Stewardship Commitment Weekend at Saint Mark's : The Good Samaritan, Today November 4th

The Good Samaritan

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." (Luke 10: 25 – 37)

Who is my neighbor?

The scribe in the Gospel, trying to justify himself, asks a second question to Jesus: “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers with the story of the Good Samaritan, which is like a compendium of the Gospel. We might also call this parable: "the story of the stripped man." Jesus’ point is that our neighbor is anyone who we encounter on our way who is in need. The stripped man in the story is appealing to the conscience of ALL those who see him stripped and naked. That person—or rather, Jesus—is asking us to recognize in the face of a stranger—a face unfamiliar due mistreatment by ‘robbers’–the face of a brother or sister. In other words, Jesus is asking us to overcome our natural INDIFFERENCE to others. And like the naked man on the side of the road, our neighbor in need asks for concrete help, not just good intentions and moral support.

Make no mistake: Our Lord is very clear in the Gospels that at the end of our lives, we will be judged according to our practice of charity; the generosity of our response to the needy people God puts in our lives. Through our parish, we have a blessed opportunity to perform works of charity on a level that we could never reach on our own. Through our parish we can meet the material and, more importantly, the spiritual needs of those around us who are crying out—by word or deed—for the truth that liberates, for authentic love, for food for body and soul...most of all for Jesus Christ, who is all of these things.

However, before our Parish is able to fulfill its role as a “good Samaritan”, it needs to be cared for, and nursed back to health itself. Our Parish is ‘naked’ without your support. Therefore, I am asking you to see St. Mark’s as the naked man in the Gospel this Sunday. We need $815,000.00 in Sunday giving to sustain our parish operations. If 600 families gave $30 per week, we will have enough to sustain ourselves. That is what we need to ‘pay the innkeeper’, if you will. Yet the bill will not be paid unless all those who are coming to St. Mark’s decide to give with generosity; only if ALL the members of our family realize that THEIR SACRIFICIAL GIVING is necessary to make St. Mark’s a STRONG FAMILY that will stand and grow and give for many more years.

The alternative is a weak parish that just ‘gets by’. This is not Our Lord’s vision for an alive and strong parish community in His Church. We are called to not only nourish ourselves with the Sacraments and a strong formation in the Catholic faith, but to reach beyond ourselves to touch the lives of those who do not yet know the treasures of the Church’s sacramental life and the peace that comes from knowing and living the TRUTH. Yet to do that takes spiritual and material resources, which we all need to provide: time, talents and money.

Once we know who are neighbor is, the next question is, what do we do? 

As the parable continues, the priest and the Levite just passed the naked man by. This part of the story must have made the scribe who Jesus was speaking to feel ashamed, for according to Jesus; those who should best know God’s will were those who were least doing it. We Catholics are the modern day priests and Levites. We have been graced with knowledge of God’s plan for the human race that non-believers do not have. Consequently we have a grave obligation to SERVE those who are spiritually less fortunate. As I’ve said, our Parish is our corporate body for doing that together.

We CANNOT pretend anymore that we don't see the needs of our Parish, like the “religious” in the Gospel with the stripped man. We can't continue to come around for masses and events but not help in maintenance of the Parish. Today the Word of God invites us all to make a serious examination of our conscience and a revision of our life. The credibility of our preaching requires LOVE WITH SPECIFIC WORKS. The Good Samaritan does exactly that. He changes a story from injury and indifference to a story of FRATERNAL LOVE. Interestingly, the mind of God selects a SAMARITAN, one considered in Jesus' time to be UNFAITHFUL and DESPICABLE, to be the one who is moved to COMPASSION for the suffering and naked man. The Good Samaritan is the image and role model for all of us to follow: THE ONE THAT LIVES FOR OTHERS, WILLING TO SHARE IN THE SUFFERINGS OF OTHERS.

We are all so busy with our God-given responsibilities that few of us have time to go walking the streets looking for those who are in need. Yet through our Parish we can do exactly that. We can help those looking for the Sacraments, for a faithful Catholic School, for Faith Formation for Youths and for Adults, for Youth Groups, Couples Groups, etc. But first we need to care for the body of St. Mark’s, so it is capable of these works. Remember, your answer (with specific donations) is going to shape THE REAL VALUE OF YOUR LIFE and the Lives of OTHERS. Become today the Good Samaritan for St. Mark’s Family and together let’s make A STRONG FAMILY UNITED IN CHRIST

Stewardship Prayer

Praised are you, O God, our loving creator and giver of all good gifts. Bless our parish, strengthen our faith and grant us the spirit of Christian stewardship so that we may give generously of our time in worship and prayer, our talent, and our treasure to the spread of Your kingdom here in our church and throughout the world. This we ask through Jesus Christ, Your son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ´He is One and there is no other than he.´ And ´to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself´ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28b-34)

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. Amen.

Petition: Lord, teach me to walk the way of generous love.

1. Mapping It Out! All of us can admire complete and faithful love. Christ´s interaction with the scribe in today´s Gospel spells out for us this love. This is the great commandment. This is the key to our lives. This is a simple, all-embracing principle by which to live. Moreover, this is exactly what a "click-here" world wants. We want to simplify our lives. Christ makes the map of our life simple. We need to act out of love for God and unite all our strength, heart, soul and mind in this one endeavor: Love God. Are we complicating our lives unnecessarily?

2. Eyes on the Destination! Jesus Christ has made of his earthly life a perfect example of how we are to live. He demonstrates an unclouded love. He is truly single-hearted! He loves his father with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. We need to keep our eyes on Christ as our final destination. We can imitate him in his love for his Father. As Romano Guardini states, “The Lord’s entire life proceeds from his Father’s will. But it is in this [wisdom] that he is truly himself. He is truly himself in that he does not do his own will, but the will of his Father, and so fulfills the deepest and most private principle of his being. There is a word for this: love!” Could it be simpler?

3. Not Far! If we want to reach a destination, the shortest path is a straight line. When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we straighten our path. When we have other loves, competitive loves, loves that leave God out of our actions, that make us lose momentum and wander in all sorts of directions, we are not going to get close to the Kingdom. Can we not unite everything in a single-hearted love for God? If we do, then every email, phone call, meal, sporting event, errand, business meeting and class -- absolutely everything -- will take us to the Kingdom and not away from it.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I want a single-hearted life. I was made for you, and my heart will be restless until it rests in you. Instruct me in a love for you that will be exercised in all I do today and every day of my life until I surrender my heart, soul, mind and strength to you for all eternity.

Resolution: I will consciously live as much of this day as possible as an exercise of love for God, offering him each moment, activity and prayer.

Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time/St. Martin of Porres, pray for us

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 everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you with a faith that never seeks to test you. I trust in you, hoping to learn to accept and follow your will, even when it does not make sense to the way that I see things. May my love for you and those around me be similar to the love you have shown to me.

Petition: Lord, please help me to replace my selfishness with love.

1. I Want to Hear All about Myself: Sooner or later we all experience the displeasure of having to be around someone who is always promoting himself. Perhaps we do it ourselves, without realizing how it disgusts the people around us. I remember working with one such fellow myself. He was the nicest guy in the world otherwise, but he consistently and continually talked about himself. He was his own favorite subject. It was his only noticeable flaw, but a fatal one.  I’m sure he didn’t realize it. Probably if you asked him if he talked about himself more than other people talk about themselves, he would have answered that he talked about himself about the same amount as others do. He had plenty of other virtues, and I’m sure if he had rid himself of his major flaw he would have been one of the most well-liked people where I worked. But he  was always putting himself in first place, and in our hearts we were always putting him in one of the last places.

2. Number One in your Heart: On the other hand, you sometimes run into people who don’t wave their own flag. They seem to exist to support and help others. Maybe you don’t always notice when they are around, but you notice the effects. Everyone is happier. There is less stress. People seem less worried. These people grease the wheels. If you need a hand, they’ll give it to you and you don’t even need to ask. Their support and friendship are givens. You know you can count on them. They are assets wherever they work because they know how to make the people around them more effective. Everybody likes them. They may not have the greatest personality or a lot of social skills, but nobody cares because the goodness seems to just ooze out of them. While they seem unassuming and unimportant, everyone who is around them prizes them highly. Without even realizing it, they are at the highest places in everyone’s hearts.

3. Will I Develop my Ambition or my Love? Which kind of person am I? Am I a shameless self-promoter, always focused on getting as much for Number One as possible? This strategy might work well in a company where people are faceless widgets instead of personalities, where the bottom line is the bottom line, but it is never very successful in real life relationships. Perhaps I do what I can to help others whenever I can, to make others feel good. That is the way to real fulfillment. After all, Jesus said that those who wanted to be first must be the last of all and the servant of all. Have I been foolish enough to think that Jesus was saying that the way to achieve my ambitions is to serve? No way. Jesus isn’t concerned with us achieving ambitions, he is telling us how to be first in hearts. If you want to be first in hearts, be a servant of all. If you have the humility to serve others, you will attain to a high place in others’ hearts. When you take a low place, they will always raise you higher.

Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, I am always trying to serve myself and my ambitions, and you want me to be concerned with serving others. Help me to be more focused on what really matters – loving – than on what the world prizes – empty, self-serving actions.

Resolution: Today, I will perform some act of service for another person, preferably for someone close to me, preferably without their notice. These are the acts that most deeply express love. Remember, if you expect something in return, even just thanks, it isn’t love, it’s business

Click here to watch a video of the life of St. Martin of Porres

St. Martin de Porres is a particularly good example of what it means to “give oneself away” time and again out of love for God. He spent his life as a Dominican lay brother begging for alms, caring for the sick, fasting, and praying before the Blessed Sacrament. He was known for being humble, gracious and patient, and his loving attention to the poor led the people of Lima to call him “Martin the Charitable.” Living his vow of obedience to the full, he never refused to do even the most menial of tasks.

The above image, from an antique holy card, shows St. Martin levitating during one of his frequent meditations on Christ’s Passion. He saw how His Lord gave Himself away, and every day of his life, he sought to do the very same thing.

2nd Century Early Christian Community (Catholics) Catacombs Inscriptions

“Oh Lord, You are seated at the right hand of The Father, receive the soul of Nectarious, Alexander and Pompeyus. Give them some relive, we pray”

(Saint Tertulian )

“Everyday we make oblations for the faithful departed”, “In the homily to philipy: “was not in vain that the Apostles started the celebration of the faithful departed. They knew that those souls will obtain graces”

(Saint John Chrysostom)

Quotes of the Bible: existence of the purgatory (Catholic Doctrine)

-2 Maccabees 12:40 “Then under the tunic of each one of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. And it became clear to all that this was the reason these men had fallen.”
· 2 Maccabees 12:45 “But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.”
· Acts 14:22 “There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in faith, saying, “It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.”
· 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.”
· Hebrews 9:27 “And just as it is appointed mortals to die once, and after that the judgment.”
· Revelation 21:27 “But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

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." (John 6: 37-40)



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.

Solemnity of All Saints

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. (Matthew 5:1-12a)

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you with a faith that never seeks to test you. I trust in you, hoping to learn to accept and follow your will, even when it does not make sense to the way that I see things. I love you, and I want to love you and those around me with a love similar to the love you have shown to me.

Petition: Lord, help me accept sacrifices and overcome difficulties in order to gain heaven.

1. The Beatitudes Don’t Make Sense: As we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints’ Day, the Church calls us to contemplate the promises Jesus makes to all those who follow him. At first, they don’t seem very attractive. Jesus lists a whole series of things that most people would probably avoid. They would see them as interfering with their wants and desires, Yet, Jesus says that we will be blessed if we have them in our lives. The word in the original Greek is “makarios”, which means “happy”. This doesn’t make sense. I am supposed to be happy when I am poor, mourning, meek, lacking righteousness, merciful, clean-hearted, a peacemaker, persecuted and insulted? That’s not what I see on TV, in the movies, on the Internet. It’s not what many of the people I know would advise me. So what is Jesus’ big idea telling me this? Is he out to make me miserable?

2. Sacrificing for Worldly Glory: We can see that the whole picture isn’t gloomy. Jesus says that if we accept these difficult things, there will be rewards. And the rewards sound pretty good. In fact, they sound great: the Kingdom of Heaven, comfort, inheriting the land, satisfaction in seeing righteousness done, receiving mercy, seeing God, being a child of God, a great reward in heaven. Who wouldn’t want these things? Don’t people work a lot harder for a lot less? Don’t athletes train for years, giving up all kinds of pleasures, submitting themselves to intense suffering at times only for a brief moment of glory in some competition? Don’t businessmen work long hours, giving up pleasures and making immense sacrifices just to make a few more dollars? Isn’t what Jesus offers us much better than any of that? Better than a gold medal or even a million dollars?

3. But I Am Not Interested in Heavenly Things: Anything worth having is worth making sacrifices for, and the more it is worth, the greater sacrifices we should be willing to make for it. Perhaps a gold medal is worth the sacrifices the athlete makes to win it. Perhaps a million dollars are worth the sacrifices that a businessman makes to gain them. If heaven is really all it is supposed to be, isn’t it worth all the sacrifices Jesus mentions here – and more? If people are willing to make such great sacrifices to gain things they cannot keep, shouldn’t I be willing to make even greater sacrifices to gain the eternal happiness of heaven? Of course, many people with the talent to do great things in this world never do them because they just aren’t that interested or motivated. Is that why I don’t do more to gain heaven? Just not that interested? What will it take to motivate me to really desire what Jesus offers?

Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, I don’t do much to make the Beatitudes come to life in me.  Help me to give heaven its full value. Help me to desire it more each day. Help me to meditate on what heaven will be like so I will love it more and more and be willing to do anything – whatever it takes – to get there and help many others arrive as well.

Resolution: I will spend at least five minutes today imagining what heaven will be like. What would I like heaven to be like? Jesus is setting up a mansion there for me. He is going to put everything that he can in it to please me and make me happy. Spend some time imagining what he would put there to surprise and delight me. He will go far beyond my wildest imaginations, but by dedicating some time to this today, I will increase my desire for heaven and to make the  sacrifices necessary to get there