Month: November 2023

Daily Reflection – 11/15/2023

Sacred Scripture

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, 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. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” (Luke 17:11-19)

Reflection

Our scripture today can be discussed on so many levels. Its essence is, of course, the gratitude of the Samaritan leper who was cured — especially in contrast to the other lepers who never paused to thank the Lord for their healing.

It’s unfortunate they did not stop to express their thanks and, by not doing so, they were only partially healed. Physically, yes but not in spirit. By walking away, they lost because they did not experience the transformative power of gratitude.

In that is a life lesson for all of us.

At an early age, we are taught to say, “thank you.” As we grow older, we use the words more frequently. Often, however, the words are spoken and yet not felt. The words, at times, roll off our lips but lack a home in our heart.

Here is where the transformative power of gratitude comes into play because gratitude is the homage of the heart which responds with graciousness in expressing an act of thanksgiving.
We become a person who thanks God always and everywhere — and learns how to thank others too — through prayer. The majority of our time in prayer should be in praise and thanksgiving if we’re ever going to be able to thank God always and everywhere. That’s a habit we need to form, in which we count our blessings and thank God for each of them. The more we do so, the more we see these blessings, and the more we acquire that attitude of gratitude, the fuller we become as a Christian.

When we give thanks, we are no longer passive recipients; we become active givers, giving back to the One who has blessed us. When we become active givers, God places us on another level another level capable of receiving even more from him. By giving thanks for what he had received, the leper was capable of receiving more from God. Indeed, he did receive more, he was saved. Saved by God’s mercy, he was now capable of receiving still more, of growing in intimacy with God.

Growing in intimacy with God. That’s not a description for saints. It is a prescription for us.

Our time on earth is a journey. From birth to death. From infancy to old age. From joy to sadness. From a child with simple needs to an adult with complex layers. It’s also a journey to our spiritual home.

That journey takes several paths. Some are easy walks. Some are joyful sprints of exuberance. Some are difficult and painful. Some are marked by days of sunshine and gentle breezes. Others are dark and gloomy days with rain and tears.

But you and I can transform each of those days into a time of growth and wisdom. The map of life should and must be built on a personal objective of growing in intimacy with God. How do we achieve that? How do we even know that we are growing?

It begins with gratitude. It begins by saying thank you. Saying thank you to the Father who created us. Nothing brought that home to be more than the seven years of ministry I spent among the people of Panama. There I learned people who understood that all blessings come from God. One Saturday, I was in one of the more remote villages. As we walked door to door, I met an older man who had no home. He had a tarp strung between two banana trees. When I asked if there was anything he needed.  He looked at me and said “The trees bring me shelter, I have food to eat and, most of all, a God who loves me. Every day, I say Gracias a Dios.”

There it was. A profound expression of daily love and gratitude. He was filled by and with God. Every day reminded him of how blessed he was. His gratitude knew no bounds. He had developed an intimacy with God which filled his life and marked each step.

It was one of the most powerful lessons I have learned in more than four decades of ministry. I will never cease striving to know that intimacy. Thank you, Father.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, Fill my heart with compassion and thanksgiving, and free me from ingratitude and discontentment. Help me to count my blessings with a grateful heart and to give thanks in all circumstances”.

Daily Note

“Lord Jesus, Fill my heart with compassion and thanksgiving, and free me from ingratitude and discontentment. Help me to count my blessings with a grateful heart and to give thanks in all circumstances”.

Daily Reflection – 11/15/2023

Sacred Scripture

Jesus said to the apostles: “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'” (Luke 17:7-10)

Reflection

Today’s scripture is difficult for most people. Most civilized societies publicly abhor the idea of indenture or servitude. But it really is part of Christianity. Now before you stop reading, stay with me as I explain this.

As followers of Christ, we recognize and believe that God calls us all to service, not selfishness. Jesus Christ spent his entire time with us living the role of a servant. A servant who had but one goal and that was to do the will of His father who sent him. He gave his life so that He could save us.

That should be humbling to each of us. And perhaps that is the first characteristic we followers of Christ must have. Humility.

It’s humility that leads us to acknowledge and accept the belief that we only one priority in our lives and that is to honor and glorify God. It is in that honor that we have the power to live beyond ourselves. Living beyond ourselves and living to help carry the message of Jesus Christ allows us to act in love, to act in selflessness, to honor God, our Father by seeking to not only live His word but help others to live and recognize their worth as a child of God.

The Lord committed to us in a bond of unbreakable love and fidelity. The wood upon which Jesus died was more than an instrument of torture. It carried in its horror a symbol of His love for us. One that would never die. The Master died as he lived — a servant to us. His faithfulness was and is a determent of His bond with us. That faithfulness should mark our earthly existence.

The humbleness of our Servant and Lord, the faithfulness of our Servant and Lord, the total love of our Servant and Lord should bring us hope – hope that keeps us moving closer to Him regardless of a world that, at times, seems to be moving farther from Him.

But we do have hope and that, along with our humility and faithfulness should mark our lives as Christians. They are the very messages we should be bringing to all those who touch our daily life. We live by His word, and we live His word. A servant has but one master. That is Jesus Christ. Everything action we take, every word from our mouths. should be in emulation of Him.

It is truly about deeds, not creeds.

Someone once told me that those of us in wealthier nations should be envious of those living in third world poverty. She explained: “Because the poor fulfill their servitude to God in the daily sufferings that a life in poverty presents to them. It is we, the rich and privileged of the world who must deny the materialistic life that lies before us and counter-culturally live an unprofitable life for the poor.”

Her point reminds us that we, too, are servants, unprofitable servants, who are committed toot only to serve God, but to serve one another.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord, you are faithful even when I fail.  Help me to remain ever faithful to you and to not shrink back when I encounter difficulties.  May always live in your presence and be ready to meet you when you call me on the day of judgment.”

Daily Note

We must remember our role in this life. We are not the master, we are not the kings; these are God’s place; and we are His. God blesses each of us more than we deserve, for this we should feel thankful … not entitled.

Daily Reflection – 11/13/2023

Sacred Scripture

Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.” And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. (Luke 17:1-6)

Reflection

The apostles in today’s scripture ask to have their faith increased. Jesus, in return, offers hope by pointing out that a little faith is sufficient if we just let it grow.

The apostles knew the power of faith, but they were treating it as an abstract. Similar to many people. The reality is that faith is not an abstract. It is far from an abstract.

Faith is not given to us in a packet to be spent as currency in our dealings with God. Faith is not a thing we have or get. Faith is a relationship of trust and love. It means opening ourselves to receive another’s life and giving our life to another. That other one is Jesus the Christ. That one faith relationship is determinative of who we are and how we live.

We are called to live in Christ. That’s a tall order! But it’s the heart of Christianity. As humans, it seems almost impossible. But it’s not the goal. We don’t reach it and then congratulate ourselves for winning the objective. It’s an ongoing process that goes on and on. Each day, we strive to live in Christ, we come closer to Him. Each day, we grow stronger in our ability to love Him more than the “things” of this life. The stronger our faith grows, the easier it becomes to live His commands/

 Faith will not change the circumstances of our lives. Instead, it changes us. Living in faith does not shield us from the pain and difficulties of life, it does not undo the past, and it will not guarantee a particular future. Rather, faith is the means by which we face and deal with the circumstances of life – the difficulties and losses, the joys and successes, the opportunities, and possibilities.

The key here is to understand that faith is practiced day after day in everyday circumstances. Some days when the pain and heaviness of life seem more than we can carry, our faith, relationship with Jesus, allows us to get up each morning and face the reality of life. Other days present other circumstances. When we feel the pain of the world and respond with compassion by feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, speaking for justice; when we experience the brokenness of a relationship and offer forgiveness and mercy; when we see the downtrodden and offer our presence and prayers – that’s living out our faith relationship with Jesus.

Jesus uses the example of a mustard seed. To allow the mustard seed of faith to grow in our lives, we need to provide it with fertile soil. That “soil” is our hearts. How can faith grow if we carry malice in our hearts? How can faith grow if we spend part of everyday criticizing another? How can faith grow if we refuse to accept the fact that every person is created by God and our equal? How can our faith grow when we will not let go of a grudge against another or refuse to forgive another? How can faith grow if we live each day negatively and use language that is, in fact, violent?

We can never know the liberating power of faith alive in our lives if we haven’t learned to forgive.  But we must.

If we can muster up the strength to forgive another in His name, then we will notice something else about our faith. It grows because we are surrounded by people who are seeking to live their faith.

When we look at ourselves as isolated creatures, our faith is small, very small. But Jesus tells us is that when we feel the smallness of our faith, then it is time that we draw upon the faith of others. When we become discouraged about the world around us, it is time to look at the people in our life who we love and who can give us energy and hope. If we lose our job or our health, it is not time to go it alone. It is time to draw upon the strength of the people who respect and support us. When we doubt whether there really is a heaven, it is time that we turn to the people around us whose faith is stronger than ours and draw on their strength.

Faith, then, is how we live; the lens through which we see ourselves, others, and the world; the criterion by which we act and speak. We live by faith recognizing that our relationship with Jesus is an iterative process that draws us closer to him. The closer we draw to Him, the more we are changed. The power of each of us growing our faith would, if we allow it, change the world. Jesus believes that. So should we.

Prayer of The Day

“I believe in you, Lord Jesus, as the only one who can fill my heart. I believe in the power of faith to change my life and the lives of others. I trust that you will grant me the light and strength to cast out sin in my life. I come to you in prayer so that I can love you even more with a firm but serene opposition to sin. “

Daily Note

As we grow in love, we grow in holiness. As we grow in holiness, we begin to become the very people that God intends us to be We live in love and our shadow of love creates a better place for each one of us.

Daily Reflection – 11/10/2023

Sacred Scripture

Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”(Luke 16:1-8)

Reflection

In the parable of the dishonest steward, (Luke 16:1-13), Jesus uses the industriousness of this dishonest steward to challenge us, to remind all of us that “the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”

We are the children of light. How are we living our own lives? Are we allowing the light of truth to shine into every area of those lives? Do we believe that the Christian faith is to inform every aspect of how we live, or have we set apart certain areas which are outside of the reach of the saving truth of the Gospel?

We need to hear these words from Jesus with humility and honesty – and allow them to root themselves deep within us, so that they lead each one of us to a change in lifestyle.

Our very ability to live a Christ centered life in this topsy-turvy world requires us to pause for a bit each day. During that period, we should reflect on how we are living our lives.  That inner contemplation will always lead us to understand better that we are stewards of His love, that we are stewards of the Christan faith, that we are expected to never cease striving for the kingdom of God.

If we accept our role as a steward of God, then we must live our lives truthfully and honesty in ALL aspects of our life. A follower of Christ cannot separate faith from life. Our lives must reflect the goodness and the beauty of God. God alone is to be served and loved with all of our heart. We are called to receive all of our worldly goods, no matter what they are, as a gift and direct them toward what is good and true.

There is often a ‘disconnect’ between the faith Christians profess and the way we live our daily lives. Western culture would not be in the current state of moral decline if Christians understood and lived their Christian faith in an integrated manner, informing every aspect of our human experience and social participation with the principles and practices which flow from that faith.

As Christians, we are called to serve God first.  We must not use money and possessions exclusively to serve our own purposes. If we understand the principle that everything we own is a gift from God, then God is the owner of everything and we are His stewards. We are to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s goals. It is as simple and, at the same time, as profound as that.

We need to hear these words from Jesus with humility and honesty – and allow them to root themselves deep within us, so that they lead each one of us to a day when our Master says : “ Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, all that I have is a gift from you. May I love you freely and generously with all that I possess. Help me to be a wise and faithful steward of the resources you put at my disposal, including the use of my time, money, and possessions.”

Daily Note

All of us will be asked to give an account of our life. We are all stewards of what God has entrusted to us, so some day we will have to give Him an account of our stewardship.  We prepare ourselves for all kinds of things, most of which never happen.  But do we care enough for our souls to insure ourselves against the one thing that most certainly will happen? We must meet God and give an accounting. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil” (II Corinthians 5:10). 

Daily Reflection – 11/9/2023

Sacred Scripture

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus addressed this parable to them. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:1-10)

Reflection

Never, ever forget the lesson in these beautiful lines of scripture. They speak of His love for you, they speak of your value, they speak of His forgiveness.

Take these words into your heart and let them be the fuel that drives your day for they teach us more about the heart of God than a library full of theological treatises. They begin by reminding us that God cares about each one of us. He cares deeply enough to go out of his way to save us when we are lost. The words remind us of our value to Him.

Yes, you may be successful, confident and one who has a good heart for others. It’s easy to feel you are valued by God, you are blessed by God, you are loved by God.

But there is, of course, the flip side of that coin. There are those for whom the days are not so bright, who don’t feel they are successful, who don’t even feel the presence of God in their lives.

And then there are those who are in between.

There are times in our lives when we question our value or perhaps feel that we have lost value. Perhaps we have hurt someone deeply because of selfishness or fear, and this brought an important relationship in our life to a close. Perhaps we are struggling with a destructive habit, the abuse of alcohol or pornography. As hard as we try, we are not able to bring that habit under control. Perhaps we have less energy or ability because of sickness or advancing age. We are not able to contribute in the way in which we once could.

Whatever the reason, there are times that we feel that our value has slipped, our worth is reduced, and we are not the people we can or should be. In those circumstances the parable of the woman and the coin reminds us that we still have value in God’s sight. God still cares for us and treasures us. God is committed to finding us.

But here is the key. We don’t feel valued on the darkest of days because we are using the wrong measures to value ourselves.

Our worth depends on what we mean to God. And we mean a lot. We mean enough for God to create us, save us, and keep searching to bring us closer, closer to the life that God wants us to live. Today’s scripture could not be any stronger about that. the parable of the woman and the coin reminds us that we still have value in God’s sight.

He does not care about your balance sheet, or how much adulation you might receive or even whether you have appeared on the cover of TIME magazine. He cares about you and what you will do with His love for you.

He wants His love to transform you.

He wants you to begin each day knowing that no one could be loved more. He wants you to have that thought become the driving force of your life. When that happens, you will always see beyond the clouds to the brightness of the day. You will know that you have been forgiven. You will know that you are never alone, and you are always loved. And you will bring that love to every word and every action of your day.

However, your spirits may be, however lost you may feel, just remember that even now God has lit the lamp and is sweeping away ever obstacle, so that he can say to the angels of heaven, “Rejoice with me, for here is my beloved daughter or son whom I have been able to bring closer to myself.”

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, let your light dispel the darkness that what is lost may be found and restored. Let your light shine through me that others may see your love and truth and find hope and peace in you. May I never doubt your love nor take for granted the mercy you have shown to me. Fill me with your transforming love that I may be merciful as you are merciful.”

Daily Note

We are called to be vulnerable to those outside the boundaries of our private lives and our community of faith: to give with no expectation of reward, to love without demand for return, to reach out to those in need with unrelenting care, to release preoccupation with the cares and concerns of our own lives (or perhaps through these cares) to reach out in love to those who are not easy to love. We are called to do all this in delight and with joy and in so doing we mirror the foolishness of the LOVE we call God. St Paul tells us that God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. By God’s grace we are the weak and the foolish.

Daily Reflection – 11/8/2023

Sacred Scripture

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, “This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.” Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25-33)

Reflection

The words of Jesus Christ lay out the “conditions” to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. By the standards of the world, the three “can not’s” are far from attractive. In fact, they may appear to many as downright discouraging. 

In essence, Jesus points out that: The Christian life demands strength to love.  The Christian life demands that we carry a cross.  The Christian life demands that we give up everything for God. (a quick aside: the word “hate” here is a Semitic idiom. It refers not to negative emotion but preference.)

Those conditions deserve our full attention. Churches throughout the world are packed with people interested in Jesus but who don’t really grasp the implications of discipleship for themselves. People who were willing to follow Jesus and learn from him as long as the cost wasn’t too high. Sometimes I think that churches make it too easy to be a Christian. We preach a gospel of love. Sometimes it is preached as if all it takes is Church on Sunday. After all, we can’t preach a sermon that makes people uncomfortable.!

But that’s not the discussion. The discussion should always be about choosing to be a disciple. Choosing. Your choice. We elect to be his disciple because we choose to live a life where his light shines through us and touches others, maybe even heals others.

As part of this discipleship, Jesus does not tell us that we should have no love for the things most precious in our lives, our many bonds of kinship, even our own life itself. He is telling us that even these things must not be given a preference in our decisions that would amount to a renunciation of Christ and what he stands for.

To achieve the goal of discipleship – eternal union with God –we have to make intelligent use of the means to get there. The means involve, as he says, putting him first which means putting everything else second, including the good things of this world that he has blessed us with. Then it means giving of ourselves all the way out of love, picking up our Crosses and bearing those sacrifices out of love, dying to ourselves each day, and thereby opening ourselves up to the transforming power of Jesus’ love.

So, carrying your cross is a choice and ironically, it is a choice for life and not death. But here is the challenge. We tend toward saying the cross is a choice for life because it leads to resurrection. It is that. It is a choice for life. And life can be messy. War. Hurt. Death. Illness. Poverty. Anger. Malice. The list goes on and on. All the things that humankind has done which are contra to the words of Christ. We are all subject to them to one degree or another. We all shudder when life seems to hand us more than one at once.

Choosing the cross means carrying that cross in a world which can be brutal. But having chosen the cross to carry in this world is liberation from a mindset barraged by evil things. We carry our crosses through our life on earth. And when we stumble, when we hurt, when we are overcome, the words of Christ lift us up and remind us that all is temporary. The words of Christ have freed us to imagine what the cross means for our future. The words of Christ lift us up, hold us up. The words of Christ bring us home now and in the future.

When we put God first in life, we open the door for him to touch people in ways unimaginable. These ways far transcend any religious activities or behaviors we engage in. He works through us!

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, you are my Treasure, my Life, and my All. There is nothing in this life that can outweigh the joy of knowing, loving, and serving you all the days of my life. Take my life and all that I have and make it yours for your glory now and forever.”

Daily Note

The love of God compels us to choose who or what will be first in our lives Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who and what they love first and foremost. We can be ruled and mastered by many different things – money, drugs, success, power or fame. Only one Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, can truly set us free from the power of sin, greed, and destruction. The choice is ours – who will we serve and follow – the path and destiny the Lord Jesus offers us or the path we choose in opposition to God’s will and purpose for our lives. It boils down to choosing between life and death, truth and falsehood, goodness and evil. If we choose for the Lord Jesus and put our trust in him, he will show us the path that leads to true joy and happiness with our Father in heaven.

Daily Reflection – 11/7/2023

Sacred Scripture

One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.”( Luke 14:15-24)

Reflection

What if there was one ticket that gave you access to your favorite concert? musician? comedian? movie? Trip? Whatever it is, you can have all of them. Now that’s a ticket that would be worth buying!

But there is still another ticket – even better than that. It’s your ticket to be joined with the Lord in eternity. We, in fact, have been invited to the most important banquet of all!

The last book in the Bible ends with an invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb and his Bride, the church: The Spirit and the Bride say, Come! (Revelations 22:17). The ‘Lamb of God’ is the Lord Jesus Christ, and his bride is the people he has redeemed by his own precious blood which was shed upon the cross for our salvation.

But it does come with a price. The price is living the Gospel each day. Most of us try every day but often there are excuses. In our scripture today, Jesus probes the reasons why people make excuses to God’s great invitation to “eat bread” with him at his banquet table.

The first excuse allows the claims of one’s personal business or work to take precedence over God’s claim. Do you allow any task or endeavor to absorb you so much that it keeps you from the thought of God? The second excuse allows our possessions to come before God. Do you allow the media and other diversions to crowd out time for God in daily prayer and worship? The third excuse puts home and family ahead of God. God never meant for our home and relationships to be used selfishly. We serve God best when we invite him into our work, our homes, and our personal lives and when we share our possessions with others.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who died for his faith under the Nazi persecution of Jews and Christians, contrasted cheap grace and costly grace: “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves… the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance… grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate… Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ

May I repeat that? “It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.”

That is not hyperbole. It is as it is. When we enter into a relationship with Christ, we know we will asked to take up his cross. But we also know that we gain the very thing Christ died for . . . forgiveness of sin and eternal life with our heavenly father. We must strive to live as Christians in a very un-Christian world. We can’t truly call ourselves Christian if we all do is remain on the guest list and don’t enter into a living relationship with Christ.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord, you withhold no good thing from us, and you lavish us with the treasures of heaven. Help me to seek your kingdom first and to lay aside anything that might hinder me from doing your will.”

Daily Note

Isn’t it amazing how many people profess to be willing and ready to go to heaven, who say they love God as much as anyone else and yet they continue to turn a deaf ear to the pleading of the Lord to “come and dine.” God is prepared to bless them — to have fellowship with them — to open the windows of heaven for them and yet despite what they say about loving God and wanting to go to heaven they make excuses and go on their way as if they will always have the opportunity to accept His invitation.

Daily Reflection- 11/6/2023

Sacred Scripture

Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14: 12-14)

Reflection

I love this passage from Luke!

Once again, Jesus challenges us to take another step forward in our growth as Christians in two ways. He does this, first, by warning us about having ulterior motives in relation to how we act towards one another. We must not seek reward for our actions towards others but always do what is best for them and treat them with the respect they deserve without expecting anything in return.

That’s a difficult truism for many. Because there is in every human heart a terrible and powerful tendency to live by the law of earthly repayment, the law of reciprocity. There is a subtle and relentless inclination in our flesh to do what will make life as comfortable as possible and to avoid what will inconvenience us or agitate our placid routine or add the least bit of tension to our Thanksgiving dinner. The most sanctified people among us must do battle every day so as not to be enslaved by the universal tendency to always act for the greatest earthly payoff. Far too many preen to have their feathers noted. Far too many live each day hoping that they will be noticed, acknowledged and singled out for some virtue. Some cannot function in a day if they are not noted.

Jesus wants us to follow him into a more redemptive purpose in our relationships. He challenges us to bless, benefit, and befriend those who cannot repay us for our interest, concern, and kindness. Doing so leaves the rewards of our actions as the intrinsic blessing of helping someone else and a deep trust that what we do and how we do it matter to our God — and God promises to remember.

His words remind us that authentic generosity is marked by self-forgetfulness.  The follower of Christ does not practice charity in order to be noticed.  Just the opposite ought to be true. In Matthew 6:3-4 we read “When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you”  We must not seek reward for our actions towards others but always do what is best for them and treat them with the respect they deserve without expecting anything in return.

Second, His words urge us to open our hearts to those people in our lives who might not come immediately to mind as someone to get to know, to minister to, to love. Christ reminds us to welcome those people into our lives who might have a different faith or come from a background which is radically different than ours. Christ showed no discrimination in whom he loved and invited into his life, and we are called to follow his example.

You will be blessed because they cannot repay you! What an amazing thing for Jesus to say! We get ourselves braced for some good, solid self-denial. We screw on our willpower to exercise some disinterested benevolence. And Jesus turns around and says: Your self-denial for the poor will bring you great blessing. Your benevolence is not, nor ever could be, disinterested. Indeed, your eternal interest is at stake. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). “If you lose your life (in love) for my sake, you will save it” (Mark 8:36). So in the end, for those who obey, there is no self-sacrifice. Who wouldn’t count everything as rubbish to gain Christ.

Prayer of The Day

“Jesus, how often my giving is tainted by self-interest and the hope of favors in return. You gave to me without hope of return. I can do you no favors, but you taught me that love means giving without expectations, that there is more happiness in giving than in receiving. Help me to grow in charity. Teach me to give generously with no thought of recompense or self-glory. Create in me a heart of selfless love.”

Daily Note

The people who lightly dismiss this text as a rhetorical overstatement are probably blind to the impossibility of overstating the corruption of the human heart and its deceptive power to make us think all is well when we are enslaved to the law of reciprocity, the law which says: always do what will pay off in convenience, undisturbed pleasures, domestic comfort, and social tranquility. Jesus’ words are radical because our sin is radical. He waves a red flag because there is destruction ahead for people governed by the law of reciprocity.

Daily Refection – 11/3/2023

Sacred Scripture

On a Sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath or not?” But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him. Then he said to them, “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” But they were unable to answer his question. (Luke 14: 1-6)

Reflection

The dinner guests were watching Jesus intently – hoping they could pounce on something he said and entrap him. As he always did, he sought to teach a lesson.

The Pharisees and scholars of the law were rigid in their faith and expected a response that would substantiate their belief that Jesus was preaching and acting beyond the law.

The contrast between Jesus and the pharisees could not be more vivid. Jesus brings hope and healing while his detractors bring rules and regulations to those who are seeking the presence of God in their lives. He focuses on the radical disconnect between the desires of God and the practice of their religion.

In truth it is a practice that we often follow. It’s easier to cite the law and expect it to be followed literally. Too often, we don’t stop and consider the dynamic which is at play. That does not mean that we overlook the law but rather that we need to think about how Christ would apply the law in a specific situation.

In the example at hand, the law said the Sabbath was sacred and even curing a person on the Sabbath was outside the law. Jesus asked a question that they dare not answer. In truth, each of them would seek to save their son (or ox) even on the Sabbath. But how could they admit that?

Our faith has a basic tenant and it’s one we all know well. We are asked to be imitators of Christ. We are asked to live a live that leads others to Christ.

He lived a life that was marked by healing, humility, and hospitality. In each case, he sought out the good in each person right up to his death on the cross, he forgave and loved.

Our human nature is marred when we seek to place ourselves above another. Or conspire to be first. Or interpret a law blindly. Or refuse to learn or dialogue. Or overlook the implications of our actions because somehow, we think we are in a privileged position.

And that’s why the virtue of humility is so important.

Humility is not a medal we wear on a jacket. The only way to reveal your humility is if you treat others more highly than yourself. This concept is totally opposite of the way the world thinks. The world says if you want to be successful and be somebody you’ve got to push, fight and work your way to the top. But Jesus says just the opposite. He says if you try to promote yourself, you’ll end up humbled. James 4:10 says “Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.”

Jesus humbled Himself to step down from the throne of heaven to become one of us–a human being. Yet, the night before Jesus was crucified, all of the disciples were too full of pride to perform the slave’s job of washing feet. Jesus humbled Himself and went to the disciples and washed their feet. He humbled Himself again and became obedient unto death–He died the death of a common criminal. What did God the Father do? Scripture says, “God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name that is above every name.” That’s still the way it works. The way down is up and the way up is down. That’s true for each of us. Without Jesus we are nothing, but in Christ, we can do all things. That’s humility.

That is why authentic Christians are sometimes viewed as outliers. Because our code and the expression of our faith is often contra to the world. But we continue to follow Christ’s path because his way leads us home.

When we live our faith, our hearts and minds change. We recognize that every gift and every invitation to receive is an opportunity to give:  to be as loving to our neighbor and to love God in His Providential Will as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are fully loving in their communion of divine love in the Godhead.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, may I always honor you, both in my work and in my rest, and in the way I treat my neighbor. Fill me with your love and keep me free from a critical and intolerant spirit that I may always seek to please you and to bring good to my neighbor as well.”

Daily Note

Humility means far more than just welcoming others appropriately as good manners. It is to remind us that God has given us all good things for no good reason. It is to remind us that God invites us to do the same for others. It is an invitation to take our faith seriously enough to live and act differently. Because our faith is important only to the degree that it helps us navigate the daily decisions and situations that attend our lives.

Daily Reflection – 11/2/2023

Sacred Scripture

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’’ (Luke 13:31-35)

Reflection

We see in this passage two forms of power out work. Herod leans on political force and military might. As is often the case, violence is the first resource of the powerful. Jesus on the other hand chooses a different path.

Jesus’ response is not one of hatred or animosity. It is not one of fear or polarization, an entrenchment back into the security of our own social grouping. Jesus doesn’t react by arming himself or rallying the troops. No, instead Jesus enters a moment of lament driven by compassion. Jesus’ love for Jerusalem and all her inhabitants meets the grief of what it means to reject the one whom God has sent.

In the United States today, fear is the fuel of the day: fear of those who are different, fear of death, fear of our own shortcomings, fear that our way is threatened and fear that the things we value will be taken away from us. We cannot be a healthy functioning society when there is so much division.  

How are we — in the face of religious differences, cultural upheaval, mass migration, communal crises over affordable housing, and violent conflicts — to live? Do we turn our faces back toward Galilee? Do we “stand our ground” and fight? Or do we embody the likeness of Christ, who lamented over the world’s brokenness and was moved to compassion?

You and I know the answer. The road to personal peace, the strengthening of our faith life, and our ultimate happiness brings us to only one road. The same road travelled by Jesus Christ for each of us. If we are authentic Christians – followers of Christ – we must shut out every word, belief and actions that is contra to the words of Christ. Because those words were meant to show us the way to our Father. Those words were spoken so that we may find peace. They were living words spoken so that we would not die in this world but instead ultimately rise to our Father.

The way will be difficult. We may even feel as if we are outliers. We may even feel that it is we who are different than the majority. We ARE different because we do not value ourselves by standards that are not of the world that Jesus wanted for us.

Today Jesus is saying these loving words to us. “Blessed is the one e who comes in the name of the Lord.”

 He longs to gather us to himself, close to his heart. We need to ask ourselves: Am I willing to allow Jesus to gather me to himself?  Or do I stay at a distance from Jesus?  The good news is that even if we keep our distance from Jesus, he still walks with us every day and every moment!  Is there any love that is more faithful?  What a wondrous gift is ours! 

The question is: Will we reciprocate by loving Jesus and daily walking by his side? Or will we follow the darker side of life – the road that leads not to eternal peace but rather to perpetual discord of soul and spirit? Listen to your heart, feel its peace and you will walk with Him.

The Lord is knocking at the door of your heart (Revelations 3:20) and he wishes to enter into a close personal relationship with you. Receive him who is the giver of expectant faith, unwavering hope, and undying love. And always remain focused on the true home which God has prepared for you in his heavenly city, Jerusalem (see Revelations 21:2-4).

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, in you I place all my trust and hope.  May I wholly desire you and your will above all else and long for the heavenly city Jerusalem as my true home and refuge.  Fill my heart with love and mercy for others that I may boldly witness to the truth and joy of the gospel through word and example, both to those who accept it and to those who oppose it.

Daily Note

What does it mean in a time of violence, pain, and loss, that Jesus’ response is not to rush to “solve and answer” the problems that plague us, but that he takes the time to lament, to cry, and to feel compassion? He is calling us to a more contemplative life where we fill ourselves each morning with His love, forgiveness and peace and then take our place on the streets of life filled with His presence.