Today’s Thoughts: After praying with today’s Gospel last evening before heading to bed it was on my mind as I opened my eyes this morning. I can’t help but hear Jesus’ words in all the rhetoric surrounding the election, in all the headlines, reflections and social media chatter yesterday about Pope Francis’ statement on civil unions. Yes, you would have thought the world was about to end.
The same thing happened in recent years when the Pope called the Synods on the Family, Youth, and the Amazon. Just by reading the headlines one might surmise have that the Church is in trouble. We seem to be full of confusion and unthinkable divisions – bishop against bishop, cardinal against cardinal, cardinal against pope, traditionalists against progressives, conservatives against liberals (well these last two are quite thinkable), but hopefully you get my point. In all the chatter especially from within the Church about the good and bad of the synods you would think the “End Time” is just around the corner. Our upcoming election has tuned up the volume of the apocalyptic voices, – “We are about to step over the edge into the Abyss!” “We will commit a mortal sin if we vote…” My response to all this chatter, media, hysteria and apocalyptic like chatter comes from the immortal words of Aaron Charles Rodgers, quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, as the Packers got off to a slow start a few seasons ago – “Relax!” Jesus tells us in the Gospel today (Luke 12:49-53) that there will be divisions, conflicts and struggles because of his presence, message, ministry and call. He tells us that he has come to set the earth on fire. He is telling us of his deep feelings, emotions, and mission. Down through the centuries the divisions and divisiveness Jesus speaks of is exactly what has happened from time to time. There is no reason to believe that it will stop anytime soon unless God has other plans. As long as there are two people on this earth there will be disagreements, struggles and challenges. Pope Francis thoughts on Civil Unions are nothing new. He has spoken about it before. It is part of his theme of the totality of life. Everyone deserves the basic needs of life. Pope Francis is not changing the doctrine of the Church. He is just living out his faith. He is living the Beatitudes. Pope Francis has always asked people to speak frankly, honestly, truthfully and to look for ways to move the Church forward and that is what his life is about. Unfortunately for the Church, like a football team that plays a bad game, everyone stands ready pounced, the international and national media, cardinals, bishops, priests and laity alike. What is he saying? What isn’t he saying? What does he really mean? Was the translation, right? Should he say these things? It all too confusing! It’s a mess? This confusion is of the devil! He is challenged doctrine! He is using the wrong language. He is going against natural law! He is going against God’s law! And so on and so on and so on! Let me send this memo to the team, fans, media, to all cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, whomever – “Relax!” Life is a work in progress, yes, it can be messy, yes, there will be fights, disagreements and divisions but let’s all have some faith in the Holy Spirit. Let’s all have some faith in the living of life. Let’s all believe in the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ love! Have a blessed, holy, safe, and healthy Thursday everyone!
0 Comments
Today’s Thoughts: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” This is a demanding and challenging reflection by Jesus in today’s Gospel (Luke 12: 39-48). Each time I hear this Gospel especially these words from Jesus I always pause in thought. Am I using the gifts and talents that I have been entrusted with to the best of my ability? Perhaps more importantly, am I using the gifts and talents that I have been entrusted with to further the Kingdom of God? Am I using them not only for myself but for others?
If I am honest with myself then at times my answers to these questions is no! I have been graced, honored and entrusted with many gifts and I have to say at times I do not use them to the best of my ability. Sometimes I am selfish in my approach to life and in sharing what I have been given. At times the challenge of the Gospel especially the challenge in today’s Gospel weighs heavy on me. I want to be the best person of faith I can be, and I want that to be reflected in how I live my life and how I use my gifts. I was reading a reflection the other day that said, “If we have been given a keen mind, we must think. If we are filled with compassion, we must serve. If we receive a voice, we must sing. God will not ask the impossible but will expect our talents to be used.” Perhaps the question for all of us today is what are my gifts and talents? Are they being used to make present the Kingdom of God? Have a blessed, holy, safe, and healthy Wednesday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: Throughout the scriptures Jesus often uses the image of master and servant to make a point and describe our relationship with God. In most cases God is the master and we are the servants and the relationship is as any master and servant relationship would be in Jesus’ world.
However, in today’s Gospel (Luke 12: 35-38) the relationship between master and servant between God and us is turned upside down. God does the waiting on us today and this profound reversal of roles is the very spirit of the Gospel message. It is the very spirit of what Pope Francis has challenged his cardinals, bishops and priest to be as ministers, the very essence of what he has challenged us to be as Christians. If we look at our relationship with God, we come to know that God not only loves us and cares for us but in the person of Jesus God has taken on our human nature in order to redeem us. Many of those who listened to Jesus’ preaching probably found his image of God as one who serves difficult if not impossible to accept. Masters of that time or anytime for that matter just are not seen or experienced as people who are willing to serve. Yet, for Jesus that is exactly what God has done in sending his own Son into the world. May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts! Have a holy and blessed Tuesday everyone. Today’s Thoughts: We often think when we hear stories like the one about the “Rich Fool” in today’s Gospel (Luke 12: 13-21) that Jesus doesn’t like those who are rich and that is not true. When Jesus talks about wealth, possessions, status and power it is not to condemn them but merely to challenge all who find themselves in possession of them. Jesus wants to know what we are going to do with what we possess. Do we use wealth, possessions, status and power to make ourselves comfortable or do we use them to help others? What we do with what we have is always the question.
As Jesus points out today, we cannot take it with us. As a friend of mine always says, “You never see a U-Haul behind a hearse!" In other words, you cannot take it with you so what are you going to do with it? Pope Francis is constantly challenging us to care about the poor, the needy, the less fortunate, the immigrants and the struggling. This challenge is nothing new it has been part of our faith from the beginning. Care and concern for the poor flows out of the Gospel. It is the same message that Jesus presents today. In the early Church the question of those in need was always part of the Church's focus. Pope Francis is just reminding us of what Jesus has said all along. As Passionists, St. Paul of the Cross wanted us to be called “The Poor of Jesus.” He wanted us to seek out all those struggling in in the Passion of Jesus. Our Rule, our Constitutions of Life, talk about our option for the poor. They should be our first concern, especially those who encounter the Passion of Jesus in their life today. Wealth, power, possessions and status are not evil. They are not counter to the Gospel; unless we fail to share, unless we only think of ourselves, unless we let injustice and poverty go unchallenged. Do we use the gifts, talents, possessions, wealth and power to make the world for all people a better place? In other words, by living our life are we rich in what matters to God? Have a blessed, holy, safe, and healthy Monday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: Our readings today, especially our first reading from the Book of Isaiah and our Gospel from Matthew, give us two thoughts to consider as we journey through our Sunday.
In the first reading from Isaiah, God makes it a point to name Cyrus. Naming Cyrus, gave him status, credence, power and importance even though he was not part of the faith community. It was Cyrus, an outsider, who would lead the Israelite back to Jerusalem and establish them as God’s chosen people again after many years of exile. Being named by God grounds someone in the story of faith. Remember your baptism? What was the first thing the priest did? He asked your parents, “What name have you given to your child?” And then he traced the sign of the cross on your forehead and claimed you for God. As a person of faith, we are named and claimed by God as we begin our journey of life and faith. We have a place in the story of faith and we have a responsibility for living the life that God has called and created us to live. This leads to our second point in today’s readings. Our Gospel from Matthew has a very familiar phrase – “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs today God.” We all know what the first half of the statement means. Whether we like it or not we all pay taxes. We all must give to Caesar for the good of the community. Whether we are talking about our nation, our state, or our local community. For a nation, a state, a local municipality to survive, to provide services taxes in many forms must be paid. They are usually paid with money. We all know this. Perhaps we grumble about it. We look for loopholes or ways to get out of paying taxes with our hard earn money, but in the end for society to prosper we need to pay our share to “Caesar.” The more important part of Jesus’ statement in Matthew’s Gospel today is “Repay to God what belongs to God.” What belongs to God is the 54,000-dollar question! Well everything belongs to God! Let start with life. We exist because of God. The life of our earth, the life of the world, our life is a gift from God. We owe God big time. In naming us at baptism we are called to respect life in all its forms. We are called to respect the earth, to respect the unborn and the born. We are called to respect the gifted and the non-gifted. We are called to respect the perfect and the non-perfect. We are called to respect and value everything and everyone! In doing this we repay God what is God’s. October is Respect Life Month. As faithful members of God’s community we are called to respect all life from the moment of conception to the last breath taken. In repaying God what is God’s we are to honor life! Also, today we remember St. Luke. It is his feast day, but Sunday take precedence, so we remember all who have the name Luke, all physicians, all writers and all who proclaim the Gospel. Happy Feast of St. Luke everyone! Have a great Sunday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: Today’s Gospel passage just might leave one stumped. What does Jesus mean by the unforgivable sin, the sin against the Holy Spirit? What specifically would it be?
Here the Scriptures and Church teaching seem to be on a collision course. The Catechism assures us God’s mercy overcomes even the gravest evil, when there is sincere contrition. The power of God is a mighty force, that can go many places and accomplish amazing things. However, the one thing that can stop God’s power dead in its tracks, time and time again, is the hardness of the human heart. Because God will not force himself on us. But we have a wily God who knows how to find a way. Just look at our first reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. St. Paul is thankful at how God has found a way into the Ephesians hearts through faith and love for one another. Yes, we can cut ourselves off from God. We can harden our hearts. We can speak against the Holy Spirit. But we also have the hope that God will find a way to turn that hard heart into a human heart and turn our blasphemes into faith! Have a blessed, holy, safe, and healthy Saturday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: “Do not be afraid.” Jesus’ words toward the end of today’s Gospel. At first glance, this passage from Luke’s Gospel (Luke 12: 1-7) today it is a bit confusing. Jesus first talks about who to fear. We are to fear the one who can take eternal life from us. But then Jesus tells us not to fear because God is with us, God cares, God has our back!
I could not help but think about St. Paul’s words from the eighth chapter of Roman when he says, “If God is for us who can be against us!” I have often said we should write this down and keep it next to our bed and read it when we wake up each morning and before we close our eyes each night. “If God is for us who can be against us!” What a wonderful thought. Perhaps Jesus is saying the same thing when he tells us we are worth far more than many sparrows. God knows us intimately, he knows every hair on our head. God has our back so even though life presents us with many reasons to be afraid Jesus reminds us not to be because, to paraphrase the words of Thomas Merton, God will never leave us to face our perils and fears alone! Have a blessed, holy, safe, and healthy Friday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: “Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.” Strong and challenging words of Jesus in today’s Gospel. I wonder how many religious leaders, scholars of the law or leaders in general will paused when they hear these words proclaimed or when they proclaim them themselves during mass today? At the very least these words from Jesus should be food for thought.
The readings today urge us to consider our faith, our relationship with God as the lens through which we view life and make decisions. We certainly need to respect the law but our readings today challenge the laws that do not promote love, acceptance of and advancement of people even people we disagree with. We are asked as people of faith to promote love, forgiveness and respect of all God’s people. Perhaps a few questions we might ask are – Over the course of history what has God done for us? And today what does God want me to do, what does God want us to do when opting for a direction or making a decision in life? Have a blessed, holy, safe, and healthy Thursday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: Our readings today (Galatians 5:18-25 and Luke 11:42-46) focus on two things – living in the Spirit and judging others. We are challenged by our scriptures today to not be judges but to be people of compassion, to be people of the Spirit.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer speaks to Paul and Jesus’ message today with his own reflection. “Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.” Love and grace of gifts of the Spirit and they help us not to be blind judges but to be people of generosity, kindness, joy, peace and faithfulness. As does Henri Nouwen with his words; “As long as we continue to live as if we are what we do, what we have, and what other people think about us, we will remain filled with judgments, opinions, evaluations, and condemnations. We will remain addicted to putting people and things in their "right" place.” In other words, we will place burdens on others and certainly not be people of the Spirit. The question that we might ask ourselves today is do we want to be blind and addicted? Hopefully not – which means we need to remember let God be the judge and every time we are tempted to point out another’s fault, we should think of our own shortcomings. If we approach life this way we will be graced by God’s mercy and patience, we will be living in the Spirit! Have a blessed, holy, safe, and healthy Wednesday everyone! Today’s Thoughts: As we have often heard, “You cannot judge a book by its cover!” We might say that this saying reflects what Jesus is talking about in the Gospel (Luke 11: 37-41) today. Jesus speaks about the outside of the Pharisees verses the inside. What they appear to be, what people see verses what they really do and think.
Jesus is speaking to the challenge of finding balance in life. Our life is not just about appearance it is about what we believe and how we live that belief each day. Living a life of faith begins in our hearts and our actions need to reflect what is in our hearts. St. Paul in his Letter to the Galatians is speaking about balance. Balance between the law and the spirit. Balance between what is learned, what guides us and what we believe. Being out of balance places us at risk. Being in balance opens the gift of God’s love. The Pharisees were not bad people however at times they let their power, their position, their influence and their authority get the best of them. They forgot who and what was at the center of their life. They forgot the purpose and meaning of their life. They put themselves first. They got out of balance. It can happen to anyone, it can happen to us. Being in balance is important. We need to always remember that everything, outside and inside comes from God. As Pope Emeritus Benedict put it, “Every form of gift is, in a word, a sign of the presence of God, because it leads to the fundamental discovery that, at the origin, everything is given.” Have a blessed, holy, safe, and healthy Tuesday everyone! |
Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P. "Preacher on the Run"Just a few thoughts to help you on your journey through life...let me know from time to time what you think... Archives
May 2023
Categories |