Daily Bread - September 2008

Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

Mon., Sept. 1: 1 Cor 2:1-5; Luke 4:16-30

Truly I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. We resolve to witness to the Gospel. Our intentions are the best. But often our "native place" — family, classroom, parish, workplace — just doesn’t seem to get it. Why don’t they listen?! We need to remember that our Lord had the same problem, and that his uncompromising fidelity to his Father’s mission cost him his life. God’s grace has its own timetable, and if we too are faithful to the Gospel in our words and especially in our deeds, we will have done all that is required of us. When those to whom we witness are ready to respond, God’s grace will work in them. Lord Jesus, may your cross be my strength. Mew

Tues., Sept. 2: 1 Cor 2:10b-16; Luke 4:31-37

What is there about his word? We are drowning in words. Broadcast and print media bombard us with promises about products that will save us from sickness, loneliness, ugliness, poverty and even death (for a while). Other voices seek not to comfort but to terrify us: We must fight and kill people, suppress and exclude people, protect ourselves against this or that group of people because only then will we have perfect security; only then can we maintain our status as "Number One." But the one Word, who perfectly expresses the God who is love, has become flesh to live among us, to cast out our demons, heal our insanity, teach us true love and conquer our death with everlasting life. Lord, teach me your wisdom; help me to walk your path of peace and life. Mew

Wed., Sept. 3: 1 Cor 3:1-9; Luke 4:38-44

While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh? Do I rejoice over the good work done by others? Or do I try to belittle and discredit the work done by my "rivals," certain that I could do it better? I must seek only to follow God’s plan, knowing that the work is God’s and I am a humble instrument. St. Gregory the Great, pope, reformer and doctor of the church, once wrote, "To renounce what one has is a minor thing, but to renounce what one is, that is asking a lot." Lord, mold me into a worthy witness to your goodness. Mew

Thurs., Sept. 4: 1 Cor 3:18-23; Luke 5:1-11

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God. Some people have very little and are tempted to despair. Others think they need more, though what they already have would be a fortune to many. The wisdom of this world encourages avarice, jealousy, dissatisfaction and a paralyzing fear that we will run out of things. War, famine, oppression, genocide and the abuse and gradual erosion of our global ecosystem are only some aspects of the culture of death fostered by this dubious "wisdom." Let us repent of our greed and wastefulness and pray for the grace to be just stewards of God’s prodigal bounty. Loving Lord, thank you for all your gifts. Teach us that there is more than enough for all your children. Mew

Fri., Sept. 5: 1 Cor 4:1-5; Luke 5:33-39

It does not concern me … that I be judged by … any human tribunal. If we devote ourselves to the Lord’s work, we will be sure to offend somebody. Count on it. There is just no pleasing all of the people all of the time. But that gets right to the point. This is not about us: It is about knowing the will of God and doing it for God’s sake, not in order to make ourselves look good. The work is God’s, and it is to God alone that I will answer. Let us always be faithful to the word of the Gospel and the mind of the church and not concern ourselves with the opinions of others. Lord, teach me to know and do your will, and to seek only your glory, not mine. Mew

Sat., Sept. 6: 1 Cor 4:6b-15; Luke 6:1-5

What do you possess that you have not received? How do I regard stewardship? Today I might reflect on the fact that everything in creation — my talents and abilities, persons in my care, those whose needs I perceive, even nature itself — is a gift from our loving God. These gifts are not mine to use arbitrarily, in conceit and selfishness, but are meant to be developed and nurtured for the glory of God and the good of all people. I am God’s creation, called to exercise reverent stewardship over my talents and material goods as well as over the natural world, and to serve those whose needs are made known to me. Lord, teach me gratitude and humility in the face of all you have entrusted to my care. Mew

Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Mon., Sept. 8: Mic 5:1-4 or Rom 8:28-30; Matt 1:1-16, 18-23

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. The call to bear God’s own Son, to bring the long-awaited Messiah of Israel into the world, must have energized and sustained Mary. She lived, no doubt, with a profound sense of purpose. So should we, for in our own way and our own particular circumstances, we are likewise called to bring Christ to the world. Let us look today to our Blessed Mother as the exemplar of Gospel zeal. May we hear and answer God’s call as she did. For faithful love, we pray. Ecw

Tues., Sept. 9: 1 Cor 6:1-11; Luke 6:12-19

How can any one of you with a case against another dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment instead of to the holy ones? We make numerous small choices every day. Occasionally, we face more life-changing options: We choose a spouse or a vocation; we follow a dream; we do the right thing even though it is not the easy way out. In all such choices, being Christian makes a difference. Paul challenges the Corinthians (and us) to think about that difference. What sort of process do we use to discern God’s will? Do we take our questions to God in prayer? Do we seek the counsel of wise, godly folk? Do we abide by standards of faith and holiness or those of the world? For holy discernment, we pray. Ecw

Wed., Sept. 10: 1 Cor 7:25-31; Luke 6:20-26

For the world in its present form is passing away. Our anticipation of the Second Coming has been tempered by the millennia. We do not have Paul’s sense of urgency, yet, at less-than-cosmic levels, we do experience the truth of what he says about the world. For many of us, the landscapes we used to inhabit have vanished. We have had to grow through the various seasons of our lives within the flux of shifting paradigms. When the enormity of change threatens to overwhelm and confuse us, let us take on Paul’s zeal for the Lord. Whatever our state of life, living for the Lord can strengthen and energize us. For those who struggle with faithfulness … for those discerning God’s call, we pray. Ecw

Thurs., Sept. 11: 1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13; Luke 6:27- 38

Love your enemies. In the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, PBS’ Gwen Ifill interviewed Fred Rogers. The focus of their discussion was how to help children cope with all that was happening. As the segment drew to a close, Rogers addressed Ifill directly, adding that "big people" needed a lot of special care now too, especially those who had been working so hard to bring us this difficult news. The kindly pastor’s insight and personal concern seemed to catch the always-on-top-of-her-game newswoman off guard. The moment was poignant and somewhat humorous. I know it made me smile for the first time in days. Little and big people, young and old, "good" and "bad" — we all need love. For the grace to love everyone, especially those who most need it, we pray. Ecw

Fri., Sept. 12: 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27; Luke 6:39- 42

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? Most of us would know what to do right away if we got a splinter in the eye. We would run to the mirror to see what it was like: How big, how lodged-in, how bloody? We would cry out for help and find someone with the expertise to remove the splinter safely. But somehow we do not always behave so instinctively when we feel the pain of sin. What we should do is assess sin’s damage in prayer through an examination of conscience, and follow up on a regular basis by visiting our Physician, Jesus, in the sacrament of reconciliation. For humility, repentance and healing, we pray. Ecw

Sat., Sept. 13: 1 Cor 10:14-22; Luke 6:43-49

I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. Before he shows us how a true disciple behaves, Jesus gives us the basics. We must, first of all, come to him. Then we must listen to him, and finally, we must act on what we have heard. As coming, listening, and acting become our pattern, we lay the sturdy foundation that allows us to weather life’s storms. So let us come often to Jesus in personal prayer, in worship, and in service to others. Let us make room for silence, quieting the chatter within, opening our hearts to the Word. And let us always act with courage and confidence as the Spirit leads us. For habits of holiness, we pray. Ecw

Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Mon., Sept. 15: Heb 5:7-9; John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35

… and you yourself a sword will pierce. Few pains are felt more acutely than those of a mother for her suffering child — worse yet when those trials seem undeserved or even cruel. Mary’s greatest joys and comforts were seldom without the accompaniment of sorrow or pain. She was blessed and honored to bear the Christ, but with that distinction she faced scandal, persecution and heartache. We try to identify with Mary in her nurturing role and in her faith, but it is easier to feel akin to her in our times of affliction. We call to her in our sorrows, for we know the depth of her compassion and love. She suffered more than we can ever fathom, yet she accepted the Father’s will in moments of grace and tribulation. May we have the strength to do the same. For the grace to face our trials with faith, we pray. PR

Tues., Sept. 16: 1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31a; Luke 7:11-17

When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ There is so much pain in the world that it is easy to become numb to the needs of our brothers and sisters. We become so overwhelmed with requests for our material, emotional and spiritual support that we close our eyes to those even directly before us. Jesus certainly was bombarded with requests for healing and comfort. Even in the midst of a large crowd, he paused to address the widow newly grieving for the loss of her only son. While the miracle Jesus performs is a sign of his power over death, it’s also a lesson in mercy. We are never too busy or too important to lighten the burden of another. Jesus touches the coffin to bring the man back to life; let us also reach out to those in sorrow. For the gift of compassion, we pray. PR

Wed., Sept. 17: 1 Cor 12:31--13:13; Luke 7:31-35

We sang a dirge, but you did not weep. We try to create God in our image. We pray not for God’s will but for our own. Then we are disappointed with the way things turn out. If our only goal in having a religious life or a relationship with God is to affirm what we want to hear, then we will truly be left wanting. Wisdom is not about already having all the answers. The wisest are those who know where to seek knowledge — and what better instructor than Christ? For the strength to avoid the lure of easy answers, we pray. PR

Thurs., Sept. 18: 1 Cor 15:1-11; Luke 7:36-50

But he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’ We can receive no greater gift than God’s forgiveness. The woman can go in peace because she knows that she takes God’s mercy and love with her. We have all felt the unease that accompanies a rift in a relationship. Tranquility comes only with reconciliation. We are all sinners in need of redemption. God offers each of us innumerable chances for mercy, but we will not be at peace until we recognize our failings and right our relationship with the Lord. Loving God, you know the longings of our hearts. Bring us peace, we pray. PR

Fri., Sept. 19: 1 Cor 15:12-20; Luke 8:1-3

Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities. The Good News can come from anywhere and anyone. We need to be open to the many possible sources of the word of God because it can appear in the unlikeliest forms, even from a nomadic preacher journeying from town to town in the company of misfits and women. We may see ourselves as improbable messengers of the Gospel, but we have been shown that the major requirements for the job are simply a love and acceptance of Christ and the desire to walk with him on this journey. Surely we are qualified to take on that role. For the grace to see ourselves among those called to share God’s message of mercy and healing, we pray. PR

Sat., Sept. 20: 1 Cor 15:35-37, 42-49; Luke 8:4-15

The seed is the word of God. There is an innate longing within us to bond with the Divine — a natural yearning to search for meaning, to connect to something more. Instinctively, we know that there’s something beyond us and yet within us at the same time. We are restless and wanting. That’s the seed planted deep within the fertile ground of our hearts. We may not recognize it as such, and we may resist it, but the longing persists. We must remove the rocks and thorns in our hearts to allow the gentle bud of God’s word to bloom. Loving God, nurture your word alive within us, we pray. PR

Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Mon., Sept. 22: Prov 3:27-34; Luke 8:16-18

No one after lighting a lamp puts it under a vessel. Today’s Gospel passage inspired the children’s song "This Little Light of Mine." We’re not to put our light under a "bushel" or "let Satan blow it out" — we are to "let it shine." We cover our light for many reasons: fear, false modesty, the dread of hearing, "Who does she think she is?" And sometimes our light is extinguished by the blows of this life: hardship, disappointment, unfairness, the terrible loss of someone we love, the inevitable iminishment as we grow older. When our light is so hidden that we cannot find even a flicker; when our light has been blown out and we are stumbling in the dark — that is when we need each other. We illumine for each other the goodness in each of us. We help each other see that unique face of God that we are here on this earth to make visible. Then we say, Thank you, Jesus, for the lights of my sisters and brothers. Pbs

Tues., Sept. 23: Prov 21:1-6, 10-13; Luke 8:19-21

My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it. Jesus is not being rude to his momma. Rather he is seizing the moment to teach us about the nature of his family. There are two parts to the nature of a kindred spirit of Jesus: one who hears the Word and then acts on the Word. From the ashram of Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry, India, I brought back a little plaque that sits above my desk: No Words — Acts. Words are cheap without acts that exemplify or embody those words. And we are called to be what Jesus was — the Word embodied; living sermons. The prayer attributed to St. Francis sums it up: Lord, help me to preach always, and when necessary, use words. Pbs

Wed., Sept. 24: Prov 30:5-9; Luke 9:1-6

Take nothing for the journey. A few months ago, one of the airlines announced a fee for a traveler’s first checked bag. Amid the outraged responses, one man was interviewed who said he wished they would charge 10 times the fee because his wife always lugs along too much stuff. Before we head down the lane of sexist stereotyping, let’s imagine and embrace the freedom of traveling light. Seasoned travelers have long known the benefits of carrying only one manageable bag. Could we not apply that same lesson to our stay-at-home lives? There is a worthy insight in today’s first reading: that when we are full we have no need of God and when we are empty we steal and profane God’s name. Perhaps we can gather our courage and pray with Solomon: Give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food that I need. Pbs

Thurs., Sept 25: Eccl 1:2-11; Luke 9:7-9

Who then is this about whom I hear such things? As the news spread about the words and works of Jesus, there were rumors that John still lived. Herod, having seen John’s head removed from his body, knew there was someone other, but did not know him. Do we? One of the great temptations of our age is an attitude of, "Ho hum, nothing is new under the sun, bored are we and bitter, too." What a wretched way to live. What a waste. Perhaps we need to reread the Gospel stories with fresh eyes and ears and hearts open to the wonder, the newness, the relevance of the message to our time and place. Come, Lord Jesus, fill our hearts; inspire, enliven, refresh and renew us this day. Pbs

Fri., Sept. 26: Eccl 3:1-11; Luke 9:18-22

To everything there is a season. Thanks to the Byrds (turn, turn, turn), I knew this meditation on the mystery of time long before I knew the Lord of time. And that is who Jesus is: the one who brings together the timeless and our time; the one who is both eternal and incarnate. God has indeed "put the timeless into our hearts," while at the same time we must also slog through the minutes and the hours, the weeks and the years of this time. How do we, so mired in the day-to-day, know the eternal? The wisdom is the same in every tradition: We know the eternal God only in this very moment, in this very circumstance. Jesus, who is the alpha and omega, is also the Lord of the here and now and so we pray: Lord of all time, live in us and guide us this day so that someday we may know you for all time. Pbs

Sat., Sept. 27: 1 Cor 1:26-31; Matt 9:35-38

… the laborers are few. Today we remember St. Vincent de Paul, servant of the poor and visionary who saw that ministering to the poor within a praying community could be the source of happiness and salvation. Today we also remember in prayer the poor and those who serve them, particularly all who regard this saint as one of the founders of their order, including those in the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Vincentians, and the Daughters of Charity. St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac, pray for us. Pbs

Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Mon., Sept. 29: Dan 7:9-10, 13-14 (or Rev 12:7- 12a); John 1:47-51

Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him. Some rabbis have said that God creates a new angel for each task, which may be why there are so many of them. Michael, the patron of security forces and of the sick, protects. Gabriel’s function is to announce, and he is patron of telecommunication and of the postal service. Raphael is chiefly a guide, caring for travelers and the blind. We can and should pray to them, as we do to the saints, asking for their help and protection, especially all you Michaels and Michelles, Gabes and Gabys, and Ralphs, Rafes and Raphaelas. Happy name day! Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, guide us, that we may walk safely in God’s will. Mew

Tues., Sept. 30: Job 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23; Luke 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem. Today’s readings show us two men — Job and Jesus — living life and considering death. Job is overwhelmed by life’s troubles and thinks it would be better if he had never been born. But, Job learns, God is in charge. Jesus, on the other hand, is "resolutely determined" to fulfill God’s will, whatever that entails. I think "resolutely determined" is the key. My life and all its one-day-at-a-time joys and sorrows are what I embrace when I affirm that God is in charge and resolve to follow the Lord, through life, through death, to greater life. Lord, teach me that there is no challenge without your sustaining grace. Mew