Month: October 2021

“I consider that the sufferings of the 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.” Romans 8:18

Isn’t this what the world today is crying out? The true miracle of God’s words is that they continue to rejuvenate those who read and proclaim them. Just as they energized the people who heard them 2,000 years ago, they inspire us as if they had been written at this very moment. The word of God is powerful and life changing. Right now, we need His voice and the presence of Jesus more than anything our world offers.

Jesus Christ is the Word of God and gives us wisdom, but He is also our Savior. We need His saving grace in order to see past the suffering of our current situation and remember that the glory of Heaven awaits us. Suffering in the world is nothing new, based on the words in Romans we realize that. While slavery and corruption confront us on this earth, if we stay true and trust solely in Jesus, we will receive glory and comfort in our renewed lives to come.

Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, one that is planted, nurtured and allowed to grow. We are being nurtured and we should grow. Living in this world at the present moment strengthens us. These are hard times, but like that mustard seed of the kingdom, if we are cared for, we will grow stronger and have an incredible future ahead of us, united with our Creator. This is the main reason He gave us life–so we could live in harmony with Him, our Lord and Savior.

During His time on this earth, Jesus kindly bestowed several words of hope on us, but He also gave us warnings. These warnings were not intended just for the people alive at that time, but for us alive in the world today. The words in today’s Gospel seem to ring particularly true now. We are constantly consumed by fear, which has led many people to forget what we are preparing for in our lives.

“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.” Luke 12:37

If the Master were to arrive tomorrow, who would be counted on as vigilant? Sin entered this world through one man, and now many are bound by it. Jesus offers grace, and one can choose to follow His word and be saved. However, this grace is becoming more difficult to obtain because it is easier to fall prey to the desire for all the “necessities” to survive in this world. Unfortunately, when we choose these worldly treasures, we forget to light our very basic lamps and refuse to take the road less traveled.

Our lives on this earth are not meant to be easy. As followers of Jesus, we are asked to live the way He did, which was without any modern conveniences that make life easy. We are called to “stay awake” while others sleep because when the Master comes, we will want to be ready.

Jesus always spoke out against the ways of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of His time, and consequently they wanted Him dead. When reading stories in the Gospel, it is easy to see the behavior of the Pharisees was wrong, yet they were blind to their evil actions. As history continued, the term “Pharisees” is no longer used, but the practices and beliefs upheld by the Pharisees remain. We are still sinners and are bound to fall into similar traps just as the Pharisees did.

“Although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools.” Romans 1:21-23

The Pharisees were bound by the traditions and rituals of their religion. As humans, we can accept the lie that if we follow the laws, we are guaranteed entrance into the kingdom of Heaven. The Pharisees exemplified the rules regarding eating only clean food and other practical teachings like that, but today we follow different rules. These rules are meant to keep us wholly devoted to our Lord; however, it is possible to put merely the practice of these before the true worship of God Himself.

How often do we lose sight of Christ when focusing on getting to confession once a month, or remembering the pattern of a rosary instead of actually paying attention to the words? The truth is that what Jesus desires is our love and devotion. The sacraments and prayers are gifts to help us, but they are not meant to replace Jesus Christ and His presence in our lives.

“The one who is righteous by faith will live.” Romans 1:17

We live at a time where being a true Catholic is difficult. The Word of God calls us everyday to take stances and make declarations completely contrary to the status quo. COVID 19 and the political tension in the world can cause many to lose sight of what God asks of them. When people live in an environment filled with fear, the negative voices promoting this fear can easily drown out the voice of God.

How would the story of Martha and Mary be told today? Would Martha be concerned about Mary wearing a face mask when addressing Jesus? Would there be questions about whether Jesus was vaccinated or not? Who would be considered clean and unclean? All these questions would seem justifiable and Martha would likely have been as worried as those around her. We would have the same worries. These concerns create a great deal of separation between family and friends due to the attempt at protocols to keep everyone safe. Nevertheless, it is important to ask yourself, if Jesus were to knock on your door, would you respond as a Martha or a Mary?

I have always advocated for being a bit of both Martha and Mary. However, in the circumstances created by our world today, I feel it is crucial to try to imitate Mary. With all the current separation and social distance, Mary is an example of unity. Jesus is speaking to us and calling us to HIm, but we are distracted by the new ways of keeping people “safe” which often involve distance. Jesus does not want distance. We will be stronger if we are together, united under God. In these troubled times, it is important to be Marys because she has “chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” Luke 10:4