“Everyone will be salted with fire.  Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor?  Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”   Mark 9:49-50Are you ready to be “salted with fire?”  Jesus makes it clear that everyone will go through this “salting.”  So what does this actually mean?Adding salt to food brings forth the flavor.  It doesn’t so much change the food into something else; rather, it enhances what is there, adding more to the taste. Salt also has the effect of purifying.  It’s used as a preservative and helps to rid food of bacteria.  Both of these images of flavoring and preserving are worth looking at.Being “salted with fire” means that we are purified by God.  Fire purifies and refines.  Heat is used to sanitize utensils, fire is used to purify gold, and it is also used to mold precious metals into images or jewelry. So it is with us.  We must be purified by the fire of God in every way.  Sin must be purged and we must become malleable by the fire of God so that we can be molded into His divine image.But how does this happen?  One way is when we are purged of all fleshly desires and appetites that are selfish and opposed to the will of God.  This can be painful and, hence, the image of fire.  Another way is when we are purified on the deeper level of the spirit.  This may happen when we are given some heavy cross to carry and we do so with patience and acceptance.  When our will is challenged and tested, we have an opportunity to turn our own will over to God and to choose His will.  But His will often times includes a full embrace of any suffering we endure.  In that case, suffering can have the effect of purifying us on the deepest level of our will and, thus, suffering becomes redemptive for us.Reflect, today, upon the purifying action of God in your life.  Reflect, especially, upon any ways that you feel the pain of some suffering that you do not want to embrace.  Know that a full embrace of this suffering may actually produce the purification God wants in your life so as to make you truly holy and pure.My purifying Lord, I pray that You purify my soul of all sin.  Help me, first, to be freed of all fleshly attachments that interfere with my love of You.  Help me, also, to be free of my own will.  May the sufferings and cross in my life become a true grace through which You free me and help me to grow strong in patience and all virtue.  I give myself to You, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Catholic Daily Reflections

Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time - Salted With Fire

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.  There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me.”  Mark 9:38-39This passage offers us a lesson in jealousy or what we may call “exclusivism.”  John and the other Apostles witness someone with whom they were not familiar, doing the very good deed of driving out a demon in Jesus’ name.  It’s a somewhat strange image to imagine.  John sees this good act and tries to interfere by asking the person to stop.  Then he goes and tells on this man to Jesus, hoping Jesus will intervene.  But Jesus does the opposite.   In some ways, this story is similar to a child who tattles on a sibling.  Say that one sibling does something that is permitted by the parent, but another sibling is jealous of it.  The result is that the jealous sibling tattles for a silly reason.“Exclusivism” can be defined as a tendency to think that something is good only when I do it.  It’s a form of spiritual greed in which we have a hard time rejoicing in and supporting the good deeds of another.  This is a dangerous but all too common struggle for many.The ideal, in our Christian life, is to look for the works of God everywhere and within everyone.  We should so deeply desire that the Kingdom of God be built up that we are overjoyed whenever we witness such activity.  If, on the other hand, we find ourselves jealous of another for the good that they do, or if we find ourselves trying to find fault with what they are doing, then we should be aware of this tendency and claim it as our sin, not theirs.Reflect, today, upon your own reaction toward the goodness of others.  Are you able to rejoice in that goodness?  Or does it leave you with a certain jealousy or envy?  If the latter, then commit yourself to the goal of being freed from these temptations.  Our divine Lord desires that you participate in His good works.  You should seek to have that same desire.My freeing Lord, when I am jealous of others, especially when I am jealous of their good works, help me to see this as my sin.  Help me instead to look for the many wonderful ways that You are at work in our world, and help me to rejoice in all that You do through others.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time - Rejoicing in the Good Works of Others

“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 16:18-19This passage should give us great comfort.  Why?  Because in this passage Jesus lays the foundation of His Church.  He gives to Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.  And, in so doing, He establishes what has come to be known as the gift of “infallibility.”Think about it.  What does it mean to be given “the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven?”  This is quite a statement.  But by speaking it clearly and definitively, Jesus entrusted an incredible spiritual power to Peter.  Peter may not have understood what this exactly meant at the time, but he would have been changed as he was entrusted with such authority.By “infallibility” we mean that Peter was guaranteed to teach only that which was true in the areas of faith and morality.  Faith and morality are what live on forever in the Kingdom of Heaven and so it is with authority in these areas that Peter is entrusted.Furthermore, we know that the Apostles had successors.  Peter went to Rome and became the Bishop of Rome.  He was succeeded by Linus, then Cletus, then Clement, and so forth until the Bishop of Rome today.  This is important to note because this spiritual authority that Jesus gave to Peter did not end with his death.  Rather, it continued with his successors and will continue on until the end of the world.Today, in celebrating the great Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we not only honor the Pope, we also rejoice in the spiritual authority that the Holy Father has been entrusted with.  And knowing that Jesus is alive in such a way, through the certain teaching authority of the Keys of Heaven, we should be comforted and at peace knowing that the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church.  Popes are sinners, but they are also visible and infallible instruments of Christ Himself every time they exercise their sacred role.Reflect, today, upon your faith in the Church.  We do not put our faith in persons, we put our faith in Christ, His Church and in the spiritual authority entrusted to the Church.  Reflect upon your own faith in this regard and if it is lacking in any way, renew it in honor of this great Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.Lord Jesus, You entrusted Your power and authority to St. Peter and to all of his successors.  I thank You for the gift of our Pope.  I pray for him and offer him to You for Your guidance and protection.  I renew my faith in the gift of the Holy Father and in Your promise to lead us always through him.  May my faith in Your Church bring me consolation and hope as we all move forward to the goal of our salvation, the glorious Kingdom of Heaven.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, February 22 - The Infallible Gift from Jesus

“But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”  Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”  Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”  Mark 9:22-24This Scripture passage comes in the middle of a somewhat intense scene in which people were arguing about Jesus with the scribes.  When Jesus inquired about the argument, a man came forward and asked Jesus to heal his son who had been possessed by a demon since birth.  The man also adds to his request, “If you can!”  Jesus appears to react with a rebuke for his lack of faith.  He says, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”It’s important to note that the father came to Jesus in a somewhat desperate state of mind.  It is good that he came to Jesus, but ideally he would come to Jesus regardless of his desperation.  This teaches us a lesson regarding how we often come to our Lord.Very often, when life is good, we allow our faith and trust in God to slip.  It’s easy, when things are good, to forget that God is God and that we must daily love Him and surrender all to Him, trusting Him even with the good things of life.  Conversely, when a sudden hardship comes our way, we suddenly turn to God in our need.  We come to Him as we would a doctor when we become sick.  We avoid going to the doctor when we are healthy, waiting until we are in dire need.Even though it is a good thing to turn to Jesus in our need, when things are suddenly out of control, it is far better to come to Him when life is good and when we do not have any immediate hardship.  The fact that this man came to Jesus out of pure desperation, and the fact that he wasn’t even convinced that Jesus could do anything to help, reveals a lack of faith on his part.  So it is with us.  When we wait until we are in the midst of some crisis to come to our Lord, hoping but unsure of His ability to intervene, we are manifesting a certain lack of faith.But the good news is that Jesus worked with the little faith this man had and He will do the same with us.  He cured his son and He will cure us when we come to Him with even a little faith.  But the ideal is to then make sure that the little faith we have manifested grows.  It must grow so that we then come to Jesus every day, even when there is no obvious crisis or imminent need.  Coming to Him, out of love, is a true sign of a deep and authentic faith.Reflect, today, upon the motivation you have in coming to Jesus.  Yes, come to Him when things are not well, but reflect upon the essential truth of faith that you must make it your daily habit to come to Him in all things as a result of the deep and unwavering faith you have and the love you have for Him.  This form of faith will bring joy to the heart of our Lord and will transform you so that a good life will be even better.All-powerful Lord, may I come to You in all things.  May I love and serve You when life is good, and may I trust You with an unwavering trust when life is challenging.  Increase my faith and help me to manifest that faith every day of my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time - Help My Unbelief!

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.”  Luke 6:37Do you judge others?  Judging another is an easy thing to do.  Sometimes we can meet a person and immediately arrive at some form of judgment.  Perhaps they are not as friendly as we think they should be at first and, as a result, we offer a judgment of them right away.  Of course this can happen at times, even before we meet the person.  Or, it can also happen in relationships that we’ve had for a long time.Do you condemn others?  Condemnation comes in two forms.  First, either we have formed a false judgment of another and this results in a false condemnation.  Second, we can judge a situation correctly, that this person is guilty of some sin, and we act as though we have a right to condemn.  We act as if we have a right to issue a sentence upon them.Both judging and condemning are far from Christian virtues.  They are not healthy or holy in any way. So, the way they are overcome is through mercy and forgiveness.Do you forgive?  Forgiveness is hard to do most of the time.  It must be offered in the light of our tendencies to both judge and condemn another.  First of all, forgiveness cures the tendency to condemn because it acknowledges a fault and forgives it anyway without requiring the imposition of a “punishment,” so to speak, upon the offender.  Forgiveness does not mean that the offense was OK or nonexistent.  On the contrary, forgiveness in this case clearly sees a sin for what it is.  But once acknowledged, it forgives that sin. This is very important when it comes to forgiving in a close relationship.  It’s never healthy to pretend that some hurt or sin never happened, but it’s always healthy to forgive the sin that is present. When it comes to judgment, forgiveness goes even further than forgiving a sin.  Forgiveness must also move us to a point where we do not even form a judgment as to another’s fault.  We suspend judgment.  This is especially seen in the statement of Jesus on the Cross when He said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”  He didn’t even allow Himself to arrive at the judgment of those who were condemning Him to death.  He did not hold anything against them and presumed the best in regard to their intentions.  “They know not what they do.”  This requires a great depth of love and mercy.Reflect, today, upon your own ability to forgive completely.  Start by letting go of the condemnation of another’s sin.  Then try to let our Lord bring you one step closer to His perfect merciful heart by letting go even of judgment.  Let God be the judge.  For your part, seek only to forgive.Most merciful Lord, help me to forgive all who have offended me and all with whom I am angry.  Free me from the burdens of condemnation and judgment and replace these tendencies with Your merciful heart.  May I imitate Your perfect forgiveness in my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C - Forgiving All the Way

Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.  Mark 9:5-6This passage comes in the midst of the glorious event of the Transfiguration.  Peter, James and John went up a high mountain with Jesus, and Jesus was suddenly transfigured before them.  He was radiant white with light shining forth and He was speaking with Moses and Elijah. These three Apostles witness this miraculous event and they are so overwhelmed and excited that Peter says something that seems a bit silly.  As the Scripture points out, “He hardly knew what to say.”  But, nonetheless, he suggests that they build three tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah.  Of course, Jesus doesn’t respond to this offer, because He knew Peter was so excited that he couldn’t think straight.  Moses and Elijah certainly did not need tents. One subtle truth of the spiritual life to take from this passage is that, at times, when we have a powerful experience of the presence of God, we can be tempted to go to what we may call a “holy extreme.”  Peter was instantly so excited that he wanted to stay right there on the mountain.  Of course, this was not practical and not rational.  It wasn’t a big deal that he had this reaction, but it is worth noting and learning from.At times, we can find ourselves feeling very close to God and deeply inspired in one way or another.  When this happens, we may find that the emotional response we have is, in a sense, to go overboard.  Not overboard in our love of God, that’s not possible, but overboard in a zeal that is more based in our emotions than it is in the will of God.  This is the classical example of having a “spiritual high.”  Yes, we must strive to be deeply intimate with our Lord, but we must always make sure that even good emotions do not lead us down the road of our own will rather than the will of God.Reflect, today, upon any tendency you may have in this regard.  The goal of a virtuous life is true balance between the extremes.  Though we must be 100% committed to God and His will, we must make sure that we are not drawn to one side of the road or the other.  Pray that our Lord will keep you firmly on the path that leads to Him and His holy will.Lord of perfect virtue, I do desire to be totally Yours in every way.  I desire to love You and serve You with my whole mind, heart, soul and strength.  Help me to always follow Your will and Your will alone.  Help me to never be deterred from the path You have set before me.  May I live between the extremes I am drawn to so that I may live a true life of virtue.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time - The Road to Virtue – Living Between the Extremes

Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”  Mark 8:34The first most fundamental question posed to us through this Scripture is this: Do you wish to come after Jesus?  Unless this question is answered first, the rest of what Jesus says will have no effect upon us.  So let’s look at that question.Intellectually speaking, everyone reading this has most likely answered that question in the affirmative numerous times.  Each time you go to Mass, spend time praying, or read the Scriptures you are, in one way or another, saying, “Yes, I want to come after You, Lord.”  Most likely, we have all even said specific prayers by which we make the conscious choice to follow Christ.  But we should see much more than the need to simply make an intellectual choice in this passage.The phrase, “Whoever wishes” seems to reveal even more than a decision, it also reveals a desire.  It reveals that a desire to follow Christ is not usually the first step in the process, it’s the last.  The first step is to come to an understanding of the truth and to profess it.  Secondly, we must will what we have chosen.  Thirdly, once grace begins to work on us to transform us, we begin to “wish” or “desire” all that Jesus wants of us and all that He calls us to embrace. So what will we find ourselves “wishing” if we are following Christ with our whole being?  We will find that we desire what Jesus reveals next; namely, we will desire to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  Do you desire that?It’s easy to desire to love and be loved, at least on a more superficial level.  Hopefully, we all enjoy kind and caring words, both giving them and receiving them.  But the true love of Christ, following His example of love, requires a desire for selfless and sacrificial love.  This is the perfection of love!  We are called, ultimately, to love without even considering the cost or the demands that Christian love places upon us.  Or, to take it even further, we are called to love even that which is painful and difficult when it is the will of God.  His will most certainly includes acts of sacrifice.  True love, ultimately, desires even this.Reflect, today, upon this most fundamental question.  Do you wish to come after Jesus and, therefore, are you ready and willing to embrace and even desire all that this entails?  You make the choice; God will place the desire in your heart.  Say “Yes” to Him and His Cross.  In the end, you will be eternally grateful you did.My sacrificial Lord, I want to desire Your Cross.  I want to come to a level of love through which I desire to give myself completely to You, without counting the cost, and even desiring those acts which require great sacrifice.  You embraced Your Cross without reserve out of love for us.  Help me to imitate Your perfect example.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time - The True Depths of Christian Love

Jesus began to teach the Apostles that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.  He spoke this openly.  Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.  Mark 8:31-32Why would Peter take Jesus aside and rebuke Him?  Was it a rebuke of anger at Jesus?  No, it was most likely a rebuke based in the fear that Peter was experiencing in his heart.This passage says that Jesus “began to teach” the Apostles that He would soon suffer greatly, be rejected and killed.  This would have been difficult for the Apostles to accept and understand.  At first, they would have experienced all the emotions and thoughts that we all go through as we are processing some difficult news.  We may start with denial, then become angry, look for a way out, panic, be confused, etc.  Going through stages of grief and acceptance are normal and it appears that this is what Peter was experiencing.Out of his interior struggle in coming to an acceptance of what Jesus was starting to reveal to them, Peter tried to put up a block.  In Matthew’s account of this story we hear the actual words of Peter, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” (Mt. 16:22). Peter’s words were certainly words of concern for Jesus, but it’s important to note that, just because Peter was concerned about Jesus, this doesn’t mean that his words were helpful.As the story continues, Jesus rebukes Peter sternly, but it’s done out of love for Peter to help rid him of his fear and confusion.  It’s understandable that Peter is fearful of the prediction of the Cross.  It’s understandable when any one of us experiences fear in the face of some grave cross or hardship.  The key here is to know that Jesus does not want us to sit in fear.  He does not want us to run from the crosses we are given based on our human weakness.  Instead, He wants us to turn to Him and try to think as He thinks, to act as He acts, and to face our hardships as He did by embracing His Cross.Reflect, today, upon your own reaction to the difficult things God calls you to do.  Yes, you can be certain that He does daily call you to actions that require great sacrifice and great love.  This can be experienced as painful.  But you should never allow the pain of any cross to deter you from carrying it.  Pray that you have courage to face your crosses and, if needed, be open to the loving rebuke of Jesus when you find that you need a rebuke to set you on the path to freedom from fear.Lord of strength, I know that You courageously and fearlessly faced the holy sacrifice of Your glorious Cross.  As I am invited to follow in Your footsteps, I find that fear can overwhelm me as it did Peter.  Please strengthen me in those times and give me the grace I need to say “Yes” to You no matter what You ask.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time - Freedom From Fear

Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on him and asked, “Do you see anything?”   Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”  Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.  Mark 8:23-25This story is very unique for one reason.  It’s unique because the first time Jesus tried to cure the blind man it only worked half way.  He could see after Jesus’ first attempt to heal his blindness, but what he saw were “people looking like trees and walking.”  It took Jesus laying His hands on the man’s eyes a second time for him to be fully cured.  Why is that?Consistently, throughout the Gospels, when Jesus cures someone it is done as a result of the faith they have and manifest.  It’s not that Jesus couldn’t heal someone without faith; rather, it’s that this is what He chose to do.  He made healing contingent upon complete faith.In this miracle story, it appears that the blind man has some faith, but not much.  As a result, Jesus does something very telling.  He allows the man to be healed only part way so as to illustrate his lack of faith.  But He also reveals to us that a little faith can lead to more faith.  The man, once he could see a little, clearly began to believe some more.  And once his faith grew, Jesus laid hands on him again, bringing his healing to completion.What a great illustration for us!  Some people may have complete faith in God in all things.  If that is you, then you are truly blessed.  But this passage is especially for those who have faith, but struggle nonetheless.  To those who fall into this category, Jesus is offering much hope.  The action of healing the man twice in a row tells us that Jesus is patient and merciful and will take the little we have, and the little we offer, and use it the best He can.  He will work to transform our little faith so that we can then take another step closer to God and grow in faith.The same could be said of sin.  Sometimes we have imperfect sorrow for sin and sometimes we sin and have no sorrow for it, even though we know it’s wrong.  If that is you, then try to take at least one small step forward toward the healing of forgiveness.  Try, at very least, to desire that you will grow in a desire to be sorry.  That may be the bare minimum, but Jesus will work with it.Reflect, today, upon this blind man.  Ponder this twofold healing and twofold conversion the man undergoes.  Know that this is you and that Jesus wants to take you one step further in your faith and in your repentance of sin.Lord of mercy, I thank You for the incredible patience You have with me.  I know my faith in You is weak and must increase.  I know my sorrow for my sins must also increase.  Please do take the little faith I have and the little sorrow I have for my sins and use them to draw me one step closer to You and Your merciful heart.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Wednesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time - One Step at a Time

Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”  Mark 8:15What is this “leaven” Jesus is speaking of?  After giving this warning to His disciples, Jesus then gives an explanation to them of what He means and what He doesn’t mean.  But even the explanation seems to be over their heads.  So He concludes by saying, “Do you still not understand?”  To this day, Jesus is still asking this question to each one of us.This was certainly Jesus trying to get them to think, to listen and to look deeper.  He was warning them, “Watch out!”  Watch out for this leaven.  It’s a warning of love to help them see and understand a very real danger.Everyone who bakes bread knows the effect of just a little leaven (such as yeast) in the dough.  Add just a little bit and it affects the whole loaf.  If a child is helping with the baking, this child may return several times, watching the dough rise little by little.  It can become a fascinating thing to watch.  And it all resulted from just this little yeast.So what is this leaven of the Pharisees and Herod?  It’s the evil words, evil intent and errors that they spread.  For the Pharisees, it may be that it’s just a little misconception or misrepresentation of what Jesus said or did.  They may twist His words or may simply give non-verbal opinions to others.  This is contagious and has potential to affect everyone.  Little by little their small seeds of doubt and dissent take a toll on others.We may tend to be thinking about all of “those” people we know who do this.  But we’d miss an important opportunity for growth if we failed to first look at ourselves.  Do I do this sometimes?  Do I say things that mislead in small or subtle ways?  Or do I mislead others by my non-verbal negative attitudes?  Am I a “negative person” sometimes?No need to feel guilty or get down on ourselves if we feel convicted.  Rather, we should look at this little lesson of Jesus to realize the great power of our words.  The smallest of words can do great harm over time.  But that’s not all we should focus on.  It’s just as important to realize that the small loving words we say also have potential to make a huge difference over time.  Perhaps it’s just that small smile we give or a kind action that we think goes unnoticed.  These little actions and words are the leaven of the Gospel.  They do make a difference and they can become contagious, also.  Reflect, today, upon the small things in life.  Know that these small sins and small acts of love make a huge difference in the end.My attentive Lord, help me to be honest and see what sort of leaven I sow each and every day.  Help me to be purged of the bad and filled with the good.  May You inspire me to be that good leaven in all the many daily interactions I have.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time - What’s Your Leaven?

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”  Mark 8:11-12Jesus “sighed from the depth of His spirit.”  It is clear this was no ordinary sigh.  It was a sigh that was more than emotion.  It was from the “depth of His spirit.”  What was going on with Jesus?This sigh reveals a pain and suffering in Jesus that was spiritual in nature.  It was a pain and suffering that came as a result of being rejected by others.  But it wasn’t just that He was hurt or offended, because He wasn’t.  The suffering He felt was from His love.  It came as a result of Him loving the Pharisees deeply and realizing that they were rejecting the grace He wanted to offer them.  This hurt not because Jesus was sensitive to being hurt; rather, it hurt because of His boundless love for them.It’s interesting that we rarely think of Jesus’ love for the Pharisees.  Often, we only think of Him being harsh to them and condemning them.  But every strong word He directed toward them was aimed at converting them out of love.  It was an attempt, on His part, to shake them out of their indifference and rejection of grace.  It was an act of love.Reflect, today, upon the “Pharisees” in your life.  Perhaps you do not encounter those who are proud or haughty, or maybe you do.  The Pharisees in your life are those who reject the free gift of love you try to offer.  They are those who are so hurt, confused or bitter that they find it very hard to let love in.  They throw up every sort of defense there is to avoid letting your love in.  And when you see this rejection, it hurts.  It may then tempt you to have anger or condemnation.But how should you react?  You should do as Jesus did!  You should sigh, and “sigh deeply.”  You should feel the hurt of their rejection and feel holy sorrow for them.  At times, you may need to confront them as Jesus did.  But never out of your wounded pride.  You should confront only because you judge that it’s the best way to win them over.  You will know that this is an act of love when you feel that deep sigh within your spirit.Loving Lord, help me to love with a pure and holy love.  Help me to feel a holy sorrow over my sins and the sins of others when I encounter their sins.  Let that holy sorrow compel me to love more deeply.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time - Jesus Sighed…Deeply

“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.  Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.”  Luke 6:22-23It takes a lot of faith to “rejoice and leap for joy” after experiencing hatred and persecution from another.  Even when one is persecuted on account of his/her faith in Christ, it takes a lot of faith and a lot of love to sincerely rejoice. But with that said, this level of faith and love is possible!  If it were not, our Lord would not have given this teaching.  It is a teaching to live the highest ideal.  It’s a calling to live in Beatitude.Though it would be worth it to spend time on each and every one of the Beatitudes and to try to apply them to our lives, it’s also helpful to look at the more general fact that Jesus does not call us to mediocrity; rather, He calls us to the heights of perfection.  It is within those heights that our souls find the greatest reward.Reflect, today, upon this Beatitude.  Perhaps you have never experienced persecution and hatred as a result of following Jesus.  But even if you haven’t, try to put yourself into this situation and try to honestly discover how you would react.  Would you be able to allow persecution to “roll off your back” so to speak?  Would you be able to accept injustice in your life without allowing it to disturb your interior peace?  Or would you turn bitter and angry as a result of the hurt you would feel?Try to put your eyes upon the ideals of the Christian life.  If you aim for anything less, you run the risk of actually attaining that lower goal.  But if you put your eyes upon the high calling of the Beatitudes, then you will find that our Lord will continually draw you closer to His heart, cleansing you, strengthening you, filling you with more faith, hope and love, and bringing you to an increasingly blessed level of holiness.  It’s worth it to aim for the ideal!Lord of perfection, please make me holy.  Help me to keep my eyes upon You and upon the virtues and Beatitudes that You call me to live.  May I never settle for a mediocre life.  Instead, may I strive only for a life of perfection and holiness making You the center of all I long for.  Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C - It Takes a Lot of Faith!

“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.  If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.”  Mark 8:2-3This passage reveals some interesting points to reflect upon.  Let’s look briefly at three of them.First, it’s important to note that the crowds were so drawn to Jesus that they were willing to spend three days with Him, listening to Him in a deserted place despite the fact that they were without food.  They chose Jesus and His teaching over food and over the comfort of their own homes.  This reveals the unwavering interest that the people had in Jesus and in His teaching.  It reveals how drawn they were to Him.  It’s as if nothing else mattered.  They simply wanted to be with Jesus.Secondly, this passage reveals Jesus’ deep concern for the people.  His heart was moved with pity for them.  He was grateful for their presence but He was more concerned for their physical well-being than they were. Third, it also reveals something quite subtle but profound.  Jesus, in identifying the problem of people being without food for so long, invites the Apostles to see the problem.  Note that He doesn’t solve the problem right away.  He doesn’t immediately tell them what to do.  Instead, He simply explains the problem.  Why is that?Perhaps one reason is that Jesus was trying to foster love and concern for the people in the hearts of the Apostles.  Perhaps it was a moment in which He was testing them and training them to think about the needs of the people.  By simply posing the question at first, the people were set before the Apostles so that they, too, could grow in heartfelt compassion for them.  Jesus may have wanted their hearts to be “moved with pity for the crowd” just as His was.Reflect, today, upon three things.  First, are you drawn to Jesus with such intensity that He becomes the central focus of your life?  Does a longing for Him flood your heart and consume your soul?  Second, are you aware of the deep concern that Jesus has for you?  Are you aware that His heart is “moved with pity” for you every day?  Third, are you able to allow the love and compassion that Jesus offers to you, in turn be offered to others?  Can you see the “dilemma” of the needs of others?  And as you see these needs, do you seek to be there for them in their need?  Commit yourself to these three teachings.  If you do, you will also be worthy of being called one of His disciples.All-consuming Lord, help me to be drawn to You with intensity and longing.  Help me to see You as the source of all that I long for and need in life.  May I choose You above all else, trusting and knowing that You will satisfy my every desire.  As I turn intensely to You, fill my heart with an abundance of mercy for all.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time - Drawn to Jesus, Drawn to Mercy for Others

“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)  And immediately the man’s ears were opened.  Mark 7:34-35How often do you hear Jesus say this to you?  “Ephphatha! Be opened!”  Or how often do you hear Him speak to you with such authority?Did Jesus say this only because this man was physically deaf and He wanted to physically cure him?  Or is there a deeper significance?  By healing this man unable to hear physical sounds, Jesus was revealing something to us about what He wants to do for us.  Jesus is giving us a clear and deeper message in this healing.  Certainly there are many messages we can take from this passage.  Let’s look at one.The message is in Jesus’ command: “Be opened!”  These are powerful words commanding action.  They are not optional words.  They are clear and definitive.  “Be opened” is not a question, not an invitation, it is a command.  This is significant!These two little words reveal the fact that Jesus has made up His mind to act.  They reveal that He is not hesitant in the least in this choice.  He has made up His mind and has spoken His will.  And this action, on His part, is what makes a difference.  These two little words reveal that God is not indecisive when He speaks.  He is not shy or uncertain.  He is absolute and clear.This understanding should give us great comfort.  Comfort in the sense that Jesus is ready and willing to exercise His all-powerful authority.  He does have all-power and He is not afraid to exercise this authority when He wants to.  Most importantly, He wants to exercise His authority when it will bring about the greatest good in our lives.It should give us great comfort in the sense that we can trust that this all-powerful God is all-powerful and is in control.  If He is even in control of the natural world (physical hearing), then He is most certainly in control of the spiritual world, too.  He is able to do all things good.When we find that we are in the presence of one who is not only all-powerful, but also all-loving and all-merciful, we should be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief and turn our absolute trust over to Him.  He is able and fully willing to be in control.  Reflect, today, upon these two little words.  Let this holy and divine authority of Jesus take control over your life.  Let Him command you.  His commands are perfect love and mercy.  They are words that will direct you to your ultimate good.  And this all-powerful God is worthy of all your trust.All-powerful Lord, I do trust You and I know that You can do all things.  I know that You desire to have perfect authority in my life.  Help me to turn my life fully over to You and to trust You enough to direct and to command every action of my life.  Jesus, I fully trust in You!Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time - The Authority of God

Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Mark 7:25-27Why did Jesus talk to this woman that way?  She comes to Him, probably in fear and trembling, falls down at His feet, and begs Him to help her daughter.  At first, one might expect Jesus to reach out in gentleness and compassion, ask her about her daughter, and say to her, “Oh, most certainly I will help your daughter.  Bring me to her.”  But that’s not what He says.  He tells her, that “it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”  Ouch!  Really?  Did He really say that?  Why would He say such a thing?First of all, we have to know that whatever Jesus says is an act of love.  It’s an act of the greatest kindness and mercy.  We know this because this is who Jesus is.  He is love and mercy itself.  So how do we reconcile this apparent contradiction?The key to understanding this interaction is to look at the final result.  We must look at how this woman responded to Jesus and how the conversation ended.  When we do this, we see that the woman responds with incredible humility and faith.  What Jesus says is true.  In a way, we can interpret what He says to mean that no one has a right to His grace and mercy.  No one, including her and her daughter, “deserve” to have God act in their lives.  Jesus knows this and, by saying what He says, gives this woman a wonderful opportunity to manifest her deep faith for all to see.  His words allow her to shine forth as a beacon of faith, hope and trust.  This is Jesus’ goal and it worked.  It worked because, when she came to Him, He was immediately aware of the fact that she did indeed have a deep faith.  He knew that she would respond with humility and trust.  The woman did and thus we are able to witness the manifestation of her faith and humility.Reflect, today, upon the beautiful faith of this humble woman.  Try to put yourself in her shoes and hear Jesus speak these same words to you.  How would you respond?  Would you respond with anger or agitation?  Would your pride be wounded?  Or would you respond with an even deeper humility, acknowledging the fact that all God gives is a gift which we have no right to receive.  Responding this way is most likely the act of faith God is waiting for from each of us and is the key to that outpouring of His mercy we so need.Lord of true humility, please humble me.  Strip away my pride.  Help me to fall at Your feet.  Help me to trust You so deeply that You are compelled, by my love of You, to open Your storehouse of grace and pour it down upon me.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time - A Manifestation of Faith

My Catholic Life! presents the beauty and splendor of our Catholic faith in a down to earth and practical way. These daily audio reflections come from the "Catholic Daily Reflections Series" which is available in online format from our website. They are also available in e eBook or paperback format. May these reflections assist you on your journey of personal conversion!

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Catholic Daily Reflections

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