How Does Goodness Triumph?

We are immersed in an imperfect world. Evil abounds and the devil is always looking for new recruits. How do we fight that battle? What do we need to do so goodness will triumph? Today’s gospel shows us one type of ammunition for our arsenal: persistence for what is right. The widow confronts the corrupt judge over and over and over again. Her persistence wears the judge down and he gives her a just ruling.

Prayer is another important tool in our fight against evil. Just as healthy food nourishes our bodies, a healthy prayer life nourishes our souls. It strengthens us against the whispering voices of temptation. Prayer deepens our relationship with God. We learn to rely on God, not our own abilities, to overcome sin.

Slowly, day by day, we can increase the goodness in the world. People and circumstances can be changed. We must be unwavering in our resolve just as the widow remained steadfast in her pursuit of justice. We should not become discouraged. For with God on our side, goodness will triumph.

In everything, give thanks to God.

Our God is a merciful God. He shows compassion to all those who seek Him. We see this in today’s gospel. Ten lepers cried out to Jesus and all ten were healed. Jesus did not ask for credentials or promises or

payment. Yet only one returned to give thanks for his healing. Why is that? Did the others forget who healed them in the midst of their joy at being healed? Did Jesus become less important to them since their prayers were answered? Were they not schooled in good manners?

Jesus reminds us that our loving God deserves our gratitude for the blessings He has so freely given. Do we always recognize our blessings? If asked to compile a list, many people would include health, family, and friends. Some might even mention clean water, good food, and gainful employment. Would anyone include their old, falling apart, gas-guzzling jalopy? Probably not—unless they remembered that the alternative would be walking. What about the aches and pains suffered as our bodies age? They, too, are blessings when we remember that many people don’t live long enough to experience them.

Let’s spend some time reflecting on and being grateful for all the blessings in our lives. Take a good look at them, not just for what they are, but for what our lives might be like without them. And thank God for each and every one

There is Little Room for God in a Selfish Heart.

In today’s gospel, Lazarus is “invisible” to the rich man. The rich man is so focused on his own wants and pleasures, he ignores the needs of those around him. Even after the rich man dies, he does not change his selfish heart. The rich man’s concerns are only for his comfort and the comfort of his rich family. The rich man did not help those in need during his earthly life because there was no compassion in his heart. Therefore, he was denied everlasting life with God.

Do we treat the poor, the sick, and the elderly as invisible in our own lives? God has a special affinity for the poor and suffering. It is our calling to be the hands of Jesus offering assistance to them whenever and however we can. We should not be like the rich man who ignored the needs of those around him who were suffering. We must not let our hearts get so full of “me, me, me” that we lose sight of those around us.

The more we do for others, the more God will do for us. The trials of this life will pale in comparison to the glory we will receive in heaven. When we change our perspective from “me” to “we”, we are offering God a multitude of ways to work through us to help others.

We must fight against injustices.

The first reading today speaks of wealthy merchants taking advantage of the poor. Does that sound familiar? Even today, thousands of years later, the poor are often preyed on by others.

The world is an imperfect place. In our role as Christians, we strive to not be the ones taking advantage of others. But that is not enough. We must also be advocates of those who cannot get out of their situations on their own. God is on the side of the poor, the weak, and the feeble. That should be our choice, too.

This is a never-ending work in progress. For each injustice we make right, three more will be in line to take its place. As long as evil exists in the world, there will be temptations for corruption and power. If we each do our part in fighting injustices, we can make a difference. Perhaps not for the world but for each individual whose life we touch. In the end, each of us will be accountable to God for our actions (or lack thereof).

Make Us Whole Again.

In general, patience is not our strongest virtue. Our impatience, often coupled with a lack of humility, causes us to sin. Our relationship with God is damaged. How do we make it whole? How do we mend the brokenness within us so that we are made whole?

The young son in today’s gospel was very impatient and disrespectful to his father. He demanded his portion of his inheritance and wasted it on selfish things. This hurt the relationship between the son and his family. He was hurt by his decadent lifestyle. So how does he get back on track? First, he realizes that he was wrong. Then he humbles himself and asks for mercy from his father. The father welcomes the son home. Both the family relationship and the son are healed.

So when we make poor choices and find ourselves alone like the young son, we must accept responsibility for our actions. We must recognize our need to change. When we call on God for mercy and help, we are taking the steps needed to begin repairing the brokenness within our selves and in our relationships. God is all about second (and third and fourth…) chances. When we take action to repent of our wrongdoings, He welcomes us back with open arms. God makes us whole again.

A disciple is a living sacrifice.

In today’s gospel, Jesus describes the three kinds of sacrifices needed to be His disciple. First, we must put our relationship with God above all others. Jesus speaks of “hating” those with whom we have strong connections. Jesus’ words here are not meant to be taken literally. He is using common phrasing of His time that the people would have understood to mean “put God first”. (Just like today—if I say someone “kicked the bucket”, you would know I mean someone died. There is no literal bucket kicking going on.) So we do not have to “hate” those we hold dear, but we must sacrifice having them be first in our lives. That place belongs to God alone.

Jesus goes on to say we must carry our crosses and follow Him. We must sacrifice our selfish desires and not shirk our responsibilities to others. At times, we may want to give up. But when we humble ourselves before the Lord, we are given the strength to bear our burdens. The third sacrifice we must make to be disciples of Jesus involves avoiding the earthy “stuff” that gets in the way of our goal—eternal salvation. When we get attached to material, secular things, our commitment to God is lessened.

To live a life of discipleship is to live a life of sacrifices. We must continually strive to put God above all others, carry our crosses and follow Him, and avoid the temptations of earthly things. It isn’t easy. Yet it is a small price to pay in this life for eternal salvation in the next one

The One Who Humbles Himself Will Be Exalted.

In today’s parable about a wedding feast, Jesus teaches that the more humble we are, the more favor we will have with God. This makes sense since the more humble we are, the more we must rely on God and recognize Him in our lives and the lives of others.

Think of it this way. When we are boastful, prideful and arrogant, we are full of ourselves. There is not much room in there for God or anyone else. We begin to think that our accomplishments and our blessings are solely the result of our actions. We stop seeing God’s hand in all that we have been given. This is hurtful to God, to those around us, and to ourselves. We profess that God is our everything. Yet, how sad it is when our actions contradict our words like when egos erupt in the church parking lot while strains of recessional music are still in the air...

It is wise to be humble, to understand that we are in debt to God’s grace. With an “attitude of gratitude”, we can better connect with humanity and help build the kingdom of God on earth. We can better sympathize with those around us who are struggling. By putting others first in this life, we will find favor with God in the next one. Look at our Lord, Jesus Christ. He humbled Himself to die for us. And now He sits at the right hand of God.

Who will be saved?

It is very clear that God wants everyone to be saved. Isaiah, in today’s first reading, reiterates God’s message, “I come to gather nations of every language...brothers and sisters from all the nations…” This is why Jesus was incarnated. God gives us life in abundance and offers salvation to all people.

In return for eternal salvation, we offer God our fidelity and service. This is the covenant we have with God: He is our God, and we are His people. We each have a part in the success of this alliance. Using our gifts for the good of others, praying, and living as a disciple of Jesus are all ways for us to be active participants as servants of God.

Do we have to accept the conditions God has put on salvation? No. God gave us free will so that we can make choices about the things we do. The thing we have to keep in mind is that there are always consequences to any choice we make. Making choices that turn us away from God will negatively impact our journey towards salvation. Paying lip services is not enough. We have to walk the walk.

So who will be saved? All who accept God’s offer of salvation AND work daily to live up to our end of the bargain. Remember, a heart that is contrite and humbled God will not spurn!

I Have Come to Set the Earth on Fire.

At first glance, today’s gospel doesn’t sound like Jesus at all. He tells the disciples that He is bringing a lot of division, not peace. Wait...how can that be? Jesus is all about getting along, turning the other cheek and living in harmony. I think we need to take a closer look.

Jesus begins by telling the disciples He has “come to set the earth on fire”. His ideas are going to shake things up and challenge the status quo. Jesus wants to cleanse the world of injustice, hate and other evils. And some people aren't going to like it. There will be opposition and resistance. That may lead to division within families and amongst friends.

So when Jesus says He did not come to “establish peace”, He means that He is not going to snap His fingers and make it happen instantly. Jesus came to ignite the fire of the Spirit within us, His disciples. We are the force that can change and bring peace to the world. By living His message and sharing His good news, we can light His flame within others. We may encounter opposition and resistance, perhaps even from members of our own family. But if we persevere, we can transform the world. It is a life-long process. We must keep His fire burning.

Be vigilant, faithful and prudent.

The parables in today’s gospel explain three important attributes to which all Christians should aspire. First, we must be vigilant. This means we must be watchful, prepared, and always alert for the coming of the Lord. Like the servants in the parable, we do not know the hour of His arrival. It is the vigilant ones who will first announce with joy, “He is here! The One we have been waiting for has come!”

Christians must also be faithful. Waiting, especially when we have no idea how long the wait will be, is hard. But we must not become complacent nor let the secular world distract us. We know the Lord is coming. By being steadfast and unwavering in our belief, by being faithful, we can remain vigilant as we wait.

Finally, the parables tell us to be prudent. This means having the wisdom to make good choices and being able to conquer temptations that chip away at our resolve. Prudence helps us to remain faithful which, in turn, helps us to remain vigilant.