Mt 10:1-7 Go To the Lost Sheep

Matthew 10:1-7

Go to the Lost Sheep

Who do I seek? “Seek always the face of the Lord.” This must be the love of our life. These words, found today in our responsorial psalm, are powerful and profound. The Apostles were nourished by them as they lived by Him. They sought the Lord and the Lord chose them, all twelve, even the betrayer. Judas is mentioned as a reminder: I can love something else and turn it into a god! The Apostles lived, breathed, labored, suffered, and died – not for an ideal– but for a person. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ! Who do you seek?

What do I seek? To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life! This must be the goal of our life. Anything else is an embarrassment. Begin today and toil for what endures forever. Endure pain and suffering for Him who suffered and died for us. Do not fear anything, for the one who lifts us up and prepares a place in His Father’s mansion loves us. What greater glory than to work for the Master of the vineyard. The work I do for the Lord, do I realize that it is priceless? That our curriculum vitae is written in the walls of the New Jerusalem forever? Yes, we still live with the consequences of original sin, it’s in our DNA. But where sin exists, grace abounds and its impact is awful (“full of awe”). Love is more powerful than evil. Forgiveness, mercy and compassion, that is, Grace, destroys evil and annihilates death, “Death, where is thy sting?” It has been removed from the tree of life. And a life of grace has emerged. The Lord instructed us to labor for good, because it is possible to destroy the cycle of pain and re-create the face of the earth! Heaven on earth! Thy Kingdom Come! What do you seek?

What must I do? Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The Lord has called us into existence. Today, right now, who do I want to see become a fervent Catholic? Who am I praying for? “Go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Life on high in Christ Jesus awaits someone. We cannot be selfish with the grace (talents) the Lord has given us. Even the dogs are worthy of the scraps! Twelve Apostles went out and preached the Good News. They did not come back empty handed. Are we not better prepared than they were? Is the world not in need anymore? We know the answers to these questions. Then, what are we waiting for? What do we have to lose? It was Peter who finally opened the doors that locked the Apostles in. And once those doors were opened, they were never shut again! The first day of any new day is always the most challenging, but it is also the most exciting. Fling open the doors and take a leap of faith. Exercise your faith by sharing your faith. Enrich your faith by deepening your faith. This gift is more precious than all the pearls and treasures stored on earth, for it is the treasure that came down from heaven! What must you do? You know the answer.

Mt 9:32-38 Nothing Like this has ever been seen

Matthew 9:32-38

Nothing like this has ever been seen

Sin not only affects us spiritually and emotionally, but also physically. When we sin or experience the sins of others, our heart races or drops, the mouth dries up and our muscles get tense. Sin knocks us off our feet, makes us deaf to sound advice and often leaves us speechless. What did Christ do for us? He freed us from our sins. The mute speak, the deaf hear, and the lame walk. The Lord is restoring humanity to its original dignity.

In today's first reading, the prophet Hosea laments over Israel's decisions: "They made kings in Israel, but not by my authority; they established princes, but without my approval. With their silver and gold they made idols for themselves" (Hosea 8:4-7). The fall of man began with disobedience, and continues to this day! The Jews commandeered Israel, stripping away the Lord's authority and, as a consequence, the nation fell into one catastrophe after another. Because of their sin, or spiritual divorce, the Jewish nation was racked and torn apart with pain and suffering.

The demoniac is real and figurative of man and State.

Who can cure us from all our iniquities and cleanse us from all our sins? Who is the medicine man, or the ageless rock of salvation? JESUS THE LORD! "The idols have mouths but speak not; they have eyes but see not... They have hands but feel not; they have feet but walk not. Their makers shall be like them, everyone that trusts in them" (Psalm 115).

We fool ourselves to think that man holds the key to end war, discrimination, poverty and illness. Do we not yet realize that all of the above will be with us till sin disappears from the face of the earth! Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He breaks the spell, dispels the darkness, liberates the captives, heals the brokenhearted, wipes away tears, forgives sins, and leads us home to life everlasting.

The demons cannot stand in His way! They must depart whenever the Lord makes his presence felt. There is, once again, a Shepherd who leads His sheep. Obedience to God establishes order and drives the evil spirits away. Man begins to live like a man, in the image and likeness of his creator. The redeemed once again have eyes to see and ears to hear. He no longer stumbles and falls for he is made whole. Man comes back to life and finds his home, a world of beauty and wonder. God feeds and tends his flock.

The decisions we make today will determine the manner in which we live eternity. Democracy does not mean we are free to choose whatever we want. No! It means we have the right to choose the best - what is good, right and beautiful. This freedom however, allows us to be judged accordingly. Our sacrifices should always be pleasing to the one who has given it all. Our life must be sharpened with the word of God, which is the sword that cuts the head of the devil and renders "it" useless. Now that is something worth dying to see!

Mt 9:18-26 Your Faith Has Saved You!

Matthew 9:18-26

Your faith has saved you!

A young woman, suffering for years, came up behind Jesus and touched the tassel on his cloak. Jesus saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” Pope Leo the great tells us, “virtue is nothing without trial or temptation for there is no conflict without an enemy and no victory without strife.”

The greatest enemy of faith is our fears. Fears created from our imagination and/or from past experiences. The Lord asks us to be child-like for a reason. Children do not have a long history of letdowns, of being lied to, of being hurt by others. Children believe in goodness. That’s what makes it so easy for them to believe in God. Do you believe in God’s goodness or has past experiences created Monsters of doubt?

An official came forward, knelt down before the Lord and said, “My daughter has just died. But come lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Did this official really believe in Jesus? Or was it one last desperate attempt from a desperate father?

As we meditate on these verses, we must remember that the woman and official showed great faith! They both had much to lose. The official his reputation; the woman her life! Faith, without trial, is no virtue. Yes, they were desperate. But desperation does not always lead down the proper path. They were lead to their knees and stood before the Lord. Is God good? His response is our answer.

The only reason why the Father sent his Son was because it was one last desperate attempt, from a desperate father, to save His dying children. Nothing else worked. No one else succeeded. Those he had sent were either ignored or killed. It would take a lot of blood –hemorrhages - sweat, tears and death to bring us to our knees and worship the Lord. Is God good? He is more than good! He is Our Father! He is our brother! He is our advocate! “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” He will give you rest because He will carry your cross!

Faith in God means to believe in God’s goodness. Faith is what saves because faith brings us to the Lord. It allows us to go beyond our senses and intellect; to see beyond our sight, and to reach for the meaningless tassel of His cloak.

“And the news of this spread throughout all that land!”

May we spread the Good news today to all who suffer and are undergoing trials and temptations. And if we ourselves are experiencing such difficulties, may we approach the Lord with faith and love and drink our portion of His cup.

Remember, to believe in Christ means accepting Him. Accepting Him means following Him. Following Him means imitating Him.

Lk 10:1-20 Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

Luke 10:1-12.17-20

Rejoice because your names are written in heaven

Jesus said to his disciples, “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.” So, what did the seventy-two end up taking with them? They took the Lord! They took their experiences with Christ, they took their love for him and they shared their enthusiasm to serve Him. This is what the disciples took with them and gave to others as they traveled to every town and place the Lord intended to visit.

There is so much work to do; so many sinful souls to save and broken lives to heal. “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” This morning please set aside some time to pray for vocations. The words Christ spoke two thousand years ago ring true to our ears today. The day in the life of a priest could easily include multiple hospital visits, family visits, a baptism, wedding and funeral. These moments are powerful for a priest, but the greatest moments are the celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is where the hunger and thirst for God’s love and forgiveness reaches the hearts of the struggling man, woman and child. This is where the priest could find some consolation with additional ministers!

The Lord rejoiced when he heard the seventy-two rejoicing! A little piece of heaven had come down to earth, to humanity, and the world rejoiced because we need God’s love to love and be loved. How we long for Jesus, our hope! Man needs more than just comfort and commodity. He needs love, compassion and communion of hearts. He needs God!

Why does the devil fall? Because the Christian brings to the world what the devil cannot stand: Love and life, forgiveness and healing, generosity and commitment. No one can stop a committed Christian. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (Rm 8:35, 37). How true it is. We overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. The early Church sent missionaries throughout Europe, and they came back in pieces. So the Church sent more and more missionaries until empire after empire succumbed to the force of Christ’s love. We owe so much to these brave men and women who gave their lives for Christ and died a hero’s death.

The devil fears the Christian who is crucified with the Lord and to the world because he has nothing in his bag of tricks, or in his arsenal, that will attract the Christian’s heart. The lack of a money bag, sack, sandals or any other commodity will never be enough to stop the Lord’s servant from proclaiming Jesus LORD!

The authentic Christian aspires for only one thing: to be a Saint! And to be a Saint means to be no more and no less than what God created him to be from the very beginning of time. Do not let anyone or anything ever stop you from reaching the goal of eternal life! So do what is right, what is good and what is holy, and “your heart shall rejoice and your bodies flourish like the grass; the Lord’s power shall be known to his servants” (Isaiah 66:14).

Jn 20:24-29 My Lord and My God

John 20: 24-29

My Lord and My God

Whatever doubts Thomas had, he more than made up for them in his Easter acclamation; “My Lord and my God.” Easter came a little late for Thomas, but he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who was standing before his eyes.

“Seeing is believing!”, that’s the "World's" first and greatest Commandment. And the second is similar, "Believe all the bad you hear and only the good you see." But Christ demands the opposite: “Believing is seeing" and "Believe all the good you hear and only the bad you see." Faith is a virtue! Facts are not. Lord, increase our faith!

Thomas received a very special grace reserved to only a few. He saw the wounded Lord. Among Christ's friends, only Mary and John had seen Jesus crucified. It is important to note that prior to Thomas' request, no mention is ever made of the wounds of the resurrected Christ. While the Lord appeared to all the Apostles (except for Thomas) the week before, there was mentioned only joy and celebration - no wounds. Today, one week later, the Lord directs his attention and appearance to Thomas. Christ is telling Thomas what he tells us today, "have no more doubts, it is I. I am here for you."

Christ was wounded by my sins and died because of my sins. But the Lord also rose for me and will come again for me. How long will it take for me to realize that Christ’s life was entirely lived for me? In fact he died for me more than for the Apostles. The Lord says, “Blessed are they who believe and do not see.” This means I am among the blessed!

Thomas' doubt was based on a fear that the Lord had abandoned him. May we never doubt the amazing love that Christ has for us, and may we never reject the amazing graces he has in store for us! His love is mature - never based on emotion, but on solid acts of love. His love is a love that will lead me home and place me among the holy ones. Let’s get used to saying today what we will say forever: “My Lord and my God."

Mt 9:9-13 I Desire Mercy

Matthew 9:9-13

I desire Mercy

How often do the Saints speak of divine mercy? All the time!

How often do the apparitions of Mary and her messages refer to her beloved Son’s mercy? Always!

“The Lord desires mercy, and not sacrifice.” Today’s Gospel passage is a strong reminder from Jesus that “His mercy endures forever.” The Lord expresses this in a more intimate manner as; He will never give up on me until I breathe my last breath. For this reason the Lord attracts so much attention – positive and negative.

Whenever Christ approached a village or town, the crowds would swell to immense numbers. No matter the size of the area that the Lord was in, people would come from the surrounding areas just to see, hear, and touch Him. They knew that they had an Advocate. They knew that they had someone who loved them. Don’t we all desire love? For the first time in their life, they received understanding, compassion, and mercy. They felt as though they belonged to the human race! The Pharisees and the Scribes, on the other hand, began to swell up with envy and anger because, for the first time in their life, they felt isolated and unwanted. What goes around comes around! The tax collectors and sinners were experiencing a change in heart because God’s heart, Christ, had touched it! “Only the fool in heart says, ‘there is no God!’” because only the fool in heart has a heart of stone!

I still find it remarkable that God would come to man; that He would have an interest in us after so much back talk, nonsense, and even outright rebellion against His Will and His Love! With all our silly explanations of the Universe and of life that attempt to block out God from discussion, why does He continue to bother with us? Because He loves us and loves us both unconditionally and voluntarily! When the Lord passed Matthew, He could have easily ignored him, insulted him, or judged him. Jesus instead did something amazing; He called him, dined with him, and invited him to follow. We can change! Men can change! Women can change! All it takes is a little bit of mercy.

We are called to care about the needy – spiritual and physical. We are called to lift the poor out from the bottom and to lift them up from the other end of the rope (cf. Amos 8:4). But in the end, we are called to reach out and invite others to follow the Lord; to make Saints from sinners. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” It takes one to know one, except for Christ – who knows and loves us all. Do I criticize to harm someone, or do I criticize to cure someone? I will know by the fruit I produce: wine or vinegar! Christ calls all of us to conversion, and not to condemnation. If you don’t believe me, He will prove it in the Confessional!

Mt 9:1-8 Take Heart, Your Sins are Forgiven

Matthew 9:1-8

Take Heart, Your Sins are Forgiven

The greatest truth ever spoken came from Peter, “You are the son of the living God.” Today, we have the greatest love ever spoken, “take heart, my child; your sins are forgiven.” With the greatest words ever spoken comes the greatest attack ever made. “This man is blaspheming!” Why is it, from the very beginning, Christ, and Christianity, is always attacked? Why must we fight tooth and nail for ever single soul? Why is believing in God so difficult? Why does love require so much convincing? Because it demands what the world truly lacks: forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the first fruit of love. Love your neighbor really means forgive your neighbor, which in turn means love your enemy! It is a path that few of us have the courage to take. For this reason, the Lord, knowing our thoughts and those of the scribes, says, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?”

Why do we allow our hearts to turn into stone? Does this not kill the person? “Man truly does not live on bread alone, but on every word of forgiveness that comes from the mouth of God.” To forgive your neighbor means to “give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses.” The two are connected. One cannot live without the other. So we ask the Lord to “lead us not into temptation” – to not allow us to think or act in a way, shape, or form, contrary to this. Otherwise, we are dead. Death by sin, and dead to grace. This is what happened to the People of God. The prophet Amos reminds them of the consequences of sin and their inability to seek forgiveness.

The Lord leads the way. He leads by reaching out and giving to us what we truly need – not what we want. The paralytic wanted to walk. Our Lord forgave his sins. In the end, he got both! Forgiveness opens the door to a new life; allows man to break from the past. “Our history does not have to determine our destiny.” (Andy Andrews)