Call of Discipleship

As we begin this new week, we receive the same message that we have been hearing for some time now, the call of discipleship. This is a very important message that we need to listen to and above all, follow! In Matthew's Gospel for today we hear Jesus say, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Mt. 10). That does not mean that we are to stop loving our family and friends, but it means that these relationships and our very life should not hinder us in our relationship with Jesus. As one of the commentators for today says, "This priority of loving is crucial in order to enable us to love adequately our loved ones. We take up our cross and follow after Jesus in order to become 'worthy' of Jesus - to love with his love" (Magnificat, 160). We pray that the heart of Jesus will be our heart and that we will love others as he loves us. It is a beautiful call! By living the call to discipleship and love, we can grow in our relationship with Jesus and with one another! Have a great day!

Neighborly Compassion and Love

The gospel reading for this weekend is a beautiful parable, the parable of the Good Samaritan. This man came upon the victim of robber's and cared for him with love and compassion. Jesus tells us at the end of the gospel that we are to go and do likewise. There are many opportunities for us each day to share the life and love of Christ with our brothers and sisters. If July 11 had not fallen on a Sunday, we would be celebrating the feast day of St. Benedict. He has become one of my favorite saints because of my Benedictine training in the seminary and growing to love Benedictine spirituality. St. Benedict wrote a rule for his monks and that rule has been followed since the sixth century. There is a piece in the rule that talks about how to receive guests, who can also be our neighbor. "All guests to the monastery should be welcomed as Christ, because He will say, 'I was a stranger and you took me in' (Mt. 25:35). Show them every courtesy, especially servants of God and pilgrims. The greeting and farewell should be offered with great humility for with bowed head and a prostrate body all shall honor in the guests the person of Christ. For it is Christ who is really being received" (#53). Let us pray that St. Benedict will intercede for us as we follow the Lord's call to go and do likewise, living the love of God and neighbor.

Witnesses of Holiness

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions. A brief history tells us that from the 17th Century to the present day, Catholics of China have been subjected to several episodes of violent persecution. Some of these witnesses of faith and holiness, as one commentator described it, were raised to the altars of sainthood in the year 2000, when they were canonized by the Venerable Pope John Paul II. Those who were canonized numbered 120 and they were Chinese Catholics and foreign missionaries who were martyred from 1648 to 1930. Saint Augustine Zhao Rong was one of 29 priests (including six bishops) in this group of martyrs (Magnificat, 125). As the first part of the opening prayer says, "Father, we celebrate the memory of St. Augustine and his companions who died for their faithful witnessing to Christ. Give us the strength to follow their example" (125). We look to the holy men and women to be an example of how to live our lives and our faith. As they were witnesses of holiness for us, may we have the courage to go forth and do the same.

For Priestly Vocations!

It seems that the readings for this week at Mass have a vocation point of view. Jesus gave the disciples instructions on what they are to do as they visit the towns he was intending to visit. Today, it was recommended that the prayers for the Mass be for Priestly Vocations. I love the opening prayer because it acknowledges that the Father, in His plan for salvation, provide shepherds for the people. It goes on to ask that God raise up worthy ministers for the altars and that they be gentle servants of the Gospel. That is what our Lord is asking the disciples to do in Matthew's gospel (10:7-15). Proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand, cure the sick, and bring peace to all people. This is the message that we are called to proclaim in our present day. We pray that God will send laborers, priests and religious, to work in the harvest fields. We also pray for ourselves as disciples that we will fulfill the mission of the church that has been entrusted to us.

One Body of Christ

In our gospel for today, Jesus summons the twelve disciples again, calling them to drive out the unclean spirits and curing every disease and illness. What is interesting is that Matthew names the 12 apostles whom Jesus sent out. According to a commentary for this gospel, there is a reason that Matthew calls these apostles by name. The author notes that these apostles were a diverse group with a style quite unlike Jesus. Several of the apostles were fisherman, one was a tax collector, one a Zealot, and one who hardly needs any mention. The statement at the end of the commentary is what really hits home. "These twelve disciples remind us that differing temperaments, opposing viewpoints, and opposition within the ranks have been a part of the church from the beginning. Here is a reminder of what St. Paul says. As diverse as we are, together we are the Body of Christ called to live out the gospel message" (Lectionary for Mass, 3540). Times have changed but the call of Christ to proclaim the Good News is still loud and clear. It is amazing how God brings people together, from differing backgrounds, personalities, and viewpoints, and makes us the one Body of Christ. We have been entrusted with a great mission and we pray that God will continue to sustain us and give us the grace and strength that we need to bring His work to completion.

Praying for Vocations!!!

In this past Sunday's gospel, Jesus sent the seventy two disciples ahead of him to prepare the towns that he intended to visit. The first thing Jesus said to them was this, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest" (Lk. 10). Surprisingly enough, the conclusion of the gospel for this Tuesday is exactly the same. Jesus was looking at the crowds and his heart was moved with pity because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus said, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest" (Mt. 9:38). Of course, you notice the difference. The passage is the same but two different gospels. Obviously this was an important statement because the two authors of these gospels kept it word for word. This statement still rings true today. The harvest is abundant but laborers are few. We need to ask the master, God, to send laborers into His harvest. That is our call to pray for vocations, namely to the priesthood and religious life. Ultimately we need to pray for ourselves because our main vocation is to discipleship. Let us pray that the Lord will give us the grace and strength that we need to proclaim the Good News and continue the mission of the church that has been entrusted to us. God Bless, Dear Friends!!!

A Brand New Year

For many places, the Church included, July 1 begins a new fiscal year. That means books have to be closed and reports written. In terms of the priesthood, many dioceses have July 1 as the official date for new priestly assignments to take effect. That was true for me one year ago. I made my way to the parishes of Washington County, Kansas on June 30, 2009, so I could begin my work on July 1. It is never an easy task to move into a new area, start meeting new people, and try to figure out how things operate. My main duties include 3 parishes and 1 school. It is definitely a lot of work for one person to do, but I have been blessed by the people who have come forward to help me as we all continue the mission of the church that has been entrusted to us. This is certainly a brand new year and I pray that God will continue to bring the good work that has begun to a joyful and blessed completion!!!