February 24, 2019: 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God has created us to reflect something of His character.  When sin diminished the luster of His character in us, He sent Christ to bring us back into relationship with Him.

Though we bear the image of Adam, the first man, in Christ, we bear the image of the Heavenly One.

And we are called to reflect His image by living His character.  We are called and challenged to not limit extending mercy just to those who are kind to us, but to extend mercy even to those who are unkind to us.  David radically demonstrated this when he refused to kill Saul, as noted in the first reading.  

When we show this kind of merciful love, even to those who seek ill will for us, we reflect our God Who shows kindness, mercy, and love to all.

February 17, 2019: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God longs for us to be impoverished, so that He can fill us as the One Source of abundance.

No other source can satisfy and sustain us as God can.

That's why He sent His Son to earth, Who emptied Himself, so that we could be reconciled back into relationship with God and be filled with Him again.

In drawing upon Him as the Source, we are truly blessed, no matter what we face.

February 10, 2019: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Both in the first reading with Isaiah, and with Simon in the Gospel reading from Luke, we see people in the awesome presence of God overwhelmed by their unworthiness.

Yet when we are destitute spiritually, aware of how inadequate we are, God comes to us, and raises us up so that we may respond fully to the purpose for which He calls us, just as He did for Isaiah and Simon, and even for St. Paul as he reflects in the 2nd reading from 1 Corinthians.

God calls us by the Gospel, the message of Christ's Death and Resurrection, which allows us to live life anew, and fulfill His grand purposes.  In doing so, we reach out to draw others discipling them into the ways of Eternal Life.

February 3, 2019: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Prophets proclaiming God's Word often encounter harsh opposition, as Jesus did from the people in His hometown.

Yet God's purpose still empowers us, because He has chosen us for this purpose from birth.  And He empowers us in our lives through Love Divine, which allows us to face any opposition or trouble with the strength that comes from being so in tune with God.  This Love is not about serving our own purposes, but giving of ourselves to serve others, which is truly the Divine Way.

This self-giving is what makes love last and truly have an impact that can see us through life's difficulties, because by it, we do the work of God.

February 2, 2019: Candlemas, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Joseph and Mary bring Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord in accordance with the Law of Moses.  In this presentation, Jesus makes Himself known as the Light and Salvation of all peoples.

He has brought God to us so that we can enter God's presence with purified hearts, following Him as the One Who alone makes us righteous.  He shines His Light so gloriously over us and we embrace this Light and follow Him.