. Open before us the great vista of the Heavenly City so that at the end of our journey we may look up and see its light reflected in the sky ahead.

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Think well. Speak well. Do well. These three things, through the mercy of God, will make one go to Heaven.

- Saint Camillus de Lellis (1550-1614)

In the River of God’s Love:

The love of God is like an infinite river…it flows with an irresistible power, and its deep current is unhindered. You and I are in the river of God’s love. If we swim with the tide, we will float along with that love. It will bring us to wherever we are supposed to be.
Rejection – Faith:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus cautioned His disciples to expect rejection and persecution. When we face objection, rejection and “persecution” in what we want to do for God, do we give-in or put up a fearless fight because God’s Will is most important in our life?

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Let's live intimately united with Him, since one who loves tends to be united with the one loved. The fusing of two souls is done through love.

- Saint Terese of the Andes (1900-1920)

We deem it opportune to remind our children of their duty to take an active part in public life and to contribute toward the attainment of the common good of the entire human family as well as to that of their own political community.

They should endeavor, therefore, in the light of their Christian faith and led by love, to insure that the various institutions—whether economic, social, cultural or political in purpose—should be such as not to create obstacles, but rather to facilitate or render less arduous man’s perfecting of himself in both the natural order and the supernatural.... Every believer in this world of ours must be a spark of light, a center of love, a vivifying leaven amidst his fellow men. And he will be this all the more perfectly, the more closely he lives in communion with God in the intimacy of his own soul

- Blessed Pope John XXIII, Peace on Earth, 146, 164

Let Us Return to You:

O Lord Our God, let us trust and hope in the protecting shadow of your wings. Guard us and bear us up. Bear us up, as tiny infants and into our old age. For when you are our strength, we have strength indeed.

“God in Disguise?”:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus advised His disciples to “shake the dust off their feet” from those household which rejected them. Were there times when we too were prejudiced and suspicious towards God’s instruments of peace, truth and unity? Learn to sense God’s presence more fully in the people you meet.

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Peace and war start within one's own home. If we really want peace for the world, let us start by loving one another within our family.

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

No one is a martyr for a conclusion; no one is a martyr for an opinion. It is faith that makes martyrs

- Cardinal Newman, Discourses to Mixed Congregations

Given to Jesus:

It is your vocation, your privilege, your duty, to be wholly given over to Jesus. Then you will emerge in the greatness of the holiness that he has destined for you.…Then you will be unable to forget him, and you will be able to be the only person he has destined you to be.

“Hundred Fold Reward”:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus assures Peter that those who have “left everything” to serve Him will be rewarded “a hundred fold”. Ponder on this “hundred fold” divine reward that the Lord is promising us. How can we be more detached to serve the Lord more fully?

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Prayer ought to be short and pure, unless it be prolonged by the inspiration of Divine grace.

- Saint Benedict of Nursia (480-547)

Our Hearts:

Only Jesus can give us the wisdom and courage of mind and heart to be the pathway by which others can come back to God. His heart, in oneness with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is abundant in meekness and gentleness. May our hearts be one with his.

Jesus’ Compassion:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus was deeply moved with compassion when He sensed how the crowd desired the Good News of eternal life, and felt lost and confused. Millions today are “lost and confused.” How is the Lord challenging us to do something about this?
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Be humble. Trust always and a great deal in divine Providence; never never must you let yourselves be discouraged, despite contrary winds.

- Saint Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (1865-1942)

Heartfelt Forgiveness:

There is no greater hope of peace than heartfelt forgiveness, for there is no greater expression of the power of God among sinners than his omnipotent mercy. We must beseech it for ourselves and shower it abundantly upon one another.

Selflessness – Selfness:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus emphasised the essential value of “selflessness,” if we want to serve in His Kingdom. Do you practice more virtues of “selflessness” or give in to more temptations to “selfishness” in your present life? List them and ask yourself what is the Lord’s challenge for you today.

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If I had money, I would trust in money, but without it I trust only in God.

- Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified

Destiny of Our Life:

“Catholic” is not some social tag branded on us on the day of our baptism. It is the program and destiny of our life, here and in eternity. Let us never forget it, lest we forget the love, the sufferings and the glory of our Savior and forget and lose ourselves.

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Do not be afraid. Death is only God who is passing by.

- Saint Jeanne-Marie Kerguin (1846-1900)

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Is 66:10-14c
Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20
Gal 6:14-18
Lk 10:1-12, 17-20

In his first Rule for the Franciscan Order, St. Francis of Assisi urged his brothers who wished to be missionaries to—in his words—"avoid quarrels or disputes and be subject to every human creature for God’s sake." The friars were to be men of peace as they fulfilled Franci's' wish to "proclaim the word of God openly." That Franciscan style of mission continues today, as we friars seek to discover where God is at work in different human cultures and in other religious traditions around the world. Today, most contemporary missionaries make a similar effort to look, listen and learn from the people with whom they share the Good News.

In today's Gospel, Jesus sends out 72 disciples on mission. He urges them to bring a message of peace as they announce that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

We can take a cue as evangelizers in the world today from Christ as St. Francis did. Even if we're not formal missionaries, we're sent out from each Eucharist into the world. We carry a message of peace. Let's seek the good wherever God has planted it. Let's try to learn from those who are different from us, respecting their culture and sincere beliefs, even as we announce the Kingdom.

Scripture:

•…as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; (Isaiah 10:13)

•Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or his kindness! (Psalm 66:20)

•…through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)

•…cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ (Luke 10:9)

Reflection:

•Have you ever received God’s comfort?

•How is the world crucified?

•Where do you see “the Kingdom of God at hand for you”?

The Eucharist is the silence of God, the weakness of God.
To reduce himself to bread while the world is so noisy, so agitated, so confused.
It is as if the world and the Eucharist are walking in opposite directions. And they seem to be getting further and further away from one another.
One has to be courageous not to let oneself be carried away by the world’s march; one needs faith and will-power to go cross-current toward the Eucharist, to stop, to be silent, to worship. And one needs really strong faith to understand the impotence and defeat which the Eucharist represents and which is today what the impotence and defeat of Calvary was yesterday.
And yet this powerless Jesus, nailed down and annihilated, is the God of the Impossible, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end…

Companions of Jesus:

God does not test us beyond our ability, so we can trust him in whatever trials and temptations come our way. This enables us—and not only during Lent—to be companions of Jesus and to let the driving power of his Spirit be our courage and strength.

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We are to love God for himself because of a twofold reason: Nothing is more reasonable, nothing is more profitable.

- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Maria Goretti (1890-1902)

** How many of us can follow her example of keeping oneself chaste? Especially in today's world where sex is portrayed as a pleasure action and its sacredness and value diminished.**

One of the largest crowds ever assembled for a canonization—250,000—symbolized the reaction of millions touched by the simple story of Maria Goretti.

She was the daughter of a poor Italian tenant farmer, had no chance to go to school, never learned to read or write. When she made her First Communion not long before her death at age 12, she was one of the larger and somewhat backward members of the class.

On a hot afternoon in July, Maria was sitting at the top of the stairs of her house, mending a shirt. She was not quite 12 years old, but physically mature. A cart stopped outside, and a neighbor, Alessandro, 18 years old, ran up the stairs. He seized her and pulled her into a bedroom. She struggled and tried to call for help, gasping that she would be killed rather than submit. “No, God does not wish it. It is a sin. You would go to hell for it.” Alessandro began striking at her blindly with a long dagger.

She was taken to a hospital. Her last hours were marked by the usual simple compassion of the good—concern about where her mother would sleep, forgiveness of her murderer (she had been in fear of him, but did not say anything lest she cause trouble to his family) and her devout welcoming of Viaticum. She died about 24 hours after the attack.

Her murderer was sentenced to 30 years in prison. For a long time he was unrepentant and surly. One night he had a dream or vision of Maria, gathering flowers and offering them to him. His life changed. When he was released after 27 years, his first act was to go to beg the forgiveness of Maria’s mother.

Devotion to the young martyr grew, miracles were worked, and in less than half a century she was canonized. At her beatification in 1947, her mother (then 82), two sisters and a brother appeared with Pope Pius XII on the balcony of St. Peter’s. Three years later, at her canonization, a 66-year-old Alessandro Serenelli knelt among the quarter-million people and cried tears of joy.

Comment:

Maria may have had trouble with catechism, but she had no trouble with faith. God's will was holiness, decency, respect for one's body, absolute obedience, total trust. In a complex world, her faith was simple: It is a privilege to be loved by God, and to love him—at any cost. As the virtue of chastity dies the death of a thousand qualifications, she is a breath of sweet fresh air.

Quote:

"Even if she had not been a martyr, she would still have been a saint, so holy was her everyday life" (Cardinal Salotti).

A New Heart:

Belief in the Gospel is not simply a catechetical knowledge of its doctrine; no, it is an inner revolution. It is a decision to allow the Spirit to break our heart and to plant deep within us a new heart. When we express that new heart to others, it overflows with the truth and grace of the heart of Christ himself.

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Not all of us are expected to die a martyr's death, but we are all called to the pursuit of Christian virtue.

- Pope Pius XII on Saint Maria Goretti (1890-1902)

Even if she had not been a martyr, she would still have been a saint, so holy was her everyday life

- Cardinal Salotti on Saint Maria Goretti (1890-1902)

Healing Sin and Pain:

God gets hurt in ways we can only imagine—or never imagine. The hurt caused by our sin so pains God that he employs his omnipotence to eliminate it, without eliminating us. He is hurt because we are hurt; his pain is a pain of compassion.

Skepticism – Faith:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus cured and forgave the sins of the paralytic. However, the Scribes were skeptical. Are we not also guilty of being skeptical when we hear of the miraculous cures of people? Should we not be less skeptical but be more faith driven and positive in our response?

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Since God can keep working in you, and He knows how to use all the ways, all the paths, all the means for His purpose, and since He has given you free will -- it is not His fault if you make no progress.

- Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria (1502-1539)

Keep Me Simple:

God of love, keep me simple, yet, let me know
That I am the harbor for you.
May I be vulnerable,
May I invite intimacy in.
May I know you, the trustworthy.
Creative light, who made heaven and earth,
Make your home in me, God.

Fears – Faith:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus expelled demons that were causing much harm and fear to the people. What do you fear most in your life? Could it be the fear of demons, illness etc? The Lord’s Spirit can dispel all your fears, but you must learn to trust Him at all times. Ponder on how you can do this.

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At every step I feel the power of God. Wherever I am, whatever happens to me, I am in the hands of Divine Providence, which watches over nations and over every individual!

- Blessed Joseph Kowalski (1911-1942)

Heal the Darkness:

O Lord, heal the darkness of my mind and heart. Let me see my heart just as you do. Don’t let me try to split myself apart, But bring me now to wholeness within you.

Faith – Strength:

In today’s Gospel, Thomas doubted Jesus’ Resurrection. He would only believe if he saw Jesus’ wounds from His Crucifixion. Thomas’ faith was shaken by Jesus’ tragic death. Will our faith be weakened or shaken by our pains and disappointments? We need to Trust God more during trying times. Amen.

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At this altar we are offering a pure and bloodless sacrifice for men's salvation. Outside this holy temple the blood of innocent Christians is being shed. God rejects him who does not love his neighbor. I have to tell you this though I die for it.

- Saint Philip of Moscow (1507-1569)

Prompted by the Holy Spirit, the Church must walk the same road which Christ walked: a road of poverty and obedience, of service and self-sacrifice to the death.... For thus did all the apostles walk in hope. On behalf of Christ's Body, which is the Church, they supplied what was wanting in the sufferings of Christ by their own trials and sufferings (see Colossians 1:24)

- Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, 5

Open to You:

God, I am a pilgrim,
A pilgrim whose life does not depend
On reaching certain goals, but on being
Open to you, open to surprise, for you know
My way far better
Than I do.
Amen.

Serving God’s Kingdom:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals how, even as, Son of God, He is often despised and persecuted. If we want to serve His Kingdom, we must be willing to swallow our pride and be humble servants of God. Then, God’s Spirit will be able to work through us more effectively.

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Faith is an eye that enlightens every conscience, and imparts understanding; for the Prophet said, "And if ye behave not, ye shall not understand."

- Saint Cyril of Jerusalem

Blessed Is His Name:

My soul proclaims the greatness of my God, And my spirit can rejoice in God my Savior. For he has looked upon his lowly one with favor, And blessed is his name. Amen.

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Always go forward and never turn back.

- Saint Junipero Serra (1713-1784)

We were not bought cheaply.
We were paid for by His blood...His sacrifice...His pain...His sufferings, His cross...His death.
We are the most exquisite instruments that even money cannot buy.

He wanted us, so much so that
He paid the ultimate price.

And so it goes, we are instruments that are powerfully made.
Each of us, an instrument with a purpose, each of us,a part of His symphony.
Each of us, a one-of-a-kind creation.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21
Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Gal 5:1, 13-18
Lk 9:51-62

In the late 19th century, Franciscan Friars from my home province in Cincinnati, Ohio, went to minister among the Navajo People in the territories of Arizona and New Mexico. The friars reached the Southwest by train, but their travels around the mission field were by horse, wagon or on foot. Their adventures on the road in that frontier territory were often quite hazardous. A sudden storm could wash out desert roads. And there were other dangers: One old photo shows a friar in his habit, and seated nearby is a cowboy with a vicious-looking six-shooter.

Today, my confreres still minister in that same mission field, but they crisscross Navajo land by car or truck, like everyone else, including the Navajo people.

Like our missionary forebears, the journey Jesus begins in today's Gospel was difficult—not only because robbers, deserts and wild beasts lay along the road to Jerusalem. At the end of his journey, Jesus will face crucifixion and death.

In these summer Gospel selections from Luke, our author uses the journey theme to explore what being a disciple means. Your trip to church this weekend might not be hazardous (until you reach the parking lot at least!), but let's hope you hear loud and clear the challenge to discipleship in our Sunday Scriptures.

Scripture:

•Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his attendant. (1 Kings 19:21)

•You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. (Psalm 16:11)

•serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Galatians 5:14)

•…because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. (Luke 9:52)

Reflection:

•What happened to Jesus when he reached Jerusalem?

•What is the destination of your journey?

•How do you serve God? Your neighbor?

•Where is the path that you follow? (Is it a material or spiritual path?)


Suffering, injustice, and evil, even our own personal brokenness, are encompassed by a prayer of praise and lose the power to claim primary importance in our lives. They are included mysteriously in our wholehearted trust in the goodness of things. We may still feel the power of darkness that exists everywhere, but we have the freedom to open the door to heaven in our midst and bear witness to a singing universe. This is truly a gift, one that Francis calls forth from his companions, from all creation, and from us.

Believing in the dream of heaven on earth, we live with the confidence that heaven is not only at the end of the journey but accompanies us along the way. At some time or another we have all glimpsed the new creation. Our response? Praise wells up within us. Praise assures us that we live daily in the radiance of God; it gives us a strength to choose a freedom, a greater sense of giftedness, and an awareness of our bond with humanity and creation. Our willingness to sing and dance an alleluia—this is the sign of life in the Spirit! This is our ongoing prayer as it was for Francis.