Tag: Deacon Steve

As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said,

How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David?

David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said:

The Lord said to my lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
until I place your enemies under your feet.’

David himself calls him ‘lord’;
so how is he his son?

The great crowd heard this with delight.

The peace of the Lord be with you.

Here is  another one of those readings that has a intention or meaning that is very hard to discern without a commentary. The footnotes related to this reading indicate that Jesus is reminding the people about his nature of being fully divine and fully human. This is important because it reminds those around him that God is not distant and far away he is dwelling in their midst. It is also important for those of us who share in Jesus humanity. By the word becoming incarnate by the divine uniting fully with the human it elevates the already inherent dignity of the human person is even more deeply. We are called to see in our selves and others the likeness of God himself. That my brothers and sisters is a true reason for celebration.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Friday, June 4, 2021

The peace of the Lord be with you.

Once again in the face of challenges Jesus takes an opportunity to clarify who God is and what God does. God gives life and is the source sustenance for all creation. Anything that is contrary to these two points is not from God.

Jesus understands how hard this can be for us to grasp and how we can get caught up in a lot of details that offer nothing more than confusion. Please note that Jesus does get upset with these people in the scriptures today — he simply lets them know that they have been misled and urges them to reconsider their viewpoints. As this day unfolds may we experience the love God is pouring out on us that we may have life abundantly.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Thursday, June 3, 2021

Now will I recall God’s works;
    what I have seen, I will describe.
At God’s word were his works brought into being;
    they do his will as he has ordained for them.
As the rising sun is clear to all,
    so the glory of the LORD fills all his works;
Yet even God’s holy ones must fail
    in recounting the wonders of the LORD,
Though God has given these, his hosts, the strength
    to stand firm before his glory.
He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart;
    their innermost being he understands.
The Most High possesses all knowledge,
    and sees from of old the things that are to come:
He makes known the past and the future,
    and reveals the deepest secrets.
No understanding does he lack;
    no single thing escapes him.
Perennial is his almighty wisdom;
    he is from all eternity one and the same,
With nothing added, nothing taken away;
    no need of a counselor for him!
How beautiful are all his works!
    even to the spark and fleeting vision!
The universe lives and abides forever;
    to meet each need, each creature is preserved.
All of them differ, one from another,
    yet none of them has he made in vain,
For each in turn, as it comes, is good;
    can one ever see enough of their splendor?

Most glorious and blessed Father we thank you for these inspired words that remind us of the wonders of your love for all you have created. We thank you for your tender and loving care that accompanies us without ceasing. We thank you for the knowledge that helps us to appreciate the wonder which surrounds and invites us to be co-creators with you. With all you have given, help us to approach this new day with humility, generosity, and a desire to be ambassadors of your goodness to all we shall meet today.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Thursday, May 27, 2021

The peace of the Lord be with you.

I once saw a quote attributed to Thomas Merton that went something like this:

The dialogue that Jesus has with his disciples today says much the same thing. Our idea of greatness often gets clouded by how society measures success. Jesus says that true greatness comes from being a servant to others — not amassing wealth, power, or authority. There is nothing wrong with these material and earthly things, provided we recognize who gives us these gifts and offer thanks to God for His generosity.

As we begin this new day may we humbly and lovingly approach God to ask how He wants us to use these resources today.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Peter began to say to Jesus,

We have given up everything and followed you.

Jesus said,

Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.

The peace of the Lord be with you.

Today, Jesus reminds us we can never out give God. The generosity of God far exceeds our ability to give. Just think about all the surrounds us and those things that happen we never have to worry about. The rising and setting of the sun, the changing of the seasons, the microscopic world that we cannot see with the naked eye but that plays a vital role in our well being.That is just the obvious ones. While it is true that we are called to serve, the ways and depth of God’s service to what he has created never stops.

Let us begin today with a grateful heart for all that we have and will receive. Let us bear His likeness by being servants to each other. Let us be mindful that God is love.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Tuesday, May 25, 2021

The peace of the Lord be with you.

Over this last weekend we celebrated Pentecost, which is the birth of the Church through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Today, we are introduced to another member of that family of the Church.

Today is the feast of Mary as mother of the Church. Our Old Testament reading today reminds us of the fall of humankind through Adam and Eve because they failed to follow the directions God gave them. Through the actions of Jesus and Mary this breach has been repaired. Through the gift of Baptism we become children of God and are reunited in relationship to God. This was a tremendous act of courage on behalf of Mary who accepted this task without fully understanding where it would lead her or what it would cost.

As we ponder this great mystery let us be mindful of the pivotal role that she plays in salvation history then and now.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Monday, May 24, 2021

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved,
the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper
and had said,

Master, who is the one who will betray you?

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus,

Lord, what about him?

Jesus said to him,

What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?  
You follow me.

So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die.
But Jesus had not told him that he would not die,
just

What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?

It is this disciple who testifies to these things
and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.
There are also many other things that Jesus did,
but if these were to be described individually,
I do not think the whole world would contain the books
that would be written.

The peace of the Lord be with you.

As we read these closing words from the Gospel of John we are reminded that the works that Jesus did while here on earth far exceed what has been outlined here. Through His Church these works continue. Each person who has been baptized is called to be Priest, Prophet, and King in other words to continue the work of Jesus in our place and time. This is the highest form of work we can perform to be ambassadors of Faith, Hope, and Love in His name.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Saturday, May 22, 2021

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, 
he said to Simon Peter,“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” 
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; 
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

The peace of the Lord be with you. Today in our Gospel reading we have this very tender moment between Jesus and Peter. If you recall Peter denied Jesus three times on the night before his passion.Today Jesus affords him an opportunity for reconciliation for the denials that he made.The word that Jesus uses as he talks about love is unconditional love but Simon cannot seem to grasp the nature of this unconditional love and so Jesus accepts that the type of love Peter can give as filial love.This is a form of conditional love that parents have for their children which is very deep but not as a deep as the love God has for us.From this interaction we get a glimpse into how Jesus advocates for us, how he offers reconciliation and accepts the limitations of where we are right now with the hope that we will join him in a higher more fully giving form of love and surrender. In the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Friday, May 21, 2021

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said,

Father, the hour has come.
Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
just as you gave him authority over all people,
so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.
Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God,
and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.
Now glorify me, Father, with you,
with the glory that I had with you before the world began.

I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They belonged to you, and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,
because the words you gave to me I have given to them,
and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you,
and they have believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.
And now I will no longer be in the world,
but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.

The peace of the Lord be with you.

Today we have this very earnest and sincere prayer of Jesus praying for our protection and that we might have eternal life. Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the only true God. If we know the true God and make His friendship a priority, then everything else in our lives will be properly ordered. Living a properly ordered life is a life which seeks to glorify God in all that ones does and speaks.

As we begin this new day may seek those things and circumstances that will aide us to seek that which is eternal. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Tuesday, May 18, 2021

The disciples said to Jesus,

Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.
Now we realize that you know everything
and that you do not need to have anyone question you.
Because of this we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?
Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world.

The peace of the Lord be with you.

We can never be fully clear that we are doing God’s will. I was comforted by the fact that Thomas Merton once said something very similar, but he also included that it pleases God that we are trying — that we have a desire to please and serve God.

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus’s disciples, the apostles are struggling to really understand what Jesus is trying to describe. He is trying to lay out for them that they are going to experience his passion — and through his passion, resurrection and ascension. Through these acts; through this perfect sacrifice — the world will be saved. Thankfully, because of this sacrifice, we do not have to rely on our own resources to get us through the times that lay ahead.

In the reading from Acts, we see that we will be guided and assisted through the teachings that have been handed down by the apostles. We will be guided and directed through the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the encounters with God through the Sacraments. Through these gifts of the church, including this meal we’re about to share, may our minds and our spirits be quieted so that we may hear the voice of God and confidently do his work.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings for Monday, May 17, 2021