I am sending you like sheep among wolves, yet their message is always one of PeaceOctober 18, 2022
Reading: He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Luke 10:2. Good morning, happy Tuesday, and many blessings my dear family. With today’s Gospel (Luke 10:1-9) we celebrate the feast day of St. Luke, one of the four evangelists. In today’s reading, Jesus sends 72 of his disciples out into the towns and villages that he intended to visit. These 72 disciples were to inform the people that he was coming. They were to prepare the way for him. Jesus then gives the disciples instructions for this journey. He tells his disciples to pack lightly for the journey. They should not take any money, luggage, or sandals. Jesus tells them they are to trust that God will provide for them. I wonder how the disciples reacted to Jesus’ statement! Ask yourself: if you were sent on a journey and you were told to take nothing with you except the clothes on your back, how would you react? Personally, I would be tempted to pack a “little” bag just in case I needed something! I might feel surprised that Jesus is sending so many before him, so soon after he had called them. They had not been to any formation course, they had no qualification – except being with Jesus and wanting to follow him. Very often I too doubt whether I am good enough or worthy to bring Jesus to others, especially in a world that seems so hostile. Yet Jesus trusts me, he only wants me to relish his friendship and trust in his word. The need for peace and healing is there, and there is a real urgency. I ask not to be deaf to his call but to answer with generosity, to the best of my ability. There is a tendency in life for many to take what they might need on a journey to cover many eventualities that could arise. Jesus sent out his disciples with the bare essentials from that point of view. The main factor was the Good news of the kingdom that they brought and the gift of healing. Lord give us the freedom to go out trusting you to provide what is needed for your ongoing mission. God’s message is above all else a message of peace. Doing God’s work can make me unpopular and cause me to be criticized but I am called to trust that God will take care of me. Today Jesus is sending us forth to preach the “Good News.” He gives us the same instructions that he gave the Apostles: “take nothing with you.” All we are to take with us is the “Good News” of Jesus. What is the good news of Jesus that you want to share today? Blessings, Luis+ |
People who are suffering or are on the fringes of society may not know that they are “of more value than many sparrows.” October 14, 2022
Reading: Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:7b. Good morning, happy Friday, and many blessings my dear family. In today’s Gospel (Luke 12:1-7) even though the crowds are pressing around, Jesus speaks to his friends. The Pharisees and Scribes seem to have backed off for a while. Jesus explains that all our secrets will one day be revealed and come out into the open. So, we need to reconcile with God and receive forgiveness now without delay. God loves each of us so much that even the hairs of our heads have been counted. It is poignant to hear Jesus speaking about the sparrows. They were such a common sight everywhere that he could never have imagined a time when the sparrows disappeared. Yet the sparrows we knew in our childhood are disappearing from our houses and gardens. Somehow climate change is affecting them. This perhaps is also a troubling sign and a call to deeper ecological conversion on our part. Jesus’ popularity had grown with large crowds present. He availed of the situation to speak first to his disciples. They were to be a leaven for change, not like the yeast of the Pharisees in heralding a new era. God give us the openness to hear your message afresh, so that we are a light to others who walk in darkness. True dignity is not earned as it is God-given. It is about acknowledging who we truly are as children of God who cares and provides for us. We are called to rely on God in the midst of what life presents. Lord, help us appreciate more fully who we are, being made in your image and likeness, so that we may offer to share the gifts you have given us for service in your name. Jesus speaks dark words. He warns his disciples of the 'yeast' of the Pharisees, the opposite of the living bread with which he feeds the people. He warns of the spiritual death which is even more destructive than physical annihilation. Is Jesus aware of his own fate closing in? Does he intimate the betrayal and death which he will undergo, at the hands of misguided religious men? And yet, to the very end, he comforts his followers, and assures them of God's protection. Luke’s gospel continues to indicate that the tension is building up and the opposition to Jesus is becoming stronger as he heads towards Jerusalem. Anyone who follows him needs to be focused and ready for anything. Blessings, Luis+ |
God help us be prophetic in proclaiming your truth in our timeOctober 13, 2022
Reading: Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering. Luke 11:52. Good morning, happy Thursday, and many blessings my dear family. In today’s Gospel (Luke 11:47-54) Jesus continues his tongue lashing of the Pharisees. He says: “Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets whom your fathers killed! By doing this, you bear witness and give consent to these deeds of your ancestors. Your ancestors did the killing but you do the building!” Jesus continues berating them throughout today’s Gospel reading. And Jesus tells it as he sees it. Jesus primarily is outraged by the Pharisees’ interpretation of the law. In the time of Jesus, the law placed extremely heavy burdens on the people. The Pharisees had no compassion or concern for the people who were carrying these burdens. Now, put yourself into the shoes of the Pharisees. How would you react to such a tongue-lashing? Most likely, we would not like it and we might not tolerate it. We might even want to retaliate! Jesus was concerned for the people: the ones who daily carried these heavy burdens of laws and requirements. The Pharisees were concerned only for the “letter of the law” and for the money they might make through the law. Jesus was appalled at all the Pharisees expected from the people. Naturally, the Pharisees took great offense at Jesus’ words and condemnation. After this embarrassing encounter with Jesus, the Pharisees began to plot against Jesus. They had had enough of him. Also, Jesus had a great deal of influence with the people. Law is important and necessary. However, the law is developed to protect and help people, not to enslave them. How do you view the law, be that the law of God or the law of the land? Are you a literalist in regard to the law? Or do you take into consideration the people and the situation? Jesus wants us to judge rightly. This requires that we pause and seriously consider each situation. The danger may be that we do not understand the nuances of the situation. We only may see the surface of what is happening. And if we are not involved personally, it may be best just to “let it be” and allow the individuals involved to work it out with one another. However, there will be exceptions to this, especially if someone is in danger physically or emotionally. There was varied reaction to Jesus and his prophetic message. For the Pharisees Jesus became the problem as they confused the message and the messenger, so they became hostile towards him. God help us be prophetic in proclaiming your truth in our time, knowing that we may not receive a favorable response. We pray for faith to imitate you in standing for the truth. Blessings, Luis+ |
