Friday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time "What Is This I Hear about You?"

IJesus 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.´ Thesteward 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 he said, ´And you, how much do you owe?´ He replied, ´One hundred measures of wheat.´ He 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."

Introductory Prayer:  Jesus Christ, where else can I turn each day but to you? One day, I will make that final turn to you, and it will last for all eternity. Yet as in everything else, you set the pace, you take the initiative, and you are the protagonist. You will turn and look my way first and I, as I strive daily to do, will respond and gaze back into your eyes. This moment of prayer is a rehearsal for that final turn to you.

Petition: Lord, help me to respond better to your love.

1. What Is This? “What is this I hear about you?” Of course, this is just a parable. In actuality, God doesn´t need to "hear" anything about us since he is all-knowing. Yet, he may very well say to us, "What is this!" as he looks over the record of our lives and reminds us that we are accountable for all our free actions. Let us take a look, in our prayer now, at the face of this Father who asks, "What is this?" Does it not express concern over a wound in our soul, over something that has marred the beauty of our image as sons and daughters of this Father?

 

2. A Full Account: Yes, we will have to give that full account. The sacrament of reconciliation, prepared by thoughtful and prayerful examinations of conscience, affords us the opportunities to give that account, piece-by-piece, as a preparation for the final audit. What a grace! Are we taking advantage of it?

3. Squanderer: Could the Good Lord accuse us of being squanderers? This isn´t the only place in the Gospels where the word appears. Recall that the Prodigal Son was accused of squandering his father´s wealth. Certainly to squander is to misuse, to use unwisely, to waste, or to use extravagantly. What about all the graces that God has given to us: our faith, our Catholic Church, the sacraments, the scriptures, the example of the saints, the rich deposit of Catholic tradition, the means that have been placed in our hands today, the time we have been offered, the talents we have been given? Are we squanderers? How can I respond better to the many gifts Our Lord has given me? How can I better “invest” my talents for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven?

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus Christ, awaken me to your gifts and make me zealous and generous in using them for the good of the brothers and sisters you have put at my side. Through my daily examination of conscience, help me to be a good steward so that one day I may arrive with you and enjoy you in paradise as my eternal reward.

Resolution: I will employ the time of my examination of conscience today to thank God for all the graces and blessings he has bestowed upon me. I will make a careful accounting of what God has placed in my hands.

Thursday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time "Keeping the Right Company"

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." So he told them this parable: "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ´Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.´ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ´Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.´ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 14: 15-24)

Introductory Prayer: Lord God, I believe that you are present here for this moment of prayer. Even if I have not really longed for this time together, I know that you have been waiting for me. As an expression of my gratitude and love, I truly wish to give myself totally to you during this meditation.

Petition: Lord, grant me greater zeal for the salvation of souls.

1. You Can Judge a Man by the Company He Keeps: Our Lord took a considerable amount of flak from the Pharisees for taking time to get to know the less respectable crowd. In those days, “sinners” were marginalized and treated with contempt. Today, attitudes have changed. Folks that were considered sinners back then would now be mainstream; some of them would probably even be celebrities. But one thing is still the same: People still judge others by the company they keep. For better or worse, people are judged by their associations. That brings up a good question. I am a Catholic. I receive the Eucharist frequently. Jesus is spending a lot of time with me. Would people be able to tell that I have been spending time with the Lord? What would they think of Christ and his influence on me? Are the Lord’s standards reflected in my life?

2. The 99 Safe Sheep: Jesus’ description of going out to get the sinner is truly consoling. Perhaps this brings up a beautiful memory of how he came to my rescue, when I was one of the wooly ones wandering far from the flock. But that’s now a changed scenario. I am in the flock. How do I stay here and keep from wandering off? The Good Shepherd gives us so many tools, but I need to use them. If I slacken in my prayer life and participate with routine and lack of fervor in the sacraments, I may find myself wondering what other pastures may be like. Let’s focus on being faithful within the beautiful flock of the Church.

3. Fireworks in Heaven: Returning to the thought about people judging others based on the company they keep, we can easily see why those judgments occur: People that spend time together often start to become like each other, since they share many of the same interests. Jesus reveals in the parable what his driving, passionate interest is: the salvation of the individual soul. “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” The Lord is always looking to set off fireworks in heaven with one more conversion. If I’m hanging around Jesus enough, I’m probably starting to sound like him. If not, am I really spending as much time with him as I think? Am I trying to bring back the lost sheep that I know?

Conversation with Christ: Jesus, you lifted up the sinners around you — so many of them became saints. Let me soak up the grace of your divine influence so that I will truly reflect in my actions the reality of your work in my soul. Grant me a little portion of the burning desire you had to bring back the lost sheep.

Resolution: I will write a letter or email to a friend or relative who has drifted away from the Church, hoping that even a little “hello” may plant a positive seed.

Wednesday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time "Discipleship: Neither Cheap nor Easy"

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, "If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ´This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.´ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14: 25-33)

Introductory Prayer: Lord God, I believe that you are present here for this moment of prayer. Even if I have not really longed for this time together, I know that you have been waiting for me. As an expression of my gratitude and love, I truly wish to give myself totally to you during this meditation.

Petition: Lord, help me to realize that holiness is worth the effort!

1. A Capital Campaign for Holiness: Our Lord remarks on the need to calculate the costs and estimate the amount of resources needed in a building project. That sounds like a “feasibility study,” the first step of any capital campaign. Whether a parish is trying to build a new hall, or a school is trying to put up a new building, there’s no way to avoid a great deal of work in order to make the endeavor successful. The Lord is saying something similar about our spiritual lives. We have to know what it will take to achieve the goal. His answer to this question? Much sacrifice. This can sound daunting. But just like the thrill of cutting the ribbon when the building is all paid for and ready to be used, the effort to grow in holiness will result in a magnificent eternity!

2. A Battle Plan’s First Goal? The answer is simple: Don’t get beat! This second image of our Lord makes another important point about discipleship. War is tough, and if getting beat is a likely prospect, you’d better find other tactics to achieve the goal. So too with our discipleship. In our efforts to grow holy, some “battles” will be won easily; others will need to be avoided completely. So let’s not get beat by foolishly overestimating our capacities. This happens especially when we don’t avoid the occasions of sin, thinking ourselves strong enough to handle them. At times, the best battle strategy is not to fight, but to flee!

3. What Place for Our Relationships? In all this reflection about plans and resources, the Lord has some extremely radical words about our relationships. In the hyperbole of “hating father and mother” a very important teaching emerges: As vital as these relationships are, they cannot take the first place in our heart. That place belongs to the source of our entire existence, the one who loves us with a tender and passionate love — God himself. This is why the Cross is so important. When we see how thoroughly Jesus embraces the will of God above everything and everyone, he gives us a pattern to follow. But the divine irony is that by following Christ in the way of the cross, this “hatred” actually results in a greater and more self-sacrificing love in those very relationships that have to take a back seat to the Lord.

Conversation with Christ: Oh Jesus, following you is not easy. You ask me to put everything in second place to you and pick up my cross every day. I won’t be able to do this without your grace. I am weak and frail, but I believe that you will give me the strength I need.

Resolution: I will take some time and think about my priorities to make sure that God is always coming first.

Tuesday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time "RSVPing the Lord! "

One of those at table with Jesus said to him, "Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God." He replied to him, "A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ´Come, everything is now ready.´ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ´I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.´ And another said, ´I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.´ And another said, ´I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.´ The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ´Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.´ The servant reported, ´Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.´ The master then ordered the servant, ´Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.´"

Introductory Prayer: Oh God, thank you for allowing me to come into your presence. Your love enlarges my soul. I long to see your face! I come to this prayer with a thirst to just be in your presence, relax under your loving gaze. May my presence here be an expression of my love foryou.

Petition: Lord, help me to put aside all excuses when invited to your banquet.

1. Valuing the Invitation: Some of the happiest moments of our lives are spent around a banquet table. Milestones are celebrated there, friendships grow deeper, and relationships are renewed. Could this be why Jesus so frequently used this image to describe heaven? Let’s spend a moment thinking about the joy of heaven — of this never-ending feast. We cannot fathom what it will be like to see God and the inexhaustible beauty of his Triune majesty. And the company will be great! In the heavenly banquet it doesn’t matter where you sit: you’ll be next to a saint, and the conversation will be wonderful!

2. Legitimate RSVP? Going to a banquet takes some effort. You need to get a babysitter, pick out something to wear and possibly alter previous plans. If the invitation isn’t valued, that effort won’t be forthcoming; instead, you will make excuses. They may express a reality — those oxen are ready to go! — but they camouflage the real issue: that particular banquet doesn’t seem worth it. This should make us reflect on the excuses we have about our spiritual lives. Do they mask a growing spiritual mediocrity?

3. The House Will Be Filled: The master of the house is upset because the people that should have been the first to accept his invitation turn him down. But everything is purchased, and the party is ready to go. Someone will have a chance to enjoy it. Here perhaps is another angle for reflection: We are that master’s servants. He wants his house to be filled, and he needs us to make it happen. The servants are quick and agile, and they understand what the master wants: “There’s still room!” So too, let’s ask the Lord to give us apostolic hearts that won’t rest until the house is full. What a feast that will be!

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I am looking forward to the day when we will be with you at the feast of the Kingdom of Heaven. Help me to understand that the joy and happiness of that banquet are worth the sacrifice of any worldly priority. So often I have excuses. Give me strength never to be pulled away from you.

Resolution: I will accept God’s invitation and not put anything in front of my prayer life today.

Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop "Our Invitation List"

Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. 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."

Introductory Prayer: Oh God, thank you for allowing me to come into your presence. Your love enlarges my soul. I long to see your face! I come to this prayer with a thirst to just be in your presence, to relax under your loving gaze. May my presence here be an expression of my love for you.

Petition: Lord, grant me the grace to put your interests before my self-interest.

1. “You Scratch My Back…” “… And I’ll scratch yours.” Unique is the individual who doesn’t keep at least one eye on his own self-interest at all times. For many, life is about leverage, and good deeds are investments that will reap future profits. In this parable, Jesus invites us to think outside that human box and more in the divine one. God derives no personal benefits through showing us immeasurable love. We can’t, after all, give him anything that he doesn’t already have. Maybe we should be expanding our list of dinner invitations?

2. The Poor, the Crippled, the Lame, the Blind: Blessed Mother Teresa lived this Gospel verse in exemplary fashion. The story is told of a dying man, found lying in the street and brought to the Missionaries of Charity’s House of the Dying. They gave him dignity that he had never known: “I have lived like a dog all my life. But now I will die like an angel.” Sometimes we also have opportunities to help others in dire need. Sometimes, more often, we can come to the aid of the person who is spiritually poor or crippled.

Perhaps it is that person who is always in a foul mood, or that other who once spread a rumor about me. “Blessed will you be because of their inability to repay you.”

3. Self-interest vs. Resurrection: Fr. Joe always used to say this about his priesthood: “The pay is lousy, but the retirement benefits are out of this world.” Self-interest is about getting the positive payback here and now. True love and charity do not keep ascore card to make sure that “it’s worth it.” No, we are living for eternity. Let’s ask the Lord to give us a better sense of the big picture, to see that those unrequited good deeds are the best ones. So you parents of the world, take heart! Your sacrifices will indeed find their reward, “in the resurrection of the righteous.”

Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, how often I am thinking, “What’s in it for me?” Help me to reach out to others beyond the limits of my group. Help me to see that you are in every soul, not just the ones that in some way gratify me.

Resolution: I will do an act of charity for someone who doesn’t like me.

 

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time "The Little Man in a Tree"

He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."

Introductory Prayer: Oh God, thank you for allowing me to come into your presence. Your love enlarges my soul. I long to see your face! I come to this prayer with a thirst to just be in your presence, relax under your loving gaze. May my presence here be an expression of my love for you.

Petition: Lord, help me to overcome obstacles in my spiritual life.

1. Climbing Trees: What a sight it must have been — that rotund, little figure scampering up the tree. The astonished onlookers must have guffawed and whistled at the chief tax collector tossing his dignity to the winds as he huffed and puffed getting up that sycamore. Zacchaeus was nothing if not persistent. He was used to overcoming obstacles as he fleeced the tax payers of Jericho. But now his worldly skills were directed in a far different way: He wanted to see Jesus! If only we showed half as much persistence in pursuing our spiritual goals as we do our secular ones. When we really, really want something, we can push, pull and tug to make sure that we get over, around or under the obstacle that impedes our desires. But when it’s a question of our prayer life, something as simple as a change in schedule can seem insurmountable. Let’s yearn to see Christ! If we truly long for his love, we will even climb trees to get it!

2. Called by Name: When the people looked at Zacchaeus in the tree, they saw a hated enemy, to be laughed at with scorn. When Jesus looked at Zacchaeus in the tree, he saw a soul with potential, to be called with love. Jesus’ ability to read hearts enabled him to see the whole picture of Zacchaeus. Yes, money had been his driving motivation, but there was an openness in his heart that would be good soil for the seed. Jesus invited himself over for dinner; Zacchaeus would have never imagined doing it himself. The Lord was not embarrassed by Zacchaeus, and like the privileged souls of his closest disciples, he called him by name. He wants to call us, too!

3. Christ’s Credibility: The people began to grumble about Jesus — how could he spend time with such a sinner? His credibility is put to the test. Zacchaeus’ response is proof to others that the way of righteousness proclaimed by Jesus is true and real. Jesus cured lepers, made the cripple walk and even raised the dead, but the dramatic conversions of great sinners must have been the most astounding of his miracles. It was harder NOT to believe Jesus in the face of such evidence. As Catholics, we have to be proof, too, of the credibility of Christ working through the Church. When our lives shine with charity and self-denial, we are living proof that the graces received through the Eucharist (and all the other sacraments and blessings we have as Catholics) are real.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, what joy you received through Zacchaeus’ conversion. He responded fully to your grace. At times, I can drag my feet even when I feel you calling me to another step forward in my spiritual life. Help me to be generous, so that other souls will see how wonderful it is to follow you!

Resolution: I will strive to overcome all obstacles to my prayer life today.

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed “All Souls”

Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it (on) the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him (on) the last day." 

Introductory Prayer: Lord, thank you for never rejecting me or giving up on me, even though I have too often kept my distance in following your specific plan for me.

Petition: Help me to realize that I always need to approach you especially when I feel unworthy or uncertain.

1. Entrusted to Christ: It is amazing that in his plan of salvation, God the Father would entrust his Son into the care of his creatures, Mary and Joseph; and equally astounding is the share of responsibility he entrusts to every Christian in the salvation of many souls. God the Father has willed it, he who knows us perfectly and is well aware of all our frailties. This would be a daunting reality to contemplate if we didn’t also keep before us Christ’s assurance that it was the Father who entrusted us to Him. Sometimes we can mistakenly get the idea that Christ is our merciful intermediary who saves us from the fiery wrath of the Father of Justice. Yet we see here that the Father is paternally protective of us and in fact is the one who takes the initiative and sends us to Christ. 

2. In good hands: The Marines rightfully pride themselves to the fact that they will leave no man behind on the battlefield; that they will surrender no man’s body into the hands of the enemy. God the Father gave Christ similar orders. When a Marine risks his life to rescue the dead corpse of his buddy, as edifying as it is, one is tempted to ask, “Is it really worth it”. Christ gave up his life to save our eternal life and gives us all the grace needed to keep our souls from the clutches of the devil.

Could we not also ask, “Was it really worth it?” “Is my life really worth all that much to him?” Could I say the God is much more interested in my salvation than I am? If so, what plans might he have for me? 

3. On a mission : Just like a soldier, a Christian without a clear idea of his mission is either ineffectual or soon dead. Christ wishes to leave no man behind. This is clear not only by his death, but also by the extremes he went through in his life to save sinners. Am I aware of the many souls Christ has put in my hands? Have I already surrendered over some souls to the enemy because they seem hard to work with?

Dialogue with Christ: Lord, help me to see the value of a single soul. Show me how to love the souls entrusted to me with a personal, paternal love. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your love. If I had not discovered your love, I would have remained a slave of my own whims and desires. But knowing your love helps me to love others.

Resolution: I will make a special sacrifice for all the souls entrusted to me.