Lk 11:37-41 A King's Cup

Wednesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week In Ordinary Time

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The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees!  Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil."

[To all our readers:  Since I am on retreat this week, I invited a few students I know to write some meditations for my blog.   Please let them know what you think.  God bless you! - Fr. Alfonse]

Cleansing the outside.  We see this all the time nowadays, a fixation on outside appearance and disregard for true inner worth.  Weight-loss adds, hair loss treatments...It seems like everywhere we turn, someone is fixing up their face, their body, or their resume.  It's hard to tell what's real anymore. 

I go to an all-girls high school, and luckily, we often don't care about appearance.  Who do we have to impress, anyway?  For this reason, my classmates and I roll out of bed, throw on our uniforms, and put minimal thought into our looks.  Forget makeup and straightening hair...we sport bedhead look with pride. 

It's nice to be surrounded by this environment.  We learn to value people for what's underneath, not the clothes they wear or the makeup they cake on.  But I'd be lying if I said I never see excessive "outer cup cleansing."

Our acceptance of bedheads and raw faces is rare.  It is a concept that fades away the minute we look at a magazine, watch TV, or even go out for a football game.  Quite honestly, I barely even recognize many of my classmates at school dances!  Despite our best efforts to resist it, teenagers - and all of us, for that matter - are surrounded by a superficial culture.  It seems like a mask must be put over everything to make it appreciated or acceptable.  Your face isn't good enough.  Cover it with makeup.  You're not pretty enough.  Wear less clothing.  Your grades aren't high enough.  Stay up all night, or cheat if you have to.

No matter what we do, our true selves are just never "enough."  Just look at social media.  For a teenager, it can be a form of expression, a way to share ideas and communicate with one another.  But it also can become a trap that tempts us to build ourselves up, to create an often false representation of who we are.  It leads us to find our worth in the "likes" we get and the followers we have.  We become so focused on building up a persona and trivializing things that we are almost desensitized to depth, ignoring the things that actually matter.

Now I'm not saying that having Facebook or wearing makeup is a sin; however, it can easily lead to sins - vanity, pride separation from God - when we are defined by it.  It's of course okay to take pride in our appearance or use social media, but we must ensure that these tools are not used as masks, but as windows.  They must allow others to see into our hearts, where hopefully, they find Christ, as well.

Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?  God made our bodies in His image.  For this reason, we must respect them and treat them like the Temples of the Holy Spirit that they are.  But there is something more spectacular about us:  our souls. God could care less about our figure, our salaries, or our looks; none of that matters to Him.  It is our souls that He examines.  It is our souls that have the chance to ascend into Heaven eternally.  Our bodies - merely temporary vessels of His love - are the shell left behind. 

This soul is unique for each of us.  It is where we derive our worth.  God loves us for our inner selves:  our thoughts, our prayers, and our actions.  He sees us as we truly are:  sons and daughters of the Father.

It's the world that complicates things, reflecting a false idea about what it means to have worth and be loved.  But the world is wrong.  No matter whether you are in high school or on your death bed, this applies to you.

The world screams that you must make money to be successful.  But God tells you a path towards Heaven is the only true success.  And that path is priceless.

I could go on and on.  The point is, each of you was created with purpose and worth.  For this reason, from the moment of your conception, God entrusted to you your very own Guardian Angel and instilled in you an intimate and profound love.  He created you with a mission in mind and a purpose because He values you for YOU. 

Despite the world coaxing us to all to fall victim to its lies, we must remain steadfast and resist the temptation to fill our cups with fleeting pleasure and false sources of worth.  This leads only to decay, both on the inside and outside as a reflection of its inner joy. 

God pours His very blood into a cup for our sake. 

What you are willing to give in return?


This meditation was written by Faith.  She writes frequently on faith.  You can find her blog at http://heavensboulevard.blogspot.com/

Lk 11:29-32 Hardwork and Holiness

Monday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

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While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah...At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here."

I am going to be very honest with you right now.  Sometimes, I do not feel like going to Church.  Really!  And sometimes I do not feel like celebrating Mass.  That's right!  But when I look back at it all, I am glad I was forced to.

Should I continue?  Okay, sometimes I do not feel like hearing confessions.  It's true!  It's all true!  But when I look back at it, I am glad that duty called and people asked. 

When did it all start?  Oh, I don't know.  Some time ago, I guess.  

Why?  Why does this happen to me?   I think it is because I can get very lazy with the things I can do so easily.  This is part of my problem, and it has been my problem with so many other things, like piano.  

Yep!  When I first started taking piano lessons, I practiced every day for hours.  When I got very good at it, I started practicing less and less.  Finally, I did not want to do it anymore.  I got bored with it.

Why?  Again, I got pretty good at it.  I got used to it, and I could get by with what I had, especially at parties.  But there was another reason, a deeper reason why I gave up.  I reached my inner goal. I did not have a real interest in taking my piano and going all the way with it; that is, in being a concert pianist.

Am I not like this in my spiritual journey as well?  Do I settle for good, rather than holy?  Do I settle for communion, rather than confession?

I got pretty good at it.  I got used to it, and I could get by with what I had, especially at parties. 

Recently, a mom told me that her kids (young teenagers) do not want to go to Church anymore.  Apparently, they think they are strong enough to wrestle with the world. 

"Should I make them go?", she asked.  I was blunt.  I told her:  "Absolutely!  They need to go to Church and you need to remind them of why they need to go to Church:  to keep their conscience healthy; their decisions healthy; to keep a tight grip on temptation; to fight selfishness; to forgive and show compassion; to be holy and generous.  If they are tired of going to Church then it is because they are no longer striving for greater holiness and are tired of fighting the good fight."

She may or may not agree with me.  But so many parents find religion useful only when they are losing their children, or when things are going bad or not well at all.  

All kids have lofty ideas, but very few of them have the strength and discipline to realize them.  As one highly successful businessman recently said, "We all have great ideas.  But great ideas are worth nothing if they are never developed."

Christ did not come into the world so that we could be good.  He came into the world so that we could be saved.  He did not establish His Church on earth to produce great thinkers, buildings and works of art.  He established His Church to produce great Saints. 

As Catholics, we are not called to be nice, tolerant and helpful.  We are primarily called to be Alter Christus. 

I gotta go all the way with it.  I can drop the piano anytime, but I can never drop the Cross.  I gotta take it with me wherever I go. 

What has happened to you? Has the Good News become Old News?  If so, then you've become old and boring! 

If love does not mature, then it becomes old and stale.  The People of Nineveh and the queen of the South were looking for something new.  Their lives had become boring.  Can you believe that?  They were rich, famous and bored!!!

It's time to make things new again.  How?  Go deep.  And keep going deeper.  Allow God to challenge you.  Allow the Church, Mass and Confession to be your worthy "opponent." Wrestle with it.  Pin it down.  Make it your daily bread.  Challenge yourself and grow. 

Carry your Cross.  Straight to Heaven.

Lk 11:27-28 Are You Blessed?

Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week In Ordinary Time

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While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed."  He replied, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."

Blessed are you, but for what?  For a singer (especially a female singer) to make it big - real big - in the modern music industry they have to have an amazing body and be willing to go all the way with it.  This may sound like an opinion, but I fear it is becoming a brutal fact.  Now it does not mean one cannot be a highly successful singer without an amazing body.  Of course they can, it just means they really have an out-of-this-world voice. 

I will not mention names to prove my point.  I do not want to embarrass anyone.  But apparently to be an over-the-top singer, one must have a body made to fit comfortably on a wrecking ball. 

Most male singers can get away with cheap clothes, a cheap haircut and a guitar in their hands.  But female singers cannot.  They must be barrier busters and trendsetters, entertainers and actresses, sex symbols and glamour queens.  They must look like models, act like prostitutes and operate like sex objects.  They must behave like spouse wreckers, family wreckers, teenagers breaking bad and innocence gone wild.  In order to remain relevant, they must make the bizarre look appealing and the gross look interesting.  They have to be all of these things because at the end of the day, they are money makers, not music makers.  And so they are forced to mask their music with a ton of condiments.

Are you blessed?  When I was a child, I used to look up to Madonna (aka Louise Ciccone).  I thought she was the greatest singer in the world, not at all because of her nasal voice but because of her choice of clothing and physical beauty.  But when she got all anti-Catholic on me, I thought she was weird and never bought a single one of her albums again.  Later, when she got all political on me, I knew I had made the right decision. 

But Madonna was a good business woman and she set the stage for others to follow.  Lady Gaga (aka Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) is one of them. 

Do you consider them blessed?  I do, to a certain degree.  Not because they made a ton of money selling their stuff to other human beings, but because they grew up.  They are actually getting older, and not dying young!  Billy Joel was wrong.  It's not the good that die young, but singers! 

Congratulations Madonna and Lady Gaga!  You are slowing down, getting older and getting physically worn out.   You are experiencing the effects of gravity and longevity.  You are experiencing the effects of irrelevancy.  Madonna is a mom, and like all moms her kids could care less of her long ago body and fame (all moms know what I am talking about).  This is not all bad news.  This may actually lead to some Good News. 

I found it very heartwarming and encouraging how Elton John, Annie Lennox, Cher and Sinead O'Connor publicly came out to admonish Miley Cyrus' wild and reckless behavior and the music industry's irresponsible thirst for sucking and stripping the life out of young artists.  I was particularly impressed with what Annie Lennox had to say:

"I'm disturbed and dismayed by the recent spate of overtly sexualised performances and videos. ...You know the ones I'm talking about. It seems obvious that certain record companies are peddling highly styled pornography with musical accompaniment …"

"It's depressing to see how these performers are so eager to push this new level of low. Their assumption seems to be that misogyny – utilised and displayed through oneself – is totally fine, as long as you are the one creating it. As if it's all justified by how many millions of dollars and YouTube hits you get from behaving like pimp and prostitute at the same time. It's a glorified and monetised form of self harm."

Blessed are they!  They get it!  They know.  It is not the body or money that matters most.  What counts is the heart, mind, body and soul being united and living harmony, in peace.  We all know that many of these artists lived their lives for years with their soul separated from their heart, body and work.  It was all due to the business they were in and lies they had believed. 

Willingly or unwillingly, they all learned Christ's lessons the hard way, and at a very dear price.

Moms and dads:  hug your kids today, for you are truly blessed. 

Lk 17:11-19 Understanding Gratitude

Sunday of the Twenty-Eighth Week In Ordinary Time

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As Jesus was entering a village, ten lepers met him.  They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master!  Have pity on us!"  And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests."  As they were going they were cleansed.  ...One of them, realizing he had been healed, returned...and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.

It's all about gratitude.  After I read today's Gospel passage, one word came to mind:  gratitude.  It's all about gratitude.  Ten lepers were cleansed but only one of them gave thanks to the Lord.  Terrible!  But how come?

Are you a grateful person?  Do you pray?

Why pray?  Just the very act of praying signifies gratitude.  So if you pray often and well, then you are a grateful person.  You are also a very humble person.  After all, to pray means to acknowledge God's presence and give your life up to the Lord. 

So why didn't the other nine lepers thank Jesus?  Because they did not pray.  Why don't we thank God enough?  Because we don't pray enough.

I deserve this!  I expect this!  I earned this!  I demand so much from others and from the Lord.  There it is!  We have all been taught to think how special we are.  I am convinced it was a cover up to mask how miserable we really are.  After all, to convince people of something, sometimes all it takes is repeating it over and over again.

Hence, we have multiple generations of folks who believe they deserve what they want, when they want it and how they want it.  Not only that, but they also believe they have done all it takes to get what they deserve. 

Gratitude is no where to be found!  And neither is prayer.

They have caught the scent of self-entitlement.  They have been diagnosed with the disease of always expecting something from someone.  They have been coco-washed to think they did it all with their own two hands!  I desire this!  I earned this!  It's all me!

In today's Gospel passage, we have ten lepers who were healed with no strings attached.  In today's first reading, we have St. Paul in chains on account of the Lord Jesus.  What is going on here?  I thought the more you prayed the more you received?  Doesn't he deserve better?  Doesn't he deserve to live longer?

Prayer is not shopping for gifts.  It is first and foremost adoration and thanksgiving.  Come what may, I must acknowledge the Lord and give thanks to Him...for He is good!  Actually, He is always good.  And I am always loved.  Chains or no chains.  Cured or not cured.  St. Paul understood this because he prayed "His Will be done."
Our life is a gift from God.  What we do with it is our gift to him.

Those who pray well are full of gratitude and humility.  They are full of wonder and amazement.  They know they deserve little.  They know never to take anything or anyone for granted.  They don't live expecting more but rather less!

I earned this!  Sometimes children pray to God like they dialogue with their parents:  harshly.  If you don't know what I mean, then just imagine you, parent, are God and your children are like Adam and Eve (disobedient) or Cain and Abel (clawing each other to death).  Now you know what I mean.  There is little gratitude in their speech and far less respect for you are.  But there are a lot of demands and threats made upon you!  And it can all easily escalate into starring each other down.

Unfortunately, our childish and twisted relationship extends to God as well.  And I will be the first to admit it.  I am the first to exert my "I" over God's "I", as if my "I" could even compare to God's "I"; or my "I am" with God's "I am", as if my "I am" could even make sense without God's "I AM".  Finally, I push the Lord's button with "I did this!"  while completely ignoring all that the Lord has done for me.

But in prayer, I am gratefully reminded: "With the Lord, nothing is impossible." 

Lord I need you.  Lord I need you.  Every hour I need you... 

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart more like yours!  Amen.  Now this is a prayer worth hearing:  short and sweet, and to the point.

We need to be as grateful as St. Paul.  He considered himself blessed not only because he passed through the fire, but because he stepped up to it. 

Please share this meditation with your friends and family.  Thank you!  :)

Lk 11:15-26 Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

Friday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

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When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:  "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons."

Why Pray?  To drive out demons.  These spiritual creatures direct our hearts, our minds and our bodies away from God and away from heavenly things.  They have a life of their own but also take root in human beings.  Their names are very well known to us:  jealousy, resentment, bitterness and anger.

The greatest tragedies of mankind have occurred when "sick" people convinced healthy people there was something wrong with them! 

Some "sick" people in the crowd were saying Jesus was curing the ill by the power of the devil.  That is sick.  And it is a common symptom of those who have lost The Way and are possessed by jealousy, resentment, bitterness and anger.  

In the past two days and on separate occasions, I have had two people come to me and say: "Father, I feel like I'm losing my faith in..."  I expected them to say, "in God."  Instead, I was shocked to hear, "in people." 

In people?  Why? 

How can we lose faith in people?  Don't we touch, smell, see and hear them on a daily basis?  Don't we know them by abstract means such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn?  Looks like visual confirmation or written documents are insufficient means of really knowing someone; if this person really exists. 

Do you really exist?  Are you who you claim to be?  

Americans are losing faith in their Constitution; in their government; and in their leaders and representatives.  Nearly one-out-of-every-six Americans want to throw "the bums" out:  President, Senate and House of Representatives.  They want to wipe the slate clean. 

It won't happen.  It will never happen. 

Why?  Because we do not share a common philosophy or common vision.  Instead, we share common demons:  greed, envy, self-interests, selfishness. 

Replacing people with new people (who are driven by their demons) won't solve any problems.  But replacing people with people who pray will. 

Why pray?  To drive out demons and fill our heart, mind, soul and body with the one true God:  Jesus Christ.

Luke 11:5-13 Defying Gravity By Praying

Thursday of the Twenty-Seventh Week In Ordinary Time

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Jesus said to his disciples:  "...If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

Ask and you shall receive.  The readings this week have been all about prayer.  The Book of Jonah is about prayer.  The Gospel passages have been all about prayer.  Yesterday we learned how Jesus taught his disciples to pray.  Did someone teach you?

A few days ago I went to see the movie Gravity.  Wow!  Talk about a thriller and a shriller.  My hats off to director Alfonso Cuarón.  He did a fabulous job.  He kept faithful to his vision, even while Hollywood executives were breathing down his throat to make it more or less like Apollo 13. 

One of my favorite lines in the movie is when astronaut Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) admits to never having been taught how to pray.  Wow!  I don't want to spoil the movie for you, but I can tell you she is a quick learner!

Prayer is essential!  Enough said.  We can talk about it until we are blue in the face, but if we don't start praying, then we are wasting our time talking about it. 

Now is time for us to start praying.  Today.  Right now.  Put you cell phone or iPad down (or this meditation) and start praying. 

How do you pray?  I, myself, have encouraged countless number of people to pray: "You should pray about this."  "Make sure you say your prayers!"  "Did you pray for me?"  But to be totally honest with you, I don't think I ever asked these people if they knew how to pray.  I just assumed they did.  But after seeing Gravity and so many of our young people struggling with life and being pulled down by the negative forces of our culture, I will no longer assume anything related to God and to prayer.

I think I should also be honest and say that I only really learned how to pray when I entered the seminary.  Of course, I prayed before I became a seminarian (how else did I get there!), but I think I prayed just like a baby full of excitement speaks.  And when I asked to pray in public I never quite knew where my words were leading me.  I am sure I sounded confused, with my thoughts running wild and my words rushing out of my lips.  I knew it back then, but I didn't know what to do.  No one back then had ever taught me how to pray.

Finally someone did.  And it was so simple.  It felt like a wall had come tumbling down and the Holy Spirit walked straight into my life.  Ask and you shall receive.  Seek and you shall find.  Knock and the door shall be opened to you. 

Praying is Adoration, Thanksgiving, Repentence, Intentions and Petitions (ATRIP).  Praying is like taking a trip.  I can't remember exactly who taught me this, but I have never forgotten this.

Adoration.  Every prayer should start off by giving God his proper recognition.  We should adore Him and Him alone.

Heavenly Father, you are my all.  You are my everything.  You created me.  You redeemed me.  You are my Savior and my God.  Without you I am nothing. 

Thanksgiving.  Once I realize who God truly is, I must thank Him.

I thank you with all my heart for your countless blessings.  You have loved me when I was unlovable; forgiven me when I could not even forgive myself.  I thank you for allowing me to speak in your name and to serve you with my life.

Repentence.  After realizing all the Lord has done for me, I must acknowledge my stubborn and selfish heart.

Please forgive me for the times I have placed myself way above you, and for the many times I greeted your wishes with hesitancy and laziness.  Forgive me Lord for the times I failed to imitate you in word and action. 

Intentions.  Since the world will change only when I change, I now ask God for any special needs I may have.

I ask you for the grace of perseverance, courage and love.  Help me to love as you love me, and to be compassionate and merciful as you are towards me.

Petitions.  Finally, I need to pray for others and our world.

Dear Lord, watch over your children spread throughout the world.  Keep them safe in your arms.  Encourage our leaders to listen to your voice of reason and love before making decisions and taking action. 

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Please share this post with your friends.  Maybe they could use some help in praying.

Now you can hibernate your computer or laptop or iPad or silence your cell phone and get to work; that is, start praying and allow your heart and mind to defy gravity (and death) by entering God's Kingdom.

Luke 11:1-4 Why Pray?

Wednesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week In Ordinary Time

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Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray..."  He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come.  Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test."

Be good for goodness sake.  An atheist once responded to me by saying the following:  "History has shown people do terrible things for their god.  Why not advocate doing good for the sake of doing good?"  This individual must have read only the first few chapters in his history book!  He's forgotten how history has shown people doing terrible things for themselves, for their own beliefs and interests, for their own ideologies, and for no god. 

But is it possible to do good for the sake of doing good?  Putting aside the question 'What is good?,' this person is completely ignoring the elephant in the room:  human nature. 

We don't do things for no reason, and we almost never do anything that doesn't benefit us directly or indirectly.  We don't breathe for the sake of breathing.  We don't live for the sake of living.  We breathe for the sake of living.  We live for the sake of adventure, discovery, purpose and meaning.  

Why pray?  Do you pray for the sake of praying?  Nobody does.  But if you do, well, that won't last long. 

So why pray?  To love.  Yes.  It's not easy to love, at least the Christian way. 

Prayer is the generator of love, and love is what makes life worth living.  It takes faith to pray.  So, it is important to increase one's faith.  We talked about how to do it in a previous meditation. 

Why pray?  To not shirk from our duty and responsibility the way Jonah did.  He ran.  He hid.  He made excuses.  Why?  Because Jonah did not pray (cf. Jon. 4:1-11).

With the exception of Mary, fear seized every great prophet:  Moses feared because he could not speak; Jeremiah, because he was too young; Abraham, because he was too old.  So there you have it:  too young, too old, not the right time, not the right moment.  It's never a good time for the Lord! 

But unlike Jonah, these men and women prayed.

And the rest is salvation history.