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Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 718: Do Not Seek the Praises of Men: A Reflection on the Gospel of John (John 5:30–47)

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Jesus said, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

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“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.

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“You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept glory from human beings. But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

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“I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.” So Jesus says to the crowds today, and it is very true. Jesus did NOT accept any kind of human praise. Why didn’t he? Sometimes the praise is sincere, sometimes it isn’t.

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When Nicodemus initially comes to Jesus he says, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher come from God because no one can do the works you do unless God is with him.” That praise was sincere. Jesus immediately redirects the praise to the Father. “Unless a man be born from above he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

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The Sadducees try to set up a theological trap for Jesus, by presenting a hypothetical case of a woman who had married seven brothers, but they begin this dialogue with flattery. “Teacher, we know you are an honest man, and preach God’s word without any bias or thought of status.” Well, if you KNOW that, why are you trying to trap Jesus into saying something wrong? It’s insincere.

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When Jesus is confronted with genuine praise, he redirects it to the Father. When he’s confronted with flattery, Jesus simply ignores it. Why? Because pride is the deadliest of sins, and pride can take many forms, not the least of which is constantly seeking the approval of others.

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This is an EXTREMELY common sin, and it’s deadly, because it’s rooted in pride. And yet it’s so common because everyone NATURALLY wants to be liked! Nobody wants to be shunned or rejected, or thought ill of. Nobody LIKES to be criticized. On some level we ALL seek the acceptance of others.

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And therein lies the trap; we cannot please God if we’re seeking to please other people. “But Father, what if those other people are ALSO trying to please God? “It must be OK to seek THEIR approval, isn’t it?” Even THAT can be problematic, because whether they realize it or not, EVERYONE has an agenda.

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There’s a whole bunch of Catholic moral teachings, and everyone puts those teachings in a list in their minds according to THEIR interpretation of what’s most important, myself included.

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So in my twenty four years of priesthood I’ve had parishioners praise me on the quality of my sermons, and then say in the next breath, “But you know Father, you hit the abortion thing a little too hard, and a little too often. You need to back off on that a bit.”

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One million children killed every year in this country alone, and I need to ‘back off’ on it? Tell me, if this were 150 years ago, would you be telling me that I need to back off on preaching that slavery is a moral evil? I’ll make you a deal, when people stop doing it, I’ll stop preaching on it. Because my job is to please God, NOT the congregation, and that sometimes means talking about things that make the congregation uncomfortable.

I try to do justice to all the teachings of the Church, but as I said, some in my mind are more urgent than others. And so my brothers and sisters, don’t seek the approval of others.

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Seek only the approval of God.

 

By Father Michael Sisco

 

Prayer: “O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

 

Quote from a Saint: “As gifts increase in you, let your humility grow, for you must consider that everything is given to you on loan.”—St. Padre Pio

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Questions for reflection:

1. Are you overly concerned about getting the approvals of others? How does this prevent you from pleasing God?

2. How can you use Jesus’ example of not accepting human praise in your life?

3. At what point do you think the desire to be liked by others gets in the way of following God? There is nothing wrong with wanting to be liked/love, but could you see the desire to achieve it as becoming problematic?

4. Do you ever feel like the Church has too hard of a stance on certain teachings, such as abortion or same-sex marriage? If so, have you thought deeply about why the Church might be so concerned about these issues?

5. What teachings of the Church do you feel are the most pressing to share with others?

6. What teachings of the Church do you feel go against the current culture? Do you find that it is easier to keep silent about these when speaking with family and friends?

7. Are there any teachings of the Church that you’d rather not hear about in homilies? Why do you think that the priests felt it was important to speak on these issues?

8. Do you agree that everyone has an agenda? If so, what is your agenda? Does it line up with God’s agenda?

 

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP

Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 717: Healing Prayer: A Reflection on the Prophet Hosea (Hosea 14:2-10)

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2 Return, Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have stumbled because of your iniquity. 3 Take with you words, and return to the LORD; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and take what is good. Let us offer the fruit of our lips.

 

4 Assyria will not save us, nor will we mount horses; We will never again say, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands;

for in you the orphan finds compassion.” 5 I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them.

 

6 I will be like the dew for Israel: he will blossom like the lily; He will strike root like the Lebanon cedar, 7 and his shoots will go forth. His splendor will be like the olive tree and his fragrance like Lebanon cedar.

 

8 Again they will live in his shade; they will raise grain, They will blossom like the vine, and his renown will be like the wine of Lebanon. 9 Ephraim! What more have I to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will take note of him. I am like a verdant cypress tree. From me fruit will be found for you!

 

10 Who is wise enough to understand these things? Who is intelligent enough to know them? Straight are the paths of the LORD, the just walk in them, but sinners stumble in them.

 

 

I will heal their defection says the Lord…

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  Part of our daily prayer routine should be to ask the Lord to heal our defections, and I’m not talking about our physical defections. We should be asking God to heal us of our emotional, psychological, and spiritual defections; because we ALL have them. 

 

  Emotional defections; Lord heal me of my need to feel appreciated. Lord heal me of my need to be praised, and admired. Lord heal me of my need to feel needed. 

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Psychological defections; Lord heal me of my insecurities. Lord, heal me of my feelings of inadequacy.  Lord heal me from all my fears and anxieties. Lord help me love and appreciate the creation you have made in me.

Spiritual defections; Lord heal me from my desires to satisfy my flesh. Lord heal me from the tendency to want to reward myself carnally, when I’ve had a bad day.           Lord, heal me from my own ego, and my desire to put myself first.

 

These are just a few examples of defects we should ask the Lord to heal us from. When the prophet Hosea speaks these words though, this isn’t what he’s talking about.  Hosea is talking about the Lord healing the defects of the country, Israel.

 

  That’s ANOTHER good intention we should all pray for every day. We should all be praying that God heal the defections in our nation!    Lord, heal our country of greed.  Heal our country of lust. Heal our country of its irreverence.  Heal our country of violence. Heal our country of hatred and division.

 

My brothers and sisters, the first step of the spiritual life is admitting there are defections in ourselves and in our world; defections that only God can heal.

 

  Blessed be God forever.

 

By Father Michael Sisco

 

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I thank You for showing me the true meaning of humility. Please remove any arrogance or pride within me, and replace it with a heart of gentleness and humility. Guide my actions so they may reflect the grace You have bestowed upon me. Let my life be an example of humility to others, always seeking to serve rather than be served. Help me, Lord, to put others before myself and seek Your approval above all else. Amen.”

 

Quote from a Saint: “Self knowledge puts us on our knees, and it is very necessary for love. For knowledge of God gives love, and knowledge of self gives humility.”—St. Teresa of Calcutta

 

Questions for reflection:

1. Do you pray for the Lord to heal you of your need to feel appreciated, praised and admired? Would that be a hard prayer for you to say? How could such detachment from this need benefit you?

2. Do you ask for healing of your insecurities, and feelings of inadequacy? What about your fears and anxieties?  How can relying on the Lord help you to get over these negative feelings?

3. How can we come to love and appreciate the creation that the Lord has made?

4. What are some ways that we can keep from rewarding ourselves carnally?

5. What are the defects that you see within yourself? Have you prayed for help with these defects?

6. Our society is very focused on putting ourselves first. How does this go against how the Lord wants us to view ourselves? Do you find that it is difficult to resist this message of the world?

7. What do you see as some of the defects of our nation? How we can we pray for the healing of our nation and all of God’s people who live within it?

 

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP

Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 716: Sermon on the Plain: A Reflection on the Gospel of Luke (Luke 6:17-26)

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17 And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon 18 came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. 19 Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

 

20 And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. 21 Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.

 

22 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. 23 Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.

 

24 But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.26 Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.

 

After a night in prayer on a mountain Jesus selected twelve disciples as His apostles. We can imagine the wonder and joy of these men as they began to realize what had taken place. St. Luke recounts, in today’s Gospel: Jesus coming down with the Twelve stood on a stretch of level ground and although surrounded by a very large crowd, looked directly at the Twelve and began to instruct them, the first of many teachings.

Standing on level ground, Jesus leveled with them, spoke very frankly and the message was very clear. It had to do with their call to follow Him, about important realities of the Kingdom that Jesus proclaimed and would continue to proclaim. With loving directness He spoke and held their attention; no man ever spoke as this man did and they, with others, were captivated.

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Blessed are the poor - you who recognize and accept the poverty of your soul and seek the wealth of the Lord’s loving presence. Blessed are the hungry - you who desire to know the Lord intimately in a communion of faith. Blessed are those who weep - you who lament over your sins with true contrition. Even blessed are you when people disdain you for your faith, your charity because then you are truly of Christ, truly marked as His.

These called blessed - hopefully, us - are people anointed, inspired by God, enlightened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit to live for God and not for self alone. Of these, the prophet Jeremiah proclaimed, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord.”

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Jesus, still with His eyes fixed on the Twelve, continues to level, to be frank with them; He has only their good in mind. The blesseds are followed by the “woes”. Four exclamations of dismay, even of regret that had to come from the sadness Jesus saw in the lives of people, like sheep without a shepherd.

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As Jesus continued, surely His facial expression, the tenor of His voice emphasized the seriousness of the message. Woe to you who are rich for you who have no need of God’s riches, no need of God if truth be told. Woe to you who satisfy your hunger on what is passing, what is only here and now; you waste your life on convenience, pleasure, sinful pursuits. Woe to you who laugh now for your life is very shallow, caught up in foolishness, empty of what is eternal. Woe to you when all speak well of you for your witness of belief is poor and even unseen, lost in the crowd. Jeremiah said of these: “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord.”

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Jesus’ words directed to the Twelve most frankly are directed to us just as frankly, for we are called to be His disciples, too. We are called to reflect on our own discipleship. Where do my loyalties lie, where does my faith reside? Is Christ leading me to the Father by the Holy Spirit or is my loyalty, really, just to myself? As Jesus leveled with the Twelve so He asks us to level with ourselves, to be frank, honest so that His Holy Spirit may work in us, lift us up as His “blessed ones.”

 

In the prologue of his Gospel (Jn 1; 1 - 14) St John writes this of Jesus, The Word: “Whatever came to be in Him, found life, life for the light of humankind.” This is the Light the Lord desires for us, each one of us, to desire and to become more and more His chosen ones, His blessed ones, filled with His life and light.

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To this may we all assent with enthusiasm, even with delight!      

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by Fr. John Denburger

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Prayer: “Almighty, ever-living God, make us ever obey you willingly and promptly. Teach us how to serve you with sincere and upright hearts in every sphere of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

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Quote from a Saint: “When you have nothing left but God, you have more than enough to start over again.”—St. Teresa of Calcutta

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Questions for reflection:

1. Have you ever considered the teachings of Jesus at the Sermon on the Plain in more than just a literal sense? How does looking at these teachings in a spiritual sense help you to identify with them?

2. “Blessed are the poor - you who recognize and accept the poverty of your soul and seek the wealth of the Lord’s loving presence.” Are you “poor”? Do you recognize and accept the poverty of your soul? What kind of wealth do you seek?

3. “Blessed are the hungry - you who desire to know the Lord intimately in a communion of faith.” Are you hungry for the Lord? Do the things that you hunger for align with what the Lord desires for you?

4. “Blessed are those who weep - you who lament over your sins with true contrition.” Do you truly feel sorry for your sins? Do you have trouble examining your conscience and seeing your sins?

5. “…blessed are you when people disdain you for your faith, your charity because then you are truly of Christ, truly marked as His.” Do people dislike you for your faith? How do you handle this? How does it make you more united to Christ?

6. Do you identify with any of the “woes” that follow the “blessed”? Are there things in this world that you cling to or enjoy too much-- that hold you back from fully uniting yourself to Christ?

7. Where do your loyalties lie? Would the people who know you say that you were loyal to Christ?

8. When conforming to Christ’s plan, do you do so with enthusiasm or out of protest?

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP

Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 715: Responding to the Words of Christ: A Reflection on the Gospel of John (John 5: 17–30)

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17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.

 

19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also. 20 For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.

 

21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. 22 Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

 

24 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life. 25 Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

 

26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself. 27 And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

 

28 Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voices 29

and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.

 

30 “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.

 

 

There are certain conversations that are very precious, a conversation in which someone reveals something very personal from the past or present. It is an act that speaks of trust, of confidence, of a sharing that draws people closer; such enhances friendship, touches lives deeply.

In today’s Gospel Jesus reveals a number of times what is most precious to His heart – rather who is most precious – and it can be summed up in one word: “Father”. I have a sense that St. John joined a number of Jesus’ statements said at different times into this one passage. Each statement is so profound, so very intimate, and all of it together is too much to bear or comprehend worthily all at once. They really have to be taken singly and prayerfully.

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These words of the Lord captivated His followers more and more. Many said, “No one has ever spoken like this. No one has ever spoken with such authority, truth, passion.”

These same words distanced others from Him. They could not, would not listen; to them what He said was clear blasphemy and it would be used against him when He was put on trial. They stood in the crowd with His true followers not to learn but to gather evidence and bring Him to an end. We know that they would have their day.

We, by God’s grace, are among those captivated – to use the Cistercian Fathers’ term “intoxicated – by the Lord Jesus Christ. May the message of today’s Gospel and every Gospel we hear, move us to listen more deeply, more carefully, more receptively so that we are drawn more and more into the grace of our Baptismal relation with and in the Lord.

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With His first disciples we can and do say, “Lord, You have the words of eternal life” and by God’s grace add, I pray to be more captivated, more intoxicated by Your word and into You.

 

by Fr. John Denburger, OCSO

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Prayer: Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas Before Study, “O ineffable Creator, Who, out of the treasure of Thy wisdom, hast ordained three hierarchies of Angels, and placed them in wonderful order above the heavens, and hast most wisely distributed the parts of the world; Thou, Who are called the true fountain of light and wisdom, and the highest beginning, vouchsafe to pour upon the darkness of my understanding, in which I was born, the double beam of Thy brightness, removing from me all darkness of sin and ignorance. Thou, Who makest eloquent the tongue of the dumb, instruct my tongue, and pour on my lips the grace of Thy blessing. Give me quickness of understanding, capacity of retaining, subtlety of interpreting, facility in learning, and copious grace of speaking. Guide my going in, direct my going forward, accomplish my going forth; through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

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Quote from a Saint: “He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire.” -- St. Ignatius, bishop and martyr (35-98 A.D.)

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Questions for reflection:

1. Prayer is sometimes explained as being a conversation with God. Do you engage in prayer “that speaks of trust, of confidence” and draws you closer to God?

2. Have you ever heard a religious talk at a conference or read a spiritual book that touched your heart and inspired you to change your life, but later you find that someone else had the opposite reaction to that talk or book? Could this be a taste of how some people were drawn to repentance by the teaching of Christ while others were driven away?

3. Have you ever had someone recommend a talk or book that had changed their life only to be left unmoved? Could you have been experiencing a “hardness of heart” situation? Bring this with you to your quiet time of prayer and see if the Lord has any insights.

4. Have you had the experience of reading scripture that you have read many times before only to have it suddenly come to life and sweep you away with a moving insight or a bolstering of your faith?

5. Do you use scripture as a springboard during your time of prayer?

6. How moved are you by the words of Christ?

7. Are you in the habit of regularly studying so that you can say ““Lord, You have the words of eternal life” and by God’s grace add, I pray to be more captivated, more intoxicated by Your word and into You"?

 

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP

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Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 714: Prepare Your Heart: A Reflection on the Presentation of the Lord (Malachi 3 : 1-4 & Luke 2 : 22-32)

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[Malachi 3]

1 Now I am sending my messenger—he will prepare the way before me; And the lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple; The messenger of the covenant whom you desire— see, he is coming! says the LORD of hosts.

 

2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand firm when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, like fullers’ lye.

 

3 He will sit refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the Levites, Refining them like gold or silver, that they may bring offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

 

4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in ancient days, as in years gone by.

 

[Luke]

22 When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 23 just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” 24 and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

 

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. 27 He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,28 he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

 

29 “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, 32 light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.

 

 

They will offer due sacrifice to the Lord, said the prophet Malachi in the first reading. Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, said St Luke in the Gospel for today. And when the parents of Jesus make their offering and present him to the Lord, Simeon sees the salvation which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles.

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This is St Luke’s way of saying that in some way, all humanity is contained within this tiny being. All the efforts, all the sufferings, all the joys of Christ’s body, the Church, are already present in principle in the Child who is presented in the Temple on this day. And Mary who is Mother of the Church, offers to the Father all the children who will be hers, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. All our thoughts, then, and all our actions, should be the kind that Mary can present to the Lord.

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If we are to become an offering welcomed by the Lord from the hands of Mary, then we will need solitude of heart. Our heart is a temple greater than the one at Jerusalem. We must be alone in this temple, with only God with us, and with Mary to present us. There should be a great silence there, like the outdoors when snow covers the ground. If we’re thinking critical thoughts about situations or other people, then the temple of our heart is a noisy place, and the offering of all we do cannot have its full effect.

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We should be free from all anxiety even in regard to ourselves. Certainly we should be sorry for our sins and do all we can to grow better every day, but the thought of our imperfections should never become a preoccupation. It’s God we should be thinking about, more than ourselves. The best way to prepare ourselves to be offered in the temple by Mary is to concentrate on fulfilling God’s will.

 

In many ways, this feast of the presentation is a kind of icon of the spiritual life, which is why it is the World Day for Consecrated Life in most countries. The spiritual life consists precisely in allowing ourselves to be offered up by the hands of Mary, so that we can be presented to the eternal Father. She had no need for purification according to the law, but we do need it, all of us, if we are to receive Jesus, the Light of the Father. When Mary went to the Temple, it was not for her own sake, but for ours, in our name, for the purification of all humanity, so that we in turn might receive Jesus.

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This, finally, is the offering that will please the Lord, when Mary presents us to the Father. He gazes unceasingly at us, as Jesus looks into the eyes of Mary in the lovely statue at the monks’ entrance to the church. I think of Jesus as seeing each one of us in the eyes of Mary. When the eyes of faith can meet his gaze, all that we do is lit up; everything becomes clearer and more transparent. We realize the brightness and the beauty of a life which is genuinely consecrated to God.

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When we look back at him with the eyes of faith, it is the Face of Love that we see, and we are no longer afraid. We look at Jesus present in the Host we are to receive, and we see with the eyes of faith that his gaze and ours meet, and merge in an eternal communion.

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by Fr. Justin Sheehan

 

Prayer: “We celebrate the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple. Simeon and Anna recognized Jesus as the long-expected hope of Israel. They recognized the extraordinary in the ordinary-looking child with ordinary parents. We pray that we recognize Jesus when we encounter him in ordinary people and in the ordinary events of our lives. Amen.”

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Quote from a Saint: “For our sake He was presented to the Lord that we may learn to offer ourselves to God.” -- St. Thomas Aquinas

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Questions for reflection:

1. Do you try to keep all of your thoughts and actions fit to be presented to the Lord?

2. “The best way to prepare ourselves to be offered in the temple by Mary is to concentrate on fulfilling God’s will.” How can concentrating on fullfilling God’s will guide your life in a way that you make you worthy to be offered at the temple?

3. Do you find that your heart is a noisy place? What are some things that you could do to calm your heart?

4. Do you see the noise in your heart as an obstacle to overcome or something that you need to work with?

5. Do you require a certain setting or environtment in order to pray? If so, how could you benefit from learning to pray in different environments?

6. Do find yourself preoccupied with your imperfections? How can this distract you from God?

7. How do you feel about being alone with God? Does the idea make you nervous?

8. Do you think that you could meet the gaze of Jesus? How does your faith makes this a possibility?

 

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP  

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Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 713: The Wedding at Cana as the First Supper: A Reflection on the Gospel of John (John 2 : 1-11)

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1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

 

3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 [And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”

 

6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it.

 

9 And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

 

11 Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

 

In the Gospel of St John, the passage we have just heard begins with the phrase, “On the third day there was a wedding at Cana”. The fact that the wedding took place on the third day is not just a minor detail which we can ignore. It gives us a hint as to how to interpret this morning’s Gospel. The meaning of this passage seems to be the spiritual transformation of human life which Christ brought about, and the mention of the “third day” to any Christian who knows the Creed, would be a reminder that Christ “rose again on the third day”. If we look at the wedding feast in the light of the resurrection, there is a wealth of meaning to it, and the Church herself seems to suggest the connection by having this Gospel read on a Sunday, the weekly commemoration of the resurrection.

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The whole of Jesus’ life and ministry is a passing over, a Passover, from death to life, just as the angel of death passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, and as they passed over the waters of the Red Sea dry shod, and commemorated these events every year in the feast of Passover. In the same way, Jesus’ public ministry begins at a feast, a wedding feast, which itself suggests the Passover to the Jewish mind, because the series of love poems in the Song of Songs is traditionally read during Passover as a sign of God’s love for his people. Here, at what might be called the First Supper, Jesus transforms, at a meal, one of the elements which he will further transform at the Last Supper, which was a Passover meal.

As this Gospel begins, Jesus is not yet widely known: it is actually his mother who was invited to the wedding feast; he is asked to come along, and his disciples together with him. From first to last, from the wedding feast to the foot of the cross, Mary will accompany Jesus at the major phases of his passing over. She was the gate through which the Son of God passed over from heaven to earth, and here she introduces him to the world. Her role is always to provide an opportunity for salvation to others. Her humility is summed up completely in the sentence, “They have no wine”. She does not do anything herself; she makes no demands, she only calls attention to human needs, so that God can fill us with his plenty, because that is God’s will for her.

Jesus replies that his hour has not yet come. This “hour” is the hour of his death during the feast of Passover. It is then that his glory was to be made known, when the Lamb of God was nailed to the cross, at the same hour when the Passover lambs were being sacrificed in the Temple. Any hint of his glory before the hour of his death could only be a sign that there was glory with him all the time, although it was hidden; and that is why the Gospel does in fact call this miracle “the first of his signs”.

Mary isn’t taken aback by this response. She doesn’t even bother to reply to Jesus. Instead, she turns to the servants and says, “Do whatever he tells you”. Here again, Mary brings people to Christ, and she says the same thing to us as she said to the servants at Cana, “Do whatever he tells you”.

The servants act out of obedience and faith. They fill the jars with what they know to be ordinary water, but it turns into the finest wine. It is a wine of supernatural origin that Christ gives to his friends at the wedding feast. The red wine suggests blood, and is a sign of the shedding of the blood of the Passover Lamb of God. At the Last Supper during the Passover meal, Christ would take the wine and turn it into a drink of supernatural origin, his own blood, which he would give to his friends who were present at the feast. And at that time he would add a phrase which recalls what Mary said to the servants: “Do this in memory of me”.

Our Eucharist this morning is a Passover meal for the friends of Christ. It is a sign worked by the same Lord who changed water into wine at Cana, wine into his blood at the upper room, and death into life at his own passing over. As at Cana and at the cross, at this Eucharist it is Mary who brings people to Christ. In the words of St Peter Damian, “As Eve induced Adam to eat the forbidden fruit which brought death upon us, Mary now prompts us to eat the Bread which gives us life”. Let us respond like the servants at Cana, do this in memory of him, and let what must die in us be transformed by the risen Christ into what will live forever with him.

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by Fr. Justin Sheehan

 

Prayer: “Holy Mary, Obtain for me the help that I need, to do my very best using all the powers within me and all the talents and skills I posses, according to my possibilities, to fulfill God´s plan in every circumstance of my life. Amen”

 

Quote from a Saint: “We take for granted the slow miracle whereby water in the irrigation of a vineyard becomes wine. It is only when Christ turns water into wine, in a quick motion, as it were, that we stand amazed.”—Saint Augustine

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Questions for reflection:

1. Have you ever looked at the wedding at Cana in the light of the Resurrection?

2. What parallels do you see between the First Supper (the Wedding at Cana) and the Last Supper?

3. In what ways do you see Mary bring people to Jesus in the Gospel?

4. What are some ways that you see Mary bring people to Jesus through the devotions and teachings of the Church? Are there any Marian devotions that you practice, such as praying the Rosary?

5. What can we do to be like the servants at Cana? How can you “…let what must die in us be transformed by the risen Christ into what will live forever with him?” What kinds of things do we need to let be transformed by Christ?

6. Imagine that you were one of the servants who had to fill the jars with water at the wedding at Cana. How would you respond to that water becoming wine--not just ordinary wine but wine that the headwaiter praises as being exceptional? Do you think that it would change how you felt about the rabbi who seemed to perform a miracle?

7. Do you practice obedience like Jesus does with Mary? Have you had an experience where you were obedient and it led to unanticipated results?

8. What is or was your relationship like with your mother? Were you always obedient to her? If your mother is no longer living has Mary become more of a mother figure for you?

9. When you receive the Sacrament under both species, does the wine make you think about the miracle of the wedding at Cana?

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP  

Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 712: Sacred Beauty: A Reflection on the Books of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 43: 1-7)

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1 Then he led me to the gate facing east, 2 and there was the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east! His voice was like the roar of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.

 

3 The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the vision I had seen by the river Chebar—I fell on my face. 4 The glory of the LORD entered the temple by way of the gate facing east.

 

5 Then the spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court. And there the glory of the LORD filled the temple! 6 I heard someone speaking to me from the temple, but the man was standing beside me. 7 The voice said to me: Son of man, do you see the place for my throne, and the place for the soles of my feet? Here I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel, neither they nor their kings, will ever again defile my holy name, with their prostitutions and the corpses of their kings at their death.

 

“Lord Jesus Christ, make this a temple of your presence and a house of prayer. Be always near us when we seek you in this place. Draw us to you, when we come alone and when we come with others, to find comfort and wisdom, to be supported and strengthened, to rejoice and give thanks. May it be here, Lord Christ, that we are made one with you and with one another, so that our lives are sustained and sanctified for your service.” Today, the diocese of Rochester recalls the 2005 rededication of Sacred Heart Cathedral. The rite of dedication speaks not only of the brick-and-mortar building. It also speaks of the building made of living stones. The church building houses the worshiping church, the People of God.

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The beauty of the architecture affords us a glimpse of the grandeur of God. The sanctity of the assembly affords a glimpse of God’s glory. The church building is the gathering place where we discover the mysteries of redeeming love, have the Scriptures broken open for us and the Bread of Life is offered to us. Gathered in the House of the Lord we come to know ourselves as the beloved sons and daughters of God. The prophet Ezekiel shared with us a vision of the temple that was filled with the glory of God. As we celebrate the anniversary of the rededication of the cathedral, we are given a vision of the church filled with the fire of divine love. As the heart of the Father is the resting place of the Beloved Son, so the heart of Christ becomes the resting place of all his beloved disciples.

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The commemoration of the dedication of the cathedral is presented as a celebration of hope. We should not forget that the prophet who shared with us the vision of the glory of the Lord filling the temple was the same person who stood in the valley filled with dry bones. Remember these heart-rending words: “Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost, we are completely cut off” (Ezek. 37:11). This passage reminded me of a line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. “O, shut the door! and when thou hast done so, Come weep with me--past hope, past cure, past help!” We see a decrease in vocations to priesthood and religious life. We see an increase in the number of divorces and dispensations from vowed life. We see the empty pews every Sunday. With each revelation, we get more discouraged.

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Now would be a good time for us to recall God’s word to the people who wandered in the valley of death. “O my people, I am going to open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves and bring you back home to the land of promise” (Ezek. 37:12). I was touched by something Joseph Ratzinger wrote in 1969. “The church will become small and will have to start afresh more or less from the beginning… It will be hard-going for the church, for the process of crystallization and clarification will cost her much valuable energy… But I am equally certain about what will remain at the end: not the Church of the political cult, which is dead already, but the Church of faith. She may well no longer be the dominant social power to the extent that she was until recently; but she will enjoy a fresh blossoming and be seen as man's home, where he will find life and hope beyond death.”

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Today’s celebration reminds us that God is faithful to his word. The seer in Revelation tells us: “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5). He seems to be reiterating the words of Isaiah: “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Is. 43:19). We need to look at the church from the perspective of Christ’s victory over sin and death and cling fast to his faithfulness. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning” (Lam. 3:22-23). The rededication of the cathedral reminds us to look to God’s Word and absorb the newness of life he promises us. Gathered close to the heart of Christ we will find the path to true peace. As we walk in the newness of life in Christ, we will no longer be overburdened by guilt and discouragement.

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As we recall the rededication of Sacred Heart Cathedral, let us remember that “we are living stones that God is building into his spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). In this spiritual house, the Father and the Son promise to make their dwelling with us. God comes to dwell within this community of faith that we might dwell in the communion of love of the Trinity. Whenever the church gathers in the church, may the glory of the Lord fill our hearts. As we enter into communion with the Living Word, may we reflect the glorious light shining on the face of Christ (CF. 2 Cor. 4:6). Then, having beheld the glory of the Lord, may we witness to the Love of Christ who has looked upon us and called us to communion with himself.

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O God, who from living and chosen stones prepare an eternal dwelling for your majesty, increase in your Church the grace you have bestowed, so that by unceasing growth your faithful people may build up the heavenly Jerusalem.

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Fr. Jerome Machar, OCSO

 

Prayer: “Dear God, We thank You for the mystery of creation: for the beauty that the eye can see, for the marvels that the ear can hear, for all the amazing mysteries that fill the universe with wonder. Help us to grow in knowledge and appreciation of Your Creation, To be good stewards of what You have given us, And to always remember that every good gift comes only from You. Amen.”

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Quote from a Saint: “Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to transcendence. It is an invitation to savour life and to dream of the future. That is why the beauty of created things can never fully satisfy. It stirs that hidden nostalgia for God which a lover of beauty like Saint Augustine could express in incomparable terms: ‘Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you!’”—Saint John Paul II

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Questions for reflection:

1. The Church is more than just a physical building. Do you feel that way? Do you think of the members of the Church as the living stones that make up the Church?

2. In what ways have you been inspired by sacred architecture? How can the beauty of a church help you to better understand and imagine God’s glory?

3. Have you ever attended a dedication of a church? Did this affect you spiritually?

4. What role does the physical Church play in your life? Do you discover the mysteries of redeeming love and receive the Bread of Life? Or does Church feel dull to you? If so, what can you do to change the way you view your time at church?

5. Have you witnessed the decline in the Church that is mentioned in the reflection? If so, what have you done or are you doing to counter it?

6. How do you find hope in a world where it seems like the Church is declining? In what ways can your parish church and the Mass help you to find hope?

7. Is there a certain church that is special to you or inspires your faith? Is there a certain style of church architecture that that you find especially uplifting?

8. How does the reminder of the newness of life that God promises bring you peace?

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP  

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Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 711: God is Close to the Broken Hearted: A Reflection on Psalm 34 (Psalm 34 : 17-23)

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R. (19a) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The LORD confronts the evildoers ,to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
He watches over all his bones; not one of them shall be broken. The LORD redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

 

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” That was our Responsorial Psalm today. And if we look in the gospels, we see this is very true. Jesus, in his compassion, extends himself to those who are grieving, even when they don’t directly ask him for anything.

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One passage that leaps to mind is when Jesus catches sight of a crowd carrying the corpse of a young man out of a house with his widowed mother weeping behind him. Nobody ASKED Jesus to intervene, still, Jesus approaches, touches the litter being used to carry the dead man, and brings him back to life.

After Jesus’ own death on the cross, he appears to Mary Magdalene while she’s grieving at Jesus’ tomb. He appears to Thomas when he doubts. When Peter is confused and says, “I’m going fishing,” and the others accompany him, Jesus appears again. When two disciples in fear, decide it’s time to high tail it out of Jerusalem and head for Emmaus, Jesus appears to them.

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The Lord IS close to the brokenhearted. But why then? A couple reasons I think. The first I already said, Jesus is often motivated by his empathy for us. The second, is that when we’re brokenhearted, our prayers get really, really honest.'

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I often say in funeral homilies, “maybe you’re mad at God right now. “If you need to be mad at God right now, it’s OK, be mad. “God is a big boy. Trust me, he can take it. But talk to him about your feelings, ESPECIALLY the angry ones.”

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And I say that, because the angry prayers are the most honest with God we’ll ever get! I know in the past when I’ve done that, when I’ve gotten angry in prayer, that’s when I feel the greatest consolation from God. God respects honesty. Right now my mom is starting to feel the effects of my dad’s death. Now that the busy-ness of the funeral is done, now that people have stopped coming to house to visit and everything is quiet, it’s setting in.

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My mom said to me on my day off this week, “I keep looking at his chair and he’s not there. I miss hearing his cane coming down the hall. “I look for him on the porch and it’s empty.” Strangely though, I can’t grieve. I haven’t shed one tear for my father, because I know he was a good man. I’m confident in his salvation. I know I’ll see him again. And I’m happy he’s no longer suffering. People have told me it hasn’t hit me yet. Maybe that’s so.

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But what makes ME brokenhearted, is when I check in on former students I had in Catholic school, now in college, and I see their Facebook status change from “Roman Catholic,” to atheist, or agnostic, or no affiliation. THAT breaks my heart.

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When so many people work so hard to try to make this parish work, and others have to diminish it by starting silly rumors, suggesting ulterior motives, THAT breaks my heart. When I look at the world of politics and see NOTHING but nastiness! People can’t even have a civil conversation about issues anymore without it turning in a name-calling contest. THAT breaks my heart.

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And so this is what we need to take to prayer. The things that break our hearts. Because that’s where the Lord will be closest to us.

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by Father Michael Sisco

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Prayer: “God, I surrender my broken heart to you. I need you more than ever, Lord. Give me the strength to rely on you during this time. Only you God can heal my broken heart, and only you can show me the life I am supposed to live. Thank you for giving me the strength and desire to spend more time with you. Help give me the passion and desire to sit with you and read your word as you heal my broken heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

 

Quote from a Saint: “Live in faith and hope, though it be in darkness, for in this darkness God protects the soul. Cast your care upon God for you are His and He will not forget you. Do not think that He is leaving you alone, for that would be to wrong Him.” – St. John of the Cross

 

Questions for reflection:

1. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” Have you ever felt God’s closeness when you have been brokenhearted? In what ways has He comforted you?

2. Do you feel that your prayers are more honest when you feel brokenhearted? Why might they be more honest at such times?

3. Have you taken your big feelings to God? Have you ever prayed angry prayers? Do you believe that God can handle your prayers even if they are angry?

4. Has anyone in your life left the Church to become atheist or agnostic? How did you feel? How do you think God feels?

5. Where have you seen Catholics resort to name calling and nastiness instead of having a civil conversation? Have you ever done that? What can you do to prevent yourself from falling into this trap?

6. What does a civil political discussion look like? How do you have a conversation with someone who has a different political outlook than you? How do you think Christ would have such a conversation?

7. Have you encountered situations in your parish or local Catholic community where people start rumors or suggest ulterior motives that disrupts the unity of the community?

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP