Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters In Christ:

 

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 8:1-4

 

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it.  Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them”

 

Who do you cry out for when you need help? In today’s Gospel reading, a leper reaches out to Christ for help. Because of his faith, he was healed of the disease which inflicted his body. A leper was considered untouchable and was not to interact with other people in the community. They were outcast because of their uncleanliness. Their bodies were covered with open wounds and their body would slowly wither away. If they came close to someone, the leper would likely be stoned to prevent them from coming near. Jesus did the unthinkable, he felt the pain of this man and reached out and touched him. Because of this man’s humility, he was cleansed. He reached out for help and Jesus purified him both physically and spiritually. The message is simple, no matter how spiritually unclean we become, Christ is always there for us. If we approach Christ with humility, he will reach out and touch us. There is nothing we can do that would prevent God’s love and mercy from healing our wounds.

 

This Gospel reading not only calls us to reach out to Christ when we need help, but we must also need to be like Christ and reach out to help others in need. If we see a leper approach us, we must reach out and extend the love of God. We must never turn our back on someone in need. The Holy Spirit within us empowers us to reach out with the love and compassion that Christ did for this leper. We are called to accept the rejected, care for the mistreated, and love the untouchable. If we shun these people, we shun Christ and separate ourselves from God.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, I am your humble servant.

Fill my heart with the fire of your love.

May I use this grace to help those in need.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:21-29

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined." When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

 

What a scary thought.  Just because I recognize Jesus as my Lord and Savior does not mean I will make it into heaven.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus is quite clear that just recognizing Him as the Messiah or even proclaiming that He is the Messiah is nothing more than a fleeting cry.  Jesus talks about our final judgment and that it will take more than just fainting cry to God to get into heaven. "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven.” God knows when we are sincere. He knows our inner heart and our inner desires. Jesus tells us that it is simply not enough to cry out, but that we must do the will of our Father in Heaven. Our faith must have a solid foundation. It must be like the house built upon the rock. That way when Satan rains down upon us and the floods come, our faith will remain solid. The type of foundation we construct will determine how well we can survive the hard times. Satan throws many things our way trying to divert us from our journey, yet we have to be strong and face the storm.

 

Are you building your faith and preparing the way for the Truth and the Light? Is your faith rock solid or are you treading on shifting sands? We cannot wait until our judgment day to call out to our Lord for Salvation. A house built on the foundation of the rock of our faith will not be destroyed. We will have the strength to defend ourselves against evil. However, a faith built upon a weak foundation will topple in the storm. How many times have we had to face hardships trials or situations which tried the fabric of our faith? As young adults, your peers try to pressure you into situations which you know are wrong, but with a strong faith you can weather the storm. We are constantly bombarded with advertising, TV Shows and media which challenges the moral fiber of our Faith. TV programs and mass media which show adultery and sin with no consequence and glorify these actions tear away at the very foundation of your faith. We are judged by our actions, by our words and by our choices. We must learn to make good choices if we are to make it through the thin gate to heaven. These choices are learned actions which must be exercised daily through the teachings of Christ. Listen to His Words because “he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” will make it through the gate.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Christ, builder of my faith.

Help me build a solid foundation on your rock.

I am weak and you are strong, with your help my foundation can also be strong.

Give me the wisdom and strength to form myself to your will.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 1:57-66, 80

 

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John." But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

 

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of John the Baptist. John is the crazy guy who ate locus and wore animal skins and had untamed hair. He was probably a rather frightening person and didn’t smell very good either. Yet this lowliest of people was the first to recognize Christ. He leapt in the womb of Elizabeth when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, came to visit. John was blessed with an abundance of grace from the very moment of his conception. He stood his ground and did not cower when others challenged him. He was the one who proclaimed the coming of Christ. He made ready the path for Christ and baptized him. He was the first to recognize that Jesus was the messiah. And he was the first to sacrifice his life for the kingdom of heaven.

 

John the Baptist had one mission in life and it started when he was in the womb. His mission was to lead others to Christ and the kingdom of heaven. So what fueled John’s passion. John was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. His body was completely consumed by the Holy Spirit. He had surrendered himself and gave up all his earthly possessions to live in Christ. This made his faith come alive. We know that people flocked to see John the Baptist and he had a very large following even though he didn’t dress very well. People could see the Holy Spirit in him and the power God’s mercy upon him.

 

When we sacrifice our lives for Christ, we too are filled with the Holy Spirit. When you are doing something good for someone else, when you make an unselfish sacrifice for someone else, do you not feel the power of the Holy Spirit within you. The joy of Christ fills your soul when we do good for others. Our reward for our sacrifice is to experience the joy of the kingdom of heaven today. Every day we make a sacrifice for Christ, we experience the kingdom of heaven. Each and every day we commit our lives to Christ, we are renewed in the Holy Spirit. We are renewed with the faith, hope and love of God’s unending grace. John was willing to make that sacrifice every day of his life. We are called to live the life of John the Baptist. We are called to make an unconditional commitment to God no matter what the consequences. We are called to lead others to the banquet table.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

My God in Heaven, you have sent so many before me as an example of your love.

May I learn to live with the faith and hope exemplified by John the Baptist.

May I be willing to give it all for the kingdom of God which is before us.

May your outpouring of grace give me the strength to be your witness to others.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“others whatever you would have them do to you.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:12-14

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets. "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."

 

In today’s gospel reading (Matthew 7:6, 12-14), we are called to, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road 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.  I know you have seen the message, “What Would Jesus Do?”  But today’s message is quite clear, “What Would Jesus want us to do?”  He tells us not to throw away what is important and to cherish those that are dear to us. 

 

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.  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. Likewise, 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 lose some of your friends. But you have to ask yourself, is that person really a friend if they are 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 make good decisions around good people then it is when you are being pressured to make bad choices while among your peers. Choosing this way 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

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:1-5

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be  measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."

 

It is so easy to judge somebody else and ignore our own faults. Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel reading that we need to ignore the speck in your brothers eye, because you are walking around with a log in yours. We are almost blind to our own faults but see clearly the faults of others. Sometimes we are so good at judging others that we probably think this is a gift, when in fact it is a curse. We might not see any harm in judging others, but when we hear that someone has judged us, we get angry and hurt. Jesus tells us turnabout is fair play. How you judge others you too will be judged. Judgmentalism is so rampant in society because we see ourselves as nearly perfect and everyone else with flaws. We want to change people and make them like us. Our own judgments become the gossip that kills the soul of others. We must learn to let go of the faults of others so we can begin to see our own faults. God can see everything in us, even the things that we do not realize we do wrong. Every sin we commit is known to God. By looking inward, we start to recognize these sins so that they can be forgiven. But to see inward, we must learn to see the good in others. We must learn to have mercy and see beyond the faults of our brothers and sisters. It is so easy for us to misjudge someone. We are biased in our judgment and usually do not have all the facts. God knows all and can see all. He is the true judge and He has unlimited mercy and forgiveness. How often do you judge and condemn your brother or sister? How often do you engage in gossip about your neighbor? Whatever judgment you pass on your fellow man, you will face the same condemnation. If we forgive and forget, Christ will forgive us.  Try to work beyond the gossip and learn to praise your brothers and sisters.  To participate in gossip is to participate in scandal.  Scandal is destructive and not constructive.  We must learn to build relationships and not tear them down with idle talk.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, I pass judgment on my friends.

I see their weakness and ignore my own.

Give me the strength to see beyond my judgment

So I can see my own weakness and faults.

Give me the humility to be merciful others and

The wisdom to recognize their beauty.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“They will look upon him whom they have pierced.”

 

Gospel Reading: John 19:31-37

 

Since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for the Sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,  the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs,  but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;  he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe. For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled: Not a bone of it will be broken.  And again another passage says: They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

 

Today is the Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  We are called to look upon him whose heart we have pierced.  Jesus went to the cross for our sins.  His heart was pierced for our sins.  When we think of the heart, we think of love.  When someone gives their heart away, they give away their love.  Jesus gave away his heart for our eternal salvation.  He willingly went to the cross to suffer for all the sins that we have committed and will commit.  Both blood and water flowed from his side.  The water of our Baptism and the Blood of the Eucharistic Meal.  His broken heart made the ultimate sacrifice.  True love does not consider the cost of the sacrifice.  Jesus did not hold back, he gave it all.  We too are asked to make the sacrifice.  Only with our own broken and contrite heart can we truly see the beauty of the sacrifice made by Christ.  Christ set the bar as we too are called to live our lives in sacrificial love for all.  Are you willing to make the sacrifice for Christ?  To make the sacrifice for Christ means that we must be willing to make the sacrifice for the least of our brothers and sisters.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, Thank you for making the sacrifice on the cross.

It is through your broken and pierced heart that we see the glory of our Baptism and the Eucharist.

Through these sacraments, strengthen my will so I too can make the sacrificial commitment for my brothers and sisters.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:7-15

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. "This is how you are to pray: 'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'  "If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus presents us with the most perfect of prayers, the Lord’s prayer. It is interesting how this readings starts out, “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.” He goes on to tell them, “Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” God in heaven already knows our needs. We are told not to show off with prayer, but to be simple with our request. Do not ramble, the simpler the request, the better. Any time you think that you need something, it should always be preceded with “If it is your will, …” Of all the prayers we say, the Lord’s prayer is the most perfect prayer of all because it was given to us by Christ. It encompasses everything Christians should stand for. It is truly a prayer formed from the Words of God.

 

No matter how bad the transgressions we have committed, God is waiting for us with open arms. In the Lord’s prayer, we ask for so much with so few words. First, we call forth God, not as a deity but as a paternal person when we say “Our Father”. This represents our loving relationship with God. God is the Father who protects us. We them give homage to his deity, “Hallowed by thy name.” We recognize that he is almighty. We also recognize that the kingdom of God is here among us and that it is God’s will that is important, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” We call forth the kingdom to be here with us. In saying this prayer, we tell our desire for eternal life with God and that we pray that it begins today. You cannot wait until the last day. It is through our actions today and our fulfillment of the sacraments that leads us to heaven. We also ask God to give us all that we need to survive the day, “Give us our daily bread.” God provides all that we need to survive, but likewise, we should only ask for what we need to survive that day otherwise greed and gluttony begin to consume our lives. We must also thank God for providing our daily needs by being sorrowful for our sins. However, not only must we be sorrowful for our own sins, we must also forgive those who have sinned against us.  Jesus tells us, “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” Lastly, we are asking God to be the light of our life. We ask him to lead us out of the darkness of sin and to deliver us from evil. We should say the Lord’s Prayer as often as possible. This prayer helps center us and reminds us – “What Would Jesus Do?”

 

A Simple and perfect Prayer

 

Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

And forgive us our debts,

As we also have forgiven our debtors;

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

 

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street  corners so that others may see them.  Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

 

Why is praying, fasting and almsgiving so important? Because these are the cardinal works of a pious life. These are the pillars of a good Christian life. But when your piety becomes more about what others think then about pleasing God, your piety becomes boosting. Do you pray, fast or give alms so others will feel more highly about you or do you do it for the glory of God. Many of you are active in a number of church activities and ministries. Are we involved in those activities so we can check off a confirmation requirement or so that others feel good about us. Jesus warns us about self-seeking glory and that it will not buy us a place in heaven. He tells us that it is better to do these things and nobody know about them. The important thing is that God knows what is in our heart. He hears our prayers, he knows the things that we give up and he sees the aid we give to others. Nobody else needs to know. True piety is a loving devotion to our Lord and Savior. It is through the gifts that we have been given by God that we show God our appreciation. If we use these gifts to “impress others” then we are taunting these gifts in front of others for our own glory. We will be rewarded for our efforts, not by those who we impress, but by our God in heaven.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, I am your servant, may everything I do be for you.

Instill in me a faith which is on fire and a hope which is unending.

May my actions be for your glory and not the glory of others.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:43-48

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was 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, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

 

Have you ever felt that overwhelming need for love? You just wanted to be hugged? Nothing says love and comfort like a good hug. When I was a little boy, I loved to crawl into my mom or dad’s lap to get a hug.  It was a place of safety and comfort. Now my dad may have squeezed a little too hard at times, but that didn’t matter – it felt good. Nothing symbolizes the true joy of love then a mother hugging her little child. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be hugged by God, to crawl up in his lap and just sit there while he comforted you and loved you? Well the good news is that God’s arms are always open and always waiting for us to make the move. We can crawl into his lap any time we want. Close your eyes and let all the cares of the world leave your mind. Imagine you are sitting with Christ in all his glory, His robes brighter than the midday sun, His grace flowing from him like the rays of light. Crawl into His lap and let His arms wrap around you. Say a prayer with Christ as He comforts you. 

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus commands us to love everyone; no exclusions allowed. To love not only our brothers and sisters, but our enemies. Those people we do not like; those people with whom we have unpleasant discourse. Jesus commands us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father …” Yes, we are commanded to love our enemies.  Such a simple request, yet such a difficult task to complete. Imagine that you are now in God’s lap, you are warm and comfortable, the joy of the Lord has made you at peace. Now invite your enemies to join you, invite those people who persecute you to sit with you in the Glory of God.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Father God, you gave us Mary as the purist example of love. 

May I live my life as she lived hers.

Open my heart so that the love of Mary can flow out into the world.

 

Pray to the Blessed Mother that she may intercede in your life.  It is Mary’s motherness that brings compassion to us. Mary is our Holy mother who looks over us. Say a Hail Mary for peace in the world. Let us seek the light of God’s glory, let us give praise to his name.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

PS Give someone a hug today.

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:38-42

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus puts a new spin on the old Mosaic 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.  Which is easier, to strike back with vengeance or to forgive someone who has struck out against you? The message in today’s Gospel reading is quite clear. Man is not to lash out against his enemy, but to be merciful and kind. In the very early days of the Jewish clans, retaliation was an issue. Clans would strike out in retaliation if one clan harmed another. The law of retaliation limited the punishment. This was considered a significant advancement moral and ethical thinking; no punishment could exceed the crime. This was the first step to understanding mercy and kindness. But Jesus takes us much further. One must go deeper into one heart. One must be willing to forgive and forget. He tells us that retaliation is not good, it is not kind and it is not merciful. What a better place this world would be if we all practices mercy with unconditional loving kindness. How many wars between nations were started because one person felt he needed to strike back and get even. Usually, “getting even” means magnifying the response and hurting a lot of people. When someone lashes out against us, do we seek to even the score or are we willing to let it go. Many people lashed out against Jesus and he never returned hatred with hatred. Instead, he extended his hand in love and kindness. When we retaliate against our aggressor, not only do we hurt that person, but we risk hurting others that we love. Too many times have I heard of friends who have severed their friendship because of retaliation. It is not just the two friends who get hurt, but everyone in their circle. Eventually, the friends are forced to take sides. Vengeance grows and hatred wins. Is there such a thing as just retribution? There probably is to some degree, but it must involving the loving and merciful hands of forgiveness.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

O merciful and loving Father in Heaven,

Fill our hearts with your love and kindness so that it may overflow into all that we meet.

Give me the strength to forgive those who have wronged me.

Let humility and kindness be my retribution for those who have wronged me.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:27-32

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you,  everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin,  cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. "It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

 

What is our ultimate goal in life? Hopefully it is to achieve eternal life in heaven with God. Yet we do things that separate us from God. Today’s gospel reading appear rather harsh. Do you think that Jesus really wanted us to cut off our hands or pluck out our eyes. If this was so, the world would be full of blind people with no hands. Jesus uses this approach to let us know that we must separate ourselves from the things that will separate us from eternal life. We must learn to remove ourselves from situations that cause us to sin. If we cannot separate ourselves from the things that cause us to sin, then we are separating ourselves from God. These decisions are not easy and Jesus knows that. How big a sacrifice are you willing to make to get into heaven?

 

Many times we try to rationalize or justify our actions because we didn’t actually commit the sin. Jesus makes it rather clear that it is not just the action, but all the things that lead up to the action. Many times I hear people say “It’s okay if I read the menu as long as I don’t order.” Jesus tells us that reading the menu can be just as wrong as ordering from the menu. Once the I surrender to the desire of the action, I have committed the sin. In addition, Jesus tells us that anyone who leads someone to sin or anyone who supports the sin, is the real sinner. After reading today’s Gospel, one might conclude that it will be very difficult to get into heaven. But today’s reading gives us great hope. Jesus tells us that we must recognize all the things that keep us from entering the kingdom. If we recognize these things, we are enabled to avoid these things. If we avoid these things, then the path to heaven is much easier. This is why it is important to examine your conscience every night. It is important to reflect upon the day to realize not only the actions you committed, but also the things that you committed in your heart. You must also ask the tough questions like, “Who did I cause to sin?” You must not justify the sins you committed, but recognize them as the evil they actually are.  If we try to rationalize or justify our wrongs, we are justifying why our relationship with God is not important.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, help me to make my eyes and hands worthy of you.

Give the strength and wisdom to recognize the sins of my heart.

Make me aware of the times that I lead others to sin.

I want to bask in your so I can live a life which leads to the narrow gate of heaven.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.”

 

Gospel Reading: Mathew 5:20-26

 

Jesus said to his disciples:  "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."

 

In today’s Gospel message, 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. Yesterday, a man opened fire at the Holocaust Museum out of anger.  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 your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” So why is anger so bad? Isn’t anger a natural? 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 something that Satan convinces us to act upon. 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 “go first and be reconciled with 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

 

Lord, I have anger in my heart; anger which has grown into hatred.

Help me release this anger and fill my heart with love and compassion.

It is through your example that I will learn to love my neighbor.

Give me the wisdom to see you will and not mine.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“You are the salt of the earth.”

 

Gospel Reading:  5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples: "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father."

 

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. So 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 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 “Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” 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

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:1-12

 

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.  He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

 

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of the beatitudes. A beatitude is a condition of perfect happiness and inner peace to be enjoyed by us in heaven. When Jesus says “Blessed are the…,” he is telling us that these people who appear to be suffering greatly are actually going to experience great joy and solace in heaven. Do we not all seek to happy? It is a natural desire placed in all humans to be happy. We all want to be happy. Today’s Gospel reading is the beginning of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. He is talking to the masses telling them who will ultimately be the happiest in heaven. If we were to sit down and define what it takes to be happy, I would guess that the list that Jesus described in this sermon would not be at the top of our list. Poor, mournful, meek, hungry and thirsty would not be words used to describe the good life. But yet Christ tells us that these people will ultimately experience the greatest joy in heaven.  Why? Because they have humbled themselves on earth. Christ is telling us that these people are absent greed and envy and fill their lives with simple things that truly express God’s joy in their lives. Their lives are open to God’s glory. Jesus calls for us all to be merciful, pure in heart and to be a peacemaker. We are called to forgive those who have trespassed against us. We are called to forgive those who want to hurt us. We must strive to make peace with our fellow man. Many of us will be persecuted for our beliefs and our actions. Our friends and peers will make fun of us for the decisions we make. But Jesus tells that kingdom of heaven is for those who make the ultimate sacrifice to live truly by the Word of God. The beatitudes reassure us that those who sacrifice the most on earth will ultimately be that happiest in heaven. Do you hunger and thirst for the spirit of God? Blessed are you who do.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, Teach me to be humble.

Lead me down the path of righteousness.

Lead me to everlasting peace and happiness.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 12:35-37

 

As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, "How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet.' David himself calls him 'lord'; so how is he his son?" The great crowd heard this with delight.

 

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 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 verses 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? Sometimes the message comes from places which we least expect it.  I was reading a message from a website and there I found the answer.

 

The message 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

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“To love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 12:28-34

 

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, 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." The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

 

Today’s Gospel reading is probably one of my favorite readings. IN the opening passage one of the scribes asks Jesus, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, 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 your heart, with all your understanding with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all 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, but 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