July 1, 2018 — Thirteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

WIS 1: 13-15; 2: 23-24; PS 30: 2, 4-6, 11-13; 2 COR 8: 7, 9, 13-15; MK 5: 21-43

In the Gospel Reading taken from the Book of Mark, Jesus says at one point, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” We have heard that put in so many ways, but for many of us it is somewhat difficult to grasp and accept. Yet it is the basic message of all of the Word of God and the words of the Lord Jesus that have been recounted to us.

The First Reading on this Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time comes from the Book of Wisdom. There was a time when this Book was called The Wisdom of Solomon. We have pointed out previously that the Book of Wisdom is part of what are called the wisdom books, which include Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job, and Sirach. Even the meaning of “wisdom” is elusive. Obviously, the central theme is “wisdom” itself — wisdom as it applies to us and wisdom as it applies to God. One of the intentions is to make it clear that “wisdom” as it applies to us shows itself in action. This would seem to parallel what we believe about stewardship — that it shows itself in what we do, our actions, more so than in any other way.

This particular reading serves as a prelude for what is to come in the other readings. It maintains that the wisdom of God from the beginning was to prepare us for, and to gift us with eternal life. That is the great gift of our salvation thanks to the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. To know that is “wisdom.”

The underlying of St. Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians, from which our Second Reading comes, is the idea of giving. If wisdom involves understanding the need to give, it follows that there are reasons for that. There was some friction between Paul and the Corinthian community. Paul sent his follower Titus to hand carry this letter and present it to them, because Paul wanted Titus to be able to explain and enhance.

It appeared that the Corinthian Christians probably intended to give. They certainly thought about giving. They were responsive to the idea of giving. However, the toughest part was actually getting them to, in Paul’s words, “complete this grace.” That is true to many of us as well. We may understand what it means to be a good steward, and we may even be willing to live lives of stewardship, but the most difficult part is actually doing it.

Paul, and for that matter the Lord, too, is not “commanding” the Corinthians to give. Paul understands that giving out of a sense of commandment is not giving at all. We tend to call that kind of giving “taxation.” Paul rightfully points to Jesus as the ultimate example of giving. Paul says in this reading, “for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” Rich does not always mean having lots of assets or money in the bank. It means you have the wisdom to see that through Jesus’ promise to you, you are richer beyond imagination.

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus shows us what “healing” and “wisdom” really are. Wisdom is one thing, but faith is another. Even the greatest of scholars, gifted with wisdom, are not always the holiest of people. There are two instances of healing in this Gospel, and they are very different. In the first mentioned, although not the first that occurred, Jesus is approached by a “synagogue official” with the request to heal his daughter, who was near death. His example shows us what we need to do for healing also. First, we must put ourselves in the presence of Jesus; next, we must humble ourselves before the Lord (note that this official “fell at his feet”). Third, we must make our request sincerely (“pleaded earnestly with him”); and finally, we must believe and have confidence in the Lord (“Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.”).

However, before Jesus heals the daughter, He experiences a woman in need of healing. Because of her condition, she was considered “unclean” by others; in fact, if she touched anyone else or any part of their clothing, they, too, would be made unclean. With Jesus, that is not the way it works though. Because of the power of God, Jesus was not made “unclean,” but the woman was cured. “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

Note that the Lord called her “Daughter.” There is no other instance in all of Holy Scripture when Jesus calls someone by this name. Jesus wanted her to know that He had something special to give her. Jesus has something special to give to each of us also.

Next the Lord raises Jairus’ daughter from death. As quoted in the introduction, Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” Jesus is saying two things to Jairus, and the same two things to us. Before Jairus and we can trust Jesus we need to put away our fears. To “have faith” is to believe. We do not have to figure everything out. Everything does not have to make sense to us. Jesus brings us all hope, just as He brought it to Jairus. And look what happened!

June 24, 2018 — Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist

IS 49: 1-6; PS 139: 1B-3, 13-15; ACTS 13: 22-26; LK 1: 57-66, 80

In Luke 1:13 the Archangel Gabriel visits the parents-to-be of St. John the Baptist, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and says, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.” Today we celebrate the Birth of John the Baptist. For Luke the birth of John the Baptist closely parallels the birth of Jesus. John the Baptist’s birth is the prelude to the birth of Jesus.

The Archangel Gabriel announces to our Blessed Mother Mary also that she will bear a son. At that same time he revealed to Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was six months pregnant. Mary journeys to visit Elizabeth. You may recall that during that visit the baby “leapt” in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary greeted her. John the Baptist knew even then that this was the Messiah.

From the prophet Isaiah, who provides our First Reading, comes the voice of the Messiah announcing his impending arrival (albeit centuries later). The Lord says, “Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The Lord called me from birth; from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.” Although this statement is Jesus speaking, it would be equally accurate about St. John the Baptist.

The Messiah begins by commanding the coastlands and distant peoples to listen to him. This is most likely a reference to the Gentiles. In an interesting statement, Jesus says, “He made of me a sharp edged sword.” This is not a reference to anything warlike or militaristic. Jesus Himself is the sword. This means that His very words, the Word of God, have power and authority. Weapons are left to others; Jesus needs only to speak.

When He says, “You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory,” we must keep in mind that the name Israel means “governed by God.” This is Isaiah’s way to make it clear that the Messiah Whom he is predicting represents Israel, that as part of the Holy Trinity Jesus is indeed not only governed by God, but is God.

In reference to the quote from the Gospel of Luke that appears in the opening paragraph of this reflection, the Archangel Gabriel not only told Elizabeth and Zechariah that they were to name the baby John, but the angel continues “And you will receive joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” The tradition at the time was that when a birth was imminent, friends and local musicians gathered near the house. When the birth was announced, and if it was a boy, the musicians would break into song, and there was general congratulations and rejoicing. This was natural but it was also a clear demonstration of the significance of the birth of John the Baptist.

The Church selected June 24 for this celebration, not because there is any definite record that is when it occurred, but because that is in keeping with the birth of Jesus six months later. St. John the Baptist began his public ministry around 30 A.D. He was known for attracting large crowds throughout Judea and near the Jordan River. When Jesus came to him to be baptized in the Jordan, John knew Him and said, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me.” (According to the Gospel of Matthew)

John not only recognized the divinity of Jesus, he emphasized it with his sizable following. He told his followers to turn to Christ. It was John who called Jesus the Lamb of God. Many of John’s followers became what we might term to be the first Christians.

We hear in today’s Gospel, speaking of John the Baptist, “The child grew and became strong in spirit.” If that sounds familiar, it may be because it is so similar to what we hear about Jesus one chapter later (Luke 2:40): “And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was with him.” We learn some important lessons from John the Baptist.

First, we need to put total trust in God, in Jesus, just as he did. Also, stewardship calls us to serve God and others. Like his cousin Jesus John the Baptist came to serve, not to be served. We are summoned to do the same.

June 17, 2018 — Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

EZ 17: 22-24; PS 92: 2-3, 13-16; 2 COR: 5: 6-10; MK 4: 26-34

“I think that I shall never see…A poem lovely as a tree.” That is the opening stanza of a poem by American poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer. We know Kilmer better as a poet, but in his time he was also considered to be a great Catholic apologist. He was often compared to his English counterpart G. K. Chesterton. Clearly Kilmer had a great fondness for trees that is Biblically sound.

Trees have always had significance in the Bible. They are first mentioned in the second Book of Genesis with the “Tree of Life.” Along with mountains and the sea, trees are bigger than we are; they stand when we fall, and they endure when we pass away. Yet, unlike the sea and the hills, we can muster the power to overcome trees. We can chop them down and put them to use.

In today’s readings trees are significant from a number of standpoints. One of our problems in Biblical interpretation lies in our inability to see the world as charged with the power and glory of God. We decide that, for example, the “tree of life” means something in particular. Yet, we can feel trees and smell them in many instances. Trees are important in today’s readings.

The First Reading from Ezekiel makes reference to a tree to be planted by God: “I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.” This is Ezekiel’s version of the prophecy by Isaiah: “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch will grow out of its roots.” In other words, from something that was thought to be dead, God promises to bring forth a wonderful and productive growth — Jesus.

St. Paul offers another perspective of being a branch or a limb from a tree. The Body of Christ, the Church, can also be compared to a tree with many branches, perhaps each serving a different purpose, but all combining to produce the whole. That is what we as a Church are like and why each of us in his or her own way is important to the total. It is all held together by the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s life gave him great confidence, a confidence he feels we should share. When Paul writes, “We are always courageous,” we must realize that the Greek word translated as “courageous” can also be translated as “confident.” With the confidence he had, Paul knew that God was at work within him. Paul reminds us often that this confidence comes from the realization that we are to “set our minds on things above, not things on earth.

Thanks to the Lord we are part of the Body of Christ, what might be termed the great Tree of Life.

At the Heart of our Gospel Reading from St. Mark is the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Speaking of this seed, Jesus says, “But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches.” Our Lord and Savior is the perfect teacher. It was through parables that He was able to present profound spiritual truths. His parables were often intended for simple people, but also to an agrarian population — that is, people familiar with agriculture and agricultural terms.

The mustard seed and mustard plan were something that would have been familiar to most of His listeners. As is the case with everything Jesus said, scholars have studied and examined and developed opinions on what He meant. The mustard seed was not the smallest seed, and the plant it produced was not the largest, but yet even to this day there are wild mustard plants over ten feet tall near the Jordan River. Jesus was most likely referring to black or white mustard seeds and plants. Mustard, as we know it, was made by grinding the seeds.

There were three important features of the mustard plant that the Lord knew his audience would understand — the small size of the seed, the large size of the plant, and the rapid germination and growth of the plant. That is part of the importance of all trees and large plants as they tend to come from seeds, perhaps not always tiny ones, but they come to life and they grow. That is what is supposed to be happening to us as well.

The last stanza of Kilmer’s famous poem about trees is the most telling. It is, “Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.” Only God can truly make us what we are to be and what we are called to be.

June 10, 2018 — Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

GN 3: 9-15; PS 130: 1-8; 2 COR: 4:13–5:1; MK 3: 20-35

The Feasts of May and June have been called a “liturgical love feast.” They should help us to realize the persistent love of God. On May 20, we received the Holy Spirit Who pours the love of God into our hearts. The following Sunday we celebrated the Blessed Trinity. On June 3, last week, we celebrated the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. Out of love Christ gave us the gift of Himself. He is always available to us, ready to listen and ready to support.

This past Friday, we commemorated the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the revelations of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Jesus promised, “Sinners shall find My Heart the source of an infinite ocean of mercy. I will console them in all their troubles.” What we hear in the Word at every Mass should be a source of inspiration and affirmation about the love of God toward us.

Adam and Eve were certainly aware of God’s love. In the First Reading from the Book of Genesis, when they “hear” that God is in the garden, they know full well that He wants to be with them. It is difficult for us to conceive of how intimate and close God was to that first couple. What made them “afraid” of God was sin, something that probably makes all of us afraid of the Lord at times. Ever since Adam we as humans have tended to run from God’s presence and we surely do not always wish to listen to His Word.

Nevertheless, we must always keep in mind that we are made in God’s image, so as fearful of Him as we may be, we still want to be in the presence of God. As we note in the reading, Adam tried to blame Eve for his sin. That is something we may tend to do as well — blame others for our sins and faults. In 2 Samuel, David declares, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Each of us has to consider taking that responsibility for our actions as David did.

St. Paul had a way with words to be sure. During Paul’s lifetime many felt his Paul’s life was a failure. At the height of his success in life, he chose to leave it for a career that from our perspective is much higher. We view St. Paul as the great evangelizer and the equivalent of an Apostle. Paul left a comfortable life for a life of hardship, suffering and persecution.

His message to us and to the Corinthians in this reading is that faith creates testimony. Paul believed deeply that God had a purpose in his, Paul’s, sufferings. Paul understood and embraced and truly believed in resurrection. Al the trials he faced, and all the trials we may face, are trivial in relationship to the life that is to come. Suffering can destroy us; they could have destroyed Paul. Paul recognized that we tend to see the outward, not necessarily the unseen eternal things. He speaks, nevertheless, of the “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” That is where his focus was and where our focus needs to be — not the present but what is in our future.

President Abraham Lincoln is often given credit for saying “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” This was the theme of a speech he gave when he was nominated for the United States Senate in 1858. However, we see it in today’s Gospel Reading from St. Mark: “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”

Jesus is quoted as saying that in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

Lincoln was a man familiar with scripture, and he knew that Jesus said this. He also knew most likely that most of his audience knew that. Jesus gave this answer to the Pharisees in all three instances in the Bible, including today’s reading. It was a response the Lord made when accused of being the agent of Satan. It is a logical thought because we all know that any community, including our parish, which is divided will run into problems. Success and cohesion, whether in a family or in an organization or the Church itself, is reliant upon congruency.

We face this in many ways in daily life all the time. It does not matter whether it is a sports team, a government, a family, or our own minds things must work together in order to accomplish goals. God expects unity among believers because once conflict enters into the picture, the whole organization becomes weaker. That is part of what stewardship demands of us. There are times when each of us must place his or her personal preferences to the side for the good of the group. That is never easy to do, but to be the kind of community we wish to be and need to be it is absolutely necessary. Psalm 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” Indeed!

June 3, 2018 — The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

EX 24: 3-8; PS 116: 12-13, 15-18; HEB 9: 11-15; MK 14: 12-16, 22-26

Although our Easter season officially ended two weeks ago, we are reminded today on Corpus Christi Sunday of that time Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist. The Gospel Reading from Mark reminds us of that time at the Last Supper: “While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many’.”

The most important liturgies in our Church are called Solemnities. Today marks the third Solemnity over the past few weeks with Pentecost and Trinity Sunday also being designated in that way. We have one more to go with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus next Friday. The word “solemnity” has as its roots two Latin words — soletand annus,which basically translates into an annual or yearly celebration. We can be proud of our traditions and our history because they have come to us directly from Jesus.

We have been celebrating the Eucharist as part of our worship since the original Feast of the Last Supper. St. Ignatius of Antioch referred to the Eucharist as the “medicine of immortality,” and that is something we should never forget every time we approach to receive Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ.

In the First Reading from the Book of Exodus we hear of Moses explaining to his people God’s covenant. In the Gospel we hear Jesus say, “This is my blood of the covenant.” Of course, He is speaking of the new covenant, but one that is closely associated with the covenant explained by Moses. It is Jesus’ covenant that offers us salvation.

However, we need to note how similar our liturgies are to what happens in the First Reading. Initially the people heard the Word of God, just as we do at each Mass. Sacrifices are made; we speak of sacrifice during the whole process of the Eucharist; finally, the people receive from Moses the blood of sacrifice, just as we do in the Eucharist. The idea of covenant in almost all societies and practices involves blood.

In the Second Reading from the Book of Hebrews we hear again about the importance of blood as part of the covenant. Nevertheless, it is made clear that this is very different. It is not the blood of “goats and calves,” but the blood of Christ — “his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption” for us. It also states in that reading “For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant.”

Covenant comes from the Latin word convenire,which means to come together. A covenant is basically an agreement between people, or between God and His people, that binds one to the other. A popular phrase in today’s Church is “new covenant.” Christ Himself is the new covenant between God and his people. We confirm and seal this covenant every time we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. De we really understand what a remarkable thing that is? People who understand that are always overwhelmed when they approach to receive this powerful gift of the Eucharist.

As mentioned in the introduction, the Gospel Reading from St. Mark is a reminder to us of the covenant made with us by Jesus at the Last Supper. That is really what Easter was and is all about. That Gospel also emphasizes the importance of the Body and Blood. In the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) there is no mention of a “lamb” as part of the Passover meal even though that is normally an important part of that meal. A careful study of the Bible brings us to the realization that nothing happens by accident. Some scholars have concluded that the absence of the “lamb” merely meant they could not obtain one. It would seem far more likely that this was the way Jesus wanted it. It was a way of Him emphasizing that He was the Passover sacrifice, the Lamb of God.

What Jesus says, and what we do at Mass are very important. The Lord says, “Take it; this is my body.” The word “take” implies that this is not something that is forced upon us. Without food and drink we will perish; the key to the Eucharist is that without Jesus, we will also perish. This is something that when we take it, we need to take it into our innermost being. The bottom line on all this is that the Eucharist is our acceptance of the New Covenant. There is more to it than just receiving. It also means sharing and discipleship. That is the reality of the Body and Blood of Christ.

May 27, 2018 — The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

DT 4: 32-34, 39-40; PS 33: 4-5, 6, 9, 18-20, 22; ROM 8: 14-17; MT 28: 16-20

Today we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday. Note that the proper name for this day is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Throughout our Church year we celebrate the entire mystery of Christ, from His incarnation and birth to His ascension, to Pentecost (the establishment of the Church), and finally to His Second Coming in judgment. Technically we divide our celebrations into Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials.

Solemnities are the celebrations of greatest importance. Solemnities always begin the evening before with first vespers (evening prayer) and many solemnities have their own Vigil Mass. Although all Solemnities are important, they are not all Holy Days of Obligation

Today’s Solemnity of the Holy Trinity honors the Trinity. The Church has celebrated this for well more than 1,000 years, and it was made official in 1334.

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#234) we are taught, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in Himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the ‘hierarchy of the truths of faith’.”

Yet, the Trinity is one of the most fascinating, and controversial, of our teachings. When the Trinity is described as a “mystery,” that does not mean it is a total enigma, but it is a reality we can only grasp through worship and faith. A noted scholar once said that a mystery is not like a wall that we may run into, but an ocean in which we can swim.

Today’s readings thus relate in some way to our acceptance of this truth. Jesus understood that this was not an easy concept for people to grasp. That is why He responded to a question from St. Philip by saying, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” One of the more famous stories in our Church lore has to do with how St. Patrick taught about the Trinity to the pagans of Ireland. St. Patrick taught the Irish people about the Trinity using a shamrock with three separate leaves on the same stem. That is a good visual aid to help people understand the basic concept of the Trinity, but there is so much more that we can learn about the Holy Trinity than this.

The First Reading is drawn from the Book of Deuteronomy and Moses is speaking to the people. He explains to them the importance of faith, of understanding, of gratitude, and why it is necessary to follow God implicitly. When we think of the alternatives to serving God we should come to an awareness that serving God is really the only option, It is not always easy being a disciple of the Lord and serving Him, but it is the best choice we have. One of the founders of our United States republic said, “Democracy is the worst form of government ever created, except for all the others.” We could paraphrase that by saying “Serving God is the hardest, except for all the other ways.”

In the Second Reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Paul addresses the Holy Trinity from another perspective. Paul speaks of all of us as being “children of God.” However, in order to be a child of God, Paul says that it is key that we are filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who leads and guides us — He leads us to repentance; He leads us to think little of self and much of Jesus; He leads us into truth; He leads us into love; He leads us into holiness.

Just as the Lord reminded Philip of His relationship to His Father, we need to be reminded as well. St. Paul says in today’s reading, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.” We have an inheritance from the Lord. Recall in the Gospel of Luke when the rich young ruler asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” That ruler misses the point. Inheritance is not a matter of doing; it is a matter of being. It is a matter of us embracing the Holy Trinity and what it means to us. That way we are truly children of God.

The Gospel Reading from St. Matthew is not lengthy, but is important to the concept of the Holy Trinity and to each of us as believers. This reading represents the end of Matthew’s Gospel and is often called The Great Commission. When they (we) are told to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, it means that they are to make disciples. Note that the action word there is “make.” Also notice what the Lord says “in the name of,” not in the names of, the implication being, of course, that the three are one — our Holy Trinity. These were imperfect individuals that Jesus commissioned. We, too, are imperfect, but we, too, are commissioned and called.

May 20, 2018 — Pentecost Sunday (Mass during the Day)

ACTS 2: 1-11; PS 104: 1, 24, 29-31, 34; 1 COR 12: 3B-7, 12-13; JN 20: 19-23

For us as Catholics Easter is the greatest feast in the Church; it is followed by Christmas. However, today, Pentecost Sunday is not far behind in terms of its importance. Today marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other followers of the Lord, and thus it is often called the birthday of the Church.

It was on this day, Pentecost, that Jesus fully united with His followers through the Holy Spirit. This is a great day of joy for us as it was on this day that Christ fulfilled His promise to us. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#732) points out, “On that day (Pentecost), the Holy Trinity is fully revealed. Since that day, the Kingdom announced by Christ has been open to those who believe in him: in the humility of the flesh and in faith, they already share in the communion of the Holy Trinity.”

In a sense today is a day of the Holy Spirit. Our First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles reports, “Then there appeared to them tongues of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” Often you may see a painting or other rendering of the Apostles with a flame above their heads. That image comes from the descent of the Holy Spirit as described in this reading.

Pentecost had another name in the time of Jesus. It was also called “the day of the first fruits.” Occurring 50 days after the Passover, the people would bring the first fruits of the wheat harvest to present them to God. Although wheat was at the center, it was not necessarily the only gifts presented to God to acknowledge His gifts. Barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and honey were also brought. The people believed that not just the first, but also the best of the crop should be given to God.

This is, of course, one of the basic tenets of our idea of stewardship — that is, presenting our gifts to God in thanksgiving for God’s many gifts to us. We no longer live in an agrarian society. Many people make their living in non-agricultural ways. But for those who do, this practice, especially among Christians, is still followed. In the potato raising area of Columbia, harvesting the potatoes is a prime event. Everything shuts down as entire families go through the potato fields and harvest the potatoes, but it is also still a tradition that they do not harvest every tenth row.

When the harvest is complete, the people of the local churches return and pick that tenth row as a gift to the Church and thus to God. Do we give of our own first fruits? Do we fully understand and appreciate the many blessings God gives to us?

St. Paul expands on this idea in the Second Reading from his First Letter to the Corinthians. The idea of stewardship is also quite definite here when Paul writes, “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.”

This tells us clearly that stewardship involves more than just material goods. We are all part of the Body of Christ, and our particular talents and gifts are necessary for the Body to fully function. We are called to serve God and one another and whatever our gifts may be, they are to be shared with others, especially those in our own faith community. Do you feel that your presence at church is your gift or do you understand that you may need to do more?

The Gospel from St. John tells of Christ visiting His Apostles after His Resurrection. This meeting happened on Easter Sunday, and it is part of the preliminary to what we celebrate today. After rising from the dead, Jesus could have gone anywhere, and He could have done anything, but He wanted to be with His people. He wants to be with us in the same way.

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you,” says the Lord on that occasion. He gives us a mission; He commissions for us to do what He did. Now, just as then, the Lord sends us out in the world, our world, where we live, where we work, wherever we go, to represent Him and to model Him as best we can.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Teresa, had a real awareness of what it meant to be sent by God. She said, “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, Who is sending a love letter to the world. Do we also grasp what it means to share that love with all around us? We have been gifted with the Holy Spirit to assist us.