Some of Jesus’s encounters can seem a bit harsh. Take his interaction with the Canaanite woman from the Gospel of Matthew.

“Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.”

What should we take from this? I’d suggest it’s that God doesn’t always answer our prayer immediately. It was her third plea that was heard. We’re called to not only ask boldly, but to also persist in prayer. The answer may be, “yes,” it may be, “no,” but most often, it’s, “not yet.”

Let’s pray. Father of Grace and Mercy. Grant us the faith of the Canaanite woman, helping us to persist in patience in our prayer, trusting you hold what is best for our life. Amen.

This is Mike Kelly with Prayfor2, two minute prayer reflections on the daily readings of the Church. Listen anytime at Prayfor2.com, or on the Redeemer Radio app. Matthew 15:21-28

Jesus Christ, God made man, was a great story teller. There are over 30 unique parables documented across the four Gospels. The science of story telling has shown that stories are more relatable than a lecture. Jesus, being the Divine Psychologist, understood this, and used it often during the three years he was with his disciples.

Today, let’s listen to the Parable of the Sower from the Gospel of Matthew.

”That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Let’s Pray.

Jesus our Savior. You sow many seeds of grace in our lives, including through your parables. May our hearts be rich soil for the truth of your love to spring forth and bear good fruit.

Amen.

This is Mike Kelly with Prayfor2, two minute prayer reflections on the daily scripture readings of the Church. Listen anytime at Prayfor2.com, or the Redeemer Radio app.

It’s important to remind ourselves that Jesus wasn’t a meek and mild pacifist. As the Way, the Truth and the Life, His word was likened to a sword, challenging us to admit our shortfalls and work to change. And humility and change don’t come easily for any of us.

Listen to this instruction from the Gospel of Saint Matthew.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s foes will be those of his own household. …He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.

In the book of Hebrews, we again hear of the sword of truth.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him.”

Let’s Pray.

Jesus our Messiah. You brought the fullness of truth to humanity. May we receive the sword of truth with humility, working in grace to make the changes necessary to live a life more fully in you.

Amen.

This is Mike Kelly with Prayfor2, two minute prayer reflections on the daily scripture readings of the Church. Listen anytime at Prayfor2.com, or the Redeemer Radio app.

The Bible says to, “fear not,” but also says “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” So which is it?

In its proper context, “fear of the Lord” is a sense of awe and wonder about a God that not only created all, but is love itself. And he’s a God that knows and cares for you intimately.

According to scripture, God knew you before you were born, counts every hair on your head, and holds you in the palm of his hand. And in love, you were created to reflect His love into the world.

Let’s listen to Jesus imploring us to “fear not,” in the Gospel of Matthew.

“So have no fear; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Let’s Pray.

God our loving Father. You created all, including us. Help us to fear not, and grant us the eyes to see you with awe and wonder – for the magnificence of your boundless creation, and for your intimate love of us.

Amen.

This is Mike Kelly with Prayfor2, two minute prayer reflections on the daily readings of the Church. Listen anytime at Prayfor2.com, or the Redeemer Radio app.

God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus also left us an enduring gift – his very body under the appearances of bread and wine. Jesus instituted the Eucharist in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Saint John.

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”

Let’s Pray.

Jesus our Redeemer. Thank you for the life giving strength you give us in the Eucharist – your body, blood, soul and divinity. May it continue to be manna in our earthly desert, and strength for our journey. Amen.

This is Mike Kelly with Prayfor2. Listen anytime at Prayfor2.com or the Redeemer Radio app.

Mary Undoer of Knots is prayer devotion based on a second century quote from Saint Irenaeus. He said, “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; what the virgin Eve bound by her unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened by her faith.”

Pope Francis has a special devotion to an image of Mary Undoer of Knots, where she is holding a white ribbon, knotted on one side and completely smooth and untangled on the other.

Today, let’s pray a prayer he wrote in her honor:

“Holy Mary, full of God's presence during the days of your life, you accepted with full humility the Father's will,

and the Devil was never capable to tie you around with his confusion.

Once with your son you interceded for our difficulties, and, full of kindness and patience you gave us example of how to untie the knots of our life. And by remaining forever Our Mother, you put in order, and make more clear, the ties that link us to the Lord.

Holy Mother, Mother of God, and our Mother, to you, who untie with motherly heart the knots of our life, we pray to you to receive in your hands our intentions, and to free the knots and confusion with which our enemy attacks.

Through your grace, your intercession, and your example, deliver us from all evil, Our Lady, and untie the knots that prevent us from being united with God, so that we, free from sin and error, may find Him in all things, may have our hearts placed in Him, and may serve Him always in our brothers and sisters.

Amen

This is Mike Kelly with Prayfor2. Listen anytime at Prayfor2.com or the Redeemer Radio app.

One of the mysteries of Christianity is that God chose to reveal Himself as a Trinity - one God in three persons. It can be confusing - the Islamic religion even mistakenly believes Christianity advocates three Gods, when in fact we believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit as three distinct persons, but as one God.

Why do you suppose God did this? It is because in His very nature, God is love. And love necessarily involves more than one person – a lover requires a beloved. God the Father perfectly loves Jesus the Son as a total act of self gift, and Jesus reciprocates that perfect love to the Father. And the Holy Spirit is that perfect love between the Father and Son, sent out into the world to enliven our souls to share God’s love with others.

Saint Paul captured this in his second letter to the Corinthians:

“Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

Let’s Pray.

Oh most Holy Trinity. You revealed yourself to be one God in three persons to demonstrate your perfect love as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Help enliven our hearts to share that perfect love as a self gift to others.

Amen.

This is Mike Kelly with Prayfor2, two minute prayer reflections on the daily readings of the Church. Listen anytime at Prayfor2.com or the Redeemer Radio app.

Who is my neighbor?

A lawyer posed this question to Jesus after being told to, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus’s response, from the Gospel of Luke, is the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who stripped and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Let’s Pray.

Jesus our Light. You call to see you in every person. Help us to love you with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourself.

Amen.

This is Mike Kelly with Prayfor2, Listen anytime at Prayfor2.com, or the Redeemer Radio app.

The Holy Spirit is probably the least appreciated person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the perfect love between the Father and Son, sent into the world to enliven our hearts. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at our baptism, are strengthened at our confirmation, and are living temples of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus’s resurrection on Easter, as recounted in the book of Acts:

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,

they were all in one place together.

And suddenly there came from the sky

a noise like a strong driving wind,

and it filled the entire house in which they were.

Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,

which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

and began to speak in different tongues,

as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.

At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,

but they were confused

because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

They were astounded, and in amazement they said,

“We hear them speaking in our own tongues

of the mighty acts of God.”

Let’s Pray. Come Holy Spirit, come. Fill the hearts of your faithful. Enkindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and we shall be renewed. And you shall renew the face of the earth. Amen

This is Mike Kelly with Prayfor2, two minute prayer reflections on the daily readings of the Church. Listen anytime at Prayfor2.com, on Soundcloud, YouTube, or the Redeemer Radio app.

The Christian story is without parallel.

Jesus Christ entered the world to redeem mankind from its sin and model a perfect way of life. But we aren’t to simply imitate him – we are to become Him.

We are called put off the old self, and put on a new life in Christ, as Saint Paul wrote to the Colossians.

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above…not things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you….

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Let’s Pray.

Jesus our model and Redeemer. Help us to cast of the old self, and put on the new life in Christ.

Amen.

This is Mike Kelly with Prayfor2. Listen anytime at Prayfor2.com, or the Redeemer Radio app.