St Margaret Roman Catholic Church

12th Week in Ordinary Time

Fear not, Abram! I am your shield; I will make your reward very great. (Genesis 15:1)

When Abram was seventy-five years old, God made a covenant with him and promised that he would become the father of many nations (Genesis 12:1-4). In today’s reading, years have passed, and Abram is still waiting for these promises to be fulfilled. When he voices his concerns over the delay, God assures him that his promises are unchanging. He will have so many descendants that like the stars, he will be unable to count them (15:5)!

Abram had many reasons to doubt. He was already up in years when God first called him, and he and Sarai were only getting older. How could they have a child, and how could they ever possess a land that was already occupied? And yet because he believed that God would keep his covenant, Abram persevered in hope.

You may sometimes feel like Abram did. Maybe you are waiting for a loved one to be healed, a broken relationship to be restored, or a wayward child to return to God. As time passes and you wait for signs that your prayers will be answered, it can be hard to keep hope alive. Sometimes you may wonder if God has forgotten you. Or you may even question whether he is really faithful to his word.

But God has made a covenant with you, and you can count on him. His faithfulness and his promise of an eternal reward are unwavering. He may not work in your preferred time frame or exactly the way you expect, but he will answer you.

Keep in mind that waiting on the Lord does not mean being passive. It takes active, patient endurance as you recall God’s faithfulness and say, “Yes, I trust in God’s plans” over and over again. It requires countering fear and doubt with faith and hope. It also means not trying to push ahead in your own way and in your own time.

So while you’re waiting on the Lord, remember Abram. Follow his lead and put your faith in the God who keeps his promises—always.

“Father, help me persevere in faith and hope for the reward you are preparing for me.”

Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9
Matthew 7:15-20

12th Week in Ordinary Time

How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. (Matthew 7:14)

In C. S. Lewis’ book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, a young girl named Lucy stumbles into a big wardrobe crowded with fur coats. She scrambles to the back of it, only to find that she has stepped into the land of Narnia. As she is about to enter this new land, Lucy looks back for a moment and considers returning to the safety of the wardrobe. Narnia is a strange place, and she is alone. Should she really be doing this?

Lucy decides to keep moving forward instead of back, and it makes a huge difference in her life. Not only does she meet new friends, but her courage and character are tested through dangerous adventures, and she grows in maturity and wisdom.

We might feel a similar hesitation at different points in our spiritual journey. The path of repentance, for instance, can be narrow, and we won’t always see a lot of other people walking it. The same is true when it comes to purity or compassion or generosity. We see the risks involved, and we fear that it will be too costly. We may sense that it will test our courage and character, but we don’t know exactly how—or how much. Like Lucy, we ask if we really should stay on this “narrow” and “constricted” road (Matthew 7:14).

But this is the road that leads to life—both now and forever! Yes, it can be difficult at times. Yes, it is costly. And no, it doesn’t guarantee a problem-free life. But Jesus knows this, and still he asks you to keep moving forward. He promises to be your Savior and guide when you face obstacles or temptations along the way. He has given you his Church and the sacraments to strengthen you if you should stumble along the path. And he has given you traveling companions who can help you and encourage you when life gets difficult.

Whatever adventures (or misadventures) befall you on the path, you can be sure of one thing: Jesus is there to help you. So don’t look back. Keep looking ahead to all the blessings God has in store for you.

“Come, Holy Spirit! Help me to stay on the path that leads to life.”

Genesis 13:2, 5-18
Psalm 15:2-5

Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs (Optional Memorial)

Therefore I tell you . . . (Matthew 6:25)

What a treasure we have in the Gospels! We can ponder the words and teachings of Jesus whenever we want. We don’t have to guess at what he would say if he were here today because his words are not about abstract issues. They may seem extremely difficult at times, but they are always practical teachings that we can live out every day.

Part of the challenge, though, is figuring out exactly how we should apply Jesus’ words to our situations. Oftentimes, the answer is not always clear. But if we were to use the ancient practice of lectio divina in our reading, we might find it a little easier. This way of reading Scripture can be summarized in four steps:

• Reading. Quiet yourself, and invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Then slowly read the passage you have chosen. You might choose one of the Mass readings from the day or work your way through one of the Gospels. Ask yourself, “What does this passage say?” Even if you’re already very familiar with the passage, listen for the “still small voice” of God to bring a fresh insight to your mind (1 Kings 19:12).

• Meditation. Take time to ponder what stood out from your reading of the passage. Ask yourself, “How do these verses relate to my personal life?” Perhaps a past memory or a current struggle or a worry about the future will come up in your mind. Hold onto that thought and bring it with you to the next step.

• Prayer. Talk with God about this passage and how it relates to you. Ask him, “How are you using these words to speak to me, Lord? How should I respond to you?” Feel free to talk with him as you would talk with a close friend. Ask questions and open your heart to God.

• Contemplation. In the end, spend some time quietly with God. This is the time for listening, not talking. God may give you insight into how this passage applies to you. Or he may teach you or guide you in something altogether different.

Jesus is still speaking through his word. Set aside some time to listen.

“Lord, help me to hear your voice today.”

2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Psalm 34:8-13

True love is both loving and letting oneself be loved. It is harder to let ourselves be loved than it is to love. That is why it is so hard to achieve the perfect love of God, because we can love him but the important thing is to let ourselves be loved by him.

True love is being open to that love which was there first and catches us by surprise. If all you have is information, you are closed to surprises. Love makes you open to surprises. Love is always a surprise, because it starts with a dialogue between two persons: the one who loves and the one who is loved.

We say that God is the God of surprises, because he always loved us first and he waits to take us by surprise. God surprises us. Let’s allow ourselves to be surprised by God. Let’s not have the psychology of a computer, thinking that we know everything. What do I mean? Think for a moment: the computer has all the answers: never a surprise. In the challenge of love, God shows up with surprises.

Think of St. Matthew:

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-13)

Matthew was a good businessman. He also betrayed his country because he collected taxes from the Jews and paid them to the Romans. He was loaded with money and he collected taxes. Then Jesus comes along, looks at him and says: “Come, follow me.” Matthew couldn’t believe it. . . .

That morning, when Matthew was going off to work and said goodbye to his wife, he never thought that he was going to return in a hurry, without money, to tell his wife to prepare a banquet. The banquet for the one who loved him first, who surprised him with something important, more important than all the money he had.

So let yourselves be surprised by God! Don’t be afraid of surprises, afraid that they will shake you up. They make us insecure, but they change the direction we are going in. True love makes you “burn life,” even at the risk of coming up empty-handed. Think of Saint Francis: he left everything, he died with empty hands, but with a full heart.

(Meeting with Young People, Manila, Philippines, January 18, 2015)

—For Reflection—

Do you let yourself be surprised by God or do you want everything plotted out so that nothing interferes with your plans?

What would it take for you to let go and let God show you the next step in his plan for you? Is fear holding you back?

Can you name that fear and offer it to God?

This is a selection from Don’t Be Afraid to Say Yes to God!, by Pope Francis, with reflections by Fr. Mike Schmitz, The Word Among Us Press, available from wau.org/books

11th Week in Ordinary Time

When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. (Matthew 5:39)

No pain, no gain. You reap what you sow. The punishment should fit the crime. These sayings express our belief in natural consequences and proportional justice. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus addresses the Jewish version of this principle: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (see Leviticus 24:20). It may sound harsh to us, but the people would have understood it as a merciful commandment that curbed anger and placed a limit on revenge.

But even that’s not merciful enough for Jesus. He tells his listeners to turn the other cheek and to offer no resistance whatsoever to an enemy. By going beyond what’s challenging but reasonable, Jesus gets to the heart of the Law: the disproportionate, undeserved mercy of God.

Looking back at these words through the lens of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can see how he perfectly fulfilled this command. But it wasn’t only during his final days that Jesus turned the other cheek. According to St. John Paul II,

The whole of Christ’s life was a continual teaching: his silences, his miracles, his gestures, his prayer, his love for people, his special affection for the little and the poor, his…sacrifice on the cross…, and his resurrection are the…fulfillment of revelation. Hence for Christians the crucifix is one of the most sublime and popular images of Christ the Teacher. (On Catechesis in Our Time, 9)

Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek every time he endured his opponents’ attempts to trap him in his teaching. He taught us when his own townsfolk tried to kill him and he just peacefully walked away. And most powerfully, he taught us when he prayed, “Father, forgive them” as he hung on the cross (Luke 23:34).

Turning the other cheek is hard, but don’t get discouraged. Jesus knows how hard it is. He won’t condemn you if you should fall to the temptation to seek revenge or to withhold forgiveness. He’ll simply do what he has always done—turn the other cheek, forgive you, and offer you more of his grace to do better.

“Jesus, thank you for your constant mercy and grace!”

2 Corinthians 6:1-10
Psalm 98:1-4

Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Whoever is in Christ is a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When Josh went off to graduate school, he felt as if a new chapter was beginning. Soon after arriving at school, this sense was confirmed—through his car. During the first week of class, the rear-view mirror fell off the windshield. Josh thought it was a message from God: “Don’t look behind you anymore. The past is gone. Start looking ahead.”

The message this young grad student received is not a new one. God is always telling us to look ahead. As Paul says, when we believe and are baptized into Christ, we become a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). But sometimes we forget this truth. We may know intellectually that our sins are forgiven and that we are made new, but we don’t always grasp these truths in our hearts. And so, instead of looking forward in hope of receiving all that God has promised us, we look in the “rearview mirror” and focus on our past failures. We blow our sins out of proportion and fear that we might still be bound by them. Or we think that it’s our past sins that define us instead of God’s grace and mercy. And sometimes these thoughts cause us to sin even more.

The truth is that we are living at the intersection of the “already” and the “not yet.” The new has indeed come, but the fullness of our new life will be ours only when we finally reach heaven. It’s here, in that intersection, that God has given us signs of life that point us to everything we can look forward to in heaven.

What are some of those signs? First and foremost are the “fruit of the Spirit”: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22, 23). We don’t have all of these characteristics perfectly, but they are there, and they will continue to grow as we keep moving forward with our eyes fixed on our heavenly home.

You may not feel very new, but that doesn’t matter much. God has worked a miracle in you. He has made you a new creation. So lift your head a little higher and peer into the horizon. Heaven is awaiting you, and God is committed to helping you get there.

“Lord, thank you for making me new. Help me look ahead to what you have in store for me.”

Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12
Matthew 5:33-37

10th Week in Ordinary Time

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. (Matthew 5:29)

Pluck out an eye? Lop off a hand? Imagine how the disciples’ jaws must have dropped when Jesus said this! His point, however, wasn’t that self-mutilation is a necessary step to holiness. It’s that God craves our holiness. The purity and faithfulness that he intends for us are worth more, even, than a sound, whole body.

God has called you, after all, to be holy as he is holy (1 Peter 1:15). Jesus’ life in you, his holiness, is a treasure you carry within yourself. And so, he says, if something threatens that holiness, get rid of it. Throw it away. It’s better to do without something than to have it and to sin because you do. A book or magazine, a picture or movie—if lust rises up because of it, discard it. Thoughts that lead you to sin—turn away from them; don’t entertain them.

But holiness is not just about cutting things out of your life. There are other ways you can preserve and foster holiness. Pick up the Scriptures and read—maybe the story of Jesus’ death or a passage that declares your worth in God’s sight (Matthew 26–28; Psalm 139). Write a note to remind yourself that you are “created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Ephesians 4:24). Sit quietly in prayer and ask the Lord to show you something about the depth of his love for you.

Remember too that God earnestly desires you to be holy, and so he is intent on reaching out to help you. So when you are facing temptation and the allure of sin, cry out to him. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you his grace and to help you grow in the fruit of self-control.

And if you do fall to temptation, don’t despair. God still loves you. No distance, no depth of sin, is ever beyond his reach. He is always ready to forgive you, even if you commit the same sin again and again. Never hesitate to run to him. He will shower you with his mercy—and the grace to live a holy life.

“Holy Spirit, help me to be holy as you are holy.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-15
Psalm 116:10-11, 15-18