Catholics and the Bible

Are you curious about what Catholics think about the Bible, or simple unfamiliar with the Holy Book entirely? This site offers a fairly good overview, calling it "Bible Boot Camp". (but I don't think they make you do push-ups!)

Sunday Reading Resource

Here is another website that can help you prepare for or reflect on the Sunday Mass scriptures.

If you have children or teens, there are also questions and activities designed to relate to them.

Today in Scripture

 The Gospel today is Matthew 23: 27-32

Jesus said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,
but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You build the tombs of the prophets
and adorn the memorials of the righteous,
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,
we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’
Thus you bear witness against yourselves
that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”

The television network ABC currently has an 'ethical dilemma' show called "What Would You Do?" in which they set up various situations and film bystanders reactions (or lack of action) with a hidden camera. I'm guessing that many people watching the show claim the noble course of action for themselves: of course I'd give that person a few dollars for gas, no matter their gender or ethnicity or fashion sense; I'd certainly speak up if a man was verbally abusing his date, etc., etc.  But deep down, it's a gnawing question, what would you do?

‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ That leads to another gnawing question... if we had lived in the days of Jesus, would we have followed him, listened to him, believed in him, or dismissed him as too 'out there', as someone unfaithful to religious tradition, a dangerous influence in society? Fortunately, we don't have to think too hard about this because our ancestors in faith have passed on to us the priceless gift of belief, and along with it a set of standards for how to live like Jesus Christ.

Still. The struggle remains: we know what Jesus said and did and valued, but it can be difficult to internalize that knowledge to a consistent way of being. And we know how we feel when our reality conflicts with our good intentions. It's not a new struggle, remember Paul? "For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want." (Romans 7: 19) 

I wonder what Jesus' tone was in this passage. We usually read it as a stern condemnation of hypocrisy, something to be rightfully criticized. But what if he was saying, 'how utterly sad for you, look at how this inconsistency is eating you up, is making you feel dead inside'. These feelings of disquiet that settle in when we know we've not lived up to our own, let alone God's standards can be helpful: they are invitations to take a breath, turn back to the right path and try again.

Today in Scripture

Matthew 13: 44-46

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."

Do you remember that scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when in order to save his father's life, and against all evidence that points to a fatal fall, Indy has to take a 'leap of faith' in order to reach the grail? He takes some time to evaluate, to consider what he knows, but at some point just has to ... take.. that ... step.... and...

.....the path reveals itself.

Most of us have made a leap of faith in one way or another:

• Declaring your love for another
• Committing to marriage
• Choosing a major
• Changing your career
• Choosing Catholicism as the way to live your faith

You take some time, weigh your options, consider your lived experience, and at some point come to the decision that this choice is worth more than any other option. At the same time, that choice for a new path demands that something else be left behind (independence, other options, security, etc.).  Jesus tells his disciples that out of joy at finding the great treasure, a person sells all they have just to have the possibility of attaining it. What have you left behind in order to attain what you now hold dear (whether a relationship, vocation or faith-path)? What still keeps you from 'full ownership'?

Today in Scripture

The second half of today's first reading (full reading: Micah 6: 1-4, 6-8):
Micah 6: 6-8

With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow before God most high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.

This reminds me a little bit of the dynamic in yesterday's Gospel, when Jesus was visiting with Martha and Mary. Do you think that sometimes we complicate things a bit much, in an attempt to 'win favor' with God? The good news of the Gospel is simple: God loves us. God loves you, and there's not a thing you can do to diminish that love. You do, of course, have the free will to reject God's love, but it seems that it is humanity that complicates how we might respond in love, worship, or thanksgiving.

A slightly different translation of Micah 6:8 makes clear just how simple (and how challenging) is our calling as disciples:

This is what God asks of you: 
only this,
to act justly,
to love tenderly
and to walk humbly with your God.

This might be a good week to reflect on how well the priorities in your life support this three-fold mission.

Today in Scripture

(Well, yesterday in Scripture, technically)
An excerpt from Sunday's second reading, from the 5th chapter of Galatians:

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.

At our creation, God granted us free will. Through our redemption, Jesus freed us from the overwhelming power of sin. And the power of the infinite Love of the Holy Trinity made effective in us by the Holy Spirit helps us to reach out in loving kindness, service, sacrifice and joy to one another.

We have the freedom to treat every human interaction as a contest. The Scripture seems to suggest that will just make losers of us all. We also have the freedom to treat every 'contest' as an opportunity for learning more about ourselves and our so-called opponents as the sons and daughters or God that we all are. This invitation to grow in respect and love may not always be pleasant at that time, but if we embrace the freedom of caring for the good of others, we all benefit in the end.

There are seven basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Based in Scripture, these fundamental elements speak to how we as Christians are to live day to day, affecting our relationships in the home, at work, in society and as a resident of planet Earth!

One of these principles of Catholic Social Teaching is the "Rights and Responsibilities". Here is a summary of that principle, as provided by the Social Concerns Committee of St. Andrew the Apostle parish.

While public debate is often divided between those who focus on personal responsibility and those who focus on social responsibility, our tradition insists that both are necessary. People have basic rights and responsibilities because of their human dignity which reflects the fact that they have been created in God's image.  Catholic teaching emphasizes that people have a fundamental right to life and to the basic necessities that provide quality to life: food, shelter, health care, education and employment.  We are called to respect the rights of others and to seek the common good.

Today in Scripture

The Gospel today is from Matthew 5: 38-42:

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You have heard that it was said,

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.

When someone strikes you on your right cheek,

turn the other one to him as well.

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,

hand him your cloak as well.

Should anyone press you into service for one mile,

go with him for two miles.

Give to the one who asks of you,

and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

Just two things to note, briefly, about today's Gospel:
The Old Testament "eye for an eye" is often thought to be a command in favor of retribution. In reality, it was a restriction of pay-back to a proportional level (for instance, rather than killing all the goats of the entire family of a man who stole one goat, the victim was entitled to one goat in repayment). It was an attempt to rein in what could otherwise become an escalation of violence.

And rather than advocating weakness in response to offense, Jesus is calling for a deeper strength from his followers. Such generosity in the face of injustice comes from a mature knowledge deep down in our souls of what really matters in this life. Jesus isn't saying to 'make nice' for the purpose of avoiding future confrontation, but to be such a witness of goodness, patience, and long-term perspective, that your offender can't help but be disarmed, and perhaps changed for the better by your reaction. Now, he's not calling us to be doormats, to go looking for abuse, but in those situations of stress and confrontation, we are free to choose to react out of anger, or out of love. Which choice takes more strength?

Today in Scripture

Macombre Christian Academy, Haiti
A recent email from the director of the Macombre Christian Academy in Haiti (which our parish supports through the "Haiti Goat Project") began,

  "The longest journey starts with one step." 

 Throughout the Easter Season, we read from the Acts of the Apostles, the New Testament book that tells us about the growth and struggles of the earliest Christian communities in the days after Jesus' ascension. Sunday's first reading as well as the first reading for today don't shy away from bringing to light the all-too-human emotions of jealousy, pride and selfishness that lead us to want to keep all the fame and 'good stuff' for ourselves. (Why should we let the Gentiles in on the Good News? And if we do, how much will we demand of them first?) One might speculate that if the leaders of the early Church had not had the humility and good sense to be attentive to God's Holy Spirit, Christianity may well be relegated to a tiny sect in the mid-east today, if it survived at all!

If we can take the time to try to discern God's hand at work in a situation, even if things aren't going exactly according to our plan, the end result is likely to be growth, renewal, resurrection. If, however, we wall ourselves off and greedily claim what is 'ours', well, we have nice walls, don't we?

Our journey of faith is a long one. You have already taken that first step.  Let Jesus guide you along the path each day to more closely follow in his steps.

As Catholic Christians, we do NOT teach that natural disasters are God's 'punishment', nor that they are anything other than the natural disruptions that just happen in creation. Where we DO speak of God at work is in how we react to these challenges and disasters. In the bravery of first responders, in the humanity of one stranger comforting another, in the generous offering of prayers, material goods, muscle-power or money ... we demonstrate the love and selflessness that Jesus taught and that the early Church remembered. We ARE the Body of Christ.

This weekend at all the masses, Mr. Obinson Joseph, director of the school in Haiti, will be giving our parish an update on the process of rebuilding their community.  Here's a preview for you!

Today in Scripture

I passed this sign on Sunday morning (and am grateful to a good friend for going out and snapping a photo for me), and it amused and confused me. Would my response if I knew the date and time of Jesus' arrival be to organize a yard sale? Or maybe Jesus himself is providing the heavenly treasures for the event? Wouldn't THAT be a chance to get some great bargains?!

The first reading today is from the Acts of the Apostles. This is Luke's recounting of life in the early Church, beginning with Jesus' ascension into heaven, followed soon after by the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. An excerpt (Acts 4:32-35) describes what life was like in Jerusalem in those early days:

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.

"Communists! Socialists! Hippie-commune-crazies!," we respectable capitalists might say today. But really, they were only following the example of Jesus himself, whose powerful trust in God's and people's generosity made miracles happen. And these early Christians truly believed that Jesus was returning soon, so holding onto personal wealth and possessions took a backseat to the primary goal of being found faithful to his message and ministry.

So perhaps the unintentionally amusing wording of the church sign isn't so far off after all... 
Do your possessions keep you from welcoming Christ right now? I mean, really: do you have 5 pairs of sneakers, or half a dozen purses, or an overflowing closet... while the Christ down the road has no shoes on her feet, no money to put in a purse, no home- let alone a closet? Have we gorged ourselves on Easter candy while the Christ three blocks away is scrounging in dumpsters for his next meal? Perhaps it's time for our own Yard and Bake sale!

There isn't necessarily sin in 'having', unless by our having too much we keep others from having anything at all. Money and home and possessions are good, but not ends in themselves to a faithful Christian. By our baptism in Christ we become brothers and sisters to one another in faith, and as family we are called to look out for each other, to take care of and pray for and support one another as we are able.

"Jesus is Coming"

What's the next line on YOUR sign?

Today in Scripture

 Mark 6: 53-56
After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.

Most of us are familiar with the Gospel story of  the paralyzed man being lowered through the roof of a house by his friends so Jesus could cure him. Striking about today's passage is the sense of the scale of that same action repeated multiple times. Consider the effort expended by friends and relatives to bring the sick to Jesus. The sense of community and strong connections to others is evident. The sense that helping another to find themselves in Christ's presence can effect real healing is an invitation to humble and gentle evangelization.

There are seven basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Based in Scripture, these fundamental elements speak to how we as Christians are to live day to day, affecting our relationships in the home, at work, in society and as a resident of planet Earth!

One of these principles of Catholic Social Teaching is the "Community and the Common Good". Here is a summary of that principle, as provided by the Social Concerns Committee of St. Andrew the Apostle parish.

The Mystery of the Trinity involves the relationship of complete love among the three Persons in One God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Persons made in God's image, we must model God's self-giving love. Hence the human person is both sacred and fundamentally social. In community we realize the fulfillment of our dignity and rights in relationship with and to others.

• How does this principle relate to our Scripture for today? 
• How does it apply in your life?

Today in Scripture

Mark 2:23-28
As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.

At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
He said to them, “Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”

Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

Can't you imagine Jesus' exasperation with the Pharisees?

Have you ever had one of those experiences? Once I was visiting a parish with a school, and subtly (I thought) chewing gum so as not to offend anyone post-lunch. Yes, I saw the signs advising "no smoking or gum chewing on-campus", but I knew I was not going to stick the wad on a wall or under a chair and there were no children around to whom I could be a bad example. Well, the person in charge noticed and presented me with a trash can in which to dispose of my great offense. I did not protest- I WAS a visitor and I DID see the signs, but I will confess that I felt as if I had been treated like a child.

Granted, any society or institution needs a set of agreed-upon rules in order to function smoothly. You've got them in your own home (even if YOU are 'your household') - can dishes sit in the sink, are there limits to acceptable TV channels, what about that toothpaste cap? When we all understand what is expected (don't kill people, don't steal, pay and do your fair share) we can all accomplish more, and in a much more pleasant atmosphere, than any one of us hiding within our personal fortresses.

Sometimes though, we can hide behind the rules and miss the reason for them. Of course, the Sabbath is our weekly reminder to focus our praise and attention on God, who created all and sustains us in life. And we really should cut down or eliminate the things that distract us from that endeavor. Remember though - in ancient cultures, there was no 40-hour, 5-day work week; you might be working 7 days a week, sun-up to sundown! The concept of Sabbath then, was to attend to the very human need to rest, to restore energy and to nurture one's most important relationships (God and family). So the Sabbath laws were created to protect people from not getting their rest, as well as turn their hearts and minds to God on a regular basis. Some people (then and now) get so invested that every tiny regulation gets followed correctly that they miss the big picture. I can imagine that a number of Pharisees would be worn out at the end of the Sabbath from making certain that they and those around them had followed all the rules of resting!

So: this is not to counsel anarchy, but common sense. If you are faced with a tough choice between honoring a system or honoring the dignity of a person... consider your options, consider the consequences, and consider what option Jesus might have chosen.

One of the most basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching is the "Dignity of the Human Person". Here is a summary of that principle, as provided by the Social Concerns Committee of St. Andrew the Apostle parish.

All people are a reflection of the image of God and thus all human life, at all stages from conception through death, is sacred. The basic dignity that each person possesses comes from God, and therefore all discrimination is wrong. People take precedence over things and structures. Systems are meant to serve people, not vice versa.

• How does this principle relate to our Scripture for today? 
• How does it apply in your life?

Today in Scripture

An excerpt from the first reading today:
Beloved, we love God because he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,”
but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen
cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from him:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
(full text: 1 John 4:19-5:4)

Today's Gospel, Luke 4: 14-22
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

There are seven basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Based in Scripture, these fundamental elements speak to how we as Christians are to live day to day, affecting our relationships in the home, at work, in society and as a resident of planet Earth!

One of these principles of Catholic Social Teaching is the "Option for the Poor". Here is a summary of that principle, as provided by the Social Concerns Committee of St. Andrew the Apostle parish.

The Gospel calls Christians to put the needs of the poor first. A common moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable people. Wherever there is structural injustice Christians are called to oppose it. Those with the greatest need especially require the greatest response.

• How does this principle relate to our Scripture for today? 
• How does it apply in your life?
  

Today in Scripture

Isaiah 25:6-10a
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 all faces;
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.

There are so many vivid images in this passage! After last week's Thanksgiving holiday, many (although not all) of us can appreciate the delights of a feast of extra-special food and drink.  Isaiah chooses this imagery to highlight the promised state of contentment (in abundance!) and peace that will accompany God's ultimate victory over sin, division and death. You know, Jesus also talks a lot about the Kingdom of God in terms of a banquet (and we often find him sharing food with others in the Gospels), and we speak of the Liturgy of the Eucharist (Mass) as a 'foretaste of the heavenly banquet' .... it all sounds good to me!

There is another image here that has started me thinking... 'the web that is woven over all nations'.  Of course, Isaiah was writing long before the birth of the Internet, the "World Wide Web", which for all its hazards can make vital and positive connections between people and nations across the globe. I'm thinking more about the spiders that live in my yard and sometimes start their webs across my front steps, or stretch to my car's antenna... so that I walk face-first into that invisible stickiness. And then spend the next half-hour wiping at my face and hoping the spider itself is not hiding on me! For the next several days I walk cautiously in that area, never at ease, always suspicious.
This Scripture passage makes me ponder the current reality of our world - well truly, the reality of our world since Isaiah's time. It seems we as nations can't help but get tangled up in a struggle for land and security, for resources and dominance. Just as there is a natural beauty in the patterns of a spider's web that leads to deadly consequences for unsuspecting insects, humanity has a natural inclination to isolate ourselves from the 'other', putting on the veils that obscure our vision, leading to mistrust, misunderstanding, and perhaps violence and death.

That's not the way of God's world, Isaiah tells us, and Jesus shows us. Maybe it takes a focused awareness to clear away the cobwebs, to lift the veil....  Consider these words of Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily last Saturday for the First Vespers of Advent:

Advent, this intense liturgical time that we are beginning, invites us to pause in silence to grasp a presence. It is an invitation to understand that every event of the day is a gesture that God directs to us, sign of the care he has for each one of us. How many times God makes us perceive something of his love! ... Advent invites and stimulates us to contemplate the Lord who is present. Should not the certainty of his presence help us to see the world with different eyes? Should it not help us to see our whole existence as a "visit," as a way in which he can come to us and be close to us, in each situation?

Today in Scripture

Luke 19: 1-10
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 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.”

Children love the story of Zacchaeus: a grown man, sitting in a tree! They can identify with his struggle to see over a crowd, and are delighted that Jesus would pick him to spend time with. As adults, we often read this as an example of conversion, as evidenced by the closing words of Jesus in the passage. And as a conversion story, it is a good and powerful one: our encounter with Jesus evokes a self-assessment that hopefully leads to a change for the better in how we live our lives.

Consider, though that "Zacchaeus" in Hebrew means 'pure, innocent'. The man is rich, but not necessarily greedy or dishonest. He was disliked because he oversaw the collection of taxes for the Roman occupiers. And while most translations use the future tense for his charitable intentions, John Pilch in "The Cultural World of Jesus - Cycle C" asserts that the present tense is more accurate and is descriptive of a repeated practice... Zacchaeus has been generous all along.  And don't miss that word "if"  -- he's asserting innocence of cheating, but will take responsibility if he discovers that his employees have cheated - repaying 400%, when Jewish law only required a 120% restitution.

So, is the salvation of this story a matter of restoring an innocent man's reputation, of changing his heart and way of life, or of challenging us all not to judge by appearance?  Perhaps 'yes' to all!

Today in Scripture

Luke 10:38-42:
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.” 

For such a brief and simple story, interpretations about its meaning vary as widely as the interests of the interpreters! What was Jesus saying, really? Is he showing a preference for the contemplative life over the active one? Alluding to justification by faith rather than works? Overturning the role of woman as servant in favor of woman as disciple? Or just trying to quiet some sibling rivalry?

This scripture passage immediately follows the parable of the Good Samaritan, an example Jesus presents of an individual recognizing a need, being 'moved with compassion' and going out of his way to 'love [his] neighbor as [him]self' through concrete and generous action. So, why pick on Martha?

Now, there's no way to know Martha's motivations, but one might just wonder if this was a case of just going through the motions of hospitality without her heart being in it. Was she truly making Jesus feel welcome, or bustling about with loud sighs and clattering of dishes?  And what about Mary? Was she just trying to get out of kitchen duty, or did she recognize Jesus' need to have someone really listen to him, right then and there?

Maybe, just maybe, Jesus is inviting us to consider the potential for holiness in all we do, whether spending time in prayer or up to our elbows in dirty dishes.  And inviting us to serve God by recognizing in every person God's 'image and likeness' and responding in loving attentiveness rather than harried obligation.

• Who in your life (workplace, neighborhood, family) is in need of your loving attention?

Today in Scripture

Psalm 138:
In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
     
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.
     
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD 
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD “Great is the glory of the LORD".

Today is the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Far from the popular images of chubby-cheeked cherubs, or pastel-tinted super-nannies, these "messengers of God" named in Scripture usually had to start their interactions with humans with the words, "Fear Not".  And with good reason: usually when an angel appears, something consequential is in the works!

Why do we have a feast day for angels? What does that say about what we believe? Well, let's go back to the Nicene Creed, "We believe in one God.... maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen."  In God's creation, there are spiritual realities that exist beyond our ability to detect with our senses. It's not just all about us! Angels, we are taught, are intelligent beings, created by God with free will and without the limitations of a physical body. Their eternal purpose is to glorify God and assist in working for our salvation. (Catechism of The Catholic Church nos. 328-336)

In the Diocese of Raleigh, we have parishes named for each of these archangels: St. Michael in Cary, St. Raphael in Raleigh and St. Gabriel in Greenville. "Each of these archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides [and heals]. Earlier belief that inexplicable events were due to the actions of spiritual beings has given way to a scientific world-view and a different sense of cause and effect. Yet believers still experience God's protection, communication and guidance in ways which defy description. We cannot dismiss angels too lightly." (source: www.americancatholic.org)

As unsettling as it can be to consider a reality beyond our own explainable experience, how comforting to think of so many protectors and guardians helping us on our spiritual path to our common Creator!

Today in Scripture

The Gospel reading for today is Luke 9: 1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God 
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

     Sometimes when I travel, I feel as if I'm taking my entire house with me. Clothes, shoes, shampoo, book, ipod, laptop, camera, magazine, cell phone, just one more sweater, etc., etc. "Take nothing for the journey"???  It may be that Jesus was trying to encourage his apostles to have to interact very directly with, even be dependent upon, strangers. Don't just go out and do your stuff and then hole up in the hotel ... connect with people! And in making the Twelve the recipients of the hospitality of the very people they are supposed to minister to, it becomes a reciprocal relationship: we each share of our own gifts to help one another.

     It can be difficult to admit the need for help. We're trained to be independent, self-sufficient. Trusting that God will indeed provide all we need is a challenging concept to believe fully. But sometimes those healing miracles can only happen when we let go of needing to be the person who makes them happen, let go of all the extra stuff that distracts us or weighs us down, and just be present to the opportunities of the moment.

•      Who has 'fed' or 'sheltered' you in your faith journey? 
•      What in your life makes it difficult to live your faith effectively?