The heart of the matter

Today, we have met Jesus at a moment when many people – including tax collectors and sinners – were gathering around him.  Jesus always welcomes those who come close to him, but that day, there were also others in the crowd - the Pharisees and scribes – who were not impressed that Jesus made room in his life for those who were considered outcasts.

The parable that Jesus told was meant to show them that there is room for everyone in the merciful heart of Jesus.  The parable begins with a scene that would have been very well understood by all those who were listening: A man had two sons (Lk 15:11).  With just these few words, every person who heard the story would have understood that this man was very proud, but then the unthinkable happened.  The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me’ (Lk 15:12).  In modern-day parlance, the son was effectively saying to his father: I wish you were dead.  One can only wonder at the discussion that must have preceded such a comment.  How much the father must have been hurt by such a comment!

Like every parable, this story is our story.  I am sure that there are some who are here who could tell a similar story, or some who know someone else who has had to live this nightmare: a son, a daughter, a brother or a sister who has chosen to walk a different road.  Who among us does not know of someone who has distanced him or herself from those who once were considered loved ones?  Perhaps we have not been distanced from family and loved ones, but we have chosen to walk a path that has distanced us from regular prayer because we have chosen to believe that we can live life better if we don’t have anyone else – including God – placing expectations on us.

At some point in our lives, we all choose to walk such a path, and as long as life continues to be enjoyable, we feel like we’re doing well, but at some point or other, we all find ourselves in some situation where we are no longer in control.  For awhile, even when we encounter difficulties in life, we can keep up appearances, but eventually, we come to our senses (Lk 15:17).  It takes great courage to admit that we have made a mistake.  Admitting vulnerability is never easy on the human ego, but the parable of the Prodigal Son shows us that our God has a heart that is infinitely merciful.  No matter how far we may have wandered, no matter how long we have been away, our God is always waiting for us to come home.

The image of the Father in the parable gives us a glimpse into the merciful and forgiving heart of our God.  If our God is willing to come running toward his prodigal children in order to welcome them home, should we not strive to be merciful to those who may have turned their backs on us?  Lent is the perfect time to change our hearts, to come home to our Father who will always welcome us with open arms.  If we ourselves have known the experience of being the prodigal child, I wonder whether that would change the way we relate to others.  Even small actions and words of welcome will speak volumes to wounded hearts.

His Word Today: Important

Good morning everyone,

Today's gospel passage provides a summary of the most important focus for our prayer.  The scribes asked Jesus to explain which of the commandments was the most important.  There were more than 600 rules outlined in the Old Testament, but Jesus explained that they could all be summarized in two: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart ... soul ... and mind, and you shall love your neighbour as yourself (Mk 12:30-31).

These two rules go hand in hand.  We cannot separate them.  We should love the Lord with every fibre of our being.  Thankfully, our God has first loved us, and will always love us.  Our love for God is, and always will be, a response to the love that God has for us.  And the natural response to the knowledge of God's love for us is that we should seek to love others.

Love is the fruit of the relationship we share with our God, and with others.  Are we aware of the love that God has for us?  Have we ever been aware of this love?  Motivated by God's love for us, do we look at our brothers and sisters with love and compassion?  Do we seek to help and serve them because we truly want the best for them?

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Discernment

Good morning everyone,

One of the most well-known gifts that Saint Ignatius of Loyola left to the Church was the practice of the discernment of spirits.  This practice was developed through his own practice of being aware of his surroundings and learning from his own experience.

Many years before Saint Ignatius, Jesus demonstrated the importance of discerning spirits.  We see evidence of this in today's gospel passage.  Some of the skeptics who witnessed his miraculous healings questioned his authenticity, posturing that it was by the power of ... the prince of demons that he drove out demons (Lk 11:15).

Knowing the truth of the situation, Jesus explained: Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste (Lk 11:17), therefore the truth of the situation was - and is - that it is by the finger of God that he did this good work.  We can be confident in this truth, and we can share this good news with others too.  Jesus has overcome the power of the prince of demons and has come to proclaim the kingdom of life and light.  Let us share this good news with those we meet.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Fulfillment

Good morning everyone,

At the hunt of their power, the Roman emperors commanded the territory that stretched as far west as modern-day Britain, as far north as modern-day France and Germany, and  as far east as modern-day Israel. At the time when Jesus walked the earth, the Romans were indeed in charge of most of this territory. Anyone else who inhabited those lands had to comply with the rules that were outlined by those who were in charge.

When Jesus came along preaching a new way of living,  expectations and hopes among the Jewish people were that at sometime soon a new Messiah - which is to say a new ruler - would come along. The disciples and many of those who heard Jesus speak thought perhaps that he would be the one to fulfil this role. This is the context in which today's reading can be understood. Whereas the disciples were hoping that the old laws and rules might be abolished in favour of a new kingdom, Jesus wanted to clarify things. He said to them: Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets:  I have come not to abolish but to fulfill (Mt 5:17).

What about us? Do we have any expectations about Jesus? Do we have hopes and dreams about what our relationship with Jesus might or should be? Have we been disappointed when we discover that our expectations sometimes fall short, or don't seem to be fulfilled at all?  The problem with this mentality is that somehow we think that we can control God instead of being part of His eternal plan. Today, let's just ask our God to use our talents and gifts as He sees fit. Then just sit back and marvel at the wonderful things that unfold.

 Have a great day. 

His Word Today: 77 Times

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Lord gives us a lesson about forgiveness.  It is already an act of humility to admit to ourselves that we are in need of forgiveness.  Perhaps it is someone else that we need to approach, asking for this grace but perhaps it is the Lord himself who needs to forgive us.  The good news is that our God never tires of offering the gift of forgiveness, every time that we turn to him and ask.

Something that is more difficult for us is the act of forgiving others who have done us wrong.  Our human nature does not forget the experience of being wronged, and it seems that our humanity has a natural tendency to seek out vengeance, yet Jesus told Peter (and by extension, he tells us as well) that if a brother - or sister - sins against us ... we must be ready to forgive not seven times but seventy-seven times ... (Mt 18:22).

Today, let us ask the Lord to open our hearts to the possibility that we might consider offering forgiveness rather than judgement.

Have a great day.

Annunciation of the Lord

Good evening everyone,

Nine months to the day before the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, the Church celebrates the Annunciation of the Lord today.  Saint Luke recounts the details of the encounter between the Virgin Mary and the angel Gabriel who announced to her the news that she would be the mother of the Lord.

The Annunciation of the Lord is the only day - other than the Solemnity of Saint Joseph - when the Church turns her focus from the discipline of Lent to celebrate important moments.  On March 19 and again on March 25, it is as though we take a break from the discipline of Lent in order to truly observe an occasion worthy of celebration.

May this day - which has been celebrated in the Church since the fifth century - be an occasion of joy for all of God's people.

Have a great day.

Turn aside

The Book of Exodus speaks today of a physical motion that is an important part of this Lenten season.  While Moses was tending his father’s flock, he led the animals to the mountain of God where he encountered something very curious and turned aside to look at this great sight (Ex 3:3).  As we continue our journey toward the celebration of Easter, we too need to turn aside from our regular routines so that we can take stock of the lives we have lived, where we are in relation to our God, to others and to ourselves, and where we would like to be.

In all sincerity, we strive to stand before the Lord.  Although we are conscious of our own weakness whenever we are in the presence of God, our heavenly Father wishes only to make us aware of the fruitfulness that is the reward for our faithfulness.  Every one of us has been created in love, and God’s hope for us is that we do far more than merely occupy space here on earth.  We are meant to bear fruit through the loving words we speak and the acts of kindness and compassion we share with others.

Some of us who are here today might still not have given much thought to slowing down the frantic pace of our daily lives during Lent, much less turning aside so that we can truly consider the Lord’s invitation to take stock of the fruitfulness of our lives, yet there is still time to do this.  Like the skilled gardener mentioned in the gospel (cf Lk 13:8), during the season of Lent, it sometimes feels as though Jesus, the master gardener is digging around in our hearts, tending to the soil and feeding our souls.  This can be an uncomfortable process, but such change must take place so that we can grow stronger in our convictions and ultimately bear fruit in the ways we share the joy of our faith with others.

Lent can be a time when we are made aware of some less appealing aspects of our own personalities, yet the journey toward conversion can provide us with essential nutrients that will lead to our growth.  Our ancestors in faith also encountered such opportunities for change.  Saint Paul speaks in the second reading about the gifts that the Lord offers to us as sources of strength for our journey and for our growth.  Like those who have gone before us in faith, we too have been baptized, we too eat the spiritual food of the Eucharist and we too drink from the same spiritual chalice (cf 1 Cor 10:2-4).

Strengthened by these gifts, and relying on the mercy of the Lord, we stand firmly but humbly in his presence to say yes to His invitation to receive mercy and forgiveness.  On two occasions in today’s gospel passage, Jesus points out that he is not as concerned with the gravity of what his children may have done in order to turn away from him (cf Lk 13:2-5).  What is important is that we find the courage to turn aside, to look honestly at our own realities and at the invitation that is being extended to us at this time: an invitation to change our ways, so that the soil in which we live can be renewed.

In the coming days, let us dare to turn aside, to look with renewed sight at the relationship we are currently experiencing with our God, with others and with ourselves ... and let us ask the Lord to renew us in his love.

His Word Today: Caught

Good morning everyone,

In today's gospel passage, we see a master at work.  Jesus was an intelligent story teller.  He used stories to teach lessons to anyone who would listen.  In this case, the story that was told - about the landowner and the dishonest tenants (Mt 21:33-39) - ended up surprising its hearers, because the object of his lesson was the people who were listening.

This was often the case with the parables: stories that Jesus told in order to make a point.  If we look honestly at these stories, we may even find ourselves among the characters.  At times, that realization can bring us comfort, but at other times, it can challenge us.

In modern-day parlance, someone might say that we should always think before we act.  Today, let us ask the Lord to walk before us, where ever we go; to guide our words so that we can be instruments of peace and reconciliation; and to inspire our actions so that we can bring light to those who are still walking in darkness.  By the sincerity of our faith, may others encounter the face of Jesus himself.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Costly

Good morning everyone,

Every day of our lives, we should strive to learn something, including today.  Jesus was always teaching ... and he continues to teach us, including today.  In the gospel passage proposed for today's meditation, Jesus tells a parable about a rich man who dressed in purple (a cloth that would only have been available to the rich) garments and fine linens and dined sumptuously every day (Lk 16:19), but who ignored the poor in his midst.

The man in Jesus' story was so self-centred that he was oblivious to the poor in his very midst.  Jesus knew that every human being has the tendency to focus on him- or herself.  He also knew that we have the capability to truly be self-giving.  The challenge is that we need to be reminded - from time to time - about the fact that we have it within ourselves to focus our attention on others, to love, to forgive, to experience emotions.

Let us keep before us the image of the rich man who is mentioned in today's gospel.  He is alive within each one of us, but we also have the ability to be more, much more.  This is God's loving plan for all of us.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Distracted

Good morning everyone,

During the season of Lent, our prayer leads us to be especially focused on Jesus' voice, but the more we progress through these days, the more possible it becomes that we might lose our focus and become distracted.

Evidence of distraction shows up in today's gospel.  As he was preparing to go to Jerusalem, where he knew that his hour would be fulfilled, he tried to explain the significance of this moment to his disciples: we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over ... and they will condemn him to death ... and he will be raised on the third day (Mt 20:18-19).  The problem was that his disciples were distracted because they had other ideas.

Jesus is trying to speak to us every day, but we have to be listening.  If we are distracted by other worries or if we have our own ideas about what we would like God to do for us, it will be more difficult to listen, to allow Him to lead us along the path he intends us to travel as we make our way toward the celebration of Easter.  Thankfully, it's not too late.  We can still refocus our attention.  We can still listen, if we are able to identify the noises that are distracting us, and if we are willing to set them aside.

Have a great day.

His Word Today; Saint Joseph

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus.  Saint Matthew tells us that Joseph was a righteous man (Mt 1:19).  We are not told how old he was when Mary, his betrothed, was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit (Mt 1:18).  This would have been an unimaginable embarrassment for anyone.  Joseph would have been entirely within his rights to divorce her, yet because he wanted to spare her any undue attention, he intended to do so quietly.

That was the very point at which the next chapter in God's plan was made known to him: the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ... 'do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home (Mt 1:20).  Because he was a righteous man, and because he was accustomed to listening for the inspiration of God's wisdom, Joseph followed the angel's advice and God's will was accomplished.

It took great humility on his part to allow his own will to be silenced so that the will of God could come to pass.  If we have known the struggle of not wanting to cooperate with heavenly wisdom, but rather to impose our own will, perhaps we can pray today, asking Saint Joseph to strengthen our resolve to find room in our hearts to listen attentively for God's inspiration, and for the humility to allow God's plan to come to pass.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Mercy

Good morning everyone,

A few years ago, Pope Francis called for a special extra-ordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.  At the beginning of his pontificate, he wanted to show everyone that the Church should have a merciful face.  In other words, it should always be seen as a place of refuge, not judgement.

Every year, as we prepare for Easter, we are encouraged to encounter the merciful face of Jesus.  In today's gospel passage, we hear the words that He spoke to his disciples: Be merciful just as your Father is merciful (Lk 6:36).  It takes work to practice mercy.

The world around us temps us to respond to judgement with judgement, to condemn those who utter words of condemnation, but Jesus challenges us to forgive and to respond to hatred with a giving heart.  Responding with mercy can be surprising, especially for those who are in need of mercy.  Let's try to be merciful today, like our heavenly Father ... and watch the reactions of others.

Have a great day.

Forging faith

During the liturgical season of Lent, we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Easter.  During this first week, the Lord invites us to come close to him, to open our hearts to him and to enter into a conversation with him.  Like any other relationship, there is a part of us that hears the Lord’s invitation but might be a bit hesitant, so it might help us to remember others who have also received such a proposal.

In the first reading, we hear about the invitation that God offered to Abram.  As it is in all other cases, God was extremely gentle with Abram, inviting him first to look toward heaven and count the stars ... (Gn 15:5). Then God surprised Abram.  Prior to this encounter, Abram and Sarah had never had children, yet the Lord said to him: So shall your descendants be – as numerous as the stars.

The human heart is sometimes slow to believe what God has in store for us, but God never stops believing in us.  God knew the plan that he had in mind for Abram.  He also knew what was in store for the disciples.  At a certain point, when the disciples were finding it difficult to understand all that Jesus was trying to teach them, he took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray (Lk 9:28).  Most probably, by this point in their relationship, the disciples had seen Jesus at prayer, but they were not prepared for the scene they witnessed that day.  While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white (Lk 9:29).  As if that wasn’t enough, suddenly, they saw two men – Moses and Elijah – talking to Jesus (Lk 9:10).

An Irish Bishop once explained that Jesus invited the disciples Peter, James and John to witness the transfiguration so that later on, when they experienced the shock and trauma of His passion and death, these three could help them to understand that the passion and death of Jesus were meant to be, but that he would indeed rise again.

Like the disciples, we too need to experience the transfiguration so that we can better understand that suffering and death will always lead to resurrection and new life.  Those of us who have experienced moments of prayer where we are made profoundly aware of Jesus’ presence can understand that there truly is something beyond this world that we can see, feel and touch.  At times when we encounter difficulties or challenges in this life, at times when we must face the questions that truly make us aware of our own mortality, it helps to have a spiritual dimension to our lives.

As Saint Paul reminded the early Christians at Philippi, our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20).  Only someone who has encountered the risen Jesus can truly speak such words with conviction, yet this is exactly what we are all called to do.  As we continue our journey through Lent, let us fix our eyes firmly on Jesus.  Let us ask him to help us deepen our faith and our belief that the suffering of Good Friday is never in vain, but rather that it prepares the way for the greatest miracle, the reason for our faith.  As we become more and more aware of this truth, we too will be better able to see the truth that suffering and death ultimately leads to resurrection and the fullness of life.

His Word Today: Smart

Good morning everyone,

In today's gospel passage (Mt 5:20-26), Jesus says to his disciples: unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:20).  In modern-day parlance, he might say something like: You have to be smart about how you live your faith.

In his day, Jesus challenged his disciples not merely to take everything for granted, including the way that they should understand or interpret their faith.  Rather, he challenged them to be smart about applying the lessons of their faith in order to bring new life to the way they lived.

We too need to be smart about the way in which we live our faith.  If we are, others will see what we do and the way we care for one another, and our actions and words will inspire others to make a difference in the world.  This is what Jesus meant by saying that we need to be salt for the earth, light for others, leaven for the sake of all those we meet.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Ask

Good morning everyone,

As we continue our journey, Jesus wishes to instruct our hearts.  He wants to teach us about the kind of relationship that we can have with his Father.  Our God has an open heart that beats constantly with warmth and love for us.  At any time, we can come to Him and ask our questions, or we can ask for something that we desire.  If it is for our good, if the object of our desire will help us to live better lives, we will receive (cf Mt 7:7).

Perhaps we have never stopped to consider the fact that we have a God who loves us in this way: that our God is truly exceedingly generous and will never deny us anything, as long as that thing will serve us well and allow us to be more sincerely and honestly the people we are intended to be.

Dare to pray with bravery today.  Ask, and you will receive ... and know that if you ... know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask (Mt 7:11).

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Sign

Good morning everyone,

In today's gospel passage, Jesus is surrounded by crowds - as he was so often - and he happened to remark: This generation ... seeks a sign (Lk 11:29).  Were the people skeptical of Jesus?  Were they seeking proof?  Did they even know what they were looking for?  Did they realize who he really was?  What kind of sign would have convinced them?

If Jesus was alive in our day, would we still be seeking signs?  I had a conversation with a group of people recently. We were lamenting how much the current culture seems to have changed - and just in the last few decades.  Less and less of younger generations today seem to be even aware of Jesus, much less do they seem to be interested in developing a personal relationship with Him.  Yet they also seem to be a curious generation, constantly seeking answers, looking for signs.

What about us?  Is there some level at which we too are still looking for signs in order to believe the truth that has already been shared with us: our God has always loved His people (that's us).  Our God has constantly sought opportunities to enter into a personal relationship with each one of us.  Why are we still looking for signs ... instead of celebrating the fact that God loves us?

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Pray

Good morning everyone,

During this special time of Lent, the Lord is inviting us to come close to him and to open our hearts so that He can speak with us and feed us with his special food.  In human terms, we refer to the process of coming close to God as prayer, and in today's gospel, Jesus teaches us the perfect words that we should use.

The Lord's Prayer begins with words of praise offered to God (cf Mt 6:9) and then presents a hope that God's kingdom may be established (cf Mt 6:10).  We know that we cannot do this without God in our lives, and so Jesus says that we should turn to Him for the nourishment we need (cf Mt 6:11).   Most of all, we must always remember that our God offers us the precious gift of forgiveness (cf Mt 6:12) and will never lead us into any situation that will in turn cause us to be distanced from Him (cf Mt 6:13).

The challenge that this prayer presents is that although we ask for all these gifts, the Lord reminds us that we must also be willing to live these same truths for the sake of our brothers and sisters.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Look ahead

Good morning everyone,

At the beginning of Lent, the prophet Joel called us to return to the Lord (Joel 2:13).  Yesterday, we were reminded of the temptations that Jesus faced after having spent forty days in the desert (Lk 4:1-13) and as we know only too well, the devil continues to tempt us to find other answers to our quest, even though the only answer that will truly quench our thirst is to return to the Lord.

Some of us have been on this journey, longing to return to the Lord for quite some time now, yet we constantly seem to find excuses, reasons to delay our return.  Today, Jesus reminds us that we don't have an infinite amount of time to delay our return.  When the Son of Man comes in his glory ... all nations will assemble ... and he will separate them one from another (Mt 25:31-32).  The time is coming, even though we do not know exactly when.

Lent can also be a time for us to hear the Lord's words once again: Come, you who are blessed by my Father (Mt 25:34), yet we should never forget that there is a flip side to these words too.  If we choose to ignore the needs of others, constantly believing that we can live life in a hedonistic way, we will be surprised to hear the Master's voice when he comes.  It's not too late for us to recognize our great fortune.  We are blessed by the Father, so let us rejoice.

Have a great day.

Well rooted

When my family first moved to Canada, we settled in Sault Ste. Marie.  The yard that surrounded our home was entirely surrounded with a variety of trees and plants.  During the twelve years we spent there, we watched as those plants and trees grew: some of them to be very tall indeed.  We even had to thin out the trees as they continued to grow, in order to make room for the ones that remained to grow healthily.  On more than one occasion, we removed a tree only to find that its root system was intertwined with the surrounding vegetation.  On such occasions, it was almost impossible to decide which roots should be removed and which ones should be left, but this too was a valuable lesson for my brothers and me to learn.

On this first Sunday of Lent, the scriptures remind us that all of us belong to a family of faith that has deep and well-established roots.  The Book of Deuteronomy presents words that were spoken by Moses, almost 4,000 years ago.  Even then, he was reminding the people that our family of faith traces its roots even further back in time: to a moment when our ancestors went down into Egypt and lived there as aliens (Deut 26:5).  Like an old gnarled tree, our family has its share of scars, but there is great beauty too: the kind of beauty that can only be seen in a tree that has been weathered by time and experience.

It is the strength that we draw from our rootedness in this family of faith that helps us to appreciate the true beauty of this liturgical season of Lent.  Thanks to our connection to the life of this family of faith, we can also remain focused on our goal of being focused on Jesus, no matter what temptations might come along.

Even in these first days of Lent, we are often tempted to take our eyes off the focus that we first established on Ash Wednesday, but like Jesus did, we must take time every day to strengthen the bonds of faith and trust that exist between us and God.  If we do, then especially when we are tempted to turn our gaze away from him, we will remember that he alone can help us not to get lost.

In the case of Jesus, immediately after his baptism in the Jordan, he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil (Lk 4:1-2), yet even in that time, he ate nothing at all so that he would not be distracted from the discipline of daily conversations with his Father.  Like Jesus’ experience in the desert, we too have been given this time of Lent as a privileged occasion to enter daily into the discipline of opening our hearts to the Lord and of listening for his gentle voice, a voice that speaks of his unbounded love and mercy.

Jesus’ temptations help us to see that even after spending so much time establishing the routine of constant prayer, the devil was still able to tempt him (cf Lk 4:3, 6, 9-11), and it seems as though each of the temptations was more difficult to resist, yet Jesus found strength to refute the devil’s temptations because he was so firmly rooted in God’s word.  This word is near to us, on our lips and in our hearts (Rom 10:8).  Firmly established with this word as our foundation, we can turn to God and ask him to open his merciful heart to us during this holy time of Lent

His Word Today: Feasting

Good morning everyone,

During the forty days of Lent, we are given a precious opportunity to renew once again our commitment to spending time with our God in prayer.  In this sense, spending time simply means being in the presence of God so that he can share His wisdom with us - like a father might do with his children - and so that we can benefit from these lessons in order to enrich our own lived experience of faith.

In the gospel passage proposed for today's liturgy, the disciples of John came to Jesus and asked, 'Why do we and the Pharisees fast much but your disciples do not fast? (Mt 9:14).  Jesus' answer to this question helps us to understand the precious opportunity that we have been given during this Lenten season.  He says: Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? (Mt 9:15).  While Jesus was with the disciples, they had the precious opportunity to sit in his presence every day, to soak up his wisdom, to ask questions and to make his wisdom their own.

The opportunity that was afforded to the disciples is also offered to us.  This precious season of Lent is an invitation for each of us to spend time with Jesus - the bridegroom - in prayer.  The more opportunities we find to do this, the more we will be able to discover the joy that comes from being with Him, and the more our hearts will be nourished with the special food of His presence.  Having fed our hearts with his precious food, when the time comes for us to mourn - to face moments of doubt - our souls will be able to endure because we have been enriched through the discipline of spending time in His presence.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Rejected

Good morning everyone,

Only one day into the Lenten journey, the words of the gospel passage show us that Jesus didn't try to deny the fact that his journey would not be easy.  Even as he was inviting his disciples to follow him, he was brutally honest about what they could expect, and the same is true for us.

Knowing that his disciples were misinterpreting his claim to be the promised Messiah, Jesus wanted to set the record straight.  Whereas they were expecting him to somehow wield political power, his idea of leadership was very different: The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected ... and be killed and on the third day be raised (Lk 9:22).  This plan must have been surprising to them, and so we should also expect that God's plans will surprise us.

Lest we become discouraged at the thought that our Messiah's plans are not the same as our dreams, Jesus explains: If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily (Lk 9:23).  We should never be surprised by the fact that God's plans for us may be different from our own hopes and dreams, but we can also find comfort in the fact that he will never abandon us.  He has already suffered, been rejected, been killed ... and been raised ... and he promises that this will be the way for us as well.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Ashes

Good morning everyone,

As the day goes on today, how many of us may find ourselves walking along the sidewalk, or sitting in a restaurant or doing other errands when someone may point to our foreheads and giggle, or make a comment about dirt that we have forgotten to wash away?

Today is one of the days when we most effectively bear witness to our faith.  As we begin the season of Lent, ashes on our foreheads remind us of our mortality since our bodies will all return to ashes after we have died.  They also remind us that we should live every day in hope of heaven which will be our reward when this earthly life is complete.

In answer to questions from strangers, we can explain that the ashes mark the beginning of a special time when we are called to come closer to God.  Through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we prepare to celebrate Easter ... the greatest feast of our faith.

Receive ashes today and wear them proudly as a mark of the faith that we have been invited to live.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Everything

Good morning everyone,

In the gospel passage for today's Mass, we hear the voice of Peter speak.  I can imagine that he was perhaps frustrated at this particular moment.  Perhaps he had seen what he perceived to be affluence and comfort in the lives of others and this led him to question his own choices.  His words ring across the centuries: We have given up everything and followed you (Mk 10:28).  Perhaps we too have known this experience: disillusionment at having followed what we believed to be the right path, only to find that in place of reward there were only more questions.

Jesus responds with words meant to console the heart of one who is disillusioned: there is no one who has given up ... everything ... for my sake who will not receive a hundred times more in this present age ... and eternal life in the age to come (Mk 10:29-30).

It can be very difficult for human beings to grasp the wisdom of Jesus' words, but they contain a truth that has stood the test of time.  Look around and you will soon see: there are those who are reluctant to give up everything in order to follow Jesus.  Are they truly happy ... or are they still searching?  There are some who have given up everything for the sake of Jesus and his kingdom who seem to possess an inner joy because they know that in their willingness to renounce one treasure, they have a greater treasure to look forward to.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: What else?

Good morning everyone,

As we prepare for the beginning of the Lenten season, the gospel passage today issues another challenge.  Jesus is setting out on a journey when a man runs up to him and asks: Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? (Mk 10:17).  I wonder if we have asked this question of Jesus in prayer.

The answer Jesus gives (at least the first part of the answer) is something that we all might expect: the Commandments are like a prescription for maintaining good spiritual health, but that young man wanted more.  We should all want more when it comes to the promise of eternal life, and it is the next part of the story that is most intriguing.  When the man assures him: Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth (Mk 10:20), Jesus looked at him and loved him (cf Mk 10:21).

Many if not all of us can rightly say - like the man in the gospel - that we have kept the Commandments, but how many of us have had the experience of knowing that Jesus is looking at us, gazing at us, and loving us?  This is perhaps the simplest and most profound experience of prayer: to know that Jesus is looking at us and loving us.  Perhaps this can be the beginning of our Lenten experience.  Ask the Lord simply to look at us and to love us.

Have a great day.

Preparing for Lent

In just a few days, we will begin the annual discipline of Lent: the period of forty days that is given to us each year so that we can prepare our hearts for the great celebration of Easter.  I will speak more about how we can prepare for this celebration when Ash Wednesday arrives, but even now, I think we can all begin to think about what our experience of Lent might be.

In the gospel that we have heard today, Jesus asks some questions that might help us to orient ourselves and to prepare our hearts.  He asks his disciples some interesting questions - which appear to be rhetorical, but questions that probably led them to reflect on their own situations.  These same questions can also help us to do the same.

Can a blind person guide a blind person?  Will not both fall into a pit? (Lk 6:39)  Our lives of faith are a constant journey that begins at baptism; a journey that will not end until we are reunited with our Father in heaven.  Along the way, our God is always near to us, but it is up to us to follow his guidance.  Unfortunately, at times, we choose to follow the guidance of others, and sometimes the others that we choose to follow can become lost themselves.  Have we fallen into this trap?  If we have, Lent may give us a chance to start again, to focus on Jesus and to follow him because he knows the way that we should travel so that we can find our way home to our loving God.

Why do you see the speck in your neighbour's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? (Lk 6:41)  Human beings seem to have an uncanny ability to recognize the faults of others, but at the same time, we also seem to blind to our own faults.  Is this because deep within our hearts, we may be aware of our own weakness but we don't want to admit it to anyone - even to ourselves - in case we might be perceived as weak in the eyes of others?  Perhaps we think that the admission of guilt will somehow make us less in the eyes of God, or in the eyes of others?  Yet, if we were the parent who was seeking to console a child who had done something wrong, would we not immediately want to speak reassuring words, to tell our precious child: There is nothing that you could ever do that would make me love you less than I do right now?  Perhaps as Lent begins, we can ask for this grace, and perhaps if we can hear these words addressed to us, we would be more willing to be merciful with others.

Dear friends, it is not too late for us to change our hearts.  Metanoia - the changing of hearts - is the grace that we are invited to experience during the liturgical season of Lent.  Since the day of our baptism, God has been at work within us, planting the seeds of goodness, mercy, forgiveness and love and helping us to recognize these seeds within us as they continue to grow and to bear fruit (cf Lk 6:43), and all of this is in preparation for the day when these mortal bodies of ours will put on immortality (cf 1 Cor 15:54).

Let us prepare our hearts in the coming days so that we will be able to set out on the journey of Lent, together with the Lord who never leaves us alone.  He will guide us every step of the way until we reach our eternal home, until we celebrate the great joy of the resurrection that is the gift of Easter.

His Word Today: Understand

Good morning everyone,

Today's gospel passage begins with a question that is asked of Jesus: Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife? (Mk 10:2).  Within the words that are spoken by the Pharisees, there is a hidden hope: they either want him to change the teaching or they want to put his teachings to the test.

Every adolescent will - at some point - challenge the rules, and it seems that this is what the Pharisees are trying to do with Jesus.  Did they want him to change the teaching or were they out to challenge him, hoping to find some weakness in his arguments?  Even in adulthood, there are times when we would prefer to challenge the rules that God has established for us, but there is a deeper lesson to be learned here too.

True wisdom always stands the test of time.  If God's laws have indeed stood the test of time, why is it that we should think that God should change the rules just for us?  Instead, should we not ask a different question: how can we approach the author of such wisdom, and ask for the gift of this wisdom to be shared with us - at the level of our hearts?

Have a great day.