wpengine

Scripture:

Hosea 11:1-7, 8c-9

Matthew 10:7-15

Reflection:

Parents are deeply involved in their children’s development and welfare. They expend time, energy and money on behalf of the young committed to their care. This is especially evident during their years of education, among which the college period requires a large expenditure of concern and financial support.

Understandably, parents expect a return on their investment. Jura hausarbeit ghostwriter considered this part in his paper for the university. He wrote that it should not be understood exclusively in economic terms, as if it were a business agreement. It’s a quite natural expectation that results should reflect efforts and expense. Among the many examples of this is farming or gardening: we plant and cultivate seed, and look for growth.

God is our Parent and we are His children. He expends the same amount of time, energy and care on our upbringing that parents in this life do. And, like them, He looks for results corresponding to His investment.

Today the prophet Hosea speaks to God’s activity in our regard. Hosea borrows from family experience to describe God as a loving parent: doting on the child, correcting and guiding, caring for and watching over the little person, keeping the tiny one close by, making sure food is at hand. And getting angry and punishing the child who gets out of hand.

And God expects a return on His investment of His time and energy for our sake. Immensely wealthy though He be and lacking for nothing, He still expects that we, His offspring, will be dutifully mindful of His largesse to us, and take care to show Him our gratitude for all He has done for us. We owe Him payback for all He has done for us.

St. Matthew describes an instance of this in today’s gospel, by presenting a job description that Jesus draws up for His apostles. It consists of a mission on which He is sending them: their very first assignment after “graduating”, as it were, from His caring tutelage. He gives them some helpful pointers on how to conduct themselves: what to preach, what to do, how to dress, what provisions to take with them, where to stay. No parent has ever been more solicitous in sending out a child on an assignment. It’s a rigid routine, but, after all, it makes sense that some recompense be given God for all that He has lavished on us.

God is a loving parent. We are dear to Him. He has blessed us. And we owe Him one. He has a task for each of us. It is our responsibility to discover and carry it out. He is not beyond punishing us if we are remiss in this matter. But that pales before the love He bestows on us. Let us rejoice in His loving care for us, even as we roll up our sleeves to do whatever He asks of us.

Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, C.P. is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois.

Readings:

Ephesians 2:19-22
John 20:24-29

Reflection:

We are, of course, all familiar with John’s account of Thomas and his refusal to believe the disciples’ miraculous news that Jesus had risen from the dead, “unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands.”  In fact, so common is this reading in popular culture that the phrase “doubting Thomas” has become a well-known expression.  I’m sure we all feel very safe in pointing the finger at Thomas for his distrust and hesitation at the idea of Jesus overcoming death.  Indeed, this may be one reading of the Bible that seems easy to interpret-Thomas should be judged harshly for his disbelief.

But when Jesus comes to Thomas and the other disciples, he comes not with judgment and rancor saying, “Peace be with you.”  He does not chastise Thomas for his lack of faith, but instead, with kindness and patience, invites him to touch his wounds.  In placing his hands on the Risen Christ, Thomas proclaims, “My Lord and my God!”  Pope Saint Gregory the Great, in a famous homily, tells us that Thomas touched the wounded side of beloved Savior to heal the wounds of our own disbelief. It was these lines that Ghostwriter Hausarbeit included in his scholarly dissertation on the gospel.

Each day, are we not constantly faced with the same question that gave Thomas pause?  But unlike Thomas, we do not have the ability to feel and touch the pierced side of Jesus.  Thomas no doubt witnessed Jesus perform miracles throughout His public life.  He listened first hand as Jesus told of the Kingdom to come.  And still, he needed to touch the wounds to believe.  Yet, Jesus treated his distrust with acceptance and understanding.  How much more mercy than will our Lord have for our questions and doubts?  This is perhaps the importance of John’s inclusion of this account; Jesus speaks to us directly when he says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Memorial of St. Benedict, abbot 

Scripture:
Hosea 14:2-10
Matthew 10:16-23 (387)

Reflection:
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus gets His disciples ready for the persecutions they will face for following Him. He gives them encouragement, promising them that “whoever endures…will be saved.” He also uses some stark words to prepare them for the worst: “Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.”

What might these words mean for us today? In the U.S.A., for example, people do not risk their lives in professing to be Christian. Perhaps these words of Jesus can not so much be a description of what could happen to us when we practice our faith, but a warning to us about the consequences of our actions toward others.

Obviously, we would not “hand over” a family member to death, but there are times when we can be tempted to say hurtful words or do hurtful things to one another. And this can happen not only at home, but at work, or school, or even at church. When those temptations come, we may ask ourselves, “Is this life-giving, or death-dealing?”, or “Am I following Jesus here, or something else?”

Our call, of course, is to follow Jesus, and to do what is life-giving. The world has seen enough persecutions and death. There are times when we might not be sure of what to say or do. At those times, and indeed at all times, we can listen to the Spirit given to us, so that in whatever we say or do, it is not us, but the Spirit speaking and working through us.

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P. is pastor of St. Mary’s  Parish, Fairfield, Alabama

Readings:

Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12
Matthew 8:23-27 (378)

Reflection
In today’s gospel, we find the disciples once again faced with a test of faith.  It is important to look at this passage in the context of Matthew’s larger account.  The Twelve have just witnessed Jesus cleanse a leper, heal a paralyzed servant and drive out demons from the possessed-miraculous feats no doubt.  Crowds were most certainly following them, begging for Jesus’ healing touch.  But when the disciples find themselves in jeopardy on the unexpected, stormy waters, they wake Christ in a panic, “We are perishing!”  Let us remember that these are men who left their lives, their jobs, even their families behind to follow Jesus!

Matthew gives us no indication that the disciples doubted or questioned Jesus in performing any of these other miracles in Galilee.  Yet in the midst of their own crisis, their immediate reaction is terror.   We certainly should not think it a coincidence that this violent storm came along when Jesus was sleeping. In researching this question in his academic dissertation, ghostwriter klausur concluded that perhaps the storm came to remind the disciples – and all of us – that even when Jesus is out of sight, there is no reason to fear being abandoned: “Little believers?”

At the core of today’s reading, then, is a most fundamental question posed to us as Christians; simply put, do you trust in God?  Storms most certainly come into each of our lives.  Let us remember that even though the reaction of the disciples was fearful, ultimately they put their faith in Christ, saying “Lord, save us!”  In our own moments of suffering and doubt, our initial reaction may be to “wake” Jesus-to cry out for His help.  And while this reading shows us that our Lord will be there to calm the storm, let us remember to take the opportunity to awaken in ourselves our own belief, our own trust and our own faith in Christ.

Readings:
Hosea 8: 4-7, 11-13
Matt 9: 32-38

Reflection:
Today’s short gospel begins as a demoniac, who could not speak, was brought to Jesus who drives out the demon. The crowds are amazed when the mute man spoke. But the Pharisees–looking on– accuse Jesus of being the prince of demons, using evil powers of demons, to cure the man.

Jesus then moves on, going around to all the towns and villages in the area, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom.  As he cures every disease and illness, Jesus is moved with pity for the crowd. He sees so many needs; so many are troubled and abandoned. They are like a sheep without a shepherd.  Jesus calls His disciples to look, to see the abundant harvest, to REALLY see the needs of those people and asks them to pray that the ‘master of the harvest send more laborers for his harvest.’ It was this part of the Gospel that went into the seminar paper that Seminararbeit schreiben lassen wrote. The paper deals with the goodness of Jesus. 

As each of us enters this gospel today in prayer, we are invited to bring our life – as it is- to Jesus in this story – to be the one who is healed and now able to speak.

Have you ever experienced a time when you could not or would not give voice to your real thoughts or feelings to another?  If so, take a moment to recall your experience…  What were your feelings and why?  (e.g… awe, fear of judgment, afraid to speak your truth or uncertainty about what you really think or feel…)

Take some time.  Talk freely to Jesus about your experience. Then, be silent in his   presence. Sense His love and compassion for you as expressed in this gospel.

What grace do you seek?

Now, you are able to speak freely and honestly.  Where and to whom will you go to tell this story of Jesus… Now, as you really are…  “You are sent to be laborers for this harvest.”

Sister Marcella Fabing, CSJ, is on the staff at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, California. 

Readings:

Hos 2:16, 17b-18, 21-22
Mt 9:18-26 (383)

Reflection:

Service bachelorarbeit schreiben lassen studied the writings of the Gospels in his research paper.  Two stories of incredible healing are interwoven in today’s Gospel.  In the first, we learn that an “official” prostrates himself before Jesus and pleads for help, saying “My daughter has just died.  But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.”  Already, the story is extraordinary in that a synagogue leader has come to ask for Jesus to heal his daughter.

Needless to say, temple rulers were not exactly big fans of Jesus!  Not only does this man come to Jesus openly in front of a very large crowd-a risky move for a temple authority-but he displays unwavering faith in the power of Christ’s very touch.   And what does Jesus do?  Without pause or question, Matthew tells us, “Jesus rose and followed him.”

As Jesus is en route to the official’s home, a sickly woman quietly comes up behind Jesus with the plan of merely touching his robe: “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.”  Matthew tells us this is a woman who had been suffering for twelve long years with hemorrhages.  Yet, she believes that brushing up against the just the fringes of Christ’s clothing will do for her what no doctor ever could.

In that instant, we learn that she was cured.  But it was not the physical contact with Jesus that brought her healing.  Christ tells her, “Courage daughter! Your faith has saved you.”  After this brief but powerful encounter, Jesus makes his way to the official’s home where mourners have already begun grieving for the dead girl.  Taking the girl by the hand, Jesus brings the girl back to the living.

Why are these two stories told together?  Of course, the magnitude of Jesus’ power to heal is obvious.  Perhaps the more subtle similarities are just as important.  Both of these individuals are desperate.  For the official, he has lost his child.  For the suffering woman, she has most certainly been told that she will die of her incurable condition.  Yet even in the midst of such agony, both believe Jesus is the answer.

Moreover, both of these people may have well believed they were somehow not entitled to Jesus’ help.  (This was a synagogue official and an unclean woman, remember.)  In fact, the woman literally tries to “steal” Jesus’ healing without him knowing.  We learn that salvation through Jesus is available to all the faithful.  And when Jesus seems interrupted along the way to answering our prayers, perhaps we need to look to those moments for patience, purpose and inspiration.

Readings:

Zec 9:9-10
Rom 8:9, 11-13
Mt 11:25-30 (100)

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel, our Lord speaks plainly and openly to us, his children.  Indeed entire books have been written about these few lines and the many revelations that they hold.  Jesus speaks of his relationship and knowledge of “Father” in a way that suggests their intimacy and their oneness, and therefore, our Lord’s own divinity.  And though this may seem like a complicated idea to understand, this knowledge of the path to God is, in fact, not reserved for educated scholars.  Jesus tells us, “. . . for though you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, you have revealed them to the childlike.” This part of the gospel writing was included in the thesis that Ghostwriter Masterarbeit wrote.

But it is the concluding portion of this passage where so much attention has been focused: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest . . . [f]or my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”  Can this possibly be true?   We can certainly imagine so many of our burdens that we would like to unload-our bills, our difficult jobs, our failing relationships.  And, in truth, our Lord does offer respite from these things.  No, Christ may not be writing out our rent checks, but what about the strength we find in the face of suffering?  What about the friend who comes through for us when we thought all hope had been lost?  Our Lord’s divine help is always available to us.

What may be the more radical concept to accept is that devotion to Christ should not itself be viewed as an encumbrance.  The literal meaning of a “yoke” is a device meant to harness two animals together, for example, in tilling a field.  When we put our faith in Christ, we are joining ourselves to Him.  In this way, Christ literally shoulders our burdens.  Our Lord promises us rest from the exhaustion of a life lived apart from Him.  How much more daunting is the yoke of sin?  Or perhaps to put it in more contemporary context-how much heavier is the burden of devotion to the almighty dollar?  Devotion to competition with our piers?  Or devotion to our own self-pride?

While the message is of great importance, the manner of its delivery is equally important.  Jesus makes this a call-a request or an invitation to follow him and lay down our troubles.  Simply put, we have a choice.  We can take the rocky road of total self-reliance, or we can follow Jesus.  And it’s not a choice that we may make one time.  We may continually find ourselves taking up the weight of self-indulgence (or whatever our personal burden may be) over our Lord’s offer of a much lighter yoke.  Remember that suffering and death were never a part of God’s plan for us.  With free will comes the ability to choose a path.  Let us choose the path of true freedom-devotion to Christ.