5GOD's Message: "Cursed is the strong one who depends on mere humans, Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and sets GOD aside as dead weight. ⁶He's like a tumbleweed on the prairie, out of touch with the good earth. He lives rootless and aimless in a land where nothing grows. ⁷"But blessed is the man who trusts me, GOD, the woman who sticks with GOD. ⁸They're like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers-- Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.

R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Brothers and sisters: ¹²Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection? ¹⁶If corpses can't be raised, then Christ wasn't, because he was indeed dead. ¹⁷And if Christ wasn't raised, then all you're doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. ¹⁸It's even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they're already in their graves. ¹⁹If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot. ²⁰But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.

You're Blessed: ¹⁷Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. ²⁰Then he spoke: You're blessed when you've lost it all. God's kingdom is there for the finding. ²¹You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry. Then you're ready for the Messianic meal. You're blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes with the morning. ²²"Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. ²³You can be glad when that happens--skip like a lamb, if you like!-for even though they don't like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this. Give Away Your Life ²⁴But it's trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you'll ever get. ²⁵And it's trouble ahead if you're satisfied with yourself. Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it's trouble ahead if you think life's all fun and games. There's suffering to be met, and you're going to meet it. ²⁶"There's trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests--look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

FEB 15, 6th of yr: Jer 17.5-8; 1Cor 15.12,16-20; LK 6.17,20-26

During the day -

Stand on level ground. Perceive God's humor in the thing, even as you weep. Give in to your hunger for justice & get involved. Don't be overly concerned with what others think when you do.  You may lose money, or even your job; but you'll be a lot healthier inside. If you opt for riches, that's all you'll get.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer is where the real struggle is: What do you want, & why do you want it?! Prayer keeps us honest with ourselves, even as we formulate the lies. If authentic, prayer sometimes turns green lights to yellow, or even red. How quickly you obey depends on where your heart is.

February 22, 2004 Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

In those days, Saul went down to the desert of Ziph with three thousand picked men of Israel, to search for David in the desert of Ziph. So David and Abishai went among Saul's soldiers by night and found Saul lying asleep within the barricade, with his spear thrust into the ground at his head and Abner and his men sleeping around him. Abishai whispered to David: "God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I will not need a second thrust!" But David said to Abishai, "Do not harm him, for who can lay hands on the LORD's anointed and remain unpunished?" So David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul's head, and they got away without anyone's seeing or knowing or awakening. All remained asleep, because the LORD had put them into a deep slumber. Going across to an opposite slope, David stood on a remote hilltop at a great distance from Abner, son of Ner, and the troops. He said: "Here is the king's spear. Let an attendant come over to get it. The LORD will reward each man for his justice and faithfulness. Today, though the LORD delivered you into my grasp, I would not harm the LORD's anointed."

Brothers and sisters: It is written, The first man, Adam, became a living being, the last Adam a life-giving spirit. But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven. As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.

Jesus said to his disciples: "To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. 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. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

FEB 22, 7th of yr: 1Sam 26.2-13,22-23; 1Cor 15.45-49; LK 6.27-38

During the day -

Thrifty with money, be lavish with your gift of time & energy. Hard-earned tho it be, money doesn't last; the gift of self - you! - enriches the other forever. Even if a stranger, moreso if unaware, especially if an enemy. Hearts open to funnel the flow are always full - the source of divine life is infinite.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer is the bridge from vengeance to pardon, the only way out. Prayer immerses the blind emotions that devour in the healing blood of Christ. He died for a purpose; prayer assumes it as our own. We're all in this together.

February 29, 2004 First Sunday of Lent

Moses spoke to the people, saying: "The priest shall receive the basket from you and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God. Then you shall declare before the LORD, your God, 'My father was a wandering Aramean who went down to Egypt with a small household and lived there as an alien. But there he became a nation great, strong, and numerous. When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us, imposing hard labor upon us, we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and he heard our cry and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders; and bringing us into this country, he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey. Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.' And having set them before the Lord, your God, you shall bow down in his presence."

Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

Brothers and sisters: What does Scripture say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart --that is, the word of faith that we preach--, for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. For the Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, One does not live on bread alone." Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, "I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me." Jesus said to him in reply, "It is written: You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve." Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Jesus said to him in reply, "It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test." When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

FEB 29, 1st Lent: Deut30.15-20; Rm10.8-13; LK4.1-3

During the day - Don't test fate.  It owes you nothing.  On the contrary: it tests you!  Your wisdom; your prudence; your integrity; your authentic empathy with those around you.  Think of your project as God's, not yours. Want what God wants. Find out. Before jumping!

ABOUT PRAYER In prayer we find out what God wants by tuning in to what Christ is doing, his human mind & will submissive to the divine.  In harmony with the Father, Christ expects us to be in harmony with him.  In prayer we assimilate the attitudes & values the Spirit of God forms in each of us. Then apply them with generosity & courage as each situation comes along.

March 7, 2004 Second Sunday of Lent

The Lord God took Abram outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be." Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness. He then said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a possession." "O Lord GOD," he asked, "how am I to know that I shall possess it?" He answered him, "Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." Abram brought him all these, split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up. Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram stayed with them. As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him. When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates."

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us. For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach; their glory is in their "shame." Their minds are occupied with earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord.

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him." After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson Movie) Suggestion – Before and after seeing the movie read Matthew (chapters 26 and 27 plus 19:28; 20:25-28); Mark (chapters 14 and 15 plus 10:42-45; Luke (chapters 22-23 plus 7:36-50) John (chapters 18 and 19 plus 11:47-53, 12:1-11, 13:1-38, 14:31) and Psalm 22.

During the day & About Prayer - Not available as of Monday, March 1, 2004 See if they come in later.

March 14, 2004 Third Sunday of Lent

Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire flaming out of a bush. As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush, though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided, "I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why the bush is not burned." When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely, God called out to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" He answered, "Here I am." God said, "Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your fathers," he continued, "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. But the LORD said, "I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey." Moses said to God, "But when I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' if they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?" God replied, "I am who am." Then he added, "This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you." God spoke further to Moses, "Thus shall you say to the Israelites: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. "This is my name forever; thus am I to be remembered through all generations."

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert. These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did. Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer. These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them -- do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!" And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'"

MAR 14, 3rd Lent: Ex 3.1-8,13-15; 1Cor 10.1-12; LK 13.1-9

During the day -

Don't give up on a barren project.  Be creative & try a new approach.  Keep hope alive & dig deeper.  If there's reason to believe in it, believe in yourself as well.  With a life of its own, its struggle to birth depends on your faith; just be sure the love that motivates you is for the people who'll eat the figs, not for the tree itself. 

ABOUT PRAYER

Thru prayer hope becomes faith. If indeed the project is God's (not mine), the persistent 'Thy will be done' becomes 'Thy will is being done' as inspiration  perceives & confirms the divine design.  Prayer is patient acknowledgement that, tho nothing is impossible for God, he shows us what to do only a step at a time.  Prayer provides the courage to take that step.

March 21, 2004 Fourth Sunday of Lent

The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you." While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month. On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day after the Passover, on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him.

Brothers and sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them Jesus addressed this parable: "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.'" So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' He 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.'"

MAR 21, 4th Lent: Josh 5.9-12; 2Cor 5.17-21; LK 15.1-3,11-32

During the day -

Kill the fatted calf. Don't save it for the County Fair. Someone needs you NOW! Don't hoard your time, your energy, your money. They're not yours, they're God's. Look around & see the ones - dead - God wants to use you to bring to life. Tune to the real purpose of your life & come alive yourself.  He's waiting.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer is not a time to brood. It's a time to celebrate. In prayer we back off from our own perspective & adopt God's. We dive deep beneath troubled waters to the eternal victory within our own hearts. We immerse ourselves in the communion that flows thru all humanity &, thru Christ's, to communion with the divine. In prayer we rest; we renew ourselves; then return to routine to share God's wisdom & strength with those who reach out to us. With Christ, we save.

March 28, 2004 - Fifth Sunday of Lent

Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick. Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad indeed. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the torrents in the southern desert. Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, They shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves.

Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus.

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 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."

MARCH 28, 5th Lent: Is 43.16-21; Phil 3.8-14; JN 8.1-11

During the day -

When wrong, be sorry rather than ashamed. Shame hides; sorrow shares. Shame shirks blame; sorrow acknowledges it. Shame wants no one to know; sorrow wants everyone to know. Shame sickens; sorrow heals. Shame is of pride, sorrow of love. Shame is concerned with self, sorrow with others. Shame is afraid, sorrow courageous. Shame condemns, sorrow forgives. Shame destroys, sorrow builds - a community of love, peace & justice.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer absorbs shame & generates sorrow. Prayer perceives the solidarity of sinfulness. In prayer we assume with Christ each other's sinfulness, ready to confront together the consequences of our many wrongs. Prayer distinguishes the wrongdoer from the wrong done, loves & corrects the former, prevents & protects from the latter to the extent possible. Midst chaos, in prayer we dive deep into our hearts to rest in the peace only Christ can give to those who are sorry, & hold no grudges.

April 4, 2004 Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples. He said, "Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone should ask you, 'Why are you untying it?' you will answer, 'The Master has need of it.'" So those who had been sent went off and found everything just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying this colt?" They answered, "The Master has need of it." So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped Jesus to mount. As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest." Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He said in reply, "I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.

R. (2a) My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

All who see me scoff at me; they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads: "He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, if he loves him." Indeed, many dogs surround me, a pack of evildoers closes in upon me; They have pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones. They divide my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. But you, O LORD, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you: "You who fear the LORD, praise him; all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him; revere him, all you descendants of Israel!"

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table with the apostles. He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; for I tell you that from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.

"And yet behold, the hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table; for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed." And they began to debate among themselves who among them would do such a deed.

Then an argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the greatest. He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as 'Benefactors'; but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one seated at table? I am among you as the one who serves. It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

"Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers." He said to him, "Lord, I am prepared to go to prison and to die with you." But he replied, "I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows this day, you will deny three times that you know me."

He said to them, "When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?" "No, nothing," they replied. He said to them, "But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, He was counted among the wicked; and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment." Then they said, "Lord, look, there are two swords here." But he replied, "It is enough!"

Then going out, he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. When he arrived at the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not undergo the test." After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done." And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test."

While he was still speaking, a crowd approached and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked, "Lord, shall we strike with a sword?" And one of them struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said in reply, "Stop, no more of this!" Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards and elders who had come for him, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? Day after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did not seize me; but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness."

After arresting him they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest; Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them. When a maid saw him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, "This man too was with him." But he denied it saying, "Woman, I do not know him." A short while later someone else saw him and said, "You too are one of them"; but Peter answered, "My friend, I am not." About an hour later, still another insisted, "Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean." But Peter said, "My friend, I do not know what you are talking about." Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times." He went out and began to weep bitterly. The men who held Jesus in custody were ridiculing and beating him. They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?" And they reviled him in saying many other things against him.

When day came the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, and they brought him before their Sanhedrin. They said, "If you are the Christ, tell us," but he replied to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question, you will not respond. But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God." They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied to them, "You say that I am." Then they said, "What further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth."

Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him before Pilate. They brought charges against him, saying, "We found this man misleading our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Christ, a king." Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He said to him in reply, "You say so." Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds, "I find this man not guilty." But they were adamant and said, "He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to here."

On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean; and upon learning that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time. Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a long time, for he had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at length, but he gave him no answer. The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly. Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly. Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people and said to them, "You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought against him, nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him."

But all together they shouted out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us." --Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder.--Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, but they continued their shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate addressed them a third time, "What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him." With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed. The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted. So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.

As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.' At that time people will say to the mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?" Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed.

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." They divided his garments by casting lots. The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews."

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, "This man was innocent beyond doubt." When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts; but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events.

Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council, had not consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried. It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.

APRIL 4, PALM SUNDAY: Is 50.4-7; Phil 2.6-11; LK 23.1-49 "This day you will be with me in Paradise."

During the day -

When distressed, don't panic. Affirm 'I can get through this.' If 'I CAN'T!' shouts back, recall who can & wants to help. Run through the list: many may want to but can't. Others who can may not want to. Hear the Spirit's 'What about me? I can, & I want to.' Trust him; let him do it his way.

ABOUT PRAYER

Often in prayer we're restless & insecure. So we go the limit & imagine ourselves bereft of all human security: Family? all gone. Friends? None left? Job? just lost it.  Money? exhausted. Health? run out. After a spell feeling totally abandoned, we murmur 'You exist, & I am Yours' & repeat it till a deep sense of peace pervades. Then we put family, friends, profession, money, health, etc. back in the picture & note the difference.

April 11, 2004 Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord

Reading New Testament: (KJV) Acts 10: ³⁴ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: ³⁵ But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. ³⁶ The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) ³⁷ That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; ³⁸ How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. ³⁹ And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: ⁴⁰ Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; ⁴¹ Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. ⁴³To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Responsorial Psalm: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.

(KJV)Psalm 118:¹ O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. ² Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ¹⁶The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. ¹⁷ I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. ²² The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. ²³ This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

Reading New Testament: (KJV) Colossians 3: ¹ If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ² Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

(KJV) 1 Corinthians 5: ⁶ Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? ⁷ Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: ^{8 T}herefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Gospel: (KJV) Luke 24: ¹³ And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. ¹⁴ And they talked together of all these things which had happened. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. ¹⁷ And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? ¹⁸ And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? ¹⁹ And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: ²⁰ And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. ²¹ But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. ²² Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; ²³ And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. ²⁴ And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. ²⁵Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ²⁶ Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. ²⁸And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. ²⁹But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. ³⁰ And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. ³¹ And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. ³² And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? ³³And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, ³⁴ Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. ³⁵ And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

(KJV) John 20: ¹ The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. ² Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. ³ Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. ⁴So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. ⁵ And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. ⁶ Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, ⁷And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. ⁸ Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. ⁹ For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
Apr 11, EASTER SUNDAY: Acts 10.34-43; Col 3.1-4; JN 20.1-9

During the day -

Run faster. But wait for the others to catch up & share the prize.  If it turns out to be an empty tomb, hide the hurt & encourage your colleagues -that's leadership.  Pick up the pieces & cheerfully try another approach.  Unexpected success humbles: didn't depend on you after all!  The divine design works its wonders through both success & failure & enriches all, both winners & losers.  Trick is to find its purpose.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer prepares for the unexpected.  In prayer we absorb the shock of sudden loss.  We fill the hole with faith.  We immerse ourselves in a cruel love - a love that knows what's best & doesn't shield us from it.  A love that brings good out of evil.  Prayer embraces the hidden good & suffers the loss with courage, unresigned to the occasioning evil.  Prayer heals, albeit slowly, & rests in the resurrection.  Even as we witness it with our own scars, prayer strengthens our continuing battle 'longside the Victor.  (Cheer up, the worst may be yet to come!)

April 18, 2004 Second Sunday of Easter

Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon's portico. None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them. Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them. Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say, "His mercy endures forever." Let those who fear the LORD say, "His mercy endures forever." I was hard pressed and was falling, but the LORD helped me. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made;

I, John, your brother, who share with you the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance we have in Jesus, found myself on the island called Patmos because I proclaimed God's word and gave testimony to Jesus. I was caught up in spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a voice as loud as a trumpet, which said, "Write on a scroll what you see." Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around his chest. When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld. Write down, therefore, what you have seen, and what is happening, and what will happen afterwards."

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

APR 18, 2nd Easter: Acts 5.12-16; Rev 1.9-19; JN 20.19-31 "He showed them his hands & his side."

During the day -

Lock the doors, live in fear, cower in anxiety, wallow in doubt, hold tight to grudges. Or throw away the keys, get outside & look around, see the courage of others, note their inner peace midst conflict; unload the burden, rebuild self-confidence, & be forgiving.  Know that you are sent, you have a destiny to fulfill, a mission to accomplish, a vision to restore.  Get with it.  And see Christ's smile of satisfaction. 

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer is the key to inner peace.  Sometimes, open eyed, we inhale the beauty & harmony around us & breath in God.  At other times we dive beneath surface storms to the quiet place within where Jesus dwells.  Prayer embraces reality in both its dimensions, today's & eternal tomorrow's already begun.  The two merge & Love prevails.

April 25, 2004 Third Sunday of Easter

When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, "We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles said in reply, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him." The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit. Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing. Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me; O LORD, be my helper. You changed my mourning into dancing; O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.

I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing." Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: "To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever." The four living creatures answered, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We also will come with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No." So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something." So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught." So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast." And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus 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." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." Jesus said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that Jesus 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."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
APRIL 25, 3rd Easter: Acts 5.27-41; Rev 5.11-14; JN 21.1-19
"Peter said 'I'm going fishing.'  They said 'We'll come too.'"

During the day -

Tag along.  Follow the leader.  Be loyal.  If honesty & loyalty clash, be firm; if necessary, withdraw respectfully.  Don't split the team, educate it.  If keenness for truth seems lacking, stay tuned.  With patient objectivity call attention to error.  Committed, anticipate consequences & assume them with the others.  Christ didn't cut & run; neither should you.

ABOUT PRAYER

Basic prayer is the will affirming 'Yes, Lord.'  At every moment, 'Yes, Lord.'  In every situation, 'Yes, Lord.'  Picking up the pieces, 'Yes, Lord.'  God at work, the divine design unfolding - being a part of it, 'Yes, Lord.' Community prayer is trusting common sense consensus, 'Yes, Lord' despite uncertainties. Liturgical prayer is Christ in all his members' 'Yes, Lord, Thy will be done.'  Then doing it.  

May 2, 2004 Fourth Sunday of Easter

Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats. Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God. On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth." The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

We are his people, the sheep of his flock. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful song. Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends. The LORD is good: his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness, to all generations.

I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. Then one of the elders said to me, "These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. "For this reason they stand before God's throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Jesus said: "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

MAY 2, 4th Easter: Acts 13.14&43-52; Rev.7.9&14-17; JN 10.27-30

During the day -

Know your followers. Their likes, their dislikes. Their thoughts, feelings; fears, hopes; problems, solutions; strengths, weaknesses; virtues, vices. Most of all their motives, their drives. Merit their trust.  Lead them - not just professionally, socially, but spiritually as well. None of your business? Of course it is - you're building God's kingdom, not your own. Or are you on the wrong track? If so, get off now, before the train leaves the station.

ABOUT PRAYER

In prayer we listen. To nothing. That is, to nothing audible; we tune in Silence, the voice of God. We learn to rest in it, without concepts. Wherever he leads, we follow. A sense of trust prevails. As long as it lasts, we remain. Then, programmed, we move securely through the day, knowing it's eternal.

May 9, 2004 Fifth Sunday of Easter

After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." They appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith. Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished. And when they arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. Let them make known your might to the children of Adam, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.

Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away." The One who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."

When Judas had left them, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

MAY 9, 5th Easter: Acts 14.21-27; Rev 21.1-5; JN 13.31-35

During the day -

Linger with your children as long as you can. So, too, with friends. Affection grows with presence & provides solace for absence. The deeper the affection, the more stable in spite of absence. Moreso when the affection is shared among several; the absent friend is present when others are one in the love for him that lives in their hearts. Love is of the will, not the mind or emotions. To will the other's good is Godlike. Christlike, we use our humanity to prove it.

ABOUT PRAYER

We take people to prayer to will their well-being. The prayer of intercession puts the needs of others above our own, placing us in union with the divine will at work integrating our destinies. The power of prayer derives from the robust health of the human family healing itself of the wounds we inflict on each other. That's what faith is all about.

May 16, 2004 Sixth Sunday of Easter

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved." Because there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them, it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. The apostles and elders, in agreement with the whole church, decided to choose representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers. This is the letter delivered by them: "The apostles and the elders, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings. Since we have heard that some of our number who went out without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind, we have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we are sending Judas and Silas who will also convey this same message by word of mouth: 'It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.'"

May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. I saw no temple in the city for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb. The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb.

Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. "I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

MAY 16, 6th Easter: Acts 15.1-2,22-29; Rev 21.10-23; JN 14.23-29

During the day - Speak the truth, speak the good, speak love. All three together & you'll always be at peace, with yourself if not with others. Fear flees faith. Courage flows from the harmonious reality you're tuned to; you're the only one who has the key that makes your heart a home for God.

ABOUT PRAYER - We don't hear words when we pray, we hear the Spirit. Both his communication & its effects are usually beyond our ken. Good master that he is, he forms us in the art of living. Prayer is his medium. As far as he's concerned, we're praying all the time.

May 23, 2004 Seventh Sunday of Easter

Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and Stephen said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together. They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them;" and when he said this, he fell asleep.

The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many islands be glad. Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. All gods are prostrate before him. You, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth, exalted far above all gods.

I, John, heard a voice saying to me: "Behold, I am coming soon. I bring with me the recompense I will give to each according to his deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are they who wash their robes so as to have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates. "I, Jesus, sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." Let the hearer say, "Come." Let the one who thirsts come forward, and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water. The one who gives this testimony says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

MAY 23, 7th Easter: Acts 7.55-60; Rev 22.12-20; JN 17.20-26

During the day -

Don't sell yourself short.  However insignificant your position, your influence on others is proportionate to your integrity.  Courage & honesty, courtesy & respect catch the eye of any beholder & have their own power to inspire.  Time & circumstances are not conditions of grace.  Truth & goodness are, & fidelity to both is ongoing gift to the Father.  God, source of unity, cannot but bless with harmony the humble of heart.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer introduces a divine dimension to our human activity.  Prayer supposes God is approachable.  Incarnate, his words so decree, inviting to trust.  Human like us & divine like the Father, Christ hosts the rendezvous.  Gifts exchanged, covenant sealed, love thrives.

May 30, 2004 Pentecost Sunday

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed! How manifold are your works, O LORD! the earth is full of your creatures; May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD be glad in his works! Pleasing to him be my theme; I will be glad in the LORD. If you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust. When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.

Brothers and sisters: No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

MAY 30, PENTECOST: Acts 2.1-11; 1Cor 12.3-13; JN 20.19-23

During the day -

Next time you send someone on a job, think about it.  Why this person?  Why not x, y or z?  Do I want him to do it my way, or do I give him the freedom to do it his?  Have I provided the necessary wherewithal?  Is the item in accord with MY boss's best interests?  True, no need to make a simple matter complicated, but good to get even little things done right - the way God wants them.

ABOUT PRAYER

When anxious or agitated, prayer calms.  We sit, relax, & take a good breath.  We take several, a little deeper each time.  We start praying with our lungs, breathing God in, then out to the world around us.  Breath is life.  Breath is Spirit.  Christ's.  The more we consider our projects his, the more effective he can be.      

June 6, 2004 - The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Thus says the wisdom of God: "The LORD possessed me, the beginning of his ways, the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago; from of old I was poured forth, at the first, before the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains or springs of water; before the mountains were settled into place, before the hills, I was brought forth; while as yet the earth and fields were not made, nor the first clods of the world. When the Lord established the heavens I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep; when he made firm the skies above, when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth; when he set for the sea its limit, so that the waters should not transgress his command; then was I beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, playing before him all the while, playing on the surface of his earth; and I found delight in the human race."

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place -- What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.

Brothers and sisters: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Jesus said to his disciples: "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. 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."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

JUNE 6, Trinity Sunday: Prov 8.22-31; Rom 5.1-5; JN 16.12-15

During the day -

People are at the heart of truth, so be true to yourself & true to others. Hide nothing from yourself & be transparent to those who love you. Build relationships on solid foundations: you theirs & they yours, forever. That way the community of faith becomes the family of God, All in all.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer is scheming to get your inheritance. Making sure the bad guys who lost theirs don't get yours! Prayer is the pause before action to make sure your heart is pure. To choose what is right, not just what you'd like to think is right. Prayer is allowing oneself to be guided, not by inclination but by the quest for authentic goodness. Its name is Holiness.

June 13, 2004 - The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Reading Old Testament: Gn 14:18-20

In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4

You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek. The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool." The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion: "Rule in the midst of your enemies." "Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor; before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you." The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."

Reading New Testament: 1 Cor 11:23-26

Brothers and sisters: I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Gospel: Lk 9:11b-17

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, "Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people." Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty." They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

JUNE 13, Christ's Body & Blood: Gen 14.18-20; 1Cor 11.23-26; LK 9.11-17

During the day -

Eat & be satisfied. Better still, make sure others eat & are satisfied. No need for anyone to go hungry. When some do, it behooves those who don't to share. May take effort & energy to find out how, but as with any responsibility, difficulty is no excuse. What one can't do alone he can do with others. Collective inertia thwarts God's design that we be his instruments of care. He gets all the credit, we the blame.

ABOUT PRAYER

Some people look upwards when they pray, some inwards. Same God up there in here - immanent & transcendent. When we pray our own needs, he comes down; when others', he comes out - or would, if we're willing & our prayer authentic. Such prayer makes us available agents of the grace petitioned; with God's blessing, the impossible becomes possible.

June 20, 2004 - Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading Old Testament: Zec 12:10-11; 13:1

Thus says the LORD: I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. On that day there shall be open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory, for your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify you. Thus will I bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name. As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied, and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you. You are my help, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy. My soul clings fast to you; your right hand upholds me.

Reading New Testament: Gal 3:26-29

Brothers and sisters: Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendant, heirs according to the promise.

Gospel: Lk 9:18-24

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'" Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God." He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

JUNE 20, 12th Sun. OT: Zech 12.10-11,13.1; Gal.3.26-29; LK 9.18-24

During the day -

Who do people say that you are? Overhear those who like you talking about your faults, those who don't your virtues - hard to disagree with either. That's the you people live with. Satisfied? If so, settle into mediocrity. If not, crank up the motive to be more Christlike, & let the him in you take charge.

ABOUT PRAYER

In prayer we see the scene & hear the words - Christ glancing around at his disciples, then looking right at me: 'Who do YOU say that I am?' Prayer is savoring your own answer. It varies.

June 27, 2004 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The LORD said to Elijah: "You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah, as prophet to succeed you." Elijah set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and I will follow you." Elijah answered, "Go back! Have I done anything to you?" Elisha left him, and taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

You are my inheritance, O Lord. Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; I say to the LORD, "My LORD are you. O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot." I bless the LORD who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me. I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption. You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.

Brothers and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

When the days for Jesus' being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." To him Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

JUNE 27, 13th of yr: 1Kings 19.16-21; Gal 5,1,13-18; LK 9.51-62

During the day -

Don't look back. Plow ahead. Can't undo the done. If gut confirmed, stick to priorities. Authentic choices presume honesty, common sense & inspiration. Partners with the Lord, you're the junior. Loyalty predisposes to perseverance & success.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer strengthens resolution. Prayer ponders alternatives, prepares for difficulties, entrusts oneself to the spontaneous graces of Providence. Prayer soothes the desolation of failure, relishes the consolation of a healing hand, engenders courage to take the next step in the service of the Lord. Prayer discovers that step in the needs of others.

July 4, 14th of yr: Is 66.10-14; Gal 6.14-18; LK 10.1-12,17-20

Isaiah 66: ¹⁰ "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. ¹¹ For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance." ¹² For this is what the LORD says: "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. ¹³ As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem." ¹⁴ When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.

Galatians 6: ¹⁴May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. ¹⁶Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. ¹⁷Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.

Luke 10: Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-two

Moses said to the people: "If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul. "For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you should say, 'Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?' Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?' No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out."

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just. They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live." But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.' Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

JULY 11, 15th of yr: Deut 30.10-14; Col 1.15-20; LK 10.25-37

During the day -

Be neighborly, more than superficially. When others step back, step forward. Be available. Don't cut & run when things get sticky; fit values to reality, not vice versa. Ennoble situations with character that makes it easier for others to believe in trust & mutual respect. Inspired, they'll go & do likewise.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer is discernment. Prayer sensitizes. Reactions reflect harmony between goodness in the heart & good achieved. Prayer flows into action spontaneously; time, effort, resources - all contribute to longed for fulfillment. Progress, however infinitesimal, confirms identity with Christ in the workings of the Spirit. Everybody wins.

July 18, 2004 Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot. Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them; and bowing to the ground, he said: "Sir, if I may ask you this favor, please do not go on past your servant. Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree. Now that you have come this close to your servant, let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves; and afterward you may go on your way." The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said." Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah, "Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls." He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it. Then Abraham got some curds and milk, as well as the steer that had been prepared, and set these before the three men; and he waited on them under the tree while they ate. They asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?" He replied, "There in the tent." One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son."

He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord. One who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue. Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; by whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD. Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. One who does these things shall never be disturbed.

Brothers and sisters: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God's stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory. It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

JULY 18, 16th of yr: Gen 18.1-10; Col 1.24-28; LK 10.38-42

During the day -

Burdened with serving, concentrate on the one thing necessary. Routine has roots; uproot the unnecessary, & integrate the others with a common purpose. You're the only one of you God made. Why do you suppose he did?

ABOUT PRAYER

At prayer we host the God-man Jesus. We make him comfortable, help him relax, listen to his experiences, let him express his feelings, fix him a good meal, bid him a fond farewell. His presence lingers. Prayerfully we ponder his visit, recall his counsel. Friendship deepened, we recognize its strength. And hope he does too, as he wanders the lonely road of human history.

July 25, 2004 Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In those days, the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave, that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out." While Abraham's visitors walked on farther toward Sodom, the LORD remained standing before Abraham. Then Abraham drew nearer and said: "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?" The LORD replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." Abraham spoke up again: "See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes! What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?" He answered, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there." But Abraham persisted, saying "What if only forty are found there?" He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty." Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?" He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there." Still Abraham went on, "Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?" The LORD answered, "I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty." But he still persisted: "Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?" He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."

Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me. I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name. Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. When I called you answered me; you built up strength within me. The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees, and the proud he knows from afar. Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me; against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand. Your right hand saves me. The LORD will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O LORD, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands.

Brothers and sisters: You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test." And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. "And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

JULY 25, 17th of yr: Gen 18.20-32; Col 2.12-14; LK 11.1-13

During the day -

Give good gifts to your children. Not what they want, what they need. A father, even a friend, knows what's best for the other better than he does - subjective judgment is usually clouded. It's the measure of the petitioner's trust that he leave the donor free. Authentic generosity is wise, not detrimental, & makes the other truly happy whatever the disappointment of the moment. Takes courage.

ABOUT PRAYER

In prayer we sometimes compose our own variety of the Lord's Prayer. Something like, 'Momma Dad, holy & eternal, we all come to sip at your fountain of holiness.  Your kingdom's a'building, your will's a'working with us as with You.

Bread please, to build your kingdom. Bread please, material & spiritual. Forgive our debts as we all others & assume with you each other's sinfulness. Temptation no, nor evil.' Variety enriches.

August 1, 2004 Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

AUG 1 18th of yr: Ecl 1.2 &2.21-23; Col 3.1-5,9-11; LK 13.13-21

During the day - Guard against greed. Better still, be greedy for God: never be satisfied, always want more. You have an unlimited capacity to possess the things of God. You are not what you do or have, except when you do & have God. His will? To be possessed; to be loved; to be you, Godlike to others. Make his dream come true.

ABOUT PRAYER The final prayer of the day is the important one. To drift off to sleep with God in your heart. A God grateful you served his interests that day; a God trusting you to do the same tomorrow; a generous God, blank check in hand for your well-intentioned efforts; a wise God, bringing good out of everything you do, no matter the apparent failure. Guarantees a peaceful sleep & a holiday tomorrow.

August 8, 2004 Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading Old Testament: Wis 18:6-9

The night of the passover was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in they put their faith, they might have courage. Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes. For when you punished our adversaries, in this you glorified us whom you had summoned. For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22

Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you.

Reading New Testament: Heb 11:1-2, 8-19

Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age --and Sarah herself was sterile-- for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy. So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore. All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son, of whom it was said, "Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name." He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol.

Gospel: Lk 12:32-48

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. "Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." Then Peter said, "Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?" And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

AUG 8, 19th of yr: Wis 18.6-9; Heb 11.1-2,8-19; LK 12.32-48

During the day - Be Prepared. Form the habit of awareness. Keep one jump ahead of what's going on around you. Anticipate the other's need. Be caught doing good. If that's not the authentic you, change. Become what you want to be, forever.

ABOUT PRAYER - At prayer we distinguish petition from intercession: I petition what I need for myself, & intercede for the needs of others. They go together, for my concern for the other's needs is only as sincere as my availability to serve authentic - which, quite often, isn't very much. My own basic need is to grow, & healthy growth supposes exercise, spiritually as well as physically. Generosity is the measure of my fitness.

August 15, 2004 Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

AUG 15, Assumption: Rev 11.19,12.1-6,10; I Cor 15.20-26; LK 1.39-56

"He has pulled down princes from their thrones & lifted up the lowly."

During the day -

Lift up the lowly. Whoever he is, respect the other's dignity - it may be the first time anyone did! Neither better nor worse than anyone else, you improve yourself being one with the other as a child in the family of God. Each loved uniquely by the Father-Mother, the reflection of this love one on the other brightens the day for both.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer is basking in the sunshine of God's love, just lying there on an imaginary beach - wordlessly, thoughtlessly - absorbing the warmth of his life & strength & presence. Cleansing, refreshing, pacifying - a communion of goodness shared with all the tens or hundreds or thousands stretched out nearby. Relish it!

August 22, 2004 Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading Old Testament: Is 66:18-21

Thus says the LORD: I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. I will set a sign among them; from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their offering to the house of the LORD in clean vessels. Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 117:1, 2

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News. Praise the LORD, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

Reading New Testament: Heb 12:5-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters, You have forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children: "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges." Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it. So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.

Gospel: Lk 13:22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.' And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.' Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!' And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

Is 66:18-21; Ps 117:1, 2; Heb 12:5-7, 11-13; Lk 13:22-30

"Lord, will only a few be saved?" "Strive to enter by the narrow gate. Some are last who will be first, & some are first who will be last."

During the day -

Get serious.  Neither better nor worse than anybody else, just do your best being you.  Unpredestined, embrace your destiny, be it pleasant or unpleasant.  Make your choices freely but wisely, avoiding the superficial, not intimidated by the difficult.  Withal, foster the desire to be more like Christ, poor, chaste & obedient.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer should be a source of strength.  Prayer should cut away appearances & get at the heart of the matter.  Prayer should face the inner mirror, see the real self in all its poverty & smallness, humbly loving what it sees.  Having done so, prayer then  rests secure in the love of the Father-Mother committed to aid its every effort to improve; whatever the result, God's glory the reward. 

August 29, 2004 Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading Old Testament: Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29

My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God. What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not. The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise. Water quenches a flaming fire, and alms atone for sins.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11

God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor. The just rejoice and exult before God; they are glad and rejoice. Sing to God, chant praise to his name; whose name is the LORD. The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity. A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance; you restored the land when it languished; your flock settled in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy.

Reading New Testament: Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a

Brothers and sisters: You have not approached that which could be touched and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them. No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

Gospel: Lk 14:1, 7-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Then he said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

AUG 29, 22nd of yr: Sirach 3.17-29; Ps 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11; Heb 12-24; LK 14.1,7-14

During the day -

When you dine with a friend, be courteous but honest, discreetly objective. Friendly conversation doesn't hide truth; on the contrary, spontaneity guarantees authenticity. Truth has its own authority, & though it sometimes hurts, it heals more than just the pain. Charades entertain; integrity maturates.

ABOUT PRAYER

You can't fool God, so in prayer be honest.  You may have to wrestle with him in prayer (Col.4-12), but that's just to get the courage to wrestle with yourself.  Prayer is tuning in to what's going on, the in-time projection of an outside-of-time God. No wonder we're confused.

September 5, 2004 Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wisdom 9:13-18 For what man knows God's counsel, or who can conceive what our LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given Wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight, and men learned what was your pleasure, and were saved by Wisdom.

Psalm 1: 1-6 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful! Their delight is in the law of the LORD, and they meditate on his law day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper. It is not so with the wicked; they are like chaff which the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, nor the sinner in the council of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.

Philemon 1-20 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother. For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love-- and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother-- especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ.

Luke 14:25-33 Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions."

SEPT 5, 23rd of yr: Wisdom 9.13-18; Philemon 9-17; LK 14.25-33

During the day - Be free: love people for the right reasons. Want good for them rather than from them. Complete fulfillment, to be everlasting, derives from contributing to theirs. Values sometimes collide; be firm when they do, that the other eventually draw strength from your faith. It's God's gift; use it.

ABOUT PRAYER - Prayer looks objectively at our relationships with things & people. Prayer envisions doing without them, anticipates the day of inevitable separation. Prayer perceives a transcendent relationship, discovers its roots in Christ, develops its freedom from the purely human, provides strength for growth as love becomes genuine.

September 12, 2004 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, 'This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!' "I see how stiff-necked this people is," continued the LORD to Moses. Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation." But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, "Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'" So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.

I will rise and go to my father. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

Beloved: I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Gospel: Lk 15:1-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them he addressed this parable. "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. "Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.' In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Then he said, "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."' So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' He 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.'"

SEPT 12, 24th of yr: Ex 32.7-14; 1Tim 1.12-17 LK 15.1-32

"Son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate & rejoice, because your brother was dead & has come to life again, was lost & has been found."

During the day -

Celebrate reconciliation. Not necessarily your own. Share the inner peace of others when the offender seeks to heal the reputed relationship. Be wise enough to facilitate it, assuring the offended his self-pity threatens to deepen rather than repair the rupture. Forgiveness is not an option; it's a divine mandate.  Holding a grudge is far more devastating to the work of the Father than the original offense.  Correct it firmly.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer confronts resentment, faces it down. No room for it in the heart of Christ, nor the Christian's. Prayer cleanses, purifies, sees the other thru Christ's eyes - savable. Prayer adjusts to the offense & assumes the offender. Impossible? Not for God & his grace in willing hearts. We're all in this together.

September 19, 2004 Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading Old Testament: Amos 8:4-7

Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land! "When will the new moon be over," you ask, "that we may sell our grain, and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat? We will diminish the ephah, add to the shekel, and fix our scales for cheating! We will buy the lowly for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals; even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!" The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done!

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8

Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor. Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever. High above all nations is the LORD; above the heavens is his glory. Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth below? He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor to seat them with princes, with the princes of his own people.

Reading New Testament: 1 Timothy 2:1-8

Beloved: First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper time. For this I was appointed preacher and apostle --I am speaking the truth, I am not lying--, teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.

Gospel: Luke 16:1-13

Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.' The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.' He called in his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?' He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.' Then to another the steward said, 'And you, how much do you owe?' He replied, 'One hundred kors of wheat.' The steward said to him, 'Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.' And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. "For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon."

SEPT 19, 25th of yr: Amos 8.4-7; 1Tim 2.1-8; LK 16.1-13

"What shall I do now that I am no longer steward? I'm not strong enough to dig & ashamed to beg."

During the day:

Don't be ashamed to beg. Neither for your own needs nor those of others. Security comes first from doing all you can for yourself (& others); then, acknowledging your own insufficiency, turning to those who can & want to help. The needed good is God's, not theirs - respectfully calling attention to both need & resources is an opportunity for them to discern God's will in the exercise of their stewardship. Do them this favor. The worst they can do is say no.

ABOUT PRAYER:

Prayer ponders alternatives. The challenge in prayer is to transcend the human & be open to the divine. Faith is intuition, not rational. In prayer, God either confirms the reasonable, or communicates insights into his expectations. At prayer we are less concerned about what we do than what we are: his instruments. His to guide, ours to follow.

September 26, 2004 Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thus says the LORD the God of hosts: Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall! Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment. They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.

Praise the Lord, my soul! Blessed he who keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. The LORD gives sight to the blind. the LORD raises up those who were bowed down; The LORD loves the just. The LORD protects strangers. The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. The LORD shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.

But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

Jesus said to the Pharisees: "There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.' Abraham replied, 'My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.' He said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.' But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"

SEPT 26, 26th of yr: AMOS 6.1-7; 1Tim 6.11-16; LK 16.19-31

"There was a rich man dressed in fine linens who dined sumptuously each day, & lying at his door a poor man named Lazarus."

During the day

Eat less sumptuously. What you don't need, don't eat- that's temperance. What you do need, eat less; that's penance. Why do penance? To strengthen your will (discipline); to acknowledge mistakes of unbridled appetites in the past; to receive a grace you want bad enough to pay a price for it. True, grace is gratuitous; but God doesn't pass it around unless he's sure it's going to be used.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer bridges diversity - a two-way bridge uniting the strong & the weak; also a two-dimensional bridge, spiritual & material, where material abundance challenges the spirit, & material poverty exercises it. Paradoxically, the spiritual strength of the poor frequently aids the spiritual weakness of the wealthy. Prayer takes to heart the Lord's advice to make friends with money so that when it fails, you'll be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

October 3, 2004 Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Habakkuk 1:1-6(7-11)12-13;2:1-4

The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw. O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrong-doing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous-- therefore judgment comes forth perverted. Look at the nations, and see! Be astonished! Be astounded! For a work is being done in your days that you would not believe if you were told. For I am rousing the Chaldeans, that fierce and impetuous nation, who march through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own. [Dread and fearsome are they; their justice and dignity proceed from themselves. Their horses are swifter than leopards, more menacing than wolves at dusk; their horses charge. Their horsemen come from far away; they fly like an eagle swift to devour. They all come for violence, with faces pressing forward; they gather captives like sand. At kings they scoff, and of rulers they make sport. They laugh at every fortress, and heap up earth to take it. Then they sweep by like the wind; they transgress and become guilty; their own might is their god!] Are you not from of old, O LORD my God, my Holy One? You shall not die. O LORD, you have marked them for judgment; and you, O Rock, have established them for punishment. Your eyes are too pure to behold evil, and you cannot look on wrongdoing; why do you look on the treacherous, and are silent when the wicked swallow those more righteous than they? I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint. Then the LORD answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith

Psalm 37:1-18 or 37:3-10 Page 633, BCP

1 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; do not be jealous of those who do wrong. 2 For they shall soon wither like the grass, and like the green grass fade away. 3 Put your trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and feed on its riches. 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he shall give you your heart's desire. 5 Commit your way to the LORD and put your trust in him, and he will bring it to pass. 6 He will make your righteousness as clear as the light and your just dealing as the noonday. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him. 8 Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, the one who succeeds in evil schemes. 9 Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil. 10 For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait upon the LORD shall possess the land. 11 In a little while the wicked shall be no more; you shall search out their place, but they will not be there. 12 But the lowly shall possess the land; they will delight in abundance of peace. 13 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash at them with their teeth. 14 The Lord laughs at the wicked, because he sees that their day will come. 15 The wicked draw their sword and bend their bow to strike down the poor and needy, to slaughter those who are upright in their ways. 16 Their sword shall go through their own heart, and their bow shall be broken. 17 The little that the righteous has is better than great riches of the wicked. 18 For the power of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

2 Timothy 1:(1-5)6-14

[Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God-- whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did-- when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.] For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

Luke 17:5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

"Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, `Come here at once and take your place at the table'? Would you not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, `We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
OCT 3, 27th of yr: Habakkuk 1.2-3,2.2-4; 2Tim 1.6-14; LK 17.5-10

October 10, 2004 Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of Elisha, the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean of his leprosy. Naaman returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before Elisha and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant." Elisha replied, "As the LORD lives whom I serve, I will not take it;" and despite Naaman's urging, he still refused. Naaman said: "If you will not accept, please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the LORD."

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands: break into song; sing praise.

Beloved: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, together with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
OCT 10, 28th of yr: 2Kings 5.14-17; 2Tim 2.8-13; LK 17.11-19

"Where are the other nine? Has none but the foreigner returned to give thanks to God? Stand up & go; your faith has saved you."

During the day - Stand up & go. Grateful for being alive, live. Move forward, don't even look back. Breezes blow, the grass grows. See the goodness, the happiness, the beauty all around you -. Keep looking till you do. Relax & take the next step; that's all God shows you. You're his, so let him do the worrying.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is blowing with the Breeze. Where IT wills. Blown rather than blowing, willing what It wills, at times without knowing. Prayer survives the calms, lashes to the mast in storms. Whatever the weather, prayer is indispensable.

In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel. Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, "Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. Moses' hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. I lift up my eyes toward the mountains; whence shall help come to me? My help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. May he not suffer your foot to slip; may he slumber not who guards you: indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps, the guardian of Israel. The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade; he is beside you at your right hand. The sun shall not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will guard you from all evil; he will guard your life. The LORD will guard your coming and your going, both now and forever.

Beloved: Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

OCT 17, 29th of yr: Exodus 17.8-13; 2Tim 3.14-4.2; LK 18.1-8

"There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being."

During the day -

Respect every human being. Each is another you. Same freedom. Same dignity. Precious to the Father-Mother you share.  We belong to each other, forever. Made to love, what a shame to let fear & ignorance prejudice our eternity together. Mutual respect is essential to human integrity & fundamental to our eternal destiny.  Respect for the person, whatever his mistakes of bad judgment or bad will, is a divine attribute. We're all in this together.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer immerses in serenity. Sometimes rapidly; sometimes slowly; but always. The only source of Christ's peace is within. May be deep down, but it's there - Christ keeps his promises. Prayer slashes thru the underbrush of anxieties to get at the spring, takes a deep draft of living water, then succumbs to the harmony it induces.  Prayer returns us refreshed to the business at hand.

October 24, 2004 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The LORD is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint. The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right, and the Lord will not delay.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. 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. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. The LORD redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.

Beloved: I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity-- greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

OCT 24, 30th of yr: Sirach 35.12-18; 2Tim 4.6-8,16-18; LK 18.9-14

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

During the day - Be exalted, but let others do the exalting. A low profile inspires confidence in others when it's based on the quiet self-confidence that one's talents are God-given. The instrument takes no credit for the fruits of its effort. Aware a divine design is in progress, the humble move steadily toward the objective, secure in the assurance of success as God would have it. The applause comes later.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is the channel of holiness. The living link between the Perfect & imperfect. In prayer we wisely acknowledge how far our designs are from God's. Prayer places our weaknesses in his strong hands. Usage transforms, & wholeness is on the way.

October 31, 2004 Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook people's sins that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned. And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things! Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God. I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.

Brothers and sisters: We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

OCT 31, 31st of yr: Wis 11.22-12-2; 2Thes 1.11-2.2; LK 19.1-10

"Zacchaeus, come down quickly for today I must stay in your house.' He came down quickly & received him with joy. When the crowd saw this they began to grumble."

During the day: Don't grumble, receive with joy. Whatever the other's purpose in interrupting, look up with a smile - better to be gracious to a nincompoop than irritable with the distressed. The best moments we have - the ones that last forever - are the ones we share with others. Don't waste the opportunities.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer at times is grumbling with God. He's used to it, but expects it to be about serious matters, not trivial. Prayer is human experience filtering thru Christ's to get to the divine. Prayer doesn't expect answers. Rather, questing love's courage & strength, it turns to their source. Prayer is an exercise in trust.

November 7, 2004 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law. One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: "What do you expect to achieve by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors." At the point of death he said: "You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying." After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words: "It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again." Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing. After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way. When he was near death, he said, "It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life."

Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. Hear, O LORD, a just suit; attend to my outcry; hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit. My steps have been steadfast in your paths, my feet have not faltered. I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my word. Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings. But I in justice shall behold your face; on waking I shall be content in your presence.

Brothers and sisters: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. We are confident of you in the Lord that what we instruct you, you are doing and will continue to do. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her." Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out 'Lord,' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

"Those who are worthy to attain the coming age can no longer die because they are like angels - children of God & the ones who will rise."

During the day - Be like an angel. Aware your spirit is above mind, body & will. Aware harmony is achieved thru their integration in the spirit, designed connatural to the Spirit of God. The intellect ponders, the will embraces & the body executes God's plan - keenly conscious, withal, that Lucifer, father of lies, is also an angel!

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer keeps us tuned to the Good Spirit, constantly identifying the static of the bad. Prayer's criterion for distinguishing between the two is inner peace. Diving beneath the turbulence of the moment, prayer immerses in alternatives, perceives the degree of peace accompanying each, chooses accordingly. Sometimes turns out to the be the hardest - further confirmation that one wants what God wants.

November 14, 2004 Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD. Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy. Before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to rule the earth; he will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.

Brothers and sisters: You know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way, by not keeping busy but minding the business of others. Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food.

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here-- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down." Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky. "Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

Nov 14, 33rd of yr: Mal 3.19-20; 2Thess 3.7-12; LK 21.5-19

"When you hear of wars & insurrections do not be terrified; for such things must happen first."

During the day - Don't be terrified. That's the terrorists' goal: to destroy confidence in those security depends on, to paralyze with fear. The authentic purpose of fear is to inspire courage: face fears down, reduce threats to solvable dimensions, run necessary risks, strengthen confidence in the combined effort of the committed. Absolute security, though unobtainable, is not unavailable. Placing human efforts in divine hands assures an outcome that transcends all tragedy.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer immerses reality in both its human & divine dimensions. The intellect ponders the human, the will embraces the divine. Christian prayer filters fears through the human will of Christ - others pray, unaware of the filter. Indomitable, it communicates trust in the Father's care. The will provides the courage, the love provides the trust.

November 21, 2004 The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said: "Here we are, your bone and your flesh. In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.'" When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD, and they anointed him king of Israel.

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. I rejoiced because they said to me, "We will go up to the house of the LORD." And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David.

Brothers and sisters: Let us give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews." Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

NOV 21, CHRIST THE KING: 2Sam 5.1-3; Col 1.12-20; LK 23.35-43

"The rulers sneered at Jesus, 'He saved others, let him save himself.' The soldiers also jeered at him. But one of the criminals said, 'Remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered, 'Today you will be with me in Paradise."

During the day - Don't sneer; the other may be expressing something beyond your ken. Truths fit together like pieces of a puzzle; be alert to perceive, less quick to discard. Don't jeer; the other may be doing you a favor. Or willing to, if you'd let him; if you judge by appearances, at least leave a side door open.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer prepares reality for paradise. Prayer rests in the promise, already fulfilled outside of time. Prayer is joy anticipated, faith in hope's realization. In prayer we move over, give the driver's seat to Christ; timidly at first, then with greater confidence as he speeds up around the curves! Danger is no threat to him; nor to us as we grow in trust.

November 28, 2004 - First Sunday of Advent

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: "Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths." For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. I rejoiced because they said to me, "We will go up to the house of the LORD." And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, built as a city with compact unity. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. In it are set up judgment seats, seats for the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you prosper! May peace be within your walls, prosperity in your buildings. Because of my brothers and friends I will say, "Peace be within you!" Because of the house of the LORD, our God, I will pray for your good.

Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

NOV 28, 1st Advent: Is 2.1-5; Rm 11.13-14; MT 24.37-44

[This begins a new liturgical year, Yr A, first in the 3-yr cycle; most gospel texts taken from Matthew. These reflections can be found at www.elpasojesuit.org]

"As in the days of Noah, they suspected nothing till the flood came & swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man."

During the day - Swept away, grab a hold of something or somebody & go with the flow. You don't control events, you adjust to them. Others depend on you, so calm down & use your head. Cut your losses, minimize the risks, make decisions based on goodness & truth; you'll never regret them.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is recourse to God's dominion. Prayer seeks & sometimes finds the security of absolute trust, the sense that God controls without manipulating. Prayer works thru fears & doubts to express the love that embraces destiny with vigor. Chaos turns to order as the pattern of God's design appears & human effort responds, generously & with courage.

December 5, 2004 - Second Sunday of Advent

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea. On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king's son; he shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun his name shall remain. In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.

Brothers and sisters: Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs, but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name.

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

DEC 5: 2nd Advent: Is 11.1-10; Rm 15.4-9; MT 3.1-12

"John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert, 'Repent! The Kingdom of God is at hand - produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance."

During the day - Produce good fruit from mistakes made, be they of bad judgment or of bad will. Big difference between shame & sorrow: shame hides mistakes, sorrow takes responsibility for them & repairs the damage. Relationships are healed by humble recognition & Godlike forgiveness. Latter lacking, the offended becomes the offender. His grudge understandable, remain at peace.

ABOUT PRAYER: The first fruit of prayer is gratitude; the second is repentance, i.e. the recognition & regret that graces received haven't been used for the purposes intended; the third is trust that we're loved not less for our failures but more, since love always seeks the betterment of the beloved. Gratefully, sorrowfully & with trust, prayer acknowledges our mistakes & disposes us to be more responsible with graces received.

December 12, 2004Third Sunday of Advent

The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.

Lord, come and save us. The LORD God keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. The LORD gives sight to the blind; the LORD raises up those who were bowed down. The LORD loves the just; the LORD protects strangers. The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. The LORD shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations.

Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates. Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me." As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

DEC 12, 3rd Advent: Is 35.1-6,10; James 5.7-10; MT 11.2-11

"What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Someone dressed in fine clothing? A prophet? Yes, & more than a prophet, 'the messenger who prepares the way before you'."

During the day - Don't sway in the wind. Be loyal to the truth as you see it. Don't be stubborn, be firm. Stubbornness is resistance to change, inability to grasp reasons for doing so. Conviction based on a sense of what is right & true provides a beacon for those in doubt. Authentic values enrich, false values impoverish; whichever attracts the most followers wins the day, & leaves the field to future prophets.

ABOUT PRAYER We take our doubts to prayer; we ponder them with the light of reason, open to the light of inspiration. The mind discerns: seeks inner peace as it scans the alternatives. The basic premise of prayer is to want what God wants, to see things as he sees them. He seldom fails to grant to the intellect & will so disposed a sense of direction. Followed cautiously a step at a time, his presence confirms the quest.

December 19, 2004 Fourth Sunday of Advent

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, "I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!" Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the LORD himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.

Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory. The LORD's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? or who may stand in his holy place? One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

DEC 19, 4th Advent: Is 7.10-14; Rom 1.1-7; MT 1.18-24

"Joseph her husband, a righteous man, was unwilling to shame her & decided to divorce her quietly; but an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream."

During the day - Before making a decision consider the consequences for others; let the angel in you put their interests above your own. Judging words & actions may be justified; judging persons never. The commandment to love one another stipulates no exceptions. On the contrary, whatever the other's mistakes of bad judgment or bad will, they're just that: mistakes. Correction is called for, not condemnation.

ABOUT PRAYER Make serious choices prayerfully; consult the Christ who lives within you. He's as stuck with them as you are, & pays a far greater price for the results. Prayer submits blind emotional reactions - all emotions are blind - to the intellectual scanning of fact; which in turn glances at Christ in faith to discern his assessment. Prayer petitions both to see it clearly & adopt it courageously.

December 26, 2004 Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother's authority he confirms over her sons. Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them. When he prays, he is heard; he stores up riches who reveres his mother. Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children, and, when he prays, is heard. Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother. My son, take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives. Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his life; kindness to a father will not be forgotten, firmly planted against the debt of your sins --a house raised in justice to you.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table. Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son. When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazorean.

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ

DEC 26, Holy Family: Sirach 3.2-6,12-14; Col 3.12-21; MT 2.13-15,19-23

"He rose, took the child & his mother & went to dwell in a town called Nazareth."

During the day - Dwell wherever destiny decrees. Harmonize with all around you. Nature provides the setting, people the motivation. There is peace to be found in both when it radiates from your own heart. Don't let externals overwhelm the interior - they're intended to enrich it. The civilization of love is within. Savour each moment.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is the stabilizer that absorbs the shock of things gone wrong & people gone crazy. Prayer is our anchor in the heart of a God who can only love, & suffers with us the agony of bringing order out of chaos. Prayer is the reminder that it all has to start in my own heart - the only hearth I truly control. Warmth, forgiveness, freedom from fear & resentment, door open to any who wander in. Always & forever.

January 2, 2005 - The Epiphany of the Lord

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
JAN 2, Epiphany: Sirach 3.2-6, 12-14; Col. 3.12-21; MT 2.13-23

"We saw his star & have come to give him homage."

During the day - Admire stellar people. Performance improves with appreciation. Let them know you do - honoring service honors the served. We serve each other - the person in need, not the need. Time, energy, character, possessions - all constitute human wealth. Shared, they enrich rather than impoverish & become the common heritage God intends for all. The Babe grown to manhood.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer seeks the Infinite in the infinitesimal, finds it reducing thought to almost nothingness. Prayer rests in little things - the touch of clothing, a sound, a smell, a breath, our hands. Prayer prepares for encounters with the little people, so precious to God because so worthless to everyone else. Prayer returns us to the little child within, who with innocent trust brings their needs to the Child who came to save.

January 9, 2005 - The Baptism of the Lord (First Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Thus says the LORD: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

The Lord will bless his people with peace. Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise, Give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire. The voice of the LORD is over the waters, the LORD, over vast waters. The voice of the LORD is mighty; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The God of glory thunders, and in his temple all say, "Glory!" The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as king forever.

Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the house of Cornelius, saying: "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying,
"I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?" Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized,
he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
JAN 9, Baptism of Jesus: Is 42.1-7; Acts 10.34-38; MT 3.13-17

"After Jesus was baptized he came up from the water & the Spirit of God descended on him like a dove. A voice came from heaven, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

During the day - Come up from the water. Enough of recreation, time to go to work. There's a job to do & it won't wait. Your spirit is designed to follow a guiding Spirit. Do. As the mind peacefully ponders alternatives with the will ready to pounce, let it when a voice - not yours - wordlessly says 'Yes!' It's usually the hardest, but when you choose it you'll hear 'That's my boy!'

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is voluntary immersion in the presence of God. Spiritual exercise, prayer involves all the faculties: mind & will, memory & imagination, body & senses - harmonious kaleidoscope of on-going communion with the divine, immanent & transcendent. No two prayers are alike, no two pray-ers. Find the best time & place for you, develop your own effective preliminary exercises & let God do the rest. Even if he seems he's not around, he is. So stick to it.

January 16, 2005 - Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

The LORD said to me: You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. I have waited, waited for the LORD, and he stooped toward me and heard my cry. And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God. Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not; then said I, "Behold I come."
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, to do your will, O my God, is my delight, And your law is within my heart!" I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel." John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
JAN 16, 2nd of yr: Is 49.3-6; 1 Cor 1.1-3; JOHN 1.29-34

'I WILL MAKE YOU A LIGHT TO THE NATIONS THAT MY SALVATION MAY REACH TO THE END OF THE EARTH.' "John saw Jesus coming toward him & said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

During the day - When goodness & honesty demand it, be a lamb. Calmly but firmly, be willing to pay the price. You may lose your job. You may lose friends, even members of your family. But loyalty to truth is loyalty to the God of love whose Spirit sows seeds of fidelity in the hearts witnessing your sacrifice. The harvest may be a long time coming - you may not even see it. But the joy of its certainty only Christ can share.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is the charger that restores moral & spiritual strength; which in turn refresh body, mind & heart. Prayer encourages the cynical optimist within to trust absolutely in the wisdom, power & love of the Spirit, even as things around one appear to disintegrate. Prayer nourishes a sense of humor that turns tears into chuckles even as one picks up the pieces. "Cheer up, the worst is yet to come!"

January 23, 2005 - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

First the LORD degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the end he has glorified the seaward road, the land west of the Jordan, the District of the Gentiles. Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness: for there is no gloom where but now there was distress. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
JAN 23, 3rd of yr: Is 8.23-9.3; 1Cor 1.10-13,17; Mt 4:12.23

THERE IS NO GLOOM WHERE BUT NOW THERE WAS DISTRESS. THOSE WHO WALKED IN DARKNESS HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT. "As he walked by the Sea of Galilee he saw Peter & Andrew casting a net into the sea. 'Come after me, & I will make you fishers of men."

During the day - Fish for men, not fame or fortune. Everything you do has to do with people. They're the reason for each day's existence - consider them so. Let purpose predominate priority. Whatever the relationship - professional, social, familial, friend, stranger, enemy - there's just the two of you & God, inside & between. Healer, helper, lover, guide, God uses you & the other as instruments. Make his day! He'll be eternally grateful & you forever proud.

ABOUT PRAYER - Pray people. Pray their needs. Be specific. Near & dear or far & foreign, will their good - God does, & joining him increases love, melts hate. Prayer is both retroactive & reflexive. With living faith prayer places past moments of intense emotion good or bad in God's healing heart. Wisdom absorbs pain, love communicates new life. Finding this happening in your own, continue praying with hope it does so in the other's as well. Perseverance in prayer has a way with God.

January 30, 2005 - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
JAN 30, 4th of yr: Zeph 2.3,3.12-13; 1Cor 1.26-31; MT 5.1-12

SEEK THE LORD, ALL YOU HUMBLE OF THE EARTH! (Zephaniah 2.3) "When Jesus saw the crowds he began to teach them saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God."

During the day - Look at the crowds. Study the faces of strangers. Note the contentment, the peace, the serenity; the purpose, self-confidence, respect. Notice the exceptions - impatience, disrespect, indifference, selfishness. Ponder the multitude's struggle to survive & improve, together, & its sense of satisfaction that success is on the way. Perceive the God inside each making this dream come true.

ABOUT PRAYER : Prayer is getting to know God better, which we can only do thru analogy. When, however, the purpose of our prayer is to know Christ better, we can directly since he is human like us. We can read or hear his words, share his feelings, understand his purpose, admire his compassion, trust his love. We can become his friends. So when we pray with him, we come to know God directly. Father- Mother of us all, (s)he sends the Only begotten to make the introductions. Communion mutually accepted, our destiny is realized.

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
FEB 6, 5th of yr: Is 58.7-10; 1Cor 21-5; MT 5.13-16

SHARE YOUR BREAD WITH THE HUNGRY, SHELTER THE HOMELESS, CLOTHE THE NAKED & DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR OWN. THEN YOUR LIGHT WILL BREAK FORTH LIKE THE DAWN. Is.58.7 "You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world."

During the day - Don't worry about being too salty. Life is for living & God wants you happy. He wants us happy together & appreciates what we do to liven-up each other. We show others the way by the light of truth shining in our own hearts. Even in the toughest situations our loyalty to what's good in ourselves & others is the strength that sees us through. Hope is anchored in the roots of truth & goodness - never lose it!

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is a source of courage. In prayer we remind ourselves that we are God's & our problems his. He's a better worrier than we are & well equipped to suggest solutions. Prayer learns to turn other voices down & God's up; or rather, to listen for clues to his advise in the words of others. Our prayer reminds us - & the Boss - that as we strive to follow his directives he needs to provide the wherewithal. He always does, tho the results fit his designs, not ours.

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
FEB 13, 1 Lent: Gen 2.7-9, 3.1-7; Rom 5.12-19; MT 4.1-11

THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN, BLEW INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE.(Gen 2.7) "Not on bread alone does man live but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

During the day - Don't live by bread alone. Nourish life intellectually & spiritually as well as materially. Read a good book. Say a few prayers. Do both regularly. Cut down on things material - eat less, be more thrifty, slow down, give time to people rather than projects. Life is an on-going test of values. Pass it.

ABOUT PRAYER Prayer is time spent in the classroom of Jesus; or sometimes a stroll with the Master going over some of the difficulties. He's learned from experience; among other things he knows about hunger, ambition & power. Wisely, he lets us talk first, then helps us discover for ourselves the truths hidden in the alternatives. Prayer is a moment of mutual trust between master & disciple. Neither pushes; both wait for the right moment to nod.

The LORD said to Abram: "Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you." Abram went as the LORD directed him.

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy. He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full. See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you.

Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid." And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.

"This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him." When the disciples heard this they fell prostrate with fear. Jesus came, & touched them & said, " Rise, do not be afraid." I WILL MAKE YOU A GREAT NATION. ABRAM WENT AS THE LORD DIRECTED HIM. (Gen 12.2) Gen 12.1-4; 2Tim.8-10; MT 17.1-9

During the day -

Stand up. Don't be afraid. Fear (blind emotion) paralyzes. Turn on the cold light of reason. You can handle it, & if you can't, there are others who want to & can. You are bigger than any problem. Mind, will & courage confront danger with confidence. Security radiates from within, flows from a source that transcends problems & dangers. Peril is reduced to opportunity.

ABOUT PRAYER

Prayer absorbs emotions. Through prayer, control passes to the spirit. Prayer senses the presence of power. Prayer trusts a providence that entrusts. Surface storms don't ruffle the calm waters where faith is anchored. A strength beyond ones own is tapped & never fails. Whatever the outcome.

Reading Old Testament: Exodus 17:3-7
In those days, in their thirst for water, the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?" So Moses cried out to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? a little more and they will stone me!" The LORD answered Moses, "Go over there in front of the people, along with some of the elders of Israel, holding in your hand, as you go, the staff with which you struck the river. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink." This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel. The place was called Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled there and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD in our midst or not?"

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 95: 1-2, 6-9
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him. Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. Oh, that today you would hear his voice: "Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, Where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works."

Reading New Testament: Romans 5: 1-2, 5-8
Brothers and sisters: Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Gospel: John 4:5-42
Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" --For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.-- Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." Jesus said to her, "Go call your husband and come back." The woman answered and said to him, "I do not have a husband." Jesus answered her, "You are right in saying, 'I do not have a husband.' For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true." The woman said to him, "Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one speaking with you." At that moment his disciples returned, and were amazed that he was talking with a woman, but still no one said, "What are you looking for?" or "Why are you talking with her?" The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, "Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Christ?" They went out of the town and came to him. Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Could someone have brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'In four months the harvest will be here'? I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest. The reaper is already receiving payment and gathering crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. For here the saying is verified that 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work." Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me everything I have done." When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, "We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world."

During the day -
Worship truth. Don't manipulate it. Understand its place in your destiny. Build on it alone - subterfuge erodes. Truth frees, hiding it enslaves. Loyalty to truth strengthens integrity. Goodness & truth are inseparable; on their base relationships thrive or aren't worth having. Unvarnished truth is the measure of honesty. Only the dishonest reject its judgment, & theirs leads nowhere. Sense inner harmony with the courageous who follow it whatever the cost. Of such are the Kingdom of God, the civilization of love. .

ABOUT PRAYER
Prayer is truth's embrace - guarantee, if authentic, of insecurity's security. Prayer reflects the human condition, sinful & sorrowful. Prayer distinguishes mistakes of bad judgment from mistakes of bad will, flows with the divine condition, corrects the former, forgives the latter. Both one's own & others'. Through prayer we arrive at God's way of achieving the impossible.

MAR 6, 4th Lent: 1Sam 16.1,6-7,10-13; Eph 5.8-14; JN 9.1-41

"Jesus spat, made clay with the saliva, put it on his eyes & said, 'Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.' He went, he washed, he saw." THE LORD SAID TO SAMUEL 'THERE! ANOINT HIM! THIS IS THE ONE!'

During the day: The other seems blind to the truth? Don't rub his face in it, just dab a little on his eyes. Let him discover it for himself - curiosity wins more victories over stubbornness than humility. It's truth that matters, not your opinion. His insights may prove richly revealing - don't be surprised if he dabs a little on your eyes, too.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is listening. Before seeing. God's language in prayer is inner silence. He communicates himself. The clarity of conviction is absolute, however beyond our ken; 'Who is he, Sir, that I may believe?' our prayerful response.

Reading Old Testament: I Samuel 16: 1b, 6-7, 10-13a
The LORD said to Samuel: "Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons." As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed is here before him." But the LORD said to Samuel: "Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart." In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any one of these." Then Samuel asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse replied, "There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here." Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, "There--anoint him, for this is the one!" Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23 (with an interpretation)
The Lord is my Shepherd - That's Relationship!
I shall not want. - That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. - That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters. - That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul. - That' s Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, - That's Guidance!
For His name sake. - That's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, - That's Testing!
I will fear no evil. - That' s Protection!
For Thou art with me. - That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. - That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine - enemies. - That's Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil. - That's Consecration!
My cup runneth over. - That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. - That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord, - That's Security!
Forever. - That's Eternity!

Reading New Testament: Ephesians 5:8-14
Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention the things done by them in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."

Gospel: John 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, "Go wash in the Pool of Siloam"--which means Sent--.So he went and washed, and came back able to see. His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, "Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is," but others said, "No, he just looks like him." He said, "I am." They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see." So some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a sinful man do such signs?" And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, "What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." They answered and said to him, "You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?" Then they threw him out. When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered and said, "Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." He said, "I do believe, Lord," and he worshiped him.

Ez 37.12-14; Rms 8.8-11; JN 11.1-45

"Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, tied hand & foot. WHEN I OPEN YOUR GRAVES & HAVE YOU RISE FROM THEM, I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT IN YOU THAT YOU MAY LIVE & KNOW THAT I AM LORD. Ez 37.14

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer encourages the discouraged to go on hoping. Prayer accepts & forgives past mistakes, ponders the disordered priorities at their roots, petitions the Good God to give help us untie the bonds that bind us to them. Prayer brings us out into the sunlight of self-confidence, energized by love that lives.

Reading Old Testament: Ezekiel 37:12-14
Thus says the LORD GOD: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the LORD. I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 130: 1-8
With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption. Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication. If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered. I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the LORD. For with the LORD is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption; And he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.

Reading New Testament: Romans 8: 8-11
Brothers and sisters: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.

Gospel: John 11: 1-45
The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, "Master, the one you love is ill." When Jesus heard this he said, "This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." He became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Sir, come and see." And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him." But some of them said, "Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?" So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, "Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me." And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go." Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

During the day - Look around you. Climb out of your own woes long enough to see the goodness & happiness of others, even though they bear the scars of suffering. The threat of failure, even death, is but the harbinger of fuller life here & now as well as hereafter. Hope doesn't die with defeat; truth survives in one form or another. Build on it - you'll be surprised at your own potential for new & greater things. Above all, keep your sense of humor.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer's roots are in the old family bible. Prayerfully we thumb through it trying to find that passage that fits the present situation. Our hearts burn within us when we find it - the Spirit that inspired it also illumines our minds as he fits it to our needs. Courage is born of hope as prayer brings faith to focus on God's will rather than our own Eventually we realize he knows best.

During the day - Put your heart on hinges that open both in & out. The flow of fully fruitful love is in both directions. The easier the exit for you & access for others, the more likely an authentic encounter. You're not loved because you're lovable; you're lovable because you're loved. Awareness of another's affection sparks gratitude; which fans the flame, not of passion, but of wanting what's best for the other. Wanting it, seek it. Love is shown in deeds rather than in words.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is of the will rather than intellect or emotion. In prayer one is keen to the sense of God - his being, his will, his doing, all one & the same. Prayer plugs one in, willing what he's willing-doing-being, whatever that might be - concepts frequently don't fully grasp the situation. Like sheep, we're tuned to the voice of the shepherd, & follow wherever he leads.

So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

During the day - Godlike, work as designed. Responsibly. Honestly. Generously. For the common good. Cheerfully. Patiently. Respectfully. Considerately. Courageously. Know yourself. Be yourself, in all your uniqueness - you're the only you God made. Expect him to use you as designed. Produce the fruits he expects of you; let him provide whatever miracle necessary to so do. It's a matter of trust.

ABOUT PRAYER - Prayer purifies the will till it wants what God wants, irrespective of one's own desires. Prayer ambitions God's goals, sight unseen. Prayer initiates action, then evaluates it when day is done. Prayer uses God's perspective to measure success, recalling that for him there is no such thing as failure. Only love, or the lack of it.

7 UPS (Since September 1995) We Never Not Meet
Beginning with Fellowship, We facilitate discussions searching for the Truth.
Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Psalms 66: 1-7, 16, 20; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21
Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
PETER & JOHN WENT DOWN, PRAYED FOR THE SAMARITANS,
LAID HANDS ON THEM & THEY RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT.
"The Father will give you another advocate to be with your forever, the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot accept since it neither sees nor knows him."
May 1, 2005 Sixth Sunday of Easter

During the day: Even in little things, be loyal to truth. It's at the heart of everything vital. Paradoxically, you'll be going against the grain, both yours & others; it's hard & demanding, even in little things, & we always prefer the easy way out. Yet the spirit of each is designed for the common good, & the courage to be truthful provides also the gentleness of compassion..

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is hanging in there, muttering 'You exist & I am Yours' when every other source of security fails. Once peace begins to take hold, prayer adds 'You love me & I trust You.' As the mind then registers 'You're using me for something - there's purpose to this', prayer moves to the will: 'I'm available.'

When the Ascension of the Lord is celebrated the following Sunday, the second reading and Gospel from the Seventh Sunday of Easter may be read on the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."
YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT & BE MY WITNESSES TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH
"Go, make disciples of all, baptize in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit,
teach to observes all that I have commanded you."

During the day: Observe whatever has been commanded by legitimate authority. You are as free to do the wrong thing as the right. Use this freedom to create order, not chaos. There is power in working together - order, if doing the right thing; chaos, if doing the wrong. The witness of properly used freedom is itself the spirit that inspires others to do likewise. The bond created is love. Everlasting.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer opens the doors of both mind & heart to the power of the Spirit: light to the intellect, courage to the will. Both are gifts, to be either accepted or rejected. The predisposition of prayer is generosity, the presumption trust. When both kick in, the Spirit adjusts the prayers & actions of all to the good of the whole: A civilization of love, the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:1-11
Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

Eph 1.17-23
17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

MT 28:16-20 (The Great Commission)
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Prayerful thoughts from the Banks of the Texas Trinidad by Rev. Jack Vessels, SJ
"Read: Listen in Silence & Chew on His Word, then share some simple thought with others."

During the day - Breathe forgiveness. Breathe it in; breathe it out - new life into ruptured relationships. Pardon needs to be sought to be granted. Once sought, taken for granted, only key to progress. Retained? Progress stalls, fault now of the offended. If you don't breathe, you die.

ABOUT PRAYER - The lungs pray always, breathing God in, breathing God out, praising him just by being lungs. That's the way we praise God best, too: just being. You, the person you are; me, the person I am - the only one of me he made! No better, no worse than anyone else - just better or worse than myself. Prayer helps me evaluate myself, not the other fellow. Prayer shows me when I've been offensive & suggests I apologize; it's the other's problem to forgive, & I hope he does, for his sake. When the shoe's on the other foot, I hope I do too.

Reading Acts 2:1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."

Responsorial Psalm 104: 1, 24, 29-31, 34
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD, my God, you are great indeed! How manifold are your works, O LORD! the earth is full of your creatures; May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD be glad in his works! Pleasing to him be my theme; I will be glad in the LORD. If you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust. When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.

Reading I Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters: No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Gospel: John 20: 19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

During the day - Feed others. Feed them with your time & attention, your friendship & respect, your energy & talents. Make a difference in the lives of the people you share it with. You're worth more than you know; don't let doubt tie you up. Others' hunger is sated by the dignity with which you honor them. Just being there & being yourself is a word of encouragement that nourishes, strengthens, inspires. Speak it. .

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer feeds on the word of God It chews - discerns it, assimilates it, assumes it. Prayer is communication - listening/responding. The integrity of prayer reflects the purity of the truth perceived, its humility refracts it to the searching hearts of the confused. God does the rest.

Reading Old Testament: Deut. 8: 2-3, 14b-16a
Moses said to the people: "Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out whether or not it was your intention to keep his commandments. He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD. "Do not forget the LORD, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery; who guided you through the vast and terrible desert with its saraph serpents and scorpions, its parched and waterless ground; who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock and fed you in the desert with manna, a food unknown to your fathers."

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 147: 12-15, 19-20
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you. He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.

Reading New Testament: I Corinthians 10: 16-17
Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

Gospel: John 6: 51-58
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."

During the day - Be a good sinner. Have a healthy sense of sin, not a guilt complex. Define your options: the you you want to be. Then work at it thoroughly & continuously. Reward the successes, correct the failures. The Friend you're trying to please is always there to help. Let him.

ABOUT PRAYER - A sinner's prayer is regret born of gratitude. Regret for the mistakes of bad will, recognition they violate the options made. Authentic regret recommits one to improve & assume responsibility for damage done. Prayer petitions God's patience, help & guidance, aware the divine designer knows better than we the flaws & how to fix them. Prayer reminds us we're loved not in spite of our sins but because of them. Hope born of the security of knowing we're not rejected is the motor that drives, faith the rudder that steers as we stay the course that brings us to true & eternal love.

Reading Hosea 6:3-6
In their affliction, people will say: "Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming, and his judgment shines forth like the light of day! He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth." What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your piety is like a morning cloud, like the dew that early passes away. For this reason I smote them through the prophets, I slew them by the words of my mouth; for it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 50: 1, 8, 12-15
To the upright I will show the saving power of God. God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting. "Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your holocausts are before me always." "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for mine are the world and its fullness. Do I eat the flesh of strong bulls, or is the blood of goats my drink?" "Offer to God praise as your sacrifice and fulfill your vows to the Most High; then call upon me in time of distress; I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me."

Reading Romans 4: 18-25
Brothers and sisters: Abraham believed, hoping against hope, that he would become "the father of many nations," according to what was said, "Thus shall your descendants be." He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body as already dead--for he was almost a hundred years old-- and the dead womb of Sarah. He did not doubt God's promise in unbelief; rather, he was strengthened by faith and gave glory to God and was fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to do. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness. But it was not for him alone that it was written that it was credited to him; it was also for us, to whom it will be credited, who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over for our transgressions and was raised for our justification.

Gospel Matthew 9: 9-13
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

During the day - Give without expecting payment. Whatever you charge for your services, know that the gift of self is not for sale. You're not yours to give. You belong to Another; by design his gift to others. Fulfillment is not in payment, it's in the harvest. Labor's worth is in its fruits: finding the lost, healing the broken-hearted, raising the dead from their despair, driving out the demons of weakness & fear. A tender touch; a genuine smile; an understanding nod proclaim an inner kingdom where love is all that matters.

ABOUT PRAYER - Ignatius prayed it this way: 'Lord, teach me to be generous. To serve you as you deserve. to give & not to count the cost; to fight & not to heed the wounds; to toil & not to seek for rest; to labor & ask for no reward save knowing I do your will."

Reading Exodus 19: 2-6a
In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp. While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, Moses went up the mountain to God. Then the LORD called to him and said, "Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation."

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 100: 1-3, 5
We are his people: the sheep of his flock. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful song. Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends. The LORD is good: his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Reading Romans 5: 6-11
Brothers and sisters: Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Gospel Matthew 9:36 - 10:8
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."

During the day - Stay alive. Don't be the living dead. Fearless of death, go the limit of life. Inside & out. First the inner, as deep as you can: to the Center that radiates a life that dies only if contact with the center broken. The only one who can break it is you. Don't. So the only one to fear is you. Do.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer harmonizes outer & inner, pulls the outer in, explodes the inner out. Prayer embraces things & people, absorbs situations & challenges, seeks grandeur in the small, senses simplicity in the grand. Prayer inhales the goodness in beauty, the beauty in truth, the truth in life. Life, order as endless as truth & beauty, is the expression of love. Prayer resists the blind attraction to chaos & locks in to the humanity of Christ, sole circuit with the divine.

During the day - Be a prophet. Announce & denounce. Announce what's good & right, denounce the obstacles to what is. Start in your own heart. Share with others what you know to be good & right about yourself, wrestle to correct what isn't. Promote opinions, not because they're yours but because you believe them to be true. Listen with respect to what others honestly believe to be true, disregard what's obviously only self-interest. Seeking what's good & right together, you'll find it - that's what we're made for.

ABOUT PRAYER: Pray with self-confidence in your own integrity. After all, a good God made you; he ought to know how to take care of you. Puzzled? Expect guidance. Discouraged? Ask for strength. Defeated? Hang on to hope. Successful? Don't forget to say thanks, & be sure to fulfill his purpose, not your own. Prayer shapes one's niche in humanity's history, indispensable to the healing of the not-so-good by Goodness itself. The human Christ gets all the credit, we take all the blame.

During the day - Fatigued? Should be, if you're working hard. Burdened? Obviously, if you're taking your responsibilities seriously. Letting others help you? or preferring to do it all yourself? Why not wise up & & be the little one you really are, & reach out for help to those who love you? You'll discover the whole new world of what life is really all about.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer researches reality; first identifies the transience of experience, then ponders the transcendence of its essentials. Prayer discovers the quality of relationships, then recognizes the permanence of presence. Finally, prayer rests the fatigue of living in becoming what we are; then - refreshed - prayer dissolves again into fruitful action & works on with Christ forever, enjoying partnership with the divine.

Reading Zechariah 9: 9-10
Thus says the LORD: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 145: 1-2, 8-14
I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God. I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.

Reading Romans 8: 9-13
Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Gospel: Matthew 11: 25-30
At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

During the day - Enrich the soil of daily life. You have to water it in dry spells, fertilize it when necessary, even bring in some good top soil from elsewhere if possible. Made to be loved, let others in to render your heart fertile - hard to love others, till you're humbly grateful for theirs. Your fruitfulness depends, not just on returned love to the lover but consummated love's service, together, to the needs of those around you. Don't let thorns of self-doubt & partnership in selfishness sterilize you both. Love nourishes the inner life of lovers only when consumed by hungry outsiders. Fruit gives of itself for the abundant life of others, till nothing's left. That's when the eternal joys of love begin.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer plows the surface of daily routine, receives the seed of the Word, closes the heart around it, love the only condition It needs to release the Life within. The Good News is always good & it's always new. Prayer nourishes the unique divine vitality of this text in this heart at this moment! Prayer ponders with the intellect the truth discerned, embraces with the will the life it communicates. Then awaits with the secure conviction of faith the - at times unseen - fruitfulness of love's consummation.

Reading Isaiah 55:10-11
Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm 65:10-14
The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest. You have visited the land and watered it; greatly have you enriched it. God's watercourses are filled; you have prepared the grain. Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, softening it with showers, blessing its yield. You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow with a rich harvest; the untilled meadows overflow with it, and rejoicing clothes the hills. The fields are garmented with flocks and the valleys blanketed with grain. They shout and sing for joy.

Reading Romans 8:18-23
Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Gospel Matthew 13:1-23
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear." The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them. "But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. "Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

During the day - Know yourself. Credit the wheat, acknowledge the weeds. Don't be surprised they're both you. Tolerate the weeds, not only in yourself but in others as well. Acceptance is one thing; resignation is something else. Undeterred by weakness, don't be unperturbed. On the contrary, assume the justice of responsibility for your weakness' consequences & work diligently to keep them at a minimum. Faults acknowledged, virtue grows: the real & lasting you, in tune with Christ, lives on forever. The waste we leave behind.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is getting comfortable with truth. Being humble. Facing up to responsibilities. Trusting God to bring good out of your evil, even as you're struggling to diminish it. Prayer reaffirms your healthy options, disowns & disciplines uncontrollable tendencies. Prayer searches for the roots of these tendencies, begs God to help you do something about them. Prayer looks around at people with a kinder eye, knowing they're on the same battleground you are.

Reading Wisdom12: 13, 16-19
There is no god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned. For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all. For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity. But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you. And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.

Responsorial Psalms 86: 5-6, 9-10, 15-16
Lord, you are good and forgiving. You, O LORD, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon you. Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my pleading. All the nations you have made shall come and worship you, O LORD, and glorify your name. For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds; you alone are God. You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity. Turn toward me, and have pity on me; give your strength to your servant.

Reading Romans 8: 26-27
Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will.

Gospel Matthew 13:24-43
Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."'" He proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'" He spoke to them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened." All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world. Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

During the day: You're the only one of you God made, no better nor worse than anyone else, your destiny yours alone to determine. Uniquely precious to creator-parent, your Father-Mother is always at your side, protecting you, not from sickness or death, pain or suffering, mistakes or failure, but from fear of them & their consequences. If wise enough to trust her absolutely, you'll soon learn how much he trusts you!

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer links past to future, inspires us to embrace the blossoming of events with courage & enthusiasm, while cautiously defending core values. Prayer humbly ponders new ideas, tests them with inner norms of truth, tunes into God's will, recognizes them as his design (or not). If so discerned, one confidently steps from prayer to action, maintaining the prayerful mode to evaluate the transcendent unity between Absolute & relative. Satisfied, prayer marvels with awe & gratitude the ever-exploding beauty of God's creation.

Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 3: 5, 7-12
The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you." Solomon answered: "O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?" The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: "Because you have asked for this-- not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right-- I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you."

Responsorial Psalms 119: 57, 72, 76-77, 127-130
Lord, I love your commands. I have said, O LORD, that my part is to keep your words. The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces. Let your kindness comfort me according to your promise to your servants. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. For I love your command more than gold, however fine. For in all your precepts I go forward; every false way I hate. Wonderful are your decrees; therefore I observe them. The revelation of your words sheds light, giving understanding to the simple.

New Testament Reading: Romans 8: 28-30
Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

Gospel: Matthew 13: 44-52
Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. "Do you understand all these things?" They answered, "Yes." And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."

During the day: Share. Your time, your talents, your energy, your possessions, yourself. Why? All are gift, & the purpose of the giver is communal, not individual. We have one Father, our heritage mutual & belonging to all. Our most precious gifts are intelligence & freedom; used in harmony for the common good, they guarantee - ultimately - the giver's purpose. It's a hard lesson to learn, but we've got a good Master.

ABOUT PAYER: All prayer is eucharistic. Christ nourishes even those who don't know him. Prayer complements human weakness with divine strength. Prayer is time given to digesting the head's directives & the energy communicated to carry them out. Prayer is recognition of the organic nature of our commitment to each other. Gratitude is a constituent in all authentic prayer - we're truly grateful for each other.

Old Testament: Isaiah 55:1-3
Thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 145: 8-9, 15-18
The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season; you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

Reading New Testament: Romans 8: 35, 37-39
Brothers and sisters: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel: Matthew 14: 13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, "This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said to them, "There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves." But they said to him, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have here." Then he said, "Bring them here to me," and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over-- twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

During the day: Take courage. Whatever the obstacles, take courage. However impossible the challenge, take courage. However deep the fear & despair, take courage. You've been here before & you'll be here again - courage always sees you through. Obstacles & challenges are of the mind, fear & despair of the feelings; courage is of the will. Move! Go! Do it! God'll pull you out if you out if you're drowning - trust him!

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer promotes the process of turning gifts into fruits. Gifts are gratuitous & come from another. Fruits grow to maturity when gift is used by the beloved for the purpose intended by the giver. Faith, hope & charity are gifts that, when practiced. become virtues - habits of human activity that have divine effect. Prayer ponders the challenges, sidesteps the feelings, encourages the will to step out into what appears to be thin air. It isn't; the gentle whispering breeze reminds you it's God's presence & power. He's the doer; you be his instrument.

During the day -

Think about things the way God does, the way they really are; not the way you'd like them to be. Perspectives vary; each, perhaps, with something of the truth; but only one with the total truth. Granted, in it's totality truth can't be grasped fully; but a tip of it can, & it's important to latch on to the right tip. So don't pick one just because it pleases you. Take a good look at all of them, trust the mind designed by it's creator to recognize truth. Truth has its own authority - keep keen to the sense of it, whatever the pain.

ABOUT PRAYER

During the day: Sin is a mistake of bad will, not just a mistake of bad judgment. When you & the other are the only two who know of his mistake, don't make matters worse by telling others. With more regard for his correction than your own damaged pride or welfare, pick the right time & the right manner to speak with him about it. Let the grace of God & the other's latent sense of justice do the rest.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer recalls the presence of Jesus. He, in turn, reminds me my own faults are as numerous & bad as the other guy's & I better do something about my own before I talk to him about his. Christ is there to help us both if we want it. Sometimes admitting my own struggle with sinful tendencies is a good way to get the other thinking about his own. If we get a little prayerful as we share, Jesus turns up the light & we both begin to know ourselves & each other better; we might even discover ways to help each other improve. Christ knows his business.

Old Testament: Ezra: 33: 7-9
Thus says the LORD: You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me. If I tell the wicked, "O wicked one, you shall surely die, " and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 95: 1-2, 6-9
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him. Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides. Oh, that today you would hear his voice: "Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, Where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works."

New Testament: Romans 13: 8-10
Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, " and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Gospel: Matthew 18: 15-20
Jesus said to his disciples: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

During the day: You're neither better nor worse than anyone else, neither more nor less deserving. You're just you, the only one of you God made. Your destiny is unique, product of his design & your cooperation, fruit of his generous love & your unconditional gratitude. Do your job the best you can, humbly, without regard for status, helping others do even better if they can. We're all in this together, & no matter how secular the job, it's the work of the Lord & sacred in its purpose. When all is said & done, there's no first & last, just one gloriously happy & successful human family.

ABOUT PRAYER: In prayer we attempt the impossible: to think the thoughts of God! That's why, the deeper we get into prayer, we simply turn the mind off & let an inner awareness of unfathomable security, God, calm the emotions & strengthen the will. However chaotic in appearance, we embrace his designs, wise in both origin & fulfillment.

Old Testament: Isaiah 55:6-9
Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the LORD for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 145: 2-3, 8-9. 17-18
The Lord is near to all who call upon him. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

New Testament: Romans 1: 20c-24, 27a
Brothers and sisters: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit. Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 20: 1-16a
Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."

During the day: Think twice before disobeying legitimate authority. It has its responsibility; so do you. Common goals are only reached by coordinated common action. The rot that condemns a project to failure is in the will, not the reason. Recognized & removed, wholesomeness restored. True health is in relationships, not results.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer goes to the core: God's authority is exercised with love & for love, & authentic obedience to his authority likewise. The mind may dissent but the will consents. Love is of the heart, not always of the mind. Prayer is the battleground of humility vs. pride, responsibility vs. cop-out, solidarity vs. cowardice. Prayer purifies the mind of doubt, the emotions of fear & resentment, the will of self-centeredness. Prayer always ends up as an act of love.

Old Testament: Ezra 18:25-28
Thus says the LORD: You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, he does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 25:4-5, 8-10, 14
Remember your mercies, O Lord. Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your love are from of old. The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice, and teaches the humble his way.

New Testament: Philemon 2:1-11
Brothers and sisters: If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others. Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: "What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' He said in reply, 'I will not, ' but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."

During the day: What are you after? Why? What will be the lasting fruit of your efforts? Does it matter? Should it? Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Well for whom? Just you? Or does the welfare of others enter into your motivation? How far down on your list of priorities is it? Move it up a notch & note the difference.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer takes the what & asks why. It strips pride of its dishonesty, acknowledges shallow self-centeredness. Prayer seeks & finds the higher ground, embraces a purpose beyond its ken. Prayer invokes a wisdom that inspires trust, no matter the risks. Prayer is the key to an inner peace that is strong & unafraid. Prayer determines the character of action.

Old Testament: Isaiah 5:1-7
Let me now sing of my friend, my friend's song concerning his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; he spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines; within it he built a watchtower, and hewed out a wine press. Then he looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes. Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard: What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now, I will let you know what I mean to do with my vineyard: take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, let it be trampled! Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers; I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it. The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his cherished plant; he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry!

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 80:9, 12-16, 19-20
The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel. A vine from Egypt you transplanted; you drove away the nations and planted it. It put forth its foliage to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River. Why have you broken down its walls, so that every passer-by plucks its fruit, The boar from the forest lays it waste, and the beasts of the field feed upon it? Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see; take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted the son of man whom you yourself made strong. Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name. O LORD, God of hosts, restore us; if your face shine upon us, then we shall be saved.

New Testament: Philemon 4:6-9
Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

During the day: Don't ignore invitations. Be grateful; be courteous. Let inner harmony guarantee harmony with others. Take little things as seriously as big, be cordial (but firm) with everyone, especially yourself. Let reasonable considerations influence your decisions - though insignificant, they may determine unforeseen consequences. We build God's kingdom as we go.

ABOUT PRAYER: Prayer is the reverent obeisance to the Source from whom all good things come. The effectiveness of that very goodness depends on the humility with which it is acknowledged. Prayer submits to a divine plan working it's way, through human cooperation, towards a civilization of love, justice & peace. These constitute the objective of prayer: to be their instruments, always, in my little corner of the world.

Old Testament: Isaiah 26:6-10
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said: "Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!" For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 23: 1-6
The Lord is my Shepherd - That's Relationship!
I shall not want - That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures - That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters - That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul - That' s Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness - That's Guidance!
For His name sake - That's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death - That's Testing!
I will fear no evil - That' s Protection!
For Thou art with me - That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me - That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies - That's Hope!
Thou anointest my head with oil - That's Consecration!
My cup runneth over - That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life - That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord - That's Security!
Forever - That's Eternity!

New Testament: Philippians 4:12-14, 19-29
Brothers and sisters: I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I can do all things in him who strengthens me. Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress. My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen.

Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."’ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen."

During the day: Be authentic. Be true to God, & you'll be true to yourself. Let your authenticity show; without your saying a word, others will learn the way of God in truth. The proud will be humbled; the humble will be encouraged. Situations & their solutions are only as important as the character of the persons involved; when others lack it, be the foundation.

ABOUT PRAYER: In prayer we discern hypocrisy, our own & others'. Prayer recognizes both as weakness, not strength, & turns to God for help. With humble confidence that he's always there for those who correct themselves, prayer motivates the courage that pays the price of truth. Others, feeling threatened, may seek to punish & destroy; those who feel shamed may be inspired to turn to prayer themselves.

Old Testament: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I grasp, subduing nations before him, and making kings run in his service, opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred: For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not. I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me. It is I who arm you, though you know me not, so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun people may know that there is none besides me. I am the LORD, there is no other.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 96:1, 3-10
Give the Lord glory and honor. Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. For great is the LORD and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods. For all the gods of the nations are things of nought, but the LORD made the heavens. Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name! Bring gifts, and enter his courts. Worship the LORD, in holy attire; tremble before him, all the earth; say among the nations: The LORD is king, he governs the peoples with equity.

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen. For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.

Gospel: Matthew 22:15-21
The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status. Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."