Gospel

Matthew 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them

Reflection

Jesus is talking about alignment. Aligning your heart with God's heart. Aligning your mind with the truth that God has revealed to us.

There's no way to enter the kingdom of God, a place of fullness and peace, without basing everything that you are making decisions on, basing it in the truth. Truth of who you are. Truth of who God is and the dynamic that he longs to establish between us. All of that has got to become real. Not just an idea, not just a thought, but something you're experiencing in.

When you experience God, you are on a rock foundation because nothing will separate you from him once you’ve found him.

Closing Prayer

Father, it is clear that we cannot understand you or begin to feel your presence transforming us until we accept you exactly as you are and accept ourselves as we are. We are far from you in some ways, and very close in other ways, but keep us always aware of that connection. You are in us. We are in you. And it’s in this union that we will find life. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel

Matthew 15:29-37

At that time:

Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,

went up on the mountain, and sat down there.

Great crowds came to him,

having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,

and many others.

They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.

The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,

the deformed made whole,

the lame walking,

and the blind able to see,

and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,

"My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,

for they have been with me now for three days

and have nothing to eat.

I do not want to send them away hungry,

for fear they may collapse on the way."

The disciples said to him,

"Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place

to satisfy such a crowd?"

Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"

"Seven," they replied, "and a few fish."

He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.

Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,

gave thanks, broke the loaves,

and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

They all ate and were satisfied.

They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

Reflection

It would be impossible to separate the healing power of Jesus from his ministry. It had to be the most amazing experience to see so many people healed, one after another, after another.

And they realized that what this is trying to teach them is that there's a way in which we must understand God's presence in our life. He's not here to tell us what to become or to do. He's here to enable us. Gift us. Feed us with whatever we need to find fullness in this world that God has shared with us.

It's an amazing gift and it's important that we remember it. Keep it foremost in our mind. Everything we do is through the gift of God's presence in us.

Closing Prayer

Father, you have revealed to all of us through your son the deep longing you have for our wholeness. Bless us with an awakening of this gift and help us to rely upon it always. It is not something we can work for, it is something we can only humbly receive. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel 

Luke 10:21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,

"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things

from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike.

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

No one knows who the Son is except the Father,

and who the Father is except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

Turning to the disciples in private he said,

"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.

For I say to you,

many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,

but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

Reflection

It's fascinating to wonder what it would be like for Jesus as a human being, to have the Holy Spirit dwelling within him, that he would know that he had the power to heal, to transform, to teach. And what he's trying to make his disciples aware of is this is a very, very wonderful, exciting time that he is initiating into the world.

The time of revealing the fullness of who God is. And what he's saying in private to the disciples, is that there have been so many people seeking the wisdom of who God is and could never find it or discover it as fully as they can now. Now that Christ is the incarnate God, and he is revealing who God truly is.

Closing Prayer

Father, we live in these special times. Times of full revelation of who you are. And to any of us who is aware of the offering of this gift, it's up to us to say, yes, I want it, I need it. I long to see you as you are. Take away every blindness. Take away every doubt. That's our prayer. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel

Matthew 8:5-11

When Jesus entered Capernaum,

a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,

"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."

He said to him, "I will come and cure him."

The centurion said in reply,

"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;

only say the word and my servant will be healed.

For I too am a man subject to authority,

with soldiers subject to me.

And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;

and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;

and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,

"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.

I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,

and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”

Reflection

What strikes me in this reading is the words. He was amazed.

There's one other time in the scriptures that Jesus is amazed and it's a negative. And the other one, it is simply the fact that he looked at the neighbors and his friends that he grew up with, and when the he described who he was, they were absolutely super closed. Could not fathom it. This ordinary man could be something more than what he seems to be.

In this case, it's someone has got an understanding, a clear understanding of the way the world works.

The centurion was fully conscious of a system. When there is authority and when his authority over others, they tell them what to do. And they must respond. They do respond. That's the way the system works. That's always asking of those that listen to Jesus. Just understand this is how it works. God can do what he promises. Trust in him.

Believe in him and it will lead to fullness, transformation, awakening. Full consciousness. Please take a moment to reflect and then I'll close with the prayer.

Closing Prayer

Father, it's interesting how many things and how many situations have taught us certain things. In some of the things that we've learned, we have to unlearn. We have to let go of. And so please, if there is anything it is that doesn't believe that Jesus can do what he promises. Free us from that. Free us so that we can receive and drink of his healing power. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

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FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Isaiah 2:1-5 | Romans 13:11-14 | Matthew 24:37-44

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with

righteous deeds at his coming so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to

possess the heavenly kingdom.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and

reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.

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Gospel

Luke 21:34-36

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy

from carousing and drunkenness

and the anxieties of daily life,

and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.

For that day will assault everyone

who lives on the face of the earth.

Be vigilant at all times

and pray that you have the strength

to escape the tribulations that are imminent

and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Reflection

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is full consciousness. Understanding the nature of life, understanding the nature of the Kingdom. It is always going to include things that are destructive seemingly, and that they are dangerous and destructive to us. And we have to be ready to understand that that's part of the process. Other times it's everything is working and we're filled with gratitude.

That's part of the process. So always we need to be vigilant. Everything has its purpose. Everything has its time and always the intention of the God who created us and allows our life to be what it is, is because of his love.

Closing Prayer

Father, everything has its place. Everything is for us, no matter what it is. Difficulty. Pain. Joy. Enthusiasm. Help us to stay with you in all that you offer us, so we truly can grow in the Kingdom of God. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel

Luke 21:29-33

Jesus told his disciples a parable.

"Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.

When their buds burst open,

you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;

in the same way, when you see these things happening,

know that the Kingdom of God is near.

Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away

until all these things have taken place.

Heaven and earth will pass away,

but my words will not pass away.”

Reflection

The image of feeling that summer is coming, and that fruitfulness is coming is a beautiful image of the way in which we live in this kingdom of God. We know that every day the kingdom becomes more real, more near to us. And so what we need to always have is a conviction that the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the truth is constantly touching everything, and everything has a response that is a bursting forth of life.

Closing Prayer

Father, there is something about the time of year when the cold and the empty seem to fade into a rich abundance of life and light. Help us to see that is what the kingdom is. It's never losing sight that there's a spring time. There's a new life time always coming very near. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel

Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,

he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.

As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.

They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, 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.”

Reflection

Many people turn to God, most especially when they have something they can't deal with. And so they go to him and pray and ask him to do something for them.

God is doing something for us all the time. God is granting us all kinds of favors over and over again, and what he longs for us to do is simply to pause long enough to give him thanks. Gratitude. Appreciation for the life that we are leading. Life is a gift understood that way, we are always filled with gratitude.

Closing Prayer

Father, as we gather around the table today with friends and family. Let us give thanks for them. The gift they are, the struggles that we have with them. If they are difficult to get along with, the growth they bring to us. Bless us with the recognition of the gift of everyone in our life. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel

Luke 21:12-19

Jesus said to the crowd:

"They will seize and persecute you,

they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,

and they will have you led before kings and governors

because of my name.

It will lead to your giving testimony.

Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,

for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking

that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

You will even be handed over by parents,

brothers, relatives, and friends,

and they will put some of you to death.

You will be hated by all because of my name,

but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.

By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Reflection

When someone is treated poorly, when they are persecuted, when they are threatened with death, the typical response to that is major resistance. But what Jesus is describing here is there's a way in which if you accept it without resistance, there's a testimony that is so powerful. To see a person not take care of themselves implies that someone is taking care of them, that they will not really ultimately be harmed.

It had to be very confusing, and certainly created anger toward one who would have this gift when they did not.

Closing Prayer

Father, when we experience someone who simply refuses to be angry or resentful for the things that happen to them, it is very much of a puzzle. How can they do that? Where do they find that kind of acceptance? And it comes because they understand you, they know you, and they know that anything that comes to you is for you, and it is a witness that is so important. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel 

Matthew 10:28-33

Jesus said to his Apostles:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body

but cannot kill the soul;

rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy

both soul and body in Gehenna.

Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?

Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.

Even all the hairs of your head are counted.

So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Everyone who acknowledges me before others

I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.

But whoever denies me before others,

I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

Reflection

The last line can be disturbing if not understood clearly. Jesus makes clear he has deep love and deep concern for all of us. He knows everything about us and he also has one unique quality. He honors our freedom. He refuses to make us believe in him. And what he's saying, ultimately is, if you choose not to accept me, I cannot force you to do that.

And if you don't do that, I can't reach you. I can't heal you. I can't help you.

Closing Prayer

The love that God has for us is hard for us to grasp. It's a love that is freely offered and must be freely received. There's great sadness in Jesus when he says the last line of this passage, because he knows he cannot make you do anything that you don't choose. So bless us God with a constant, consistent choice for all the gifts that you give us. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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