Let’s reconcile and move forward.

To reconcile means to restore harmony and make good again. This means that prior to reconciling, there is discord and conflict. After reconciliation, there is peace in the soul. Before reconciliation, there is stress and heartache. How do we move from “before” to “after”?

The first step is to have the desire to be reconciled. Both parties must be willing to reach out to one another. Reconciliation is not one-way. Second, we must be humble enough to admit our own shortcomings. While this is often difficult, it is an essential part of the process. Finally, we must be able to forgive. Holding a grudge is a roadblock to being reconciled.

Let’s look at today’s gospel and see reconciliation in progress. The young son returns to his father. While he is still a long way off, the father runs out to meet him (both are willing to reach out). The son apologizes to the father (recognizes his failings). The father rejoices at the son’s return (forgives him) and a new relationship between them is formed.

During these last few weeks of Lent, let’s do everything we can to reconcile with one another and with God. Then our Easter celebration will be filled with the joy of new relationships and inner peace in our hearts. The goal this year is to come to Holy Week FREE from bondage of unforgiveness. We can make reconciliation happen for our Lord this year for Easter. We do it for HIM, because HE expects it from us!

Repent today and bear fruit.

Procrastination is a common human trait. We often put off doing things that are hard or uncomfortable. We hope that by waiting until tomorrow (or the next day or the day after that), the need will disappear and we won’t have to act after all.

Repenting for our sins is often hard and uncomfortable. Repentance involves changing our hearts in addition to changing our behavior. So we put it off. We feel bad about what we’ve done, but we are not quite ready to change. Without a conversion of our heart, we sin again. In other words, it is not repentance if we keep doing what we say we are sorry for.

Jesus tells us, in today’s parable of the barren fig tree, that we better not wait too long to get started on our journey of repentance. Jesus, like the gardener in the parable, is here to guide and support us along the way. But the gardener’s patience is not infinite. If we do not begin to bear fruit (truly repent and show a conversion of our hearts), we will be endangering our salvation

we pray for all fathers who represent us as a father figure, that they will reclaim their fatherhood modeled on the example of St. Joseph who sought God the Father.  

Be transfigured—one day at a time

Today’s gospel reading is one with which we should become very familiar. Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James and John. He appears in dazzling white with Elijah and Moses. God proclaims that Jesus is His Son. In these moments, Jesus changes from being just a good guy from Nazareth to being the affirmed Savior of the world.

Jesus came here to save us. He did not come to make things perfect for us in this life. He offers us an “eternity of perfect” in heaven. Enduring trials and tribulations on earth is part of this temporary existence. We must not lose sight of our true aspiration.

It is Jesus, the transfigured Lord, who walks this journey with us. Faith in Jesus is our strength to complete each day. When we strive to live as He taught us, serving others and praising our Lord, we are one step closer to sharing His glory for eternity. So day by day, we can be transfigured. We can change from being just humans trudging through this life to being brighter reflections of God’s love.

God Is Stronger Than Any Temptation.

Temptations are a fact of life. Our world is full of them. Everyone is tempted. It can be the urge to have a second piece of pie, the thought of cheating to pass a test, or the craving for another hit of narcotics. Some temptations are avoided. Some are not and lives are destroyed. In times of crisis or distress, we are more vulnerable to temptation.

Think of Jesus in the desert. After 40 days, He must have been very tired, hungry, dirty, and hot. These conditions would have made any human very susceptible to the temptations offered by the devil. Jesus was no exception. His divinity did not make His human nature immune from temptations. How was Jesus able to resist the temptations that must have sounded so good at that time? What was His secret weapon? Trust in the Lord.

How fortunate that we have the same weapon in our arsenals! God will help us overcome any temptation that is hounding us. But we must trust fully in His power and desire to help us. Resisting temptation will bring us a bigger treasure than any earthly pleasure: inner peace and the happiness of being united with God and our loved ones. Temptations may look wonderful in a vulnerable moment, but the promised rewards are empty. By trusting in God, temptations are exposed as lies.

Listen now.  

Think = True Helpful Inspiring Necessary Kind

The words we use reveal our hearts. There is power in our words. They can be inspirational to build others up, or discouraging to tear or destroy others. Jesus tells us that whatever is in our hearts will reveal itself in our words. Good produces good and evil produces evil.

All too often, many of us speak without thinking. Comments and opinions that we thoughtlessly express can cause deep wounds, even if that is not our intention. We live in a time when social media makes it easier to reach millions and harder to heal injuries we’ve inflicted.

As Christians, it is of the utmost importance that we think before we speak (or text, email, post, etc.). We must be mindful of the power of our words. We cannot let a few moments of thoughtlessness contradict the goodness of Jesus that exists within us. It is our Christian duty to produce good from good. So the next time we have something to say, let’s take a few moments to reflect on the words BEFORE speaking, posting, or sending them. Look at them through the eyes of the recipient; make any necessary changes before it is too late. After all, we cannot take them back once they have left our mouths and fingertips.

We Are His Messengers Despite Our Imperfections

God speaks to us in many different ways. Perhaps you hear God in the quiet of the sunrise. Or maybe you feel His presence during your prayer time. Many see the face of God in the people they meet or in particular family members. Each encounter with God serves to strengthen our faith. And if we listen carefully, we will find that God is nudging us to share that faith with others, through word or deed.

In today’s readings, Isaiah, Paul and Peter all hear God’s voice. At first, they are hesitant to do God’s will. They feel unworthy, unqualified, and far too sinful. But our good and gracious God tells them, hey, I want YOU. He is aware of their failings and their weaknesses. God chooses them because of their unique importance to His plan, not because they are perfect in every way. It is the same for each of us. We have been chosen by God to be His messengers. God will give us, just like He gave Isaiah, Paul, and Peter, the tools we need to do His work on earth.

As we have heard many times, we all have a part in God’s plan. We cannot let doubt or fear make us feel unworthy to do our mission. God has chosen us, He has empowered us, and He will walk beside us always. Question is: Will you follow?

Love must always be inclusive.

Jesus was never afraid to go against the norms of society when injustices were present. In today’s gospel, He speaks very frankly to those with Him in the synagogue. He tells them that they are not the only ones who are deserving of God’s graces. This shocked and angered His audience. They did not want to hear that others were also special in the eyes of God.

We, too, can get angry when something good happens to someone we feel is undeserving. But this is a selfish attitude. Jesus teaches us that we must love one another. This means everyone, not just those who are like us, share our values, or belong to our “inner circle” of friends. It means everyone. That includes those who are different from us, those who are poor, those who are seeking asylum, those who disagree with us, those who hurt us, those with addictions, those with alternative lifestyles, those who anger us… Are we getting the picture here?

Real love, the love of commitment and sacrifice, must always be inclusive. The foundation of this love is giving, not taking. It builds bridges, not walls. Real love is doing the right thing even if we are maligned or rejected because of it. It is following Jesus, who made the ultimate sacrifice for us out of love.

Who Needs A Drink Of Your Love TODAY?

Jesus transforms us.

In today’s gospel, our blessed Mother, Mary, has a dilemma. She can allow the bridegroom to suffer great embarrassment when the wine runs out or she can talk to Jesus and do something about it. At first, it appears that Jesus doesn’t want to get involved. But then He transforms the water into wine and the reception is saved.

We are often faced with dilemmas. What do we say to a friend who confides she is pregnant and doesn’t want to be? How do we respond when we see someone being treated unfairly because of race or gender? What do we do when we hear of someone who doesn’t have enough to eat or a place to live? Our first inclination may be to not get involved, to just “let nature take its course”. But as Christians, that is not the right choice.

Each of us has been endowed with unique gifts from God. It is our duty to use these gifts to serve others and to benefit the community in which we live. But it can be difficult to do this on our own. Like our blessed Mother, Mary, in today’s gospel, we need to go to Jesus and ask Him to do a transformation. He can help us put aside our hesitancy to get involved and our fear of advocating for those who may need our support. If we only ask, Jesus can transform us from bystanders to active participants in doing the will of God.