October 13, 2024: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A rich young man approached Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit Eternal Life.

Jesus responded by uttering the commands, and the man affirmed that he had been keeping them.

Then Jesus took it to the next step and told him to build up treasure in Heaven.

Ultimately, following the way of Jesus is about more than just obeying rules.

It is about inner transformation that leads us to grow in relationship with God in response to the gifts of salvation, faith, and grace that He freely gives us.

Part of this inner transformation is when we encounter God in His Word, for that Word penetrates our hearts to discern what is within us.

Knowing that faith is a gift freely given by God, let us respond by opening ourselves to transformation.  Through the gift of Wisdom, we gain everything that is valuable because we understand what has the greatest value, and we are transformed to seek after it above all.

So yes, we might gain something in this life from following Jesus, but ultimately, we gain the greatest gift of Eternal Life, while God is present with us all along the way.

October 6, 2024: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God established a beautiful order for our world, when from the beginning, He created male and female, equal in dignity and bearing His image.

Yet when the world fell into sin, the harmony that brought men and women into marriage was disrupted, and the Law of Moses addressed it through divorce proceedings.

When Jesus, the Word Made Flesh, came, He reminded us of the order that God set from the beginning, that men and women would come together as One Flesh to reflect God's image in our world.  From the marital union comes children, who also reflect God.

Jesus did not simply command us to avoid divorce, but came to identity Himself with our sufferings and redeem them so we could be restored back to right relationship with God and one another.

So we come humbly to God in our neediness and brokenness with faith that He has the power to bring us alive in Him, that the world may know our God.

October 2, 2024: Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels

God has been specially looking out for His people, guiding them in the way of salvation through angels, ministering spirits.

Angels guided the Hebrews on their journey to the Promised Land.

They continue aiding us today.

By childlike faith in our God, we come to Him, trusting that He is leading us in the way of salvation, with the angels supporting us through the troubles of this work to encounter God's presence.