He is Our Shepherd

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Do you hear the Lord our God calling your name? In today’s Gospel (John 10:1-10), Jesus tells us that He is our shepherd, that it is through Him that we will enter into the Kingdom. When the Good Shepherd calls our name, we are to respond. He is called the gatekeeper, the one that protects us. The Good Shepherd is there to protect us from evil. Today’s Psalm tells us; “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” (Psalms 23:1-4) We are at peace when we are with the Lord. The Shepherd protects his flock at all costs. Jesus loved his flock so much that he gave his life that we might be saved. The Lord is our shepherd; he is our protector and even though evil is all around us, he will keep us safe. When the Lord calls, we should come. When he opens the door to let us in, he will comfort us. It is the Lord Jesus who feed us, who provides us with the nourishment me need live. If we stray from the flock, he will seek us until he finds us. Today, you should thank good for protecting us.

God has given each and everyone of us a gift for a purpose. If we try to lead one of our brothers or sisters astray, then we are a wolf and not a sheep. We enter the flock through mischievous means and not through the gate of our Lord. We are called to come into a right relationship with him. Our unending desire for his righteousness should be so strong, that our faith in him is evident to others in our daily actions, that our walk and talk should exemplify our true Love for God. It is through our example that people from all walks of Life will come running to the Gatekeeper to be a member of his flock. To seek the protection of his rod and staff..

A Simple Prayer

Lord, you are my Lord and Shepherd, Keep me safe in your flock and shelter from evil. Lead me to your bounty; it is you I seek for nourishment.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

To Be His Diciples

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mark 16:15-18). These are the last words spoken by Jesus to his apostles before he ascends into heaven. These words signify the end and the beginning. They signify the end of Jesus’ earthly mission and the start of his newly born heavenly mission.

In this message, Jesus defines the mission of his disciples; to go out into the world and preach the gospel. We are called by Jesus to carry out his mission, to be his disciples and help save the world. It is our mission to provide salvation for everyone, not just those who we like, not just our friends, but everyone. In this one simple message, the full power of the gospel is revealed to the apostles. The gospel is the true power of God to save us from our trespasses, to heal our souls, to protect us from temptation of Satan and to deliver us from evil. The gospel has the power to restore life; to leave us fulfilled in glory of the Risen Christ.

Do you believe? Do you have faith? If so, then you are called to preach the Good News of the Lord; to spread the grace of God to World. The Easter Season is a glorious and joyful time. Our Lenten commitment should not be wasted but be raised up to God in an outward expression of our Love to him. Let the World know that you are a Christian. Let them know that you are Catholic.

A Simple Prayer

“Lord, you have filled me with the gift of the Holy Spirit of the Risen Christ.

Give me the strength and wisdom to be a witness to your works;

May I be a beacon for your Grace so the rest of world can see;

May my words and actions be the gospel that helps save the world from evil.”

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Must We Have Faith in God?

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Today’s Gospel reading (John 6:30-35) is a continuation of yesterday’s reading. Yesterday, the disciples are told that they are seeking Christ because they have eaten their fill from the “Bread of Life.” They had there spiritual fill and they felt the wonder and awe of Jesus Christ. They asked, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” and Jesus replied, “This is the work of God: have faith in the One whom he sent.”

In today’s Gospel, again the disciples hunger for the Bread of Life. They want a sign from above so that they can have Faith in Jesus. They said to Jesus, “What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Can you not just hear Jesus sighing at this point and saying to his disciples, oh yea of little Faith, was not the sign I just provided enough. He tells them it was not Moses who gave their ancestors the bread from heaven but God who gives you the “true bread from heaven.”

Is it enough to believe in God? Or must we have Faith in God? Do you need to see a miracle to have Faith? You can believe in God without having Faith in God. Faith in God is an unwavering loyalty and devotion to God. Faith is the commitment to share the Holy Spirit with those that we meet. Jesus came so that we could be united with the true Bread of Life. While the Bread of Life is provided to us at Mass, it is our obligation to share this Gift with others through our actions and our words. The miracle of the Eucharist which we receive on Sunday is the sign that Jesus provides. Having faith in the nourishment of the Eucharist is our salvation for Jesus told his disciples, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”

Do you hunger for God and for the food which produces everlasting life? Do you feed others the Bread of Life?

A Simple Prayer

Most Heavenly Bread of Life, give me nourishment today

so that I may spread your good news.

You satisfy my every need and fill my every desire.

May this nourishment strengthen my Faith in you.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Spiritual Diet

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

It has been a while, but I am back. I think today’s Gospel reading (John 6:22-29) has a special meaning as it reminds me the importance of good dietary habits. Not necessarily of the earthly kind, but of the spiritual kind. I realized that a major part of my spiritual needs were satisfied during my preparation of this message. I pray that these messages also help to fulfill some of your spiritual needs as well.

The setting for today’s Gospel reading takes place just after Jesus fed the 5000 and he walked on water. Jesus mystically moves about the area transporting himself and his followers with him. How else would 5000 people move from onside of the lake to other with no mass transit? Can you image what they thought when they went to sleep on one side of the lake and woke up on the other?

His disciples are pretty nervous at this time. They asked Jesus, “Rabbi, when did you come here?" and Jesus replied, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal." This response begs the question, “What are you seeking in your life?” Do you desire the nourishment of the Lord or are you seeking material goods? These followers of Jesus, the 5000 he just fed, were hungry for spiritual growth. Because they were craving spiritual nourishment, Jesus transported them with him. So I ask again, what are your desires; do you want to be transported with Christ, our do you desire things that are not important? What is it that you seek?

To seek God, you must believe in God. You can not just get up one day and decide to believe and that’s it. You can not get up and say that Jesus Christ is my Lord and somehow you’re forever saved. It’s not that simple. We must work at our faith. We must exercise. The stronger our beliefs, the more we will need to exercise. The more we exercise, the stronger our faith will grow. A well balanced healthy diet plan includes both sound nourishment and regular exercise. If you want to get stronger in your faith and closer to Heaven on Earth, you must exercise daily. You must expose yourself to daily prayer, meditation and examine your conscience.

During lent, we started an exercise program; we committed to deeper prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We need to take the habits we formed during lent and glorify them during the 50 day Easter Season. When you get up in the morning, start the day with the prayer that Jesus taught us – the Our Father. At lunch time, be a symbol of your faith by thanking God for the daily bread that he has provided at the table. In the evening, stop – close your eyes and silence your thoughts. Reflect upon the day. Pray for the light of God to open your eyes to allow you to see what God has done for you in your actions that day. Review your day. Identify both the good things and the bad things that happened. Thank God for the good things and ask God to give you strength to fight the bad things. Choose one of the things that happened to you that day. It could be a good or bad thing – but one that is strong in your mind. Pray about that item. Give special praise to God if it was a blessing; or petition God if it was not good Christian behavior. Then, imagine tomorrow. What will you do tomorrow to make the day better; to bring the light of God into the world. Remember – it is our obligation to spread the Word through our actions and our work.

A Simple Prayer.

Most Heavenly Father You sent your only son so we could receive the imperishable bread of life, May we be nourished in its strength to believe in you; May we be nourished in you to do your works; May the fruits of our labor be satisfying and direct us to heaven.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Jesus Revealed

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

It has now been almost a week since the resurrection of Christ. Has the reality of this event started to ware off. Hopefully, we are not starting to fall back to our old ways. In today’s Gospel (John 21:1-14), we hear that Peter has returned to Galilee, discouraged and probably feeling a little lost and abandoned. He goes back to his fishing career, something that makes him feel comfortable, and something that he knows. He returns to his old ways. It sounds like they do not understand or possibly do not realize the significance of the resurrection. Peter and John, along with several other disciples had gone fishing. After a night of unsuccessful fishing, Jesus appeared to them on the bank. Jesus calls out to them but they do not immediately recognize him. Jesus tells them where to fish and the nets become over flowing. Peter now realizes that it is Jesus and rushes over to see him. This is the third time Jesus revealed himself to Peter. This is in contrast to the three denials of Peter the night before Jesus was crucified. Peter finally believes.

How many times has Jesus revealed himself to you and you did not realize who he was? When you are in turmoil, have setbacks or disappointments, do you run to Jesus? Jesus is calling us to have faith. When he calls out, we might not immediately recognize him, but we should learn to recognize his signs. Peter did not immediately recognize Jesus, but he recognized the sign. Jesus joined them on the shore and had cooked breakfast for them. He broke bread and fed them. He again, nourished his disciples. He gave them the strength to believe, to become true disciples. If you need to be nourished, reflect back on your Lenten commitment. Return to your Lenten journey. It will nourish the soul.

A Simple Prayer:

“Lord Jesus, you are the Resurrection and the Life. Increase my faith in the power of your resurrection that I may never doubt your word nor stray from your presence."

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Sometimes we are blind to glory

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Our Lord God Jesus Christ has risen and given us great graces to do his work. In today’s reading (Acts 3:1-10), we see Peter and John going to pray in a temple when they come across a beggar, a man crippled from birth. The crippled man cried out to Peter and John for alms. But Peter responded, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.” So Peter and John picked up the man, his legs and ankles were strengthened and he was healed. The beggar celebrated in the grace he had received as a gift from God through Peter. God gives each of us this same saving Grace so that we will believe in him. Believing in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savoir is not always easy. Sometimes we are blind to glory. We fail to open our hearts to hear the scriptures. This is what happened to the two men in today’s Gospel reading (Luke 24:13-35). They were on the road to Emmaus when Jesus appeared to them in disguise. He asked the men what they were talking about and they responded to Jesus, “Man, where have you been, only the greatest profit that ever lived was crucified and buried; only we were hoping that he was the guy that was going to save Israel .” These two men recognized Jesus as a great profit, but not as their Savior. And so Jesus said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Even after explaining all the signs which had been fulfilled from Moses through his own trial, crucifixion and the resurrection, these two men still were blind to who he was. It was during diner that they came to believe after “he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.” With that their eyes were opened to full glory of God and they recognized Christ. What does it take for us to recognized Christ? He is with us every living moment we are on earth. He is with us when we are awake and when we are sleeping; when we are praying and when we are sinning. Christ never leaves us. We may not recognize Him, but he is there. He is most revealed to us through the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Once we take the Eucharist, it does not leave our body. It stays with us as the Bread of Life; the spiritual nourishment that stokes the fire of the “Holy Spirit” within us. This is why Holy Communion and the Eucharist are so important to Catholics. The Eucharist is not a representation or reenactment of the last supper; it is the transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. A Simple Prayer “Lord, Jesus, Savior of Israel, give me the Grace to see you, to share in the Daily Bread, the Bread of Life which you provided so freely. May I see you today in my journey as I walk to Emmaus.” Yours in Christ Michael F. Marcon

The Proper Diet

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I hope you all had a great and wonderful Easter weekend and celebration. It was great to indulge in the wonderful banquet foods we eat at Easter and afterwards, to nibble on the leftovers. We eat things at Easter, we probably only eat at this time of year. Therefore, it becomes an anticipation for this feast. The food we eat helps to strengthen our body and gives us strength to enjoy life. We must also feed our spiritual life to make it grow. If we do not consume the proper diet of prayer and mediation with Christ, our souls will not grow. If we do not examine our hearts, we will continue to eat spoiled food. Christ calls us to partake of the banquet he prepared for us. He has set the table with the finest of china and prepared the most glorious foods. We are invited to his table with open arms. We must make the decision to join him their. Satan also sets a table for us. He also uses the finest china and disguises his food to temp us to join him at his table. In our minds, his food may look better; however, his food poisons our body with greed, lust envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth, and pride. His food is like eating a pure sugar, it provides a immediate rush, but has no long-term nutritional value. In fact, if we continue to eat this food, our body will decay and rot and we will die to Christ. If we join Christ at his table, his banquet will not only provide the necessary nourishment of life, it will help build muscle to fight off the temptations of Satan. Good nutritional habits are not easy, we must practice. During Lent, many of us committed to daily prayer, reading scriptures and attending Mass. All of these things help build and reinforce our spiritual strength and will make us grow in Christ. We must commit to daily prayer and meditation. The church has the small White Book for daily meditations. Some one gave me a book on Martyrs which I read daily. Their stories give me strength to commit to my faith.

A Simple Prayer “Lord, give the food I need to nourish my spiritual soul. Give me strength to withstand Satan. Give me clear vision to see you in your Glory”

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Christ has risen. It is time to “roll away the stone and celebrate the resurrection day.” We are called to see Christ in the new beginning of our life. We are called to celebrate the glorious celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Easter is not just one day, but the next 50 days. We are called to roll away the stone that blocks us from the new life and live in celebration for this is the most joyous season of the church year. It took us 40 days to prepare for this 50 day celebration. The weather seemed to also accentuate this years Easter celebration. Friday, the day started out clear and beautiful. By evening, after the crucifixion, the weather turned from glorious to dismal. Saturday, the weather was grey and gloomy, rainy unpleasant. This is probably how Jesus’ disciples felt after Jesus was crucified. They felt abandoned gloomy and dismal. But today, the weather has cleared and the sun is shining bright as the green of a new beginning flourishes from the earth. We are called to do the same.

A Simple Prayer

“What a beautiful life you have given me, Lord Jesus! Let me sing the glorious hope that comes from your resurrection. With each day – but especially today – make my joy a gift to you, a grateful acknowledgement of the love you have for me.”

Amen – Alleluia! The Lord has risen – This is the day the Lord has made! Michael Marcon

Shhhh, Quite Please – our Savoir is resting.

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Shhhh, Quite Please – our Savoir is resting. “He rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.” (Genesis 2:2) Today, Jesus is resting in the virgin tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. After all the torture and agony he faced, he now lays quietly in a bed. His body wrapped in a gift from the Magi, the myrrh delivered to him at birth. His room is shrouded in darkness, his body emptied of the earthly life. Today, the church is stripped of everything holy, the statues are covered and the tabernacles are emptied. We too are asked to empty ourselves, to give up everything that is not holy, to bare ourselves of our sins. At the beginning of Lent, we resolved to do certain things, maybe we gave us TV, fighting with our siblings or committed to additional prayer or working with the poor. Today, as we sit in silence awaiting the light of the world, we should reflect on our Lenten commitment and resolve new commitments of Pray, Fasting and Almsgiving. We should make habits of the sacrifices we made during Lent. Tonight, during the Easter Vigil Mass, we celebrate the passing of Jesus from the darkness of death to the light of the new life. Tomorrow, Christ will Spring forth from the womb of Mother Earth; he will rise in all his glory and light up the world. He will come forth from the womb with the new life of our salvation. No longer will we need to fear death. Wait patiently today for his glory is coming.

A Simple Prayer

“Jesus, thank you for your death for me. Help me to empty my life before you. May your Spirit reshape my heart, so that my heart becomes a fit place in which you may abide forever.”

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

So what is the Passion of Christ?

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Today is Good Friday and we hear the Passion of Christ according to John (Jn 18:1 – 19:42). So what is the Passion of Christ? The Passion of Christ is the story of the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life; the time from his arrest to the time of his crucifixion. This is a sorrowful day, a day Jesus suffered on the Way of the Cross for our sins. Today, Jesus is put on trial for our sins, for our denials and betrayals. He is beaten and scourged for our sins and then Jesus carries the burden of all men’s sins upon his shoulders as he marches through Jerusalem with his cross. Jesus “carrying the cross himself, went out to what is called the Place of the Skull.” Today’s trial ends at the cross on top of Mt. Calvary, the Place of the Skull. Jesus is then nailed to the cross in total annihilation and total humiliation. He is completely abandoned. Only his mother, three women and the disciple he loved we present. Even on the cross, in all his pain and suffering, he finds the power to forgive those who crucified him. In his last words, he says, “It is finished.” The Gospels say that the skies became black. The darkness that filled the sky was our sins released from this earthly place into heaven. At that moment, the scriptures were fulfilled. “Christ offered himself without blemish to God and he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:24-26)

Jesus opened his arms for us on the cross to invite us to the cross, not as a bystander, but as a participant. We are called to the cross. Our journey through Lent has been long and we probably stumbled along the way. Its okay, we get up and take our cross again. Jesus stumbled along the way to Mt. Calvary under the great burden of our sins. He got back up and so must we. At the cross, Jesus defeats our enemies – sin, Satan and death. Jesus and the crucifixion are described as the “doorway” to heaven. Without the sacrifice of the unblemished Lamb of God, mankind would not be freed from their sins. We would never get to the resurrection.

The message to today is one of Glory for now we know we can call on the cross for our salvation. Jesus still calls us today to join him at the cross. Through Jesus’ suffering, our sins can be forgiven; through Jesus’ trials and abandonment, we can find the light that purifies our soul; and through Jesus’ death, we will find new life.

A Simple Prayer “Lord, I put everything at the foot of the cross – my sickness and pain, my sins, my fears and worries. Help me to look no longer at them but only at your saving love for me.” Today is a glorious day for Christ has died for our sins.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Was Jesus an organ donor?

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Was Jesus an organ donor? I think if you looked on the back of Jesus’ driver’s license you would see that he checked the Organ Donor box. One organ donor can literally save a hundred live from tissue and organ transplants. Jesus gave his flesh and his blood and they have literally saved millions and maybe billions of lives. The Eucharist is the greatest sacrament of our faith. It is the source and the summit of our faith. Jesus gave us this gift at the Last Supper. Jesus took the bread and said, “This is my body which is shed for you.” He then took the cup of wine and said: “This is the cup of my blood which is shed for you.” Jesus gave us an unending supply of his flesh and blood so that we could be saved from our sins. While this sacrament was given to us on Holy Thursday at the Last Supper, it was a foreshadowing to the Cross he would bear for us on Good Friday. In the transubstantiation, we say “Christ has died” to signify the glorious sacrifice he made for us. He gave his whole body and blood to us for our salvation. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the lamb that freely poured out his blood for us during the Passover Feast. He donated his flesh and his blood to us that night so we could be continually saved through the sacrament of the Eucharist. It is the Eucharist that is the nourishment that sustains our body for our journey to the cross. On the cross, his body and blood were sacrificed for us in the greatest act of humility. His blood that he shed washed away our sins. Jesus has given us a gift that keeps on nourishing us; it provides new life every time we receive it. The body and blood of Christ are the true “Gift of Life.” Have you received it today?

A Simple Prayer “Jesus, Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the World. Have mercy on us!”

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

See you at Mass today. Jesus wants to give you the gift of life.

"My appointed time draws near"

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

We are now approaching the last supper and again, today’s gospel talks about the betrayal of Jesus. Jesus is very aware of his pending fate for “My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” How much agony do you think Jesus is experiencing at this time to know that he will be crucified in less than 24 hours. What makes it worse is that he knows that one of his beloved disciples will betray him; someone who is close to him, someone who has broken bread with him will betray him. Jesus tells the disciples that one of them will betray him and all but Judas reply, “Surely, it is not I Lord?” But Judas addresses Jesus different from the rest, Judas replies, “Surely, it is not I Rabbi?” Why would Judas respond differently to Jesus? He does not acknowledge him as Lord, but as a Rabbi. Jesus did not consider himself a Rabbi, but our Savoir. Here Judas purposely denies acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of Man. This becomes a classic battle of good versus evil. “Do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does what is good is of God; whoever does what is evil has never seen God.” (3 John 1:11) Judas is not doing what is of God, therefore, he can not see God in Jesus.

What do you think made Judas hate Jesus so much that he would turn him over to the Roman Guard? Simply spoken – the devil made him do it – it was the evil that Judas let into his soul that allowed him to betray a friend who loved him. It was the greed that lead his life that made it impossible for him to see Jesus as the Son of Man and Lord and Savior. He lacked the faith and trust it needed to be a true disciple of Christ. So he betrayed Jesus for 30 coins.

During our Lenten journey, we probably encountered evil many times. Did you remember to pray daily? Did you go to mass every Sunday? Did you share the graces which God has provided you? Did you fast from those things which detour you from your final destination. Maybe we have gossiped or talked down to our friends. Maybe we were not as kind as we could have been. The more committed we are to following the path of Jesus, the more evil tries to knock us off course. What better time then during Holy Week to find the path that leads to the cross. Jesus is waiting there for you. He is waiting in his glory to free you from your sins. While evil may have caused you to stumble, Jesus defeats evil through the crucifixion and resurrection. Do not fear if you have fallen because Jesus tells us, “I did not come to call the righteous but the sinners.” (Matthew 9:13) Jesus is calling us to join him at the cross. Open your ears and hear his words. He is screaming for you – scream out for him.

A Simple Prayer “Jesus, I eagerly await the day of your resurrection. I want to avail myself of all the grace you are offering your church as we prepare together to enter the holiest days of the year. I want to experience the power of the resurrection in my life today, And I want to be a light to others so that I may lead them to you.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

The story of two of Jesus’ disciples betray and deny him

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The week of Holy Week is an intense focus on the sacrifices that were made by our Lord Jesus Christ to save us from our own sins. In today’s Gospel (John 13:21-33, 36-38), we hear the story of two of Jesus’ disciples betray and deny him at the time that God’s glory is fulfilled. We are at the pinnacle of Jesus’ mission; we are hours before “the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him” and two of his disciples sin against him. Judas betrays Jesus by turning him over to Roman guard and Peter denies him while he is being judged by the Sanhedrin. As Jesus is preparing to make the ultimate sacrifice, these two disciples commit sins of the heart. But what is the difference between the two. Judas deliberately betrayed Jesus. He betrayed Jesus for money. Judas’ act was premeditated. He knew what he was about to do. Peter, on the other hand, committed his denial out of weakness and fear. Peter loved Jesus and would not have purposefully denied Jesus. Peter was always quick to make promises and to boast of his loyalty to Jesus. But at times, his mouth over spoke his will. Here, Peter’s loyalty to Jesus is unfailing, unfortunately his will was not quite as strong. After, Peter realizes what he has done, he is very

Jesus, at the last supper, foretold both events. Jesus acknowledges Judas at the Table by giving a morsel to him. The Gospel says that when Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. Satan took control of Judas. Satan took the unselfish love of Jesus Christ and turned it into hatred. Satan tries to enter our body when Jesus offers us grace. Satan’s acts are directly contrary to love of Jesus. During these last few days lent, Satan is hard at work trying to divert us from the path that leads to the cross and our salvation. He tries to offer us things that we keep us from God’s glory. He purposefully offers things to attack our weakness. Only Jesus Christ can give us the grace and strength we need to battle Satan when he attacks us. If we give into God’s grace, we will walk in the light. If we deny Jesus’ love, we will stumble in the darkness. We can either build Heaven on Earth or fall to the State of Hell.

We are called to follow Jesus to cross. On the way, we may deny Jesus in moments of weakness. But if we allow the Holy Spirit to enter into our hearts, the Holy Spirit will dispel Satan. The Light of the Holy Spirit will reveal the mystery of Jesus and be the light of all nations. We are all invited to form a covenant with God. The covenant unites God with us and bonds us with his love. If we submit to this love, he will provide for our salvation. Stay steadfast on your way to the cross. Stand up for your faith.

A Simple Prayer

“Lord Jesus, I surrender to your wisdom and love. By your spirit, I want to turn away from relying only on human wisdom for help. Lord, I trust in your saving power.”

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

How important is money in your life?

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ: How important is money in your life? We need money to buy the things we want, to buy our clothes, to eat, to pay the bills. We need money to go out. For most of us, money is not that important because we have plenty of money, we have the ability to buy the things we need. We don’t worry about where the next meal will come from. If we were truly poor, then money would be so much more important because we might not be able to buy the things we need. But money may not always buy the things we really need. In today’s Gospel (John 12:1-11) we hear such a story, a story where money is not what is important, but the love and devotion of one of Jesus’ true followers. In the reading, Jesus stops at the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, who was just raised from the dead, for dinner. In the story, Mary anoints the feet of Jesus with precious oil and then dries them with her own hair. What an unselfish act, what a statement of love and devotion. Judas condemns the gracious act in saying, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages and given to the poor?" In reality, Judas is not really concerned about the poor; he is more concerned about the money then the acts of Mary. Jesus tells Judas, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." Jesus knows his day is coming, he knows that he is only a few days away from his torturous death. At this time, most of his followers abandoned him. He is alone and no money in the world could eliminate the loneliness he was experiencing. So Mary, out of the kindness of her heart, gave a great gift and a selfless act to honor her Lord to show him her true and sincere love. He welcomes the preparation for his death. Jesus’ response to Mary is one acknowledging her kind act of almsgiving. Mary’s act is purely out of love not greed. Israel at this time is under the rule of the Romans. The Jews are expecting a messiah to deliver them from the Romans. Today’s reading (Isaiah 42:1-11) tells us that God is going to send someone to form a “covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. The messiah that was given to us was not here to free us from the Romans, but to free us from our own sins. He was sent to free us from the bondage of the darkness and to provide the light for our salvation. What a beautiful gift. During this week, the readings focus on the Messiah who is sent to save Israel ; the Messiah who is sent to form a new covenant with his people, to provide the light to take them out of darkness. Jesus completed this great act through the coming events of the Passion. He gave of his body and blood so we could be saved. He was beaten and scourged so we could be saved. He was crucified and died on the cross so we could be saved. He was buried and defeated death through the resurrection so we could be saved. What a wonderful gift. “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.” (John 3:16) Passion Week is a great time to reflect on the gifts and treasures we have been given. How has God called you to use these gifts? Are your gifts used to anoint the feet of Christ, or are you wasting your gifts by not sharing them with others. Your simple gifts of kindness and love will be the light that opens the eyes of the blind and allows them to see the Lord. Only you can share these gifts. A Simple Prayer “Jesus, you lead us to the fullness of your Father’s love through your death and resurrection. All praise, honor, and glory be to you for the life you give to us.” Yours in Christ Michael Marcon PS Please set aside time for Mass on Thursday and Friday. Also, plan on attending the Shadow Stations on Friday evening to fully experience the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a great gift to give back to Jesus for the sacrifice he made for us.