February 17, 2019 — Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

JER 17: 5-8; PS 1:1-4,6; 1 COR 15:12, 16-20; LK 6: 17, 20-26

Today’s readings speak of an essential quality for the Christian steward — hope.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1817).”

In many ways, this is the very definition of a stewardship way of life — focusing on eternity as we live our daily lives and relying on God to provide for our needs and satisfy our deepest longings for meaning and happiness right now.

The First Reading from Jeremiah paints a vivid picture of the difference between the person who puts his trust in fellow humans versus the person who relies on — or, in other words, hopes in — the Lord. “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh… He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season but stands in a lava waste.” Not a pretty picture!

On the other hand, the prophet teaches, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green.”

Notice that the one who trusts in the Lord does not escape the heat any more than the one who has put his trust in human strength — his own or another’s. The difference between the two is that the one who fails to trust in the Lord becomes barren in the heat, while the one who trusts in God is given the means to persevere and even thrive in the midst of the challenging times. “It’s leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress but still bears fruit.”

In the Second Reading, St. Paul reminds the Corinthians that it is foolish to think of hope in the Lord with only an “earthly” vision, since God desires nothing less than our eternal happiness. “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.” To aim only for comforts or pleasure or honors in this life is actually an impoverished way of living.

In today’s Gospel from Luke, Jesus describes the true richness of life that is possible for those of us who are willing to live as his disciples. We are all familiar with this passage in which Jesus reveals the Beatitudes: blessed are the poor; they have the kingdom of God. Blessed are those now hungry because they will be satisfied. Blessed are those who weep because they will laugh. Blessed are those who are hated, excluded and insulted because they are disciples of Jesus; they will be greatly rewarded in heaven. Jesus is describing here the character of one who is living a life of hope — the life of a Christian steward whose trust is firmly rooted in God and who is focused on others and eternity. It is not always an easy life, but it is a deeply meaningful life and one that leads to eternal reward.

February 10, 2019 — Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

IS 6: 1-2A, 3-8; PS 138: 1-5, 7-8; 1 COR 15:1-11 or 1 COR 15:3-8, 11; LK 5: 1-11

Our readings today remind us of the great privilege we have in calling ourselves children and disciples of the Most High God. 

The First Reading from Isaiah describes a vision of the prophet in which angels surround the Lord. They proclaim, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” Our God invites us to such deep intimacy and friendship with Him that we sometimes can forget just how majestic and unspeakably holy He truly is.

While we can approach Him with the confidence of a child before his father, we must also remember the deep reverence and awe that we owe to Him.

This sense of awe and reverence should motivate us to deepen our stewardship way of life as well. As we contemplate the holiness of God, we come to a heightened awareness of what a privilege it is that He has chosen to include us in His work of spreading the Gospel to others through the grateful sharing of the gifts He has given us. We can make the words of the prophet Isaiah our own: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send” Who will go for us? Here I am, I said, send me!”

The theme of awe before God continues in the Gospel passage from Luke, where we again see the juxtaposition of a God who is so near to us, yet who is altogether holy and powerful. In this passage we find Jesus preaching to a crowd who is pressing in on Him to listen. (What an inspiring image! Do we “press in” as we listen to the readings proclaimed in Mass with this same sense of wonder and urgency?) In response, Jesus uses very ordinary means so that the crowd can hear Him. He simply gets into one of the nearby boats belonging to Simon so that His voice will better carry over the water. He finishes speaking and then tells Simon the fisherman to lower his nets for a catch. Simon is skeptical about this instruction but obeys, putting his fishing talents to use as Jesus asks.

The result is a catch of fish beyond Simon’s wildest imaginings. Overwhelmed, he fell at Jesus’ knees, “for astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him.”

When we truly embrace a stewardship way of life, putting our talents, time and treasure at the service of the most High God, we, too, will be astonished at what God will do. Our lives may take a direction beyond our wildest imaginings.

But just as Jesus reassured Simon, “Be not afraid,” He reassures us, too. We need not fear a stewardship way of life. Rather, we should embrace the adventure it presents us and prepare to be astonished by what our awesome God will do. “Here I am Lord, send me!”

February 3, 2019 — Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

JER 1:4-5, 17-19; PS 71:1-6, 15-17; 1 COR 12:31-13:13 or 1 COR 13:4-13; LK 4:21-30

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” These ancient words in our First Reading from the Book of Jeremiah are meant for each one of us reflecting on them today! God has given us, His children, a purpose and mission to fulfill while we are here on this earth. Embracing stewardship as a way of life helps us to both find and fulfill the unique mission that God has in mind for each one of us. How?

Stewardship helps us to continuously evaluate all areas of daily life. It calls us first to come to an awareness of the specific gifts God has given us in each area. Once we have been awakened to the particular ways in which God has blessed us, we can set about putting those gifts to the best possible use for the advancement of His Kingdom. While every baptized Christian is called to this universal mission, God has in mind a unique way for each one of us to carry it out. We need to ask ourselves if our daily use of the Time, Talent, and Treasure God has given us aligns with this mission in the individual circumstances of our lives right now.

But what is the real measuring stick in each of these areas? Is it the number of Rosaries I can recite in a given week? The number of ministries in which I am involved? The amount of money I give in the weekly offering? How can I tell if I am fulfilling God’s mission for my life?

It is not the numbers themselves that please our Lord. Rather, as St. Paul tells us in the Second Reading today, the “measure” is the love that we put into the Time, Talent and Treasure we offer Him in grateful return. “If I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own and hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.” God is not after a particular number. What He wants us to give over to Him is our very selves.

Real love is not a sentiment. Real love is manifested in living a virtuous life. We read later in St. Paul’s letter that real love takes strength: it is patient, kind, humble, other-centered, truth-seeking and long-suffering. Love is the heroic giving of oneself even when it is uncomfortable; especially then. Love looks like Jesus. Love lives like Jesus.

Sometimes, perhaps oftentimes, living like Jesus is difficult. We see this in the Gospel Reading today where we find Jesus in action, preaching in the synagogue in His hometown. He speaks truth to the people He loves, the ones He grew up with and shared His early days with. How do they respond? They are filled with fury and run Him out of town, intent on throwing Him from a cliff! Yet Jesus is undeterred. He passes right through them and presses forward with the mission His Father has entrusted to Him.

We are called to live with this same strength and determination, fueled by the power of love and by gratitude for all God has given us.

January 20, 2019 — Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

IS 62:1-5; PS 96: 1-3,7-10; 1 COR 12:4-11; JN 2:1-11

Today’s readings remind us of the amazing privilege we have and the serious responsibility it is to be good stewards of the gifts God has given us.

The second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians shows us how personally God loves us and how uniquely He has chosen to create each one of us: “Brothers and sisters: there are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”

While Paul is speaking here of spiritual gifts, we know that everything we have — intellectual gifts, material resources, even our personalities — all are undeserved blessings from above.

Everything we have, therefore, is intended to benefit those around us. Because God has made each one of us with unique and differing gifts, the parish family truly does need each of us. It’s a wonderful — and at the same time — sobering reality. Our parish family will be vibrant only when all members, young and old, share their gifts with the community. It will suffer if even one member holds back.

The Gospel reading, from John, recounts the familiar story of the wedding feast at Cana when Jesus launched His public ministry by performing His first miracle at his mother’s request. In the midst of the feast, the Blessed Mother noticed the wine had run out, which would have caused great embarrassment to the hosts. Our Lady pointed out this problem to her Son. Then, she gave the servants instructions that are equally applicable to us modern-day stewards. She says, “Do whatever He tells you.” Jesus gives the servants a simple and seemingly mundane task, telling them to fill some stone jars with water. They did what he told them to do — just as the Blessed Mother instructed. And Jesus used their obedience in the accomplishment of that simple task to perform His first miracle, turning that water into the choicest wine.

Our Lord didn’t have to include those servants in order to perform this miracle — He chose to. And today, 2,000-plus years later, He still chooses to include us in the performance of His miracles through our cooperation with Him in using the gifts and talents He has given us. What a privilege!

Let us take care to listen to our Blessed Mother. Let us examine our lives this week to see if we really are doing whatever He tells us and cooperating with God to make the best use of the gifts He has given us for the benefit of those around us. If we all take this call seriously, He will perform miracles in our families and our parish.

January 13, 2019 — The Baptism of the Lord

IS 42:1-4, 6-7 or IS 40:1-5, 9-11; PS 29:1-4, 9-10 or PS 104:1B-4, 24-25, 27-30; ACTS 10: 34-38 or TI 2:11-14; 3: 4-7; LK 3:15-16; 21-22

What a treasure trove of stewardship lessons we find in our Gospel reading today on this feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

Today’s Gospel is one we read often, so it is easy to lose sight of just how incredible it is that Jesus wished to be baptized in the Jordan River by His cousin, John. We just spent the last two weeks marveling at the fact that this Savior of ours was born as a baby in a crude stable for our sake, and now this! Stop and contemplate our Lord in all His perfection waiting quietly and patiently in line with a bunch of sinners (like us!) in order to “lead by example.” His love and humility in serving and self-giving are beyond all telling.

Certainly, the sinless Savior did not need a baptism of repentance! John himself noted that in comparison to Jesus, he was not even worthy to loosen His sandal straps. But Jesus humbly made Himself one with his people to draw us to Him and create a relationship with us so that we would be open to His teachings and influence.

In response, we should be filled to overflowing with gratitude to such a gracious God — an overflow that must express itself in our own giving back to God through our sharing of time, talents and treasure. In fact, when we allow the words and actions of Jesus in the Gospel to enter deeply into our minds and hearts, we will be compelled to give ourselves to Him and others out of love for Him.

In addition to the gratitude that Jesus’ baptism should inspire, we can also study His actions at the Jordan River as a powerful example of the servant-leadership He displays time and again throughout His public ministry. We see in our Lord a style of leadership characterized by humility and leading by example.

As a servant-leader, we also see that Jesus leads by example. He doesn’t just tell the people they need to be baptized. He shows them how and does it Himself to teach them. To lead like Jesus we, too, must “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk.” If we want those we lead at home, in ministry or at work to be generous and hard-working, then we must show them how to do this by demonstrating generosity and hard work ourselves.

And just in case there was any doubt about the extraordinary actions of Jesus that day at the Jordan River, we learn of the powerful affirmation of the Father who, immediately after the baptism, opens the heavens, sends the Holy Spirit upon Jesus in bodily form and says audibly, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.” Wow!

Let us be filled with gratitude for our amazing God and be reminded that when we are grateful followers of Jesus and servant-leaders in imitation of Him, the Father will be well-pleased with us, too.

January 6, 2019 — The Epiphany of the Lord

IS 60: 1-6, PS 72:1-2,7-8, 10-13; EPH 3:2-3A, 5-6; MT 2:1-12

As we continue our celebration of the Christmas season, today we observe the great Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The word “epiphany” means “manifestation,” and throughout the Christmas readings, we have seen that the newborn King is eager to reveal Himself to all those willing to accept His presence in their lives.

From poor and humble shepherds, to the international group of magi featured in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus makes it clear that He offers Himself as a gift to everyone.

We also see throughout the scriptures that God uses what is familiar to us to draw us to Himself. He calls to fisherman using boats and nets and a great haul of fish. When speaking to farmers, He uses images of seeds and soil. In the case of the magi — or, astrologers — He uses a star. Our Lord continues to speak to each one of us today.

But we must be alert to “hear” and “see” Him in our daily lives.

How can we become better attuned to the ways God is speaking to us? We must strengthen our spiritual senses by spending time with the Lord in prayer every single day. In the same way that we set professional goals or exercise goals, we can set spiritual goals to ensure that we are taking the time to listen intentionally to God daily. This could be through 10 minutes of early morning Gospel reflection before the rest of the family is up for the day; it could be few moments at your desk at work before grabbing lunch; it could be a daily Rosary after dinner.

When we establish a regular and intentional time for prayer, we will find the Lord continues to speak to us throughout the day. We will more easily recognize the “stars” He places before us to draw us into closer relationship with Him. We will begin to see that He is indeed present in our lives at every moment.

Once we recognize His loving presence in our lives, we can take inspiration from the magi. Recognizing Jesus as King, they fell prostrate before Him in worship and awe. We, too, should be awestruck at the greatness of our God who has given us all that we have and whose love sustains our very existence. And, like the magi, we should offer Him gifts in gratitude for such great love. Rather than gold, frankincense and myrrh, the gifts that are most pleasing to the Lord from us are the gifts of our time (through prayer), our talents, and a trusting return of the material gifts with which He has blessed us.

In this next week as so many people around us are making New Year’s resolutions, let us make a spiritual resolution — to be more intentional about our prayer lives. The more time we spend with our Lord, the more we will become aware of His presence in our lives. We will find that our daily lives are filled with “epiphanies” of His love and, in addition to our time, we will gladly offer our talents and treasure to Him in grateful response.