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Sandstone Pattern

Daily Reflection

1 Kings 17: 1 – 6 Psalm 121: 1 – 8 Matthew 5: 1 – 12 Today begins a series of Gospel readings from Matthew centered around instruction of the law and the Kingdom of Heaven. It is important to remember that Matthew wrote to deliver the message of Christ to a Jewish audience. He tries to help them understand Jesus through that which they already know by Jewish teachings – making Jesus the new Moses and yet instructing that Jesus supersedes Moses. Matthew is teaching that the instruction of Jesus does not eliminate the Law but goes beyond and fulfills the Law. Matthew does not use the name of God in his Gospel and therefore refers the Kingdom of Heaven, the Jewish people would have had an issue with Matthew using the name of God. What is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven? The word from the Greek text was “basileia”, which is more of a reign or kingship rather than a place. It is a relationship with God where we see Him as our Lord, the Lord of our lives, the Lord of everything in our lives. Jesus shares with us today His instruction for what it looks like to live in the Kingdom of Heaven. His instruction is so very different than our world today…and just look around to see how many incredibly unhappy people there are in our lives, on social media, and in the theatre of the news media. “Poor in spirit”? Yes, there are a lot of people who are poor in spirit. A lot of people wallow in sadness, whose lives are full of anger and resentment, constantly looking for someone on whom they can get their revenge and make the other person as miserable as they are. That is not the Poor in spirit to which Jesus is referring. Jesus is referring to the gentleness of being poor in spirit, recognizing that we are always in need of the nourishment received by living in the Kingdom of Heaven. The instruction Jesus gives us today leads us to being Blessed, or how the word may also be interpreted….fortunate….or happy!!!! Jesus does not say it will be easy – being persecuted…insulted…and being a peacemaker means we will be in the midst of conflict. However, as we head into this week where we will be reopening the Church again for Mass and the Eucharist, let’s keep today’s Gospel in mind and realize that when it is all said and done, what God wants for us is to be happy. Living the life Jesus instructs today leads us exactly to that place…happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.

June 8

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Matthew 5:13-16 Today’s Gospel reading is part of the great sermon on the mount narrative and in it Jesus uses timeless metaphors for the spiritual life. In calling his listeners “the salt of the earth”, he is using a very well-known part of life to describe the spiritual life. Salt of course enhances and enriches. It brings out flavor in whatever it seasons. Similarly, Christians are to enhance and enrich the world through their lives by allowing Christ to shine through them. Through our lives, we are called to bring out the spiritual “flavor” of all that we encounter. Salt also was the primary preservative available at the time. In the spiritual life, salt represents the preservation of faith and fidelity to God. Similarly, its absence (if it “loses its saltiness”) represents the danger that the evils of the world can replace the centrality of God in our lives and damage our intended role to enhance and enrich the world. Salt was also sprinkled on everything in liturgical temple worship as a symbol of God’s covenant with Israel. Perhaps the most powerful imagery in today’s gospel is Jesus calling his followers “the light of the world”. Evoking imagery from Isaiah 58 (well-known to his listeners), Jesus here fulfills it. Here we have the one who literally is the light of the world (John 8:12) inviting and challenging us to also be lights to the world. He is inviting His greatest creation – humanity – to share in His divine life. Perhaps this is part of what it means to be “created in His image” (Gen 1:26-27). The greatest gift God can give is of course Himself. And that is precisely what Jesus brings us - God. By being lights to the world, we are living as God Himself designed us. And that light is not to be hidden. It is to radiate to the world. Like a city on a mountaintop which cannot be hidden, so it should be for Catholic Christians. Our faith should not be hidden – it should be out in the open for all to see. This short reading is both a powerful reminder and a calling for us to seek out our role in the great theo-drama. To live as God designed us. Questions for reflection: How can I better be the salt of the earth? How can I better be a light to the world? How can I better use the skills God gave me to serve him?

June 9

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Today’s readings provide a powerful message that implores us to: 1) make a definitive choice about following God or following our own false gods. 2) Live and teach others to live according to God’s law instead of our own desires. On Mount Carmel, after up to (450) false prophets fail to get the false god Baal to respond to their pleas, the prophet Elijah calls on the "LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel..” to show His mighty power. “The LORD's fire came down and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust, and it lapped up the water in the trench.” This mighty action of the Lord caused the pagans to fall prostrate and say, “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!” This scene reminds us of our Confirmation, when the power of the Holy Spirit fills us with the fire of God’s Love. Indeed, our Confirmation is our formal choice and declaration that “The Lord is God!” But our declaration must be followed with a life lived according to the laws of God. In today’s Gospel, as part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches that He is the fulfillment of the teachings of the Law of Moses and the Prophets. This means that the beatitudes He has just given them don’t replace the Jewish Law but are the path to live out God’s commands. Jesus, however, is not just another great Prophet. As the Son of God, Jesus’ entire life is our example of how to live our faith. Jesus calls us to not only obey the commandments but to teach others to do the same. In our humanity, we sometimes fail to live up to this standard. But God gives us every grace we need through the Sacraments, His Word, and His Presence with us, especially when we spend time with Him in prayer. We must also remember we are not alone on this journey. Through our parish community we have others to be with us to pray together, celebrate the sacraments, break open the Word, and serve others who need to find the God we know and love. Today’s Question for Prayer and Reflection Am I teaching others Jesus’ new commandment of love through my words and actions?

June 10

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Acts 11:21-13:3 Psalm 65 Matthew 5: 20-26 The most incredible gift God has given us is the gift of His mercy. God sent His only Son to us strictly for our salvation and that desire is born out of His pure love for us. In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us that we are to go beyond the fulfilment of the Mosaic Law by observing the rote interpretation of the law, and live that Law as God sees it rather than as man sees it. The scribes and Pharisees got caught up in following the precepts of the Mosaic Law, so regardless how you treat someone, as long as you were following the tenants of the Law, then you were in God’s favor. They truly believed they were doing the right things. Jesus though, makes it clear that the Law was intended to advance our relationship with God and with each other. In fact, He goes so far as to say that unless we advance our relationship with others, we are failing at our relationship with God. Today is the feast of St Barnabas. St. Barnabas traveled with St. Paul to take the teachings of Jesus to the gentiles. In the course of things, he and St. Paul had quite the falling out. They did eventually reconcile – by doing so, they were living what they preached. Something the Pharisees and scribes were not doing. How do we do what Jesus is instructing? One easy word and one difficult act: forgiveness. We seek the forgiveness of God for the goofy stuff we do, and in turn we must forgive others…even though we may have been incredibly hurt by someone. That can be tough. Regardless whether you have a deep relationship with the person who harmed you, it is incredibly important to forgive that person in your heart – really and truly forgive them. When you do, you will see God like you never have before…and THAT is great stuff. So today, who is in need of your forgiveness? Don’t wait! Now go smile at God today! Go smile at God today!

June 11

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Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This liturgical celebration originated from the private visions granted to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque in the 17th century. The image of the Sacred Heart shows Jesus’ crown of thorns wrapped around His sacred heart, a cross above the heart and flames radiating from the heart. The crown of thorns reminds us of Jesus’ Divine love for us and his willingness to endure suffering for our sins. This Divine Love should give us hope that all human suffering can be transformed into a sacrifice of love. The fire radiating from the heart represents Jesus’ radiant love that consumes and transforms us into faithful followers, while the cross reminds us that we are always united with Him in overcoming adversity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2669) teaches that the Church venerates the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes His Holy Name. Reflecting on this memorial encourages believers to make reparation, practice empathy, and seek consolation. In making reparation we should offer prayers and sacrifices to make up for the ingratitude and indifference often shown to God by others. We practice empathy by adopting the compassionate, non-judgmental posture of Jesus, reaching out to others with patience and charity. We seek consolation by bringing our anxieties, trials and burdens to Christ, trusting in His Divine Love and Mercy. As God is Love, the Sacred Heart of Jesus embodies the Divine Love that forms, nourishes, and sustains the love of God throughout the world. Including the Sacred Heart of Jesus into our daily prayer life helps us to grow in the Love that comes from that Sacred Heart. Popular devotions to the Sacred Heart include the First Friday devotional practice for nine consecutive months, the traditional morning offering associated with the Sacred Heart, and displaying a blessed image of the Sacred Heart in your home. Today’s Question for Prayer and Reflection How can I grow closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in my prayers and actions? Source for today’s reflection: https://epriest.com/reflections/view/3452

June 12

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The first reading today from 1st Kings narrates the prophet Eilijah’s selection of his successor, Elisha. Elijah highlights this selection symbolically by spreading his mantle over Elisha. This mantle will later become Elisha’s (2 Kg 2:13) after Elijah ascends from earth in the chariot of fire. Elisha follows along as Elijah’s apprentice-in-training until that fiery departure. Elisha makes a decisive break with his past by sacrificially destroying his oxen and their yokes, tokens of his former way of life to fulfill his prophetic call. Jesus will allude to this (Lk 9:59-62) to emphasize the urgency of his own call to discipleship in the kingdom of God. The Gospel reading continues Jesus’ long exposition known as “The Sermon on the Mount,” allegorically important to Jewish listeners because, as Moses delivered the Law of the Old Covenant, given by God on a mountain, Jesus relates the ‘laws’ of the New Covenant from a ‘mount.’ Begun this Monday with the Beatitudes, the Sermon continues with various teachings. In today’s reading, Jesus warns against indiscriminate use of oaths, particularly in private matters. Matthew will subsequently give examples of private oaths gone wrong, including Herod’s oath to Salome (Mt 14:7) and Peter’s oath of denial during Jesus’ examination by Caiphas (Mt 26:74). Oaths sworn to renew covenants are permitted (Heb 6:13-18) or oaths upon assuming positions of trust; public office, doctors, jurists, et al, but swearing by something other than God’s name (Mt 5:34-35) taken lightly or disregarded altogether is expressly forbidden. Oaths taken in God’s name have blessings and curses associated with them. Truthfulness and integrity in private life is basic and requires no further attestation.

June 13

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