Peter "The Rock"

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

After reading all four of the gospels, it has become quite clear that Jesus’ disciples didn’t really know who he was until the very end of his ministry. This fact becomes very clear in today’s gospel (Matthew 16:13-19). Jesus knows that the disciples lack the wisdom to recognize him, so he asks Peter, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?" And they respond that "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Jesus again asks his apostles, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter quickly responds, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." It is only Peter who recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. It was not man that revealed this to him but God our Father in Heaven. It was his undivided faith in Jesus that allowed him to understand and see who Jesus really was. We are also called to have this same undivided faith. Jesus calls Peter a rock because his faith is rock solid. Is your faith rock solid? Would Jesus call you Peter (which means Rock) or would he refer to you as swamp muck. Take time today to ask yourself the difficult question – Who am I? A true and honest evaluation can help you refocus your life to be more like Peter. Even swamp muck can be formed into a rock under great pressure. Try to define what you need to do to strengthen your faith and to build the rock.

A Simple Prayer

"Lord Jesus, I profess and believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. You are my Lord and my Savior. Make my faith strong like Peter's and

give me boldness to speak of you to others that they may come to know you personally as Lord and Savior and grow in the knowledge of your love".

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Practice what we Preach

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

To be genuine in our prayer we must be sincere and open with God. We can tell God what ever we want, but he can see right trough us. In order to do His will, we must do more then preach, we must practice. You have probably heard it said many a time that we need to practice what we preach. In today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 7:21-29), Jesus tells us, "Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” If all we do is talk the talk but we forget to walk the walk, Jesus tells us that the gates of heaven will not be open for us. We must not only preach our faith, we must act upon our faith. We must be missionaries of the Word of God everyday. We must go out into the world and preach the Word to all who see us. St. Francis tells us that we must preach the gospel daily and if necessary use words. We will be judged on our actions and not our words.

When you walk amongst your friends and family, what do they see - a child of Christ or someone who only talks about being a child of Christ. Jesus tells us we must build our faith on a solid foundation to weather the spiritual storms. He says it’s like building a house on a rock, when the storms come, the house will be solid. But a house built upon a weak foundation will wash away. As children of Christ, evil attacks us everyday. The devil rocks the foundation of our faith trying to separate us from beliefs. We must be prepared to withstand the forces of evil. If our faith is weak, we will crumble to his will. Today’s gospel goes on to give us reassurance that if we try to put our faith in action, we will build the solid foundation that we need. God knows that we will stumble, that we might loose a shingle or break a window, but our house will remain intact.

A Simple Prayer Lord God, you are my foundation, you are my steel girders and the beams which support my roof. Inside my house, I shall store your love and your grace. May I put into practice what the church preaches; and protect me from the evil that tries to erode my foundation.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Beware of false prophets

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 7:15-20), Jesus provides a strong warning regarding our spiritual direction, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” St. John Chrysostom says that a false profit is someone who appears to be virtuous but in fact is not, and thereby misleads other into evil. A person who truly preaches the Word of God sows faith, hope, and love where a false profit sows division, separation, hatred, resentment, pride, and sensuality (Galatians 5:16-25). Therefore, one who tries to separate us from the teaching of the Church and the true Word of God is considered a false profit. Jesus also goes on to indicate that anyone who purposefully deceives us to lead us away from His teachings is destined to eternal damnation. St. Peter warns that “in times past there were false profits and among you today there are also false teachers” (2 Peter 2:1). Isaiah warned against the dangers of falsehood: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20).

So how do we recognize the false profits? Jesus says: “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit.” The fruits of the vine are those fruits which are produced through truly righteous behavior and love for God and man. God provided us with the Holy Spirit. If we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives and live a truly virtuous life, we can avoid the false profits. False profits try to lead us away from the church by telling you things like Mass on Sunday isn’t important or that the Eucharist really isn’t the body and blood of Christ. Once somebody starts trying to lead you away from your faith, they are a false profit. We must cultivate a strong faith to combat this evil. This faith is formed through daily prayer and by allowing the Holy Spirit to enter our souls and set our souls on fire with his love. When we receive the sacrament of confirmation, we are telling God we want to be filled with his Holy Spirit; that we want to be set on fire with His love. These fruits are also nurtured through weekly Mass, through the gift of the Eucharist and through the gift of reconciliation. And most of all, these fruits are nurtured by being true to God and his graces that He pours out on us.

A Simple Prayer Lord, may the fruit of my vine be faith, hope and love. May I learn to be virtuous and morally sound. Please fill my soul with the Holy Spirit so that I will produce good fruit. Help me to reject the false profits and those that try to lead me away from the church.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Well Matt and I survived the trip to Canada and are now back home. Although we are covered in mosquito bites, we had a great time living and praying amongst the grand beauty of God’s creation. With all the glory that surrounded us, we were reminded of the small inconveniencies in life through the power of insects constantly bombarding and biting us and leaving their mark on our skin. In today’s gospel reading (Matthew 7:6, 12-14), we are called to "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” In our life, we must make choices between good and evil. We are constantly faced with a barrage of choices and mixed messages from our friends, from the media, and sometimes from those who we think are in charge. Evil is lurking everywhere and is trying to entice us into its snare. We need to be strong and rely on our faith to carry us through these situations and to provide the knowledge to make the proper choices in life.

Modern medicine has made several advances which have made life “more convenient.” There are now pills to help with high cholesterol, obesity, blood pressure, and many other aliments which we suffer because of our choices in life style. While these pills help to correct the problem, there are generally better alternatives like exercise and healthy diets which also work and lack the side effects of the pills. We chose the pills because they are easier. I remember talking to a friend of mine who was put on high cholesterol medicine. He told me he chose the medicine because he didn’t want to give up the fatty foods. Like wise, medicine has given us pills that prevent birth and pills that will abort a child. These pills are also out of convenience because we are selfish and want to avoid the blessing of God through life. We take these pills because we don’t want to be burdened with a child. The wide gate is very easy to go through and it requires no effort at all. But the narrow gate must be carefully traversed to make it through.

Life is not simple and we all struggle with the choices that are thrown in front us. There is not a person on earth that does not have to agonize with these types of decisions on a daily basis. Sometimes those decisions are not popular and you may loose some of your friends. But you have to ask yourself, is that person really a friend if their going to lead me down the wrong path. The bible tells us that we should not “walk with the wicked” but to rejoice in the “law of the Lord.” We are called to live by the commandments that God has given us. We have to decide between the way of life and the way of death. It is much easier to good decisions around good people then it is when you are being pressured to make bad choices while among your peers.

Choosing this was of life is not easy, but it has the greatest reward – to be united with our Father in Heaven. Every night before you go to bed, you should examine your soul to decide which choices you made that day. In the morning, when you awaken in the new life of a new day, you should ask God to give you a clear map to guide you through the narrow gate. Remember, a map is not always easy to read, you must constantly be aware of the forks in the road.

A Simple Prayer Most Heavenly Father of all that is great, Open my Heart to your ways. Allow me to see the light that will lead me through the narrow gate to heaven. Give me strength to avoid the easy paths that lead evil.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Heavenly Treasures

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

In today's gospel (Matthew 6:19-23), Jesus tells us, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." I think we have heard that you can't take it with you. This is true except for one thing. The spiritual gifts that we create on earth follow us to heaven, but unfortunately so do the sinful gifts. While our money will rot on earth, the treasures we build in our soul will last for eternity. What is more important, to be wealthy on earth or to be wealthy in heaven? Only one set of treasures will transcend the gates of heaven for "where your treasure is, there well be your heart." Treasures are items that we assign great value. What treasures do you assign great value; a new car, the latest sneakers, the most up to date XBox, expensive fashions? Or does your heart value friendship, your family, time with the Lord, Mass on Sunday, or the Eucharist? Jesus offers us many heavenly treasures. These treasures are both present today and await us in future reality of heaven. The greatest treasure is the joy of knowing the living God who is all around us and ever present within us. It is also being united with kingdom of heaven.

A Simple Prayer "Lord, your word is life for us. Fill me with your light and truth, and give me understanding of your ways. Free me from all that is false, illusory, ugly, and unloving. Let my heart know only one treasure--the joy and bliss of union with you— Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Frances & the Eucharist (Meditation Minute - Fill In)

Mike didn't get a chance to write a Meditation Minute for Thursday... so, he asked me to send this out that I wrote a couple weeks ago. Don't worry... He did prepare one for tomorrow. _____

Do you have a special stuffed animal or blanket from your childhood? I did, a grey whale that I used to use as a club against the monsters in my room… but that is another story. My wife had one, and still has it. Frances, from the series of children's books by Russell Hoban (Author) and Lillian Hoban (illustrator), has been a part of Valerie's entire life. In 3^rd grade when Valerie brought Frances to school for show and tell, a classmate cut Frances' ears off. This resulted in the only time Valerie was ever sent to the principal's office. A picture of Frances even made it into my bride's bouquet on the altar at our wedding! Frances is special to Valerie.

But if you saw this stuffed animal on the side of the road, or in a bin at a second hand store, would you know how special it was to Valerie? Unless Valerie sat down and told you stories about her adventures with Frances: the repairs after the "ear incident," the dreadful waiting to see if Frances survived a trip through the washer, and the day she received the A&M shirt she still wears. If you never heard these stories or saw how Valerie still gently holds Frances in her arms, you would not know the love that Frances gave to someone.

Today in our Catholic Church, people see our view of the Eucharist as elitist, exclusive, or rigid. They ask, why can't my non-Catholic friends or family join me to partake in our communion? As Catholics we believe:

… In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained." (CCC 1374)

This is different from all other denominations in two ways. We believe the bread and wine change fully to the Body and Blood of Jesus, and we believe this as a whole community. Other churches celebrate communion as a representation of the Last Supper or they let you decide as an individual if you believe or not. We believe as a whole church that Jesus is "truly, really, and substantially contained" in the Eucharist.

So how would you feel if your best friend was in your room, they grab your special animal by the ear (if it has ears any more), and ask, "What is this ugly thing?" This would violate something so special and dear to your heart without your friend even understanding the meaning. This is the same with the sacred nature of the Eucharist.

If we believe that Christ is "truly, really and substantially contained" in the Eucharist, why would we not want to share that with our friends and family. Just like you would sit down with your friend and tell them about why your animal is so special. How would their attitude change towards that animal? When they understand the comfort, the friendship, and the love that your animal gives you, they will start to love it too.

The celebration of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church is open to anyone with the understanding that it is "truly, really and substantially" our Lord, Jesus. Our call is to share this understanding with everyone we know and bring the world to the altar.

Yours in Christ, Andy Dommert

Praying, Fasting, and Alms Giving - All Year

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Today's Gospel message (Mathew 6:1-6, 16-18) reflects on the acts of praying, fasting, and alms giving. Now I know what you're thinking. Didn't we just go through the season of Lent which is a time of praying, fasting and alms giving – the three pillars of the church. I thought we were done with this kind of stuff. How crazy is this to have this message again. Well, it is important when we consider what it means to be a Christian and a follower of Christ. Did Jesus just give of himself for just 40 days or did He always have his Father in mind? We too are called to pray, fast and give alms all year long. However, today's message is more than praying and giving. It is praying and giving in a manner which celebrates the Lord and does not celebrate us. We are called to give to our fellow man with no expectation in return. If we pray in manner that is done to make us look pious, then you have already received your reward. However, if you pray in complete honor of God, your reward will be given to you in heaven. The same goes for giving. If you only give to the poor when others can see your generosity, then your reward was received from man. But if your giving is done from your heart, then God will pay you back a thousand times in Heaven. Before you pray, before you fast and before you give alms, ask yourself, why am I doing this? What do I expect to get in return? If it is to give glory to God, then you shall receive communion with God in the end. It is only through God and in God that we can find wholeness of life, truth and love.

A Simple Prayer "Lord, give me a lively faith, a firm hope, a fervent charity, and a great love for you. Take from me all lukewarmness in the meditation of your word, and dullness in prayer. Give me fervor and delight in thinking of you and your grace, and fill me with compassion for others, especially those in need, that I may respond with generosity"

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

"Love your enemies"

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Jesus tells us, "You have heard it said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:43-44). Now why would God ask us to love our enemy. It's just no fair. If someone is mean to me, why can't I be mean back? If someone makes fun of me, why can't I make fun of them? It's really rather simple – where does the retaliation stop. Eventually, strong words become sticks and sticks become stones and before you know it, whole families and sometimes communities end up hating one another. God has given us many graces; one special grace given to all of us is the grace to forgive. Love is the fire extinguisher which puts out the fire of our enemy. Kindness and mercy will always triumph over evil. God commands us to be loving and to love our enemies. When we sin against God, are we no better then our enemies? Yet God forgives us and continues to pour out his love for us. If God can forgive us, then we must forgive and love our enemies if we are to be like God. It is difficult to forgive an enemy, but it is also the most rewarding thing you can do. Try it, you'll like it. You definitely feel better.

A Simple Prayer Most Heavenly Father, I have a temper, please help me control it. When my tongue is loose, please help me restrain it. Give me the strength to love my enemy as you love me.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Yielding Grace

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters:

By now Matt and I are well into our canoe adventure in Canada and experiencing the beauty of God first hand. It is so easy to see the grace of God when you are in such a beautiful place. It is so difficult to believe that there is evil in this world while I am enjoying a piece of the Garden of Eden. But that is what Jesus tells us today in the Gospel Reading (Matthew 5:38-42). Jesus puts a new spin on the old law. He elevates the law above a level of righteousness to one that accounts for grace and love. Many of still today like to practice `An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,' but Jesus tells that we must be compassionate and understanding. Back in time of Moses, these laws were designed to limit the revenge and retaliation one would inflict in the name of justice. These old laws served to actually limit the punishment. Today, we would think that these limitations are actually cruel and in fact they are. Yet, we still have punishments which are excessively cruel because they destroy human dignity. Punishment like the death penalty is still a punishment based on this old law. Jesus is asking us to avoid evil as a form punishment. He tells us that if someone slaps us on the cheek, we should turn and give them the other. We should not strike back but reach out with love. We are called to respond and not retaliate; we are called to yield grace toward our fellow man. This power of love and grace does more to heal the heart then anything. It is much better to defeat evil with good and not with more evil.

A Simple Prayer Most Merciful Father in Heaven, Teach me to love when I am hateful; Teach me to be joyful when I am unpleasant; Teach me to be peaceful when I am violent; Teach me to be patient when I am restless; Teach me humility when I am arrogant; But most of all, teach me faithfulness when I doubt.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Re: Meditation Minute

To all: Mike and his son Matt are canoeing in Canada this week. He has passed along the Meditation Minutes for this week, I will pass them along for each day. Please keep Mike & Matt in your prayers for a nice and safe trip! Peace!

Andy Dommert

andyd93@yahoo.com

281-804-9833

All of God’s sheep are valuable

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Have you ever felt like you were all alone in the world and then someone came up and put their arms around you. At that very moment, you are overwhelmed with joy and elation knowing that someone loves you and cares about you. Today’s Gospel reading (Luke 15:3-7) tells us to “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.” Jesus, in his earthly ministry, cared for and loved sinners. He sought out sinners to bring them to God. His apostles were not righteous men, yet they became the foundation of the Christian church. Most of the people he met were “unclean” yet he still reached out to them. These sinners were lost in the world and Jesus put his arms around them. He embraced them with love and compassion. Shepherds cared very much for their sheep. If one was lost, the sheep’s life was in danger because sheep are a community creature needing the companionship of others. At the end of the day, God counts all his sheep to see if we are there. He is deeply saddened when one of his sheep drifts from the flock. But what greater joy does he have then to know that the lost sheep has returned to the flock. Every one of God’s sheep is valuable. No one sheep is more valuable then any other. He wants not only the righteous, but the unclean. God wants us all to join him in the kingdom of heaven, not just Catholics, everyone. We should not only pray for our own salvation, but for the salvation of everyone. It is important that we pray for all sinners and all who have not met Jesus. We should pray that they find a simple path to Jesus and to heaven.

A Simple Prayer Lord, Let your light shine through me that others may see your truth and love and find hope and peace in you. May I never doubt your love nor take for granted the mercy you have shown to me. Fill me with your transforming love that I may be merciful as you are merciful."

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Anger is not a gift from God but a gift from Satan

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

In today’s Gospel message (Matthew 5:20-26), Jesus addresses one of the greatest plagues of man – anger. Anger has fed many a war, created unending hatred to other people due to the race, their creed or their color. Anger has caused man to kill one another. And anger has caused us to say mean things about others through gossip and rage. Jesus tells us, “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire.” So why is anger so bad? Isn’t anger a natural trait given to all humans? If it’s a natural trait, then wouldn’t it be a gift? Anger can flow out of several different deadly sins; envy, jealousy, desire, lust. Anger is one of those things that grows within us and builds and eats at our soul.

Anger is not a gift from God but a gift from Satan. Unless we tame the beast, it will consume us. But worse of all, anger forms out of our unwillingness to forgive others. We are called to be loving individuals, we are called to forgive and have mercy. Jesus goes on to tell us that we must “first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” How can we expect forgiveness if we ourselves have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us? In the Lord’s prayer, we specifically ask God to forgive us our trespasses as we for those who trespass against us. Before we can ask for our own forgiveness, we need to spend time forgiving those who have done things to us. What is easier – to ask for forgiveness for gossiping or to forgive someone who has gossiped against us. You are hurt and likely in a weakened state of mind, anger builds in retaliation. The only way to combat the anger is to forgive the trespasser. The latter is more likely to lead us away from God and that is why we must seek to forgive those who have sinned against us.

Anger eventually builds into rage and rage becomes the outward devil that inflicts harm. This could be in the form of physical harm or, by the use words, mental harm. Any time we lash out at someone either by our physical actions or by our hateful words, we directly attack the individual and inflict harm. Inflicting harm is a form of killing and is a grave sin. So how do we avoid anger? The answer is simple – love. Learning to love through the acts of mercy and kindness will eventually defeat evil. But it takes practice and more importantly it takes commitment. God loves us even in our sinful nature; God forgives us, even though we continually sin; and God never lets us go no matter what we do or say. This is the same expression that God expects from us. Through the out pouring of grace from God above, we can concur our hatred and learn to love our neighbor.

A Simple Prayer “May I be no man’s enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men’s happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their footsteps.” (Prayer of Eusebius, 3rd century)

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Jesus came to fulfill the law

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Jesus said to the Jews, “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17-19). The first five books of the Old Testament are referred to as the Law. These books were highly treasured by the Jews as the most sacred scriptures. Jesus says that every commandment presented in the Law is important. The written word was very important to the Jews of Jesus’ time. The books of the Torah were carefully written on scrolls and each scroll was painstakingly written to make sure each letter was properly formed with no missing dots. Jesus confirmed to the people of Israel that the original law of Moses was the law, every single word, every single letter, every single dot formed the law and nothing was to be taken away. He says, “Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” How many times have you heard people say that I believe in everything the church teaches but… (you fill in the blank). We tend to write-off the commandments just because they don’t fit into our life style. This includes things such as pre-marital sex, going to mass, going to confession, abortion, the death penalty. It is not only a sin to disobey these commandments, but it is even worse to teach or convince others that these things are not sins. Jesus makes it clear that we are NOT given the freedom to alter the law to fit our own needs. And because we chose not to obey the law, we try to rationalize our decision or justify our disobedience by saying things like these rules were made up by men or that the church isn’t always right. A sin is a sin no matter how we try to wrap it up. When we decide to forgo God’s commandments, we are telling God that we do not love him or that we do not love our neighbor and according to Jesus, these are the two most important commandments of all. Following his commandments to the letter of law will bring ultimate peace and joy. God asks us to love him unconditionally on his terms, not ours.

A Simple Prayer “Lord Jesus, grant this day, to direct and sanctify, to rule and govern our hearts and bodies, so that all our thoughts, words and deeds may be according to your Father’s law and thus may we be saved and protected through your mighty help.”

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

The Salt and Light

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?” (Matthew 5:13) What does it mean to lose your saltiness? Salt was a very important seasoning during these times. Salt prevented food from going bad and spoiling. It kept your food pure. The salt would penetrate the meat and prevent bad things from growing on it. If we lose our saltiness, what will keep us pure? What will penetrate our soul to prevent evil from taking over? We are called not only to be the salt of the earth to help preserve and purify our soul, but the souls of others. We are the most important spice on the rack. Without salt, we would die to the way of the Lord. We must share the Word of God; we must purify and preserve.

Jesus also tells us in today’s gospel (Matthew 5:13-16) that "We are the light of the world.” What does it mean to be “the light” of the world? Similar to the salt, lamps were the only source of illumination in darkness. Without the lamp, our house would be dark and we could not see the way. We do not light the lamp and hide it, but we let the light shine through so all can see. Jesus calls us to “Let our light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” With our light shining bright, we can lead God’s people through the darkness of evil and sin. If we are given the light, then we must give others light so they do not stumble on their journey to heaven.

Salt must not lose its power to purify and the lamp must not lose its light. We are each called to purify and guide; to provide a clear example of a life with Christ. Our faith provides the fuel for lamp and our commitment to God provides the saltiness. If we do not illuminate others by our actions and our examples, we are not doing the work of God on earth.

A Simple Prayer Oh mighty Jesus, You gave me salt and you gave me light. I do not want to waste these treasures. May they be purify and guide all souls to heaven.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

What is the kingdom of heaven?

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

We are called to preach for “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7). So what is the kingdom of heaven? The kingdom of heaven is the reign of God on earth through us. Each and every one of us is a creator of the kingdom of heaven. Every day we pray, every day we give without repayment and everyday we fast for our Lord Jesus Christ, we help reveal a little more of the kingdom of heaven on earth. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that “You received without cost, give without cost.” God has given us so much. He gave us the bounty we receive each day. He gives us nourishment for our minds and our souls. He gave us His son who died for our sins. Now we are called to give back without any expectation of return. We are called to live and preach the gospel every day without any expectation of reward. In fact, we might even be ridiculed for preaching the word. The gospel may bring sorrow, but in the end you will experience the joy of eternal life with God. Our first call is to serve God in heaven. If we expect material gain for our efforts, how can we bond with God? We have been chosen to bear witness to the Gospels. Live them daily.

A Simple Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, God of heaven on Earth, Nourish me and give me strength to preach your Gospel. Let me want not for your glory is all I seek. Let me be a living testament to your Word.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Belief is Natural

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Have you ever sat down to read the Bible and it just didn’t do anything for you? It just wasn’t inspirational or moving. It was just kind of there. As I sat down to contemplate today’s gospel reading (Mark 12:35-37) I had such a day. I prayed again and reread the versus and again – nothing. Why wasn’t I inspired? Knock, Knock – Hey God are you there? I thought all the words of the Bible were supposed to be awe inspiring. Why was my mind so closed to the message? What happened to me? Was I spiritually dead? And then it dawned on me, maybe today’s message was meant for me. Maybe I wasn’t reading the right sign. Maybe it just wasn’t my day.

So you’re probably wondering, what was this uninspiring message? What Bible versus could be so dead that it had no meaning? In today’s gospel message, Jesus proclaims that He is the descendent or Son of David; that He is the Messiah and that He is the Lord. Well yeah, who doesn’t know that? Doesn’t everyone believe that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah our Lord and our Savior? Is there any doubt? I didn’t need this passage to tell me that. Why does one need to be told the obvious? And then I read my daily devotional reading from the Magnificat. The Meditation of Day was the inspiring message I was seeking, I had just looked in the wrong place. I now knew the message I was to write.

The meditation was from a letter written in 1861 discussing the growing concern within the religious community of the decline in religious faith by humanity. However, the author argued just the opposite that; “Humanity believes in God as easily as it believes in the existence of matter; it prays to God quite naturally as it lives. And as to you who are not humanity, and who really find it difficult to believe, consider that we believe willingly in what we love, and rarely what we love not.” Therefore, if we truly love God, belief is natural. If we do not express our love for God, how then can we truly believe that he is the Lord God of Heaven? But there is one thing in life that has no limit to its value, one virtue that can be practiced without any need for moderation. And that is love: the love of God and the love of other men in God and for His sake” (Thomas Merton). St. Thomas Aquinas said, “There is no point at which it becomes reasonable to abate your interior love for God or for other men, because that love is an end in itself: it is the thing for which we were created and the only reason why we exist.” If we exist to love God, then loving God is natural. If loving God is “Believing in God”, then believing in God is natural. It is the things that are unnatural that are most difficult to do. Therefore, it is most difficult not to believe in God. We have to work at not believing. It is like being right-handed and trying to do things with your left. It is possible, but very difficult. How many times have you heard that a so-called atheist thanked God or blessed you when someone sneezed? It is more difficult for them to remove God from their life then it is to accept God. Breathing is natural, therefore we breathe without thinking. Loving God is natural; therefore, we can love God without forcing ourselves.

Phew, and I thought I was spiritually dead today. Sometimes you just need to stop thinking and let the natural course which we were created to do come through. Love God because He loves you.

A Simple Prayer God, I Love You!

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Top 2 Commandments

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Today’s Gospel reading (Mark 12:28-34) is probably one of my favorite readings. One of the scribes asked Jesus, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Have you ever just sat down and thought about these words. Wow - There is no other commandment greater than these. We are called to love and cherish what God has given us because “God is love.” “To love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." In the time of Moses, God gave us the Ten Commandments. These Ten Commandments were expanded into 616 precepts of the Old Testament or the Torah. Jesus says to his people – why are you making things so complicated. All these things are good, but unless you do these things out of love, they are not sincere. There is only one important thing and that is to love as God has loved you. Everything we do should be out of love. We should not obey the commandments because they are law, we should obey the commandments out of love for our fellow man.

I think that the greatest example of God’s love is a mother with child. This child was formed from the love and passion between man and woman through the grace of God. During this encounter, the three become one. This is the closest realization of the three in one mystery which is God. Man and woman pour out their love for each other and God pours out his love on them through the creation of life. When you see an expecting mother, you know that God has graced her with the greatest gift of all. It is often said that an expectant mother has a glow about her. I think it is the Holy Spirit overflowing through the creation of life within her womb. This is why life is so precious. During the union between God, man and woman, God’s love is overflowing. When life is created, God’s love pours out into the world. If you need to see God’s greatest gift, the gift of love, look in the mirror because it is you. You are life created out of the love of God. When you awaken in the morning, thank God for this gift, thank him that you are able to share the gift of your life with others; that the gift that was created between your mother and father can now share the gift of love. Before you take action on anything, ask yourself, “Is this out of love?” If not, convert what you were going to do to a gift of love. Our faith in God is our most cherished gift which we give back to him. We have the freedom to love, the choice is ours.

A Simple Prayer Oh how I love you O merciful God. I desire to love you more and to be embraced by the Holy Spirit. May your love overflow in me and overflow out of me.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

"Like angels in Heaven."

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

In the time of Jesus, there were many factions of Jews, kind of like our various Christian Denominations of today. There were the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the Esseens, to name a few. The various groups had a fundamental Jewish background, but some of the core beliefs differed between the groups. For example, the Sadducees did not believe in life after death or the resurrection. They did not have the hope of eternal life in heaven with our Lord as we Christians so deeply cherish. They did not believe in the untouchable or the unseeable. How sad it must have been to be a Sadducee believing that this life was all there was and no hope for eternity with God in Heaven. In today’s Gospel (Mark 12:18-27), the Sadducees are challenging Jesus. They question him about the story of a women who marries a man and he dies before they can consummate the marriage. According to Jewish law, his brother was to take on his responsibility to make sure that she bore children. So the next brother married the woman and he died. This happened seven times. After each marriage, the brother died and she had yet to consummate the marriage. After the final marriage, she also died. So they asked Jesus, “In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife." Jesus replied, "Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, `I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living." This is our hope and our salvation that our God is with us while we are on earth and when we are resurrected into heaven. This is the glory that was given us through the resurrection of Jesus at Easter and his eventual ascension into Heaven. Even though we have not seen nor touched Heaven, God reveals Heaven to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the formation of our belief which leads us to our faith. Without faith all we have is emptiness. Heaven is one of those mystical things that is virtually impossible to comprehend. On earth, we only get to see fragments of the Heaven we will celebrate after our earthly journey is finished.

A Simple Prayer Lord Father of heaven and Earth Open my eyes to see your majesty, Open my ears to hear your grace fall on me; and Open my heart to feel the glory of God in his creation For I long for the heavenly bliss and unending life with You.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

An Interesting Fact

On this day in 1134, St Norbert passed away. While not officially the Saint of the Day, the Magnificat identifies St. Norbert as a special person. I think many of the traits of St. Norbert flowed down into our own Father Norbert. It would be nice if you could send Father Norbert a little email letting him know that today is his Saint’s day and that we are thinking of him. What better way to grow the Kingdom of Heaven then through the little pleasures that cause the soul to laugh with joy. Father Norbert’s email address is below.

nmaduzia@silcc.org

Whose image is in your heart?

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Today’s gospel reading (Mark 12:13-17) Jesus tells us, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." The Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus with the question of paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus was very wise in His answer. Agreeing to pay taxes in this time meant that one was aligning with that ruler. The coins had the image of the ruler that they belonged too. Since Caesar’s picture was on the coin, then they belonged to Caesar. But whose image is in your heart? Is it God’s image or is the image of some earthly item? God created us, God knew us before we were in the womb, therefore, we belong solely to God. I think that the greatest gift that God has given to each of us is the gift of life. This is a gift that only God can give. Therefore, this life belongs to God. Our life is the greatest thing that we can give back to God. There is nothing more precious then the sacramental commitment of our life to Jesus Christ. We should acknowledge daily that our life belongs to Him, the Creator of Heaven and all things on earth. We are called to be a living sacrifice to God in Heaven. Render to Caesar the thing’s that are Caesar’s but give to God the things that are His. When you get up in the morning, cry out to God that you are His to do as He pleases. Cry out to God that you are His servant and His sacrifice. It is your choice, do you give your life to Christ or do you give it to Caesar?

A Simple Prayer Most Heavenly Father, You created me and you own me. My soul is yours. You gave your only Son to save us from our sins. Please give me the strength to sacrifice my life for you.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon