Mark 10: 28-31 The first will be last, and the last will be first

In today's Gospel follows the story of the young man who has been faithful to the law of Moses, and yet Jesus calls him to give up everything of this world and follow him.  Today Peter says that he and the other apostles have done just that: followed the Law and given up everything to follow Jesus.  It is almost as if, he is asking "Where is my reward?" 

Jesus reassures Peter and us that he has done right, and that everything will be given back to him in the life to come, but that he should be prepared for persecutions and tribulations in this life before he can reach the next.  Within Jesus' words is an echo from Job when trials and persecutions afflict Job, then he family is lost, and finally he is afflicted in body, yet Job remains faithful and is rewarded abundantly with great riches, wife and more children, and life.  Is Jesus perhaps trying to make this correlation for Peter?  That suffering in this world and becoming detached to temporal things will lead us to ever greater joy and the richness of the life to come?  Perhaps. 

St. Augustine wrote about the two Cities, the temporal city and the City of God existing with each other, how we can belong to both: living in this world yet simultaneously living in God's kingdom.  Our priests and other religious are called to live that way, and thus are our living example.  We find our greatest saints, both lay or religious are that same way, so we know it is possible.  How can we strive to find that balance in our lives starting fresh today?

Luke 9:28b-36 The Transfiguration

Luke gives us the impression of the Lord glorified so much so that the Apostles are awed.  Remember that Luke was a doctor writing to Gentile readers about Christ and how to be good disciples.  He is also interested in examining things.  This reading as Jesus and some of the Apostles are on the mountain praying it is hard not to think about the other garden that Jesus would so famously pray in at Gethsemane.  In this is the Transfiguration, a pledge of Jesus Christ’s full glory revealed. In the other garden, he would be taken to suffer through the Passion that led to the Cross. 

           

Jesus is not alone as he prays.  Moses and Elijah are with him.  They were conversing about Jesus’ death and everything that would happen in Jerusalem.  One of our early Church Fathers, Tertullian, wrote that Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets.  They appear dwelling within the Lord High God.  Peter recognizes them and wants almost to capture them knowing that truly this must mean that Jesus is the Messiah.  Peter in the passage before today’s reading as confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, but like then, he is commanded by God the Father to be silent and to listen to what the Word, that is Jesus the Christ, His only Son, has to say.  Christ is the fulfillment of the Law and as prophet, speaks for God.  At the same time Jesus came to make a new covenant with his people through his love, mercy and grace upon the Cross for the salvation of mankind. 

Matthew 5: 43-48 Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you

Jesus is an amazing person.  He is teaching us to be like him.

How do we do this?  In the first reading today Moses is telling the people that we are God's people.  We are to keep his commands.  God will be with us because he has made this covenant, this agreement with us. 

Jesus however reminds us again that it is not enough to follow the commands.  He tells us that although we were told before "to love our neighbor and hate our enemy.  But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you." 

Jesus came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.  In catechism we are taught that the Laws were to serve as guides that would teach us how to live as holy people.  Jesus is that culmination, he is holy.  He has become God made man.  He invites us to follow him.  We don't have to wait until tomorrow.  "Now is the acceptable time." God is with us in the present moment. 

Reflection Mt 25: 31-46 The Face of God Is in Our Brother

“You shall not bear hatred in your heart for your brother.” The Lord commands through Moses.  How many times have we each felt someone’s wrath, annoyance toward us, or just that look that left us crushed?  When we acknowledge how we feel, then suddenly we know it is wrong to hate others.  Perhaps our anger will melt into compassion and understanding especially when we recall in today’s Gospel that Jesus reminds us that he is those people that we help, that we give encouragement; he is within the hungry, the thirsty and the poor.  Mother Theresa called this Jesus’ “distressing disguise of the poor” when he appeared to her in the form of those who needed help. 

Christ is in each of us.  Do you recall Jesus told us that he would send us the Paraclete to help us discern what we must do to continue on the Way?  Jesus also told us “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15) And what was his command?  “Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you should love one another.” (Jn 13:34)  Isn’t that what Jesus is reiterating today when he tells us, “I was hungry and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me,” explaining that whenever the disciples or we ‘do it for the least brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Mt 25:35-36, 40)  Let us be certain that when we give, we give to Christ and for Christ in whatever form we meet him with charitable hearts that preserves the dignity of our brethren for our love of God.  Amen.

Luke 9:22-25 Thursday after Ash Wednesday

for today's reading (http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021116.cfm)

Whomever Loses His Life for My Sake Will Save It

Today’s readings seem almost oppressive and foreboding.  Moses tells us that we must follow laws, statutes and decrees to live and grow numerous.  Jesus tells us about suffering, death, and following him with our own crosses. 

It is not always easy to follow rules.  Do we tend to see people slow down at stop lights when the light is yellow, or do people to try make the light?  How many times do we see people cross the road when they are not in a crosswalk?  How many people do we know who have received speeding or parking tickets? Rules within society are designed to help us remain safe and function together peacefully as a whole.  They serve a beneficial purpose though we may not always see it that way.

Currently among the high school/junior high group is a game called, “All Hail! Chairman Mao!” or simply “Mao.”  It is a game where the fixed rules are the ones regarding penalties.  The other rules are added by the first player each round of the card game.   Players must figure them out as they are played, and suffer the consequences for the rule violation.  It can be a frustrating game, but fun to watch each other struggle.  Sometimes players do become angry enough they don’t want to play anymore. 

If our lives were like the game of Mao and we would be ignorant of the right way to live and the wrong way.  We would be penalized for doing wrong in our ignorance.  How would we know that God loved us?  Would we love God the way we do?  Probably not.

In the first reading Moses reminds us that as God’s prophet he has laid out the two paths that our loving God has given to us, the path which if we follow the Lord’s commands, statutes and decrees, will allow us to live and grow numerous.  This is the way that God will bless us for our reciprocated love.  However, Moses says, “you turn your hearts away and will not listen, but are led astray…you shall certainly perish.”  When parents make rules within their homes for their children, it is out of love.  They want to protect, to teach their children to love and serve each other, and parents want to teach their children the path to righteousness.  Thus, when we look at the Laws of God, in this way, do we not want to obey them?  Can we not see that our Father guides us through them?  We are on a journey carrying our crosses whatever they may be, but God is providing us directions for the journey, calling us into communities that help us understand where we are being led, and will meet us at our journey’s end.

Jesus foretells of his suffering, crucifixion and death.  He states that he will be resurrected.  This was his journey, his death, his life so that we may have life.  Jesus revealed to us the fullness of God’s plan of salvation for his people, for us, because He so loves us.  We are called to acknowledge the passing of this life as merely transient, that we should be focused on what is eternal.  We are not to be afraid of death, but embrace it as a friend who will take us to the Kingdom.  Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whomever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whomever loses his life for my sake will save it.”  Our Lenten journey helps us to remember our crosses, the Way that Jesus taught so that we may have eternal life, and how grateful we are that God so loves us. 

Let us pray this Lent the words of St. Benedict:  Merciful God in infinite compassion, whose creating power called us forth from the dust of the earth, in this, the acceptable time, lead us inward to be at peace with you, impel us outward to be reconciled with our neighbor, that we may embrace the sacred discipline of lent with broken, humbled hearts so come to the blessed joy of the paschal feast cleansed and renewed.  We ask this of you.  Amen.