In the Gospel for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity C, Jesus promises his disciples to send the Spirit of Truth to guide them after he is gone. “He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you (John 1614a). The Holy Spirit shares the same truth with the Father and the Son. God is love. The Father loves the Son. The Son reveals this love. The Holy Spirit shares God’s love with us. As God loves us we are to love others. We give glory to God by how we love one another. How have you glorified God recently?
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In the Gospel for Easter Mass of the Day, Mary Madgala, Peter, and the Beloved Disciple find empty the tomb of Jesus. “When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth hat had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other [Beloved] disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed” (John: 6-8). The Beloved Disciples saw the empty tomb and believed that Jesus had risen. The Risen Lord had not yet appeared to the disciples. I have not seen (yet) the Risen Lord. I believe by the witness of Sacred Scripture, Church teaching, the example of the saints, the faith of my parents, and more. My faith in my new life in Christ gives my life a purpose. The love I share with others and others with me makes a difference. Even the simplest acts of love make a difference. St. Therese of Lisieux did small things with great love. How have you come to see and believe in the Risen Lord in your life? What difference does it make?
In the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Lent C, Jesus saves the women caught in adultery. The Pharisees and scribes want Jesus to condemn her to death for breaking the Mosaic Law. Instead he challenges the one without sin to cast the first stone. “And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She replied, ‘No one, sir.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more ‘ ” (John 8: 9-11). Jesus saves her life. He offers her mercy and forgiveness instead of judgement, condemnation. He gives her a second chance to live a better life. How has God’s forgiveness helped you live a better life?
In the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Lent C, Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son. The father threw a party for the wayward son who had returned home. “[The older son] became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found’” (Luke 15: 28-32). The older son was self righteous and judgmental of his younger brother. He refused to join the party. The Pharisees and scribes resented Jesus eating with sinners. So Jesus challenged them to love sinners as God loves them. Christians share in the joy God has for sinners. We celebrate God’s love with mercy for those whom society disregards. How are you a sign of God’s loving embrace for the outcast, suffering, ignored, abandoned and rejected?
In the Gospel for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time C, Jesus commands his disciples to love their enemies. “But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.to love their enemies” (Luke 6: 35-36). Loving my enemies is difficult. When someone hurts me, I want to hurt them back. Forget about doing them a favor. What reward is there in treating them with kindness? When we love our enemies, we love as God loves them. We give them an experience of God’s mercy. What a reward to be the image of God’s love! How do you show God’s loving mercy to those in your life that are difficult to love?
In the Gospel for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time C, Jesus preaches the Beatitudes. “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours” (Luke 6: 20b). Christian discipleship does not mean we have to go poor and hungry. We recognize our need for God no matter the circumstances. We realize how much we depend on God. We are blessed when we imitate our loving and generous God. We use whatever resources we have to help those who are poor and hungry. Taking soup to a sick neighbor. Welcoming back home an adult child who lost an apartment. Taking time to comfort a grieving friend. Donating to a charity. Speaking out about the mistreatment of people of color. How do you share God’s blessings with the poor?
In the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time C, Jesus calls Peter with a miraculous catch of fish. “After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.’ Simon said in reply, ‘Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing” (Luke 5: 4-6). Christ calls us to go out into the world witnessing to the goodness and mercy of God. How can we when life’s problems seem overwhelming? When we feel we are in too deep in troubles? When we feel like we are in over our heads? Peter put his trust in Jesus. Jesus commissioned him to reach out to people with God’s love. Jesus told him to not be afraid. How do you witness to God’s love and mercy in the deep of life’s troubles?
In the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time C, Jesus’ neigbors reject him as a prophet sent by God. ” ‘Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place’ … When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away” (Luke 4: 24, 28-30). Jesus provoked his neighbors by proclaiming the reign of God. Following the example of Jesus is provocative. Sometimes Christians have to disturb the comfortable by speaking the truth. Jesus’ disciples must challenge the status quo when people are excluded from employment, safe housing, food, clothing, mental health care and other necessities of life. How is God calling you to provoke others to do justice for those in need?
In the Gospel for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time C, Jesus describes his mission in the synagogue in his hometown. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor” (Luke 4: 18). Jesus brought the good news of God’s unconditional love by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, forgiving sinners, and caring for the outcasts. Jesus demands we bring good news to the poor by putting others first, especially those on the margins: people of color, unemployed, working poor, grieving families, victims of violence, and others who are impoverised. How can you bring glad tidings to the poor?
In the Gospel for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time C, Jesus works a miracle at the Wedding Feast. “There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servers, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ ” (John 2: 1-5). Mary was attentive to the host and guests who would have no more wine. She directs Jesus to help. Mary is a model of Christian attentiveness to those who go without. Mary directs us to pay attention to those who lack food, clothing, shelter, employment, health care, civil rights. How can you be more attentive to those without?
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