27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 5, 2025

How strong is our faith; what is our role as servants of God?

Luke 17:5-10

And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to [this] mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

by Jude Siciliano, O.P., October 6, 2013

The prophet Habakkuk lived during the time the Babylonian Empire was the dominant world power and was breathing down the neck of Judah. The tyrant Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He persecuted the prophets, enslaved the people and allowed idolatry in the land. Could things be any more discouraging for people trying to trust and be faithful to God?

Habakkuk is a unique prophet. He doesn’t address the people but, in this short work of three chapters, he speaks a lament to God. The opening lines sum it up, How long, O Lord? The prophet sees violence, religious strife and chaos in the land. Aren’t they supposed to be Gods people? Where is God in such dire circumstances? Whats taking God so long to come to help? Certainly God doesnt want such suffering and destruction. How long, O Lord? 

Habakkuk wrote 600 years before Christ. But is his prayer not our prayer as well? Our Pope called for fasting and prayer for Syria, so tired and distressed are we as we watch TV images of still more refugees streaming into Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Two million displaced people! How long, O Lord? We pray for peace, yet there is war.

 And what about our nation? We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, yet there is still racism in our land. How long, O Lord? We pray for a teenager in our family who is schizophrenic and refuses to take his medications. The family is exhausted and frightened for him. How long, O Lord? We pray for a job and when we go for interviews we are told we’re too old. But we need work. How long, O Lord? With Habakkuk, we cry out Violence! Why does God not intervene? We pray and pray and, even though we already know it, we learn again: prayer, even by good people, doesnt guarantee quick results or a specific answer.

 Things will only get worse for Judah. Having rejected God and God’s ways they will have to deal with the violence that the invading Babylonians will bring upon them. Since Judah will not serve God, it will have to bow down before Babylon’s god.

 With all of these reasons to lose faith and to look elsewhere for help, Habakkuk continues to call out to God. Persistent prayer and trust is not only Habakkuk’s way with God, but he is also an example to those who accept his message. In fact, he is told to write it large enough so that it can be read even by those rushing by.

 God tells Habakkuk the people ought to wait and, despite their misery, to trust that God will bring to completion what God has planned. There will be a time when people will live according to God’s order. Meanwhile, they will have to wait and hope that day will surely come, and it will not be late. That time of fulfillment will come with the message which Jesus will announce upon his arrival. 

Habakkuk’s prayer is bold and forthright. He cries out asking what it would take for God to do something. Some people think our prayers are supposed to be proper and appropriately worded. But the Psalms and the prophets are not afraid to raise a voice of complaint to God and they give us the courage to do the same. Faith is the foundation of our covenanted relationship with God. It enables us to be steadfast in troubled times and nourishes the hope that helps us wait with anticipation for God to act. 

Paul gives us further insight. In our troubles we have the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. He encourages us to stir into flame the gift of God we have received. The sufferings of the early Christians would cause them to cry out, like Habakkuk, How long, O Lord? What Jesus foretold, came to pass. Those who followed him would have to take up and bear the cross that comes as a consequence of discipleship. What would strengthen the church, Paul recommends, is to hear the sound message. Holding to the gospel, despite the consequent sufferings, would require strength from the Spirit which we, as a community, pray for at this Mass. 

The gospel picks up on the long-suffering prayer of Habakkuk. It sounds like the apostles are feeling the strain of their vocation. Instead of asking, How long, O Lord, they asked Jesus for what we also need when we are at our limits, Increase our faith.

 The small community of believers gathered around Jesus.  They must be experiencing trials and uncertainties for their prayer is brief and to the point, Increase our faith. But they are asking for the wrong thing. They already have the faith — and it is enough. They don’t need the latest upgrade, or a bigger product. A mustard seed of faith is enough: it’s the quality, not the quantity that makes the difference. Hence, the absurd example: a speck of faith is enough to rip up the mulberry tree, notorious for its deep roots. (Mulberry trees were not planted near cisterns because their strong roots would break down the cistern’s walls.)

 The parable Jesus gives next seems to be a warning to the disciples not to presume God owes us a reward for what we do. We work hard in our efforts to live good lives and do good for others. We can’t claim a reward for that; it’s what the faith we have been given calls and enables us to do. We do what is expected of us as disciples and we leave the results in God’s hands. God, working through us, will accomplish God’s purposes. We are not owed anything by God.

 When we disciples do what we are supposed to do the credit is not ours, because our efforts come as a result of the gift we have received. No matter how great our deeds, or how seeming-ordinary they are, all comes by way of gift. We have been given enough faith to overcome insurmountable obstacles, or to meet the daily challenges of faithful discipleship, over and over again, until the Master returns.

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Dear Lord, it is sometime hard to know if the faith we have will sustain us in times of difficulty and stress. Give us the wisdom to see that you are always with us, and we are to trust in you and your care for us. You will never leave us orphans. Then we ask that you give us the faith in our own abilities to respond to your call to be your servants in the world . Let your love and your grace be our reward.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

From First Impressions 2010, a service of the Western Dominican Province

Today’s gospel opens with a request the apostles put to Jesus, “Increase our faith.” Why do the apostles feel inadequate at this moment on the journey with Jesus? They sound frail. If we had an opportunity to read the preceding verses we might understand the reason for their petition. Jesus has just instructed his followers on the serious nature and consequences of causing another to sin (“...better that a millstone be put around your neck and you be cast into the sea”). Then he teaches them about the forgiveness they must have--even towards those who wrong them. No wonder they’re moved to petition, “Increase our faith.” Having heard what Jesus has just said, we might add, “By the way Jesus, increase our faith too!” Who wouldn’t feel inadequate in faith realizing the kind of people Jesus wants us to be? If, in our vengeance-tending world, we showed a willingness to forgive even offenders, then we will be the highly-visible disciples Jesus has described in other places, “light of the world--a city built on a mountaintop.” In today’s passage Jesus illustrates what faith can accomplish: mustard-size faith can uproot the deep-rooted mulberry tree and cast it into the sea. At this point on the journey the disciples aren’t asking him to make a list of doctrines they must accept and live by. Jesus has been leading his disciples to Jerusalem, predicting along the way, that he will suffer and die. Despite that, he’s asking them to trust him and reflect that trust in specific ways. He isn’t just speaking to their heads, but is asking for total surrender to God through him. It isn’t quantity of faith that matters, he tells them. How could we measure faith in that way anyhow? He wants us to stand firmly with him and to journey through our lives assured that, in his Spirit, he journeys with us. Faith makes it possible for us to do extraordinary deeds. But Jesus doesn’t expect us to use it to uproot forests of mulberry trees. Instead, for the most part, discipleship asks much more ordinary things of us. We are like the servant in the parable, we are expected to be faithful to the tasks assigned to us. The servant is quite versatile and is both a farm worker and the cook! That’s what serving Jesus feels like doesn’t it — multi-tasking. You get the impression from the parable that there is no “off time” for disciples when we are no longer following the Lord’s ways and serving in his name. For example, we practice our discipleship both: in the factory and at home; teaching school and volunteering at a soup kitchen; in business meetings and as eucharistic ministers; as nurses and language tutors, etc. We can’t box up our Christian lives into neat categories: over here I am a practicing Christian, while over there I can relax and just fit in with the crowd. Jesus also tells us that, even as full-time disciples, we are still only doing what we’re supposed to be doing. So, there is no room to boast of our achievements or compare ourselves to others. Those of us listening to Jesus today can’t excuse ourselves from anything less than total discipleship. Nor can we point to the more prominent Christians in the community and the Church and say, “Jesus has given them more faith than me and so they are the ones this gospel addresses.” Whatever the faith we have, he tells us, “Get busy and do what you know you should do and trust that I will be with you in all the various ways you are called upon to serve. A while back I was at a wedding. Another priest was the presider. At the end of the service he gave a “charge” to the couple, challenging them “not to forget this exciting day.” He told them to remember God’s promise to be present with help to them throughout their married lives. He also “charged” them to remember those of us present at the ceremony and the promise we were also making to be a support for them in the years to come. The priest, in effect, charged the couple to remember the sacrament we just celebrated and that they would live for the rest of their married lives. As life tested their relationship, they were to, in Paul’s terms, “stir into flame the gift of God…. “While Paul was speaking to Timothy, his younger disciple, his words aptly applied to that young couple on their wedding day — and to us, the faithful gathered at Eucharist today. We are charged to remember the promise God first made to us at our baptism: in Christ God would be with us throughout our life’s journey. Those present that day, representing the Christian community, also made a promise to support us by their example, prayers and the witness of their lives. Paul wrote from prison and so he knew, from hard personal experience, that Timothy’s life as a preacher of the gospel would have it severe tests. Whatever our life’s vocation, each of us has been given special charisms, gifts of service, that we are called to exercise, not only in the church, but in the world. Like a burning fire those gifts can diminish if not nurtured. So, Paul wants us to tend the flame that burns in us; stir up the ashes, add fuel and fan the flames. If Paul is any example, living and sharing the Word of God through our words and example will invite suffering -- hostile rejection, ridicule, doing without for the sake of others, etc. Each of us then needs a strong burning flame of faith. How do we respond to Paul’s “charge” and “stir into flame” the dynamic faith given us at our baptism? We can’t do this on our own. Paul suggests some things we can do for the “stirring up” of our faith. First and foremost, we have the abiding Spirit with us and Paul reminds us of the help that indwelling Spirit has for us — not only as the source of our faith, but as the ongoing energy that enables us to act on that faith, especially when it is challenged and opposed. Because of the Holy Spirit we don’t, Paul tells us, have to be cowards, overcome by the challenges life throws at us. Instead we can with “mustard-seed faith” (cf. today’s gospel) act with “power and love and self-control.” These are the gifts of the Spirit that are strengthened in us today at this Eucharist. How do we “stir up our faith” at this liturgical celebration? Jesus has described the Spirit as a wind that blows where it wills. So, we invite the Spirit to blow on the embers of our baptismal vocation and to stir into flame what we have been ignoring. Or, to start a new flame for the challenges we face at this moment of our lives.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow:

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Is faith for you a collection of theological principles with which we must agree? Are some articles of faith more important than others, or are all equally important?

Why is important for any church to have a set of truths about God for which it stands?

What are the most important Catholic articles of Faith, in your mind?

When is it hard to have faith?

Credo, the Latin word for faith, can also be translated trust or belief. What or whom do you trust in? What or whom do you believe in?

In what ways do both faith and experience shape us? Can faith be quantified? Is it the quality of our faith that matters? What does that all mean to you?

How hard is it to judge the faith of another? Should we being doing so? Do we often do so, in subtle ways?

From “First Impressions” 2022:

Have we ever used the excuse that our faith is weak and done nothing when we should have done something? Have we encouraged others in their faith? How?

Are there certain people in a “servant” position whom I treat with distain, as if I were their master? Do I treat those in the service industry as if they were invisible? Are “please” and “thank you” in my ordinary vocabulary for those who are in a service job? Are “please” and “thank you” in my ordinary vocabulary for those in my household?

When I do a favor for someone, what are my expectations of that person? Do I expect gratitude, or a return favor? What, for me, is the link between faith in God and service to God?

Do I see myself as servant of Jesus; and do I expect some reward from Him for my service? What would that reward be: (good health, happiness, peace, heaven, etc.) What if I am disappointed in my reward for service to God?

In what specific incidents in scripture did Jesus act as the servant of others? Is this an example for me?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for. Dear Lord, you didn’t spend your time boasting about all you did and all you suffered. You were like a slave, serving us all, washing our feet, dying for us. Make me a bit more like you in your humility and self-forgetfulness. While I want to be generous, there are some times when I expect to be served rather than to serve. Give me and humility to look honestly at what I do and why I do it, and the interior freedom to respond to your call to serve others.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

WEEKLY MEMORIZATION

Taken from the gospel for today’s session….The apostles said to the Lord: “Increase our faith.”

MEDITATIONS

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Read the following passage from Luke: When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” They divided his garments by casting lots. The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God.” Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.” Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had said this he breathed his last. Now imagine that you are Jesus, and this is what your mission appears to have come to: an ignominious death on the cross. Do you wonder if you failed, somehow? Do you wonder if you could have spent the last three years with a wife and family in your little carpentry business? How does it feel to have the crowds who followed you so happily now staring at you in stony silence—perhaps afraid of those soldiers? What kind of temptation exists to try to save ourself by renouncing all you did and all you taught? What kind of temptation exists to demand that your Father save you? After all, you were on His mission, doing what He had sent you to do. Did you expect silence from Him? Where did your final words in the Gospel of Luke come from? The point is this: for all that he was the Son of God, for all that he has a special relationship with his Father, this man too died not with the experience of resurrection, not with unassailable proof that he would rise from the dead; he died with faith in his Father, with hope of life forever. That is why his last words on the cross are so striking, so faith-full: “ Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” In Luke’s gospel, he died trusting—trusting in a Father ever faithful. (Fr Walter Burghardt, S.J., in Speak the Word With Boldness). In what ways do I have trust in God? In what ways do I lack trust? Do I think God understands? What are my expectations for being a “faithful servant”? Do I expect more favors and special treatment from God than Jesus received?

A Meditation in the Franciscan style/Action. From First Impressions 2025, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Okay, so you have finally arrived, crossed to the proverbial pearly gates. You find yourself face-to-face with God, the God of infinite, selfless love. “Hmm,” your half of the dialogue concludes, “Well, I did what I was obliged to do.” Kind of falls flat in the face of so much love, doesn’t it? If good work is expected of the servant in today’s gospel, why should a disciple of Jesus think faithful loving service is not the way to follow the master teacher? Continuing even further, if we are truly made in the image of God, shouldn’t we be love to the world? Our Church has given us some guidelines; now we must exercise our hearts, stretch our souls. Here is a little checklist for “Works of Mercy 101.”:

Spiritual Works of Mercy

• Comfort the sorrowing –Be someone to lean on in times of hurt and sadness.
• Counsel the doubtful—Be a good listener and let others know how good they are.
• Instruct the ignorant—Share your advice and experience, gently and lovingly when asked.
• Warn the sinner—Let others know there are better choices.
• Forgive all injuries—Don’t carry a grudge and go easy on yourself.
• Bear wrongs patiently—Give others and yourself the room to make mistakes.
• Pray for the living and the dead—include the whole human family in your prayers.

Corporal Works of Mercy

• Feed the hungry—Share what you have with those who need it, down the street or around the world.
• Give drink to the thirsty—Share your joy and hope with those whose lives are dry and lonely and with those who are literally dying of thirst.
• Clothe the naked—Stand up for those who are most weak and vulnerable; advocate for those whose voices are not heard.
• Shelter the homeless—Welcome everyone in your heart and help give people simple, decent places to lay their heads.
• Visit the imprisoned—Help prisoners and those who are confined due to fear, illness, or sadness.
• Visit the sick—Be there for people who need you.
• Bury the dead—Love and respect the person who has died. These works are just the tip for a life of discipleship, but they are a good place to start (and add caring for our common home for good measure).

Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

This week, pray the Lord’s Prayer each day, not as a series of petitions, but as an act of faith:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. YOU give us this day our daily bread; and YOU forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and YOU lead us not into temptation, FOR YOU deliver us from evil. Amen.

Poetic Reflection:

In this sonnet attributed to St Francis Xavier we see what moved him to become a servant of the Lord:

It is not your promised heaven
That moves me, Lord, to love you.
It is not the fear of hell
That moves me to fear you.
What moves me Lord, is you, Lord,
Fixed to a cross and mocked.
What moves me is your wounded body,
The insults and your death.
What moves me really is your love, so that
Were there no heaven, I would love you still.
For me to love you, you need nothing give,
For even if I did not hope as I indeed hope,
Even so I would love you as indeed I love.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 28, 2025

Money and the comfort it brings can blind us to the needs of others.

LUKE 16: 17-31

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented, Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’

PREPARATION/CENTERING

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.

Presence of God

Leader: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom

Leader: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. (1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness

Leader: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

(Obviously, this centering prayer can be prayed individually if you are not in a group)

OPENING PRAYER

Jesus, I offer to you in prayer all that I am and all that I have. I ask for help in using wisely all that I possess, and living easily with what I might like to possess but cannot. Help me to place my security not in things, but relationships. Bless those that have so little and open my eyes to what I might do to help. Give me the eyes to see and the heart to understand the suffering poverty brings to those in our own midst. And finally, give me the spirit of generosity.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

From “First Impressions 2022” a service of the Southern Dominican Province

(This is long, but really good….)

The Amos reading is a natural complement to the Gospel reading. The shepherd/prophet Amos is speaking to the rich and powerful of the land. They have the lion’s share of the earth’s riches. At the same time they believe they are receiving special benefits from their relationship with God. Amos acknowledges Israel’s unique place, but also claims this will be the very cause of its downfall, since Israel did not fulfill its special mission to be the elect. Previously (5:20), Amos had spoken of “the day of the Lord.” The rich and comfortable looked forward to it as a moment of joy and final triumph promised by God. But Amos says that “day” will be a day of gloom -- exactly because of the way the rich have behaved. Notice the poetic images depicting the contrasting states of rich and poor: the rich have “beds of ivory” (vs. the usual straw pallets of the poor); the rich eat meat (while the poor rarely have it); the rich have time to compose songs -- ironically compared to David’s songs -- (while the poor have no free time.) What the people saw as signs of political stability, Amos says is intolerable to God. His words drip with disgust. These very rich will be the first to go into exile; and unfortunately, the poor will suffer too. The preacher might make use of contemporary images to contrast the appeals of our society to comfort, bodily extravagances, “the good life”, etc. and show how we are seduced by the images that appear on TV, the internet and movies that promote this extravagance. Meanwhile, the poor keep growing in number -- the number of uninsured in our country has grown to 31.1 million. Careful, do not just get angry, or accusatory here. The reason for this prophet’s strong oracle is to awaken people from their false illusions about God and what we call “blessings.” This reading is a wake-up call and in that, continues to show God reaching out to us through a prophet of “doom and gloom.” The rich man in today’s parable didn’t do anything wrong. He broke no commandments as he daily passed poor Lazarus at his door. But he does fall under Amos’ condemnation of the “complacent in Zion.” This man’s life was spent enjoying the benefits of his wealth; he wore the latest fashions and sat down to his gourmet meals -- each day. All the while Lazarus was within reach, longing for the scraps from the table. Last week’s gospel ended with Jesus’ instruction that we can’t serve two masters, God and mammon (wealth). Indecision over our priorities and inaction about our choices are not an option. If we don’t use what we have wisely and with these scriptures in mind, we fall under Amos’ indictment against our complacency. After last week’s passage, a few verses are skipped (14-18) as today we pick up the Lucan sequence. In the intermediate verses, omitted today, we learn that the Pharisees, “who were avaricious” (v. 14), mocked Jesus. So, he directs today’s parable at them. It continues the theme of chapter 16: the dangers of wealth in its various forms. Earlier in this gospel, Jesus told us that the poor are blessed (6:20) and the rich will receive their woes (6:24). Believers must take to heart Luke’s strong suspicions and reservations about wealth and the concern he shows in his gospel for the poor. The poor are born, live and die in anonymity. Manufacturers of tombstones and monuments for cemeteries have a sales pitch that says, “Remember your loved ones for the ages. If you can afford it.” No one inscribes the names of the innumerable poor of the ages on any granite markers. They die and are forgotten. However, through this parable Luke is saying, “There! The ages will not forget this man.” Luke has done an unusual thing. He has named the insignificant poor one.” He implies that all the wealth, recognition and esteem of others are merely temporary: in effect, they have no lasting value. So, why hoard them and risk being forgotten with them? We are invited to reflect upon what and whom we have pinned our hopes. Lasting or fading?Once again, through this parable, Jesus has taken the side of the poor and vulnerable. Luke has shown that Jesus was of lowly birth. For example, his parents offered the sacrifice of the poor when he was presented in the temple. Those following Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem, are learning that having material possessions should cause a disciple to be cautious. We learn that while possessions are not evil in themselves, they are dangerous and must be handled wisely. The rich man takes no such careful scrutiny of what he has and how he uses it. His wealth is only for himself. The details of the parable are poignant indeed. Who can forget them? The dogs of the street, who lick Lazarus’ sores, have more pity than the rich man. Jesus’ listeners would have been taken up short hearing this parable, since his contemporaries thought that riches were a sign of blessings from God. (It should make us cautious the next time we go about giving thanks for our “blessings.” What blessings and where did they come from?) In a similar vein they would have thought the poor man had sinned and his condition was God’s punishment for his misdeeds. The parable throws those tidy and convenient thoughts out the window! It turns out that God has noticed the poor, while the rich, as Mary says in her Magnificat (1:53), God has sent away empty. How ironic this parable is. Those for whom monuments are constructed, while they live and after they die -- are forgotten. While the poor, who live and die anonymously, are remembered by name. They are valued in God’s realm and get an up-close seat, “in the bosom of Abraham.” The utter density of the rich man is shown by his requests in the next life. He wants Abraham to send Lazarus to him with a drop of water. Lazarus is supposed to be his servant! Then he wants Lazarus to be a messenger to his five brothers back home to warn them what awaits them. (Did he have any sisters? Did they count in his eyes?) This man is so insensitive that even in the torments that are a result of his previous callousness, he still does not see how he missed Lazarus. The poor man continues to be insignificant and the rich man doesn’t even address him directly. But Lazarus is not some anonymous butler to run the rich man’s errands in the next world. What also startles the listener is that the usual norms for reward and punishment are missing. The rich man isn’t being punished for anything wrong he did; nor is Lazarus rewarded for a virtuous life. The details of their moral behavior are not mentioned.  All we know from the parable is that one lived an isolated life of luxury; the other one of dire need. And God has set things right. Let’s not make the New Testament more sensitive to the plight of the needy than the Hebrew text. Because both texts called for justice and care for the poor. But if the rich man shows any concern at all, it is just for his brothers. He wants them to know the fate that awaits them too, if they lived as he did. He is told by Abraham that he and they already have been given all they need to know. The teachings about the poor are not something new; they are in the religious tradition of the Jews. “They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.” We too have sufficient information about where our priorities should lie. We cannot be like the rich man and profess surprise and ignorance of what we should have known and done. Last week we were urged to make a choice between God and mammon; this week we can see a choice for God means actions on behalf of God’s beloved poor. Amos warns us today about complacency. We cannot go merrily along our own way; otherwise, the parable says, there is going to be a moment of anguish and regret. It’s not the wealth that is condemned, it’s the complacency. We may not be wealthy, but still we can be indifferent to others. When our own life runs along smoothly, we can lose awareness and sensitivity to those in need, especially to those in our immediate surroundings.  Lazarus, after all, was at the man’s door. But through television and the internet, the whole world is at our door. While we can’t address all the needs we become aware of, we cannot use that as an excuse for inactivity. We Americans don’t have a strong communitarian sense. I may be guilty of generalizing here, but, for example, Africans I have known seem to have a stronger sense of sharing personal goods than we do in our culture. I also found this to be true among the poor in Appalachia. People with barely anything for themselves were extraordinarily generous with what little they had when another family was in need. We, on the other hand, are educated in many ways from childhood to be strong individuals.  We learn that by hard work we get our rewards in goods and social standing. Thus, we might conclude that “I have earned what I have, let others do the same.” This parable reminds us of the deep links we have to others. The bible consistently tells us that while God may have addressed some individuals, they were not called primarily for the benefit of themselves, but for a people. God made a covenant, not with individuals, but with a people. The rich man and Lazarus were part of God’s people; something the rich man ignored or forgot. In effect, he broke the covenant with God and we learn of the consequences of such a choice. The man, not God, created the unbridgeable gap between himself and Abraham and Lazarus. The God who speaks this parable to us at this liturgy is like a mother concerned about her children. You can hear her wondering: “How come the few with so much are so indifferent toward so many of their sisters and brothers who are without? Don’t they know they are a family --  my children? Don’t those who spend so much on themselves to find happiness realize that they would be truly happy if they provided more for others? There would be fewer divisions and more harmony if my children would just live as the brothers and sisters I created them to be!” The parable opens our ears so we can listen to our concerned Mother. She knows best.

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions

which follow:

Reflection Questions

With whom do I identify in the story? If the answer is ‘neither”, then am I off the hook?

How do I define rich? Am I rich? Am I richer than others?

How am I privileged? What are the challenges presented by that privilege?

In the light of the gospels, what do I do with my money? How does money fit in with my identity as a Catholic? As a disciple of Jesus? How does money define my spirituality?

How big a fault is self-absorption or self-centeredness? What might self-centeredness lead to in terms of behavior towards others?

Did you notice that even after the rich man died he still thought of Lazarus as someone lesser who was there to do his bidding? How does economic stratification lead to such behavior? Have you been on the giving end or the receiving end of entitled and arrogant behavior?

Who are the “deserving poor” and their children? Who are the “undeserving poor” and their children? Would I give to one and not the other?

What is the role of sensitivity in dealing with those less fortunate? What behaviors, though well meant, can be seen as condescending or demeaning?

Does today’s inequality resemble the inequality of Jesus’ time? How invisible are the poor among us here in this wealthy suburb of San Francisco?

How much time in our own lives do we focus on faults of omission as well as faults of commission? How easy is it to comfort ourselves with the knowledge that we have not really done bad things? Do I ever stop to think of the ways in which I could have helped someone else (other than a family member) but did not?

Are the good things we do mostly for those we care about, or want to impress? Does my charity begin and end at home? Do I only give out of my excess, or do I only give what I no longer want or need?

Do I believe that “no one gets into heaven without a letter of recommendation from the poor?” What Lazarus have I encountered lately? What poor person have I encountered lately? If not, how is that possible? What am I missing?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for. Help us to remember what matters most in the midst of all we have to do. Give us eyes to see the needs of those around us. Give us ears that hear the meaning behind the words. Give us hands that reach out to make a difference. Give us hearts that beat in tune with Yours rather than with the clock on the wall. Remind us often that time and goods are to be given, not spent.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.

Meditations

A Meditation in the Franciscan style--Action

Luke 16: 19-31

Why did the rich man go to an eternity of torment? We are not told that he acquired his wealth by foul means. We are not told that he personally, is responsible for the poverty and misery of Lazarus. In fact, we are not even told that Lazarus begged from him directly and was refused. We are not told that the rich man committed any crime or bad deed. All we are told is that he feasted and dressed in fine clothing. Should he go to hell for that? Well, he did sin…He committed a sin most of us don’t even think about. It is the sin of omission. The rich man chose not to see Lazarus at his doorstep. He just did not see him. He was spiritually blind, spiritually unaware. This parable challenges you and me to look around and see, and to act on what we see. It prompts us to turn down the noise, pause from the rat race, put aside our own preoccupations—and notice Lazarus at the door. And to do something.

Here are some practical suggestions:

1. Reflect. What does where you spend money say about your priorities?

2. Tithe. Give a fixed percentage of your income to your church and to the poor.

3. Create a “charity bin” in your home. Every time you go shopping, buy something (non-perishable) to drop in the bin. When it is full, take it to the nearest church or soup kitchen that has the resources to distribute it to the poor.

4. Show by example, and teach your children that no matter how little they have, some of that belongs to others. Take them to someplace where they can see how privileged they are to have a home and food and schooling.

5. Adopt a family charity

6. Have family talks about limiting consumption of luxuries

Inspired by a homily for 26 Sunday B in the Word In and Out of Season by Father William Bausch

Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking questions

Many of the famous sayings of Jesus have been arranged according to topic and grouped together in what has come to us as the Beatitudes. These words of Jesus are considered so important, so pivotal, that scholars and spiritual leaders have spent centuries discussing their meaning and their application. There are over 8000 books available on Amazon.com alone! The beatitudes comprise sort of a keynote address, and the very first lines set the tone for the entire selection. What if Jesus had taken his first lines from his observation of the way our modern world sometimes words? They might go something like this:

Blessed are the rich and famous, for they shall have what they want.

Blessed are they who cut their losses, and get rid of the losers; they will live to win another day.

Blessed are the and powerful, they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are the white and well educated, the world is theirs.

Blessed are they who cry for vengeance, they will be seen as protectors of society.

Blessed are they who cultivate the right people, they will go far.

Blessed are they who tailor their morals to meet the marketplace, they will be rewarded.

Blessed are Americans for they shall have the earth’s riches at their beck and call. (adapted from Fr. Jude Siciliano, O.P.)

Where in these “beatitudes” is the room for the poor, the unfortunate? Those who have made mistakes in judgement about their career? Are my successes, my possessions, seen as gifts from God, or do they distract me from recognizing my radical dependence on God alone? Where, in our worldly “beatitudes,” do we see a concern for the poor as an absolute mandate?If I were to write a list of ideas I live by in eight short sentences, what would they be, and where do the silent poor fit in?

Poetic Reflection

Sometimes, when we see someone among us who is down on his or her luck, or really desperate, we don’t see them as invisible. Worse, we can dismiss them from our consciousness if we see them as culpable in their own misery. This poem, written by a one-time welfare mother, dispels that notion:

My name is not “Those People.”

I am a loving woman,

a mother in pain, giving birth to the future,

where my babies have the same chance to thrive as anyone.

My name is not “Inadequate.”

I did not make my husband leave – he chose to,

and chooses not to pay child support.

Truth is though, there isn’t a job base for all

fathers to support their families.

While society turns its head, my children pay the price.

My name is not “Problem and Case to Be Managed.”

I am a capable human being and citizen, not a client.

The social service system can never replace the compassion

and concern of loving Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Fathers,

Cousins, Community – all the bonded people who need to be

but are not present to bring children forward to their potential.

My name is not “Lazy, Dependent Welfare Mother.”

If the unwaged work of parenting, homemaking and community building

was factored into the Gross National Product, my work would have untold value.

And I wonder why my middle-class sisters whose husbands support them to raise their children

are glorified – and they don’t get called lazy and dependent.

My name is not “Ignorant, Dumb or Uneducated.”

I live with an income of $621 with $169 in food stamps.

Rent is $585. that leaves $36 a month to live on.

I am such a genius at surviving that I could balance the state budget in an hour.

Never mind that there is a lack of living-wage jobs.

Never mind that it is impossible to be the sole emotional, social and economic support to a family.

Never mind that parents are losing their children

to the gangs, drugs, stealing, prostitution, social workers, kidnapping, the streets, the predator.

Forget about putting money into schools – just build more prisons.

My name is not “Lay Down and Die Quietly.”

My love is powerful and my urge to keep my children alive will never stop.

All children need homes and people who love them.

They need safety and the chance to be the people they were born to be.

The wind will stop before I let my children become a statistic.

Before you give in to the urge to blame me,

the blames that lets us go blind and unknowing into

the isolation that disconnects us, take another look.

Don’t go away.

For I am not the problem, but the solution.

And…My name is not “Those People.

Literary Reflection

Concern about our personal obsession with money is not a new phenomenon. Read what William Wordsworth had to say in 1802, in the midst of the Industrial Revolution:

The World is Too Much with Us

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathèd horn.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 21, 2025

We have to choose between the values of Jesus and the values of the world

Luke 16: 1–13

Then he also 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.’

The steward 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 kors 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.

I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.

If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?

If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Preparation / Centering

If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God:

Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you.

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Freedom:

Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love..

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Consciousness:

Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life.

[2-3 minutes of silence]

Opening Prayer

Dear Lord, open our eyes to the ways of the world that frequently entice us to act in our own interests and not in the interest of the common good or the interest of another individual. Help us to know what to do when life gets difficult . We pray that you will guide us the next time it does.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions”, 2025, a service of the southern Dominican Province:

No parable is an easy read. At first glance, some of them seem simple enough – but then their meaning slowly seeps into us. Sometimes, with a sudden shock of awareness, we realize we must reevaluate our lives. Today’s parable brings extra complications both for the preacher and for those who will hear it proclaimed this Sunday. The difficulties appear quickly. What exactly was the steward’s “squandering” of the master’s property? Why would the rich man praise him for actions that seem dishonest and self-serving? Is the parable really suggesting we imitate a conniving man who acts only to save his neck?

Today’s gospel has two segments: the parable itself (vv. 1–8a) and the sayings that follow (vv. 8B–13), both tied together by the theme of money. To keep the focus clear, I would suggest preaching on just one section, not both. Let the other wait until it comes around again in the Lectionary.

The parable is the main feature, so let us focus there. The steward has been caught. We do not know his exact offense, but he has been accused of “squandering” his master’s property. He is in trouble and must act quickly and decisively. And he does: he reduces the debts owed to his master. But isn’t that dishonest too? How can he be praised for it? This gospel passage has long been a challenge for readers and interpreters of scripture.

One possibility is that the steward had been charging excessive interest, hoping to make a personal profit. By reducing the debts, he may have been eliminating his own dishonest gain. Since usury was forbidden by Jewish law, he would, in fact, be returning to proper practice as an observant Jew. Or perhaps he was simply cutting out his rightful commission. In either case, his action looks shrewd. That may explain why the following sayings (vv. 8B–13) were linked to the parable. The first is particularly fitting: “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” The steward acted decisively in a moment of crisis – and that is what earns him praise.

Jesus may be pointing to another kind of urgency for his followers. As he continues toward Jerusalem, where he will suffer and die, what will they do in that crisis? Will they remain “children of light,” with the wisdom to keep choosing Jesus and his way? Or will they become “children of the world,” opting for the quick fix and the easy escape? The same question is asked of us. What will we do when crises come—as they already have, and surely will again? We hope we will be prudent stewards, taking stock of the situation and turning once more toward the light. That is something to pray for at this Eucharist: a prayer of gratitude for times when God guided us well, and a prayer of hope that God will guide us the next time. “Help us to act prudently, O God.”

The parable also invites us to examine our use of material possessions. One of Luke’s central themes is Jesus’ suspicion of wealth. Material things can trap us and distract us from what truly matters. We have seen families divided over inheritances; marriages ruined by obsession with business; wars fought over land and resources; lives destroyed by the relentless pursuit of the “bottom line.”

And yet Jesus says we can “make friends with dishonest wealth.” In Luke’s gospel, some wealthy people use their possessions wisely in God’s service. The woman who anointed Jesus with costly ointment (7:36ff) and Zacchaeus, who gave half his goods to the poor (19:18), are examples of “children of light” using resources faithfully.

Many people, then and now, have learned how to use their possessions to serve God. Moved by teachings like today’s gospel, they act quickly and decisively when needs arise. Not all give everything away – though some do – but they refuse to let “mammon” rule their lives. For example: business leaders who fund training for the unemployed so they can support their families; volunteers who help the elderly manage finances for health care; lawyers who take cases for the poor without charge; teachers who stay after school to help struggling students. These are people who recognize resources as gifts to be used under the guidance of Jesus’ light.

If we spend too much time untangling the cultural details of this parable, we risk missing its force. Jesus is pressing us about our fundamental loyalties. Who or what comes first in our lives? If, after honest reflection, we see ourselves living more as “children of this world” than as “children of the light,” then the parable becomes an urgent call to set things right – and to do so quickly. Put plainly: God’s business, and only God’s, must come first.

The prophet Amos reinforces this message. He condemns those who profit at the expense of the poor. As citizens of the developed world, we often enjoy comforts made possible by low wages and unjust practices abroad. Our inexpensive clothing, for example, may be produced in sweatshops. Both Amos and Luke remind us that God sides with the poor. Jesus even labels wealth itself “dishonest,” questioning how we obtain it and at what cost to others.

The truth is that what we possess is not entirely our own; it has been entrusted to us. We are responsible for using the goods of this earth, and even the fruits of our labor, in ways that benefit the larger community—our families, parishes, nation, and the world. The parable should unsettle us if most of our energy is spent securing our own material future rather than seeking what matters to God.

So the questions remain: What can we do to make the world a better place? How can we help the poor? To whom must we show forgiveness and compassion? How might we deepen our relationships? In short: how will we live as children of light in a world that measures worth by wealth, power, and influence?

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

The person who is untrustworthy in very small matters is also untrustworthy in great ones

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Some of Jesus’ teachings are difficult to hear and difficult to understand. How do I react when I come across a difficult passage in scripture?
  Do I take it absolutely literally, no matter the obvious impracticality?
  Do I try to manipulate the meaning so it is easier for me to swallow?
  Is there a third way?
• Who are children of the world and what are their values?
  Who are children of the light, and what are their values?
  Which is harder to live by?
• Like the steward in the parable, when we face a crisis we often have a choice between the way of the world and the way of the light. Has this ever happened to me?
  What did I choose?
• What do I mean by the word “shrewd”?
  Is shrewdness a good thing?
• Do I only focus on those in our society who have more than I do, and has this caused resentment or a carelessness with goods belonging to others?
• We are all stewards of the resources we have been given. Have I used my resources wisely, for others as well as myself and mine?
• Have I truly been careful with someone else’s property?
  Have I ever borrowed something and never quite remembered to give it back?
• Do I give to those who have less, or do I hoard gifts and goods for myself and mine?
• I am also a steward of the earth. What have I done to protect and preserve this planet and all creatures in it?
• Like the steward with his master, do I take stock of where I stand with God?
• Has honesty been perverted in our society?
  Are there individuals and companies who engage in dishonest practices for personal gain?
  Are there people or businesses which trample the needy with their business practices?
  What is my response?
• What about the role of honesty in our political discourse?
• Do we speak of “little white lies” as if they were not lies at all?
  Have I ever played fast and loose with the truth to get what I wanted?
  Have I ever played fast and loose with the truth at the expense of someone else?
• From “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:
  Have I used any of my resources in the mission of Jesus and the Gospel?
  Has my focus and worries about possessions distracted me from the presence of God in my life?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

This parable about the dishonest steward is not just a story for Jesus’ time. It was a parabolic message to his disciples about the choices they were going to have to make about carrying on the work of Jesus after his death. They were going to be the stewards of the Kingdom. It is also a lesson for us. We are each either honest stewards or dishonest stewards of the world that has been entrusted to us by God.
Like the steward with his master, do I take stock of where I stand with God?
Have I truly been careful with someone else’s property?
Have I ever borrowed something and never quite remembered to give it back?
I am a steward of a world that does not seem to care for the unfortunate, How have I helped to change that scenario?
I am also a steward of the earth. What have I done to protect and preserve this planet and all creatures in it?
Has honesty been perverted in our society? How honest am I?
Are there individuals and companies who engage in dishonest practices for personal gain? Do I?
What is “dishonesty in little things”? Have I ever been guilty of this?

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Imagine yourself as the person who fell afoul of the boss and got dismissed. You do not have any particular talents. What will you do to support yourself? Might it be smart to go to the various vendors of the company you work for and try to strike a deal? To what lengths would you be willing to go to gain new employment? (Would you take a list of clients with you, or take some information that might be proprietary but would help you get ahead in the new company? Would you take a few key employees and set yourself up as a competitor?) To what extent are you careful of another’s property? Ever cheat on an exam? Copy someone’s problem set? Tell the teacher the dog ate your homework? How about copyright laws—did you ever make a copy of a song, a presentation, a speech owned by someone else? Make a copy from a book without the writer’s permission? Where do we draw the line for personal integrity? Is it somewhat fluid? Are there any areas in your life that you need to examine in this regard?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Psalms are very personal conversations with one’s God. The people of Israel were not hesitant to complain to God about the unfairness of the world and their anger and despair over the treachery of others. These psalms of lament are among the most honest prayers in scripture. Read Psalm 12 and then compose your own psalm about the economic world we inhabit, and what is valued in our society.

Psalm 12

Save me, O LORD, for the holy ones are no more; the faithful have vanished from the sons of men. They babble vanities, one to another, with cunning lips, with divided heart. May the LORD destroy all cunning lips, the tongue that utters boastful words, those who say, “We prevail with our tongue; our lips are our own, who is our master?” “For the poor who are oppressed and the needy who groan, now will I arise,” says the LORD; “I will grant them the salvation for which they long.” The words of the LORD are words without alloy, silver from the furnace, seven times refined. It is you, O LORD, who will keep us safe, and protect us forever from this generation. The wicked prowl on every side, while baseness is exalted by the sons of men.

Poetic Reflection:

We will look at Mary Oliver’s poem, “Messenger”, again this week, through a slightly different lens. For Mary Oliver, what seems to be the values to live by? What really matters in this life? What is the role of gratitude in becoming “children of the light” as opposed to “children of the age”?

“Messenger”

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird—
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord, help me always to choose to act with integrity. Help me to see that if something is a little bit wrong, it is still wrong. Period. Help me to have courage when I feel desperate or trapped in a situation, whether that situation is of my own making or the result of circumstances beyond my control. Help me to keep you as a lodestar in all that I do.

Exaltation of the Cross, September 14, 2025

Jesus is the manifestation of God’s love; what is my response?

John 3: 13–17

No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Preparation / Centering

If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God:

Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you.

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Freedom:

Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love.

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Consciousness:

Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life.

[2-3 minutes of silence]

Opening Prayer

God, you are rich in mercy because of your great love for us, even when we have been steeped on our own bad behavior. Bring us to life in Jesus, raise us up with him, and, when our time on earth is complete, seat us in the heavens with him. For we are your handiwork, created in Christ for the good work you have prepared in advance so we may live with and in Him forever.

Companions for the Journey

"FIRST IMPRESSIONS" EXALTATION OF THE CROSS SEPT. 14, 2025
Numbers 21:4b-9; Psalm 78; Philippians 2: 6-11; John 3: 13-17
by Jude Siciliano, OP

Lent begins on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. So why are we celebrating the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in mid-September? Before we turn to today’s scripture readings, let’s reflect on the feast.

Some history: The feast dates back to the fourth century. Tradition holds that St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, discovered the True Cross in Jerusalem around the year 326, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This is a very ancient feast, sometimes called the Triumph of the Cross. But unlike Good Friday, which focuses on Christ’s suffering, this feast highlights the victory of the Cross. Through the Cross came salvation and new life for us. Once a symbol of humiliation and execution, it is now a sign of God’s love, triumph, and glory.

What is the “glory” of the Cross? Sadly, we have become so accustomed to seeing the Cross—inside and outside churches, on rosaries, around people’s necks, even as tattoos, or home décor—that we often miss its deeper meaning. Sometimes it is reduced to a fashion statement or a good-luck charm. Because it is so omnipresent, we can lose the sense of shock it originally evoked—the cruelty and pain it represented.

The first generation of Christians was not blind to the barbaric reality of crucifixion. They had seen their messianic hero tortured, bloodied, mercilessly nailed to a crossbar, and lifted up for all to see and mock. To unbelievers, it was unthinkable that this hated symbol of defeat and death could be cherished as a sign of salvation and a pattern for life.

As followers of Jesus who “exalt” the Cross, we are called to live as witnesses to his life—a life that often stood in contrast to the world. The glory of the Cross is seen in those who follow Christ daily in word and deed. Through his death and resurrection, our lives now show forth his presence in the world.

Our Gospel today comes from the account of Nicodemus’ nighttime visit to Jesus, where Jesus explains God’s saving plan by recalling Israel’s time in the wilderness. The first reading from Numbers presents the scene: the people complain against God and are punished when God sends fiery serpents among them.

When they repent, they are healed by looking upon the bronze serpent Moses lifted up on a pole: “...whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, they lived.”

Centuries later, the author of the Book of Wisdom described Moses’ bronze serpent as a symbol of salvation. That is why today’s reading from Numbers is paired with the Gospel: just as the serpent was lifted up for Israel’s healing, so too Jesus is “lifted up” on the Cross so that “everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

Today’s feast reminds us that discipleship involves embracing the Cross in our own lives. We are encouraged not to glory in worldly power, but in the power of God revealed in weakness. The feast proclaims that suffering and death are not the final word—for through the Cross come resurrection, hope, and glory.

In Israel’s tradition, the wilderness was remembered in two ways: as a place of intimacy and covenant with God, and as a place of testing—a test Israel often failed. Today’s reading from Numbers highlights that failure.

And yet, how profound and incomprehensible is God’s love for us! John proclaims that God’s love is total and universal—not limited to a privileged few, not restricted to those who already believe. God’s love is for the whole world, so complete that God did not spare even the Son in order to reveal it.

First, God’s love was shown in the Incarnation, and then in Christ’s saving death: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” John says that God both “gave” and “sent” the Son. “Gave” stresses the generosity of God’s gift; “sent” underscores the mission entrusted to Jesus. Either way, we are the beneficiaries of this divine love.

The Cross was the instrument God used to conquer sin and death. By it, the way to God has been opened for us. Through the Cross we die to sin and rise to new life. What a mystery: that what once brought death has become the path to life! No wonder we “exalt” the Cross today.

In his book, “Seasons of Grace: A Spiritual Companion to the Liturgical Year,” Walter Kasper reminds us that the Cross does not “prettify” the truth about humanity and our sins (p. 107). It reveals us as we really are and exposes what we do to one another. He calls it the “unvarnished truth”—a truth that, once faced, can set us free.

When we look to the Cross, we confront the difficult truth about human sin. Yet the Cross also reveals the even greater truth of God’s mercy: God forgives, reconciles, and saves in love. Instead of condemning humanity, God offers salvation through the Cross.

We live in its shadow. First, it reveals the truth of our lives: we are broken, finite, and unable to save ourselves. But the Cross also reveals the depth of God’s mercy and reconciliation—gifts we cannot earn but receive freely through Christ.

A young woman shows off her newly-received engagement ring. A newly married couple wear wedding bands that were blessed and exchanged, along with life-promises, at their wedding ceremony. These material signs are reminders and assurances that they will be there for each other “in good times and in bad.” When troubles do arise a glance at the ring serves as a reassurance of a commitment made in love.

The Cross is that for us – a reminder of a promise God made in love with us and was fulfilled when “the Son of Man [was] lifted up.” We have not finished our individual desert treks yet and there probably will be lots of missteps before our journey is finished. In the meanwhile, we do not lose hope as we face our shortcomings and the road that still lies in front of us. Lest we get discouraged and fear dropping out along the way, we look to the Cross and the promise of continual help it offers to us. God has given us concrete signs of God’s love for us; in Jesus, the Word made flesh and in the Cross which he embraced on our behalf.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Do I consider this a strange feast, where we exalt an instrument of torture?
  Does this feast encourage us to look at the cross in a different way, say, as a sign of hope?
• In the early church, the figure on the cross was usually the risen Jesus. What did that represent for them?
  What could it represent for me?
• How effective is guilt as a religious motivator?
  How effective is fear as a religious motivator
  How effective is love as a religious motivator?
  Historically, what have religious used most often?
  Why?
• From Jude Sicliano, O.P.:
  What do I see when I look at the cross?
  How does the cross affect the Christian life I try to lead?
• What do I think John 3:16 really means?
  Do I really believe God loves the world?
  Di I really believe God loves me?
• Do I secretly harbor a fear of being judged by God and do not really believe the words of John 3:16?
  What would help me overcome fear which cannot coexist with love?
• Am I afraid of perishing?
  What are my thoughts about eternal life?
• What does it mean to believe in Jesus?
  Is there a corresponding action to my belief?
  Some have suggested that believing in Jesus equates with receiving Jesus… what would it mean to receive Jesus?
• Adapted from Sacred Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits:
  God does not force us to be saved; we have free will. Looking back on the last 24 hours, where have I chosen wisely and where have I chosen unwisely?
• Do we sometimes forget that we are not required to condemn others—that it is God’s job. If God so chooses…?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

It is hard for us to believe in the goodness of God, of God’s unconditional love for a lot of reasons. Some have experienced love that seems to subtly give a message that we would be more loved if we were richer, smarter, more successful, a better child, a better lover, a better parent or friend. Religion has not helped, either. Often God has been painted as a cruel and implacable judge who is always disappointed in us as human beings—our stories of Adam and Eve, the Flood, even personal and natural disasters often seemed to be the result of God’s anger. The phrase “Jesus died for our sins” reinforces our sense of God’s disappointment with us. We are sinners, failures, and GOD IS NOT HAPPPY WITH US!

Self-examination and guilt are very important tools in our religious toolbox. It becomes easier to believe that Jesus died for our sins, died to appease an angry and vengeful God, than it is to believe that Jesus WAS God who died because he loved us. He showed us that there were no lengths that God would not go to prove that love—even death on a cross.

I spend some time every day this week thinking of the cross as symbol of love, of hope and blessing. How can I respond to such love?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

I read Isaiah 43: 1-7, and really imagine God speaking these words of love to me personally. Then I write my response.

And now, thus says Yahweh, he who created you, Jacob, who formed you, Israel: Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine.
Should you pass through the waters, I shall be with you; or through rivers, they will not swallow you up. Should you walk through fire, you will not suffer, and the flame will not burn you.
For I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
Since I regard you as precious, since you are honored and I love you, I therefore give people in exchange for you, and nations in return for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I shall bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west.
To the north I shall say, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back!' Bring back my sons from far away, and my daughters from the remotest part of the earth,
everyone who bears my name, whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, whom I have made.

Poetic Reflection:

Each of these poems is a response to the reality of Jesus’ cross. Enjoy:

“On the mystery of the Incarnation”

It’s when we face for a moment
the worst our kind can do, and shudder to know
the taint in our own selves, that awe
cracks the mind’s shell and enters the heart:
not to a flower, not to a dolphin,
to no innocent form
but to this creature vainly sure
it and no other is god-like, God
(out of compassion for our ugly
failure to evolve) entrusts,
as guest, as brother,
the Word.

—Denise Levertov

“Messenger”

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird—
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.

—Mary Oliver

Closing Prayer

Lord my God, when your love spilled over into creation, you thought of me. I am from love of love for love. Let my heart, O God, always recognize cherish and enjoy your goodness in all creation Direct all that is me toward your praise, Teach me reverence for every person, all things. Energize me in your service. Lord God, May nothing ever distract me from your love… Neither health nor sickness wealth nor poverty honor nor dishonor long life nor short life May I never seek nor choose to be other Than you intend or wish Amen.

From Love, A Guide for Prayer, by Jacqueline Bergan and Marie Schwan

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 7, 2025

The real cost of discipleship

Luke 14: 25–33

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

Preparation / Centering

If done in a group setting, the prompts are read aloud by the leader; otherwise a silent meditation.

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God:

Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you.

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Freedom:

Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love..

[1-2 minutes of silence]

Consciousness:

Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life.

[2-3 minutes of silence]

Opening Prayer

Teach me, O Lord, to have trust in your love and goodness. I ask you to show me what I am holding onto too tightly to be your true disciple. Teach me not to invest my whole life in people or approval or things that increase my pleasure and personal comfort at the expense of others or the world at large. Teach me not to settle for the comfort and security that keeps me from hearing your call.

Companions for the Journey

By Jude Siciliano, O.P., from “First Impressions”:

I will be tempted to apologize to the congregation this Sunday after I read this gospel passage. What a “turn off” it is with its talk of “hating father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sister and even [your] own life;” and then it asks us to “renounce all your possession,” if we are to be Jesus’ disciples. On first hearing the passage listeners are going to think Jesus inhabited another planet. He certainly sounds far removed from our lives, we who do all we can to: love our parents, especially as they age or become infirm. We agonize over how to best care for them—take them into our homes? bring in home care? place them in a nursing home? We supervise their medications, take them for innumerable medical procedures and checkups, visit them as much as possible, make frequent phone calls, etc. So what is all this talk about “hating” parents?

And what’s all this talk about “hating” wives? (I suppose here he really means spouses.) With divorce rates approaching 50% in our country and dioceses and parishes doing their best, both before and after weddings, to foster healthy marriages and keep them in tack. How is “hating” your spouse going to sound to married couples in the congregation and those hoping to get married? The list of “hatings” goes on in this reading, but you get the point. Could Jesus really mean such harsh sounding statements? And if he does, are we ready to renounce all possessions to follow him? Do we know anyone who has? And if they have, who is buying their food, paying their health insurance and housing them?

This is an obvious place for a little research and so I go to the biblical commentaries for help. The word for “hate” is taken from the Greek word that is used in biblical passages to suggest a lesser love. It doesn’t refer to the rage and fury that hate signifies in our language. It could mean having a secondary attachment to someone or thing, the kind of detachment that would enable a person to turn away from whomever or whatever distracts them from following Jesus and the demands of discipleship. God wants us to love and that certainly includes our families and spouses. Remember, Jesus called his disciples to love even enemies; he certainly would include in that love those closest to us, like parents, spouses, children and brothers and sisters. Notice that he mentions the cross right after speaking about “hating.” To bear the cross here doesn’t mean putting up with those afflictions in life over which we have little say. Rather, we can see from the context that we may experience pain as we make choices to stay the course--- to continue with Jesus on the road to Jerusalem and suffering.

Having said all this, Jesus is still placing demands on those who would join him on his journey. Let’s not presume the listeners in Jesus’ day were any less put off by what Jesus just said. They may have been poor, but they cherished possessions too and, like us, probably wanted or needed more of them. Family life, if anything, was even more precious to Jesus’ contemporaries. While we prize individuality and being able to “go it on our own,” at that time, a person’s very identity depended on membership in family, clan and religious sect. Prestige and reputation were intimately linked to the social standing people had in their social network. If a person at that time packed up and decided to set out on their own—they would, in effect, lose their identity.

Earlier in this gospel Jesus spelled out what characterized the new family relationship he came to establish. His new family would be those who hear and respond to God’s word (8:21; 11:27-28). So, if we are to be part of this new family, other ties and allegiances are to be secondary and even put aside, if necessary. As his followers we are in a new network of relationships, a new family that consists of those who have, like us, chosen to follow Jesus. In this family we will be mixing it up with a whole new set of people—those with and those without wealth and social status. We heard two weeks ago that “some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” Jesus has come to establish something very different from our usual ways of relating. Obviously it is not going to be “business as usual.”

This new mixture will be quite a shock to the system of those who were well-connected in life. Reminds me of the day I was walking through the prison yard with some new volunteers. They were friends from a nearby parish and had given up their Sunday morning with family and friends to worship with inmates at the prison chapel. One looked around at the scene of hundreds of inmates milling around in the yard we were walking through and said to me, “this is really stretching me.”

There it was—“stretching!” What he was saying was, how strange he found it, coming from his family and social background, to be in such a very different place. And pretty soon he was going to be celebrating mass with some of them! You could almost hear him saying to himself, “How did I get here anyway?” Following Jesus is what got him away from his familiar setting to “stretch” into a new world. He continued visiting the prison monthly and came to know a whole new family, people he would later refer to as “my brothers at the prison.” Quite a stretch!

But not to be entered into lightly, Jesus warns us. Think it over, Jesus says. Be like a person who is about to build a tower—will you be able to finish the job? Be like a king going to battle and “decide” if you can win the battle with the resources you have. Notice the examples Jesus uses—“building” and “marching into battle.” The first suggests a long project. We Christians are in a building process, the job feels half done at times as we look at our shortcomings and inadequacies in discipleship. We are not yet the model, generous and self-sacrificing disciples we ought to be. Well, don’t lose hope, the tower project isn’t finished yet. Or, as the saying goes, “Be patient with me, God isn’t done with me yet.”

The battle metaphor also gives us cause to pause and “decide” if we want to make the sacrifices needed to be a disciple. It is a harsh metaphor, in this present time of war, but it does suggest the arduous efforts and even pain sometimes asked of disciples. Even though we have already given our “Yes” to following Christ, there are times in our lives when we are asked to make choices that put our discipleship on the line. Some options require us to say “No” to what seems like attractive or easier ways of acting. These choices may put us at odds with family, friends or our surrounding culture; but we know we must choose in ways that echo the gospel we believe. At these times, today’s reading reminds us that we are in the midst of building a tower and that there is more to be done on the project. Or again, that we are in a battle and we need to gather our resources if we are to succeed. Do we have enough to make the right decisions, pay the price, endure the subsequent consequences of our choices? Probably not—but then, none of us have enough resolve, wisdom and strength on our own.

That is why we come to church, gather with one another to hear the Word and then draw close to be fed from the table. Look around at who is here with us, people we don’t usually see during the week, or socialize with on weekends. But here we are in a most cherished and important place, and whatever the political persuasion or economic and social status of those with us—nevertheless, we are a new kind of family, with people we now call sisters and brothers. That stretches us, doesn’t it? Just as Jesus predicted when he invited the crowds he met on the road to turn towards him and make him the priority of their lives.

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

“If you do not carry your own cross and come after me, you cannot be my disciple.”

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

Jesus often uses hyperbole, a common form of rhetoric in those times. Is that what this is? Or does Jesus really mean “hate” our families and other loved ones? What do I think Jesus really means here? What does he mean by giving up all my possessions? How are my loved ones, my possessions, my accomplishments and my place in life a comfort zone for me? How willing am I to go out of my comfort zone to encounter Christ? Is there a way of life I am settling for, or is there an area of my life where it seems I am too comfortable to change? How does this apparent security hamper my freedom to be all that I can be? How does this security hamper me from becoming all that Jesus wants me to be? If I am surrounded by comfort, and people, and possessions, how hard is it for me to imagine what it is like to be forced from my home or my native land, by war, violence or poverty and fetch up in a new place alone, defenseless, and without anything? In another gospel, Jesus saw a young man go away sad, for his possessions got in the way of following Jesus. What possessions am I overly attached to? What position in my community, my work place or among my friends am I attached to? What people am I overly attached to? What, in short, are my priorities? Do I follow Jesus because my friends and family do? Do I follow Jesus out of fear or guilt? Did I ever stop to think that Jesus might want to be accompanied by friends who shared his mission instead of whining conscripts? Which am I? As the song says: “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose”. In what ways am I not free because I think I have so much to lose? What in my life am I able to let go of to follow Jesus? Is there a particular cross I am asked to bear as I follow Jesus? Is it a big dramatic sacrifice or many daily little sacrifices? What part of my cross is in my own mind, based on my insecurities? Am I specifically asked to choose unhappiness, loneliness and sorrow in order to follow Christ? Have I looked carefully at the consequences of following Jesus? Am I realistic about any inconveniences or actual sacrifices I might be called to experience? Do I consider that following Jesus might not always give me the approval of friends and family, peace of mind, absolute certainty that I am doing the right thing, or even might not always give me spiritual comfort? What will be the cost to me of following Jesus? From Jenn Schaaf, Dominican Associate Campus Minister, Ohio Dominican University: Will you make the choice to follow Jesus? What will you have to give up in order to do so? What type of persecution might you face as a result of following Jesus? What types of persecution are others in the world facing? Do you truly believe that the Holy Spirit is given to you in guidance for “wisdom of heart”? Have I looked seriously and honestly at what is involved Christ’s invitation to follow Him? Am I part-time Christian? What is the “upside” of following Jesus, even if there are sacrifices?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Considering the Issues at Hand:

From Dr. Lanie LeBlanc O.P. Dominican Laity (In “First Impressions” vol. 2 from many years ago): The Gospel reading this week is one of those that we might feel like dismissing with a “Nah, Jesus didn’t really mean that.” It tells us that in order to be a disciple, we have to 1) hate our families, 2) hate our own life, 3) take up our own cross, and 4) renounce all of our possessions. Well, in the “I am really enthusiastic about doing that” category, I might earn 0 % and I think I might have a lot of company in the not-ready-for-prime-time-discipleship class. We know from experience, however, that Jesus does mean what He says so we have to figure out exactly what he meant for us to do... and try to do it enthusiastically. I’m not sure I can do that exactly, but I think that I see some commonality here. The common message in all four of those things is that Jesus must be our first priority. Jesus must come first before family members, our own agenda, our comfort, and our possessions. Our lives need to be spent in chipping away at those things that detract us from a focus on Jesus. For most of us, that is usually our family members, what we want to do, our comfort, and our possessions. Jesus knew what He was saying after all! So, how do I put that into practice and implement consistently? Do I get defeated because the task is so great? Could I start, incrementally, picking one area in which I can put Jesus first, even a little at a time? Can I identify the things that are pulling me away from Jesus? Is there one habit, association, preoccupation that I must learn to “hate” in order to be totally free to live the way of Jesus? I must learn to hate the things that pull me away from Jesus, even if they are as close to me as my family members or myself or the important “things” in my life. Trying to do that, with the mind of Jesus and His help, will be taking up my cross and following Him. He will become my focus and I will become His disciple.

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Adapted from “Sacred Space”, a Service of the Irish Jesuits:

In prayer it is just me and God; for a while. All else is given up. As I pray, I reflect on the words: “whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. “Carry the cross” reminds me of good Friday, and Jesus stumbling under the weight of his own cross.

For me, the cross is not inflicted on my life by the outside but part of my makeup. I reflect on my body’s and mind’s infirmities, the addictions, temptations and desires that rob me of my freedom. Carrying my cross seems not so much solving these problems, as learning to live with them, unsurprisable and humble. My possessions and comfort zones are challenged by my growing relationship with Jesus. What would help me loosen my grasp on these false securities? I turn to Jesus and ask his help so that I may trust Him fully, trust in the future fully. I pray that Jesus will prepare me and set my feet on the path to my heavenly home, which is with Him.

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

“Nobody gets into Heaven without a letter of reference from the poor” —James Forbes as quoted by Ronald Rolheiser, OMI.
Who is going to write that letter of reference on my behalf? Who?

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

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. 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. Thus Joseph, also named by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”), a Levite, a Cypriot by birth, sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles.

I re-read the selection from Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4, and imagine myself in Jerusalem, a prospective follower of those who speak to me of Jesus, God’s Chosen One, who came to show us what God wants for us. I own a considerable piece of property and live comfortably, if not richly. I look around and see everyone in the group selling what they own and giving the proceeds to Peter for distribution to any who need anything. Am I ready to do this? How will I live? How will I feed my family? Worse, how will I tell my wife? How will I take care of my parents who depend upon me now that they are old and infirm? How do I balance my obligations to those I love, and my personal love of comfort with the pulI I am experiencing to follow Jesus radically? I then look at my own 21st century life, and what which gospel is asking me to examine. For example, what is keeping me imprisoned, in a way of life that does not seem to match what Jesus was calling those early believers to experience? What incremental choices can I can make to be more attuned to the mission Jesus is calling me to? What personal economic sacrifices am I willing to make to be generous to those who have less than I do, to be generous to causes that are noble, to my church? (For example, do I give out of my excess, that is, the little which is left over after necessities for me and my family and rewards for hard work are factored in? What exactly, do I or my family “need”? Do I tell myself “I am worth it” at lot?) From whom am I willing to distance myself because their influence is not healthy for my spiritual life? How much time do I actually spend talking to Jesus? I resolve to change just one habit or delusion about myself this week in an attempt to align myself with Jesus and his mission.

Poetic Reflection:

What does this poem by Father Ed Ingebretzen, S.J., say to me about the distance I have yet to travel to be a true disciple of Jesus?

“Lonely Christ”

Lonely Christ
I pray to you.
You are a puzzle to me
as those I love
always are.

My soul is at odds
with the words.
What mad reach of mine
touches any thread of you?
Or what of mine, arms or eyes,
ever shares with people
where they may lie—
as they always do—
in a hard place!

What of mine shall make good
their taking of a breath,
their rising, caring, feeding
their sleeping in fear—
what shall make good
their slight faith,
their enormous promises
made in iron
for a child, man, a woman—

what of mine shall be with the people
as they caress a special grief
fondled again and again
In bludgeoned love?

What do I bring
with which to clutch
the merest hint of your shadow?

Poetic Reflection:

What does the poem by Father Michael Kennedy, S.J., tell me about taking Jesus at face value, about actually hearing what Jesus was saying so long ago?:

When Luke uses what We would call exaggeration As he has Jesus describe how The new disciples are to act and Where their priorities must be We tend to dismiss it because We still often refuse to take The Gospels on their own Terms and instead we Read them in light Of our images and Concepts and so Yet again we may Miss the point **** And of course He is Not asking for families to Be split apart nor for them To hate each other nor is He Really thinking that they should Go about being unprepared in even Little things but He is warning Them that truly nothing can Replace their commitment To Him and to the Ministry He will Entrust to them And which will Be demanding **** We are also in Trouble if we think of Discipleship as just another Workplace to be abandoned After hours on the job for this Jesus calls us to also be Christian (gasp) even On weekends **** © Michael J. Kennedy 2007

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord, help me take those steps that will lead me to participation in your Kingdom. Help me to turn away from anyone or anything that might hamper my journey. Help me to be generous of heart toward those who are struggling with these same issues. Above all, keep me on the path that leads ultimately to you.