Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.”

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?” He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’” And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims that he is the Lord promised to us in the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah tells us that the Messiah would come to, “proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” The Messiah was to free them from the burdens of life which held them back and to give them sight so they might see the Kingdom of God which was unfolding before them. Jesus proclaims that, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” The people of Nazareth were expecting great things and the Gospel says that they “all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.” But they expected more, they expected him to perform miracles to prove he was the Messiah. Jesus is preaching to his own home town. As the hometown boy, they expected a lot from him. They expected that he would heal all them and perform miracles just because he grew up in Nazareth. But Jesus tells them that there are many people who need to be healed, but only those with faith are healed. He tells them, “there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” Naaman was healed not because he did what God told him, but because he had faith that if he did what God told him he would be cured. The people of Nazareth felt that they were entitled to Christ’s miracles and demanded that they be healed. However, this would not change the hardness in their hearts.

Jesus knew that they lacked the faith that would make the healing possible. Healing comes through conversion. One must truly submit to God to open ones heart to the power of faith. Jesus performed no miracles in Nazareth because of their lack of faith. His attitude towards their selfishness pride upsets them so much that they want to kill him. Instead of falling on their knees and asking for his love, their true feeling of hatred and resentment come forth. But Jesus demonstrates his power over them by paralyzing the crowd so that the crowd cannot harm him. Do you approach Jesus with expectations. When you pray to God, do you get upset when does not answer your prayers the way you want him to answer them. So often we have expectations that are not founded in the true love and faith which God demands of us. We must be willing to fully commit ourselves with no expectation in return. We must be willing to turn our lives over to Christ.

A Simple Prayer

Christ Jesus, give me the power to open my heart and my soul.

My I be an example of your love and compassion to my family and friends.

May I lead them to your table to take part in the bounty of your salvation.

Yours in Christ

Michael F. Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 24:42-51

Jesus said to his disciples: “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

As a new school year begins, so often we are focused on what we are going to do this year. We’re concerned about homecoming, classes, getting the best parking spot and so on. Often we hear the saying, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life.” But what if today was the last day of your life. Today’s gospel reading has two stern warnings. The first is that we will not know the time of our death and the second is that we better be ready for our death when it comes. Jesus compares death to a thief. He tells us “if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.” The same thing applies to us. If we knew when we were going to die, we could prepare for our death and avoid the unpleasantries we may experience during our final judgment. We could actually wait for the last minute to ask for absolution from our sins. We wouldn’t have to worry about the things that will keep us from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. We could party with the drunks and dance with the sinners with no threat of the consequences. But because we do not know the time nor the place, Jesus tells us that we must always be prepared. Jesus says, “Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so.” This parable tells us that we should live life like today is the last day of our life.

Jesus’ second warning tells us what will happen if we are not prepared for our final judgment. Jesus says, “the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” In other words, Christ says we will spend eternity in hell. Basically, if we live life among the wicked, with those that have no regard for the laws of the church, then we will spend eternity crying and weeping with the rest of the unrepentant sinners for salvation. However, if we live out the gospels, if we bring Christ into this world through our actions and our words, then we will be prepared and will be rewarded with eternal life in heaven. Each morning when you wake, first thank God for allowing another opportunity to live and help bring forth the Kingdom of Heaven for others and then ask yourself, “What if today were my last day on earth? Am I prepared?” If you’re not prepared, take today to seek out the salvation you need to purify your soul.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, help me to be vigilant in preparation for my end time;

Help me be strong so that I can be ready when death comes.

I ask that your love and grace fill my heart with the passion to live the Gospels

so that I may enjoy eternity in heaven.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 23:27-32

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”

The past couple of Gospel readings dealt with warnings about our spiritual purity. The sixth woe, like the preceding ones, deals with our concern for our external image and neglects what is inside our hearts. Since contact with dead bodies, even when one was unaware of it, caused ritual impurity for the Jews, tombs were whitewashed so that no one would contract such impurity inadvertently. Jesus tells us that we cannot just whitewash over the filth, that we must truly purify our heart and soul. Just because we appear pure, God sees through the whitewash and sees the skeletons that we keep in our own closet. Christ is telling us that it is time to open the closet door and clean out the junk that we keep inside. It is time to get rid of the impurities in our life. Jesus warns that what truly corrupts a person is not what we see on the outside but the impurity of our sinful attitudes, what we store up inside. Our pride, greed, sloth, envy, hatred, gluttony, and lust lead us to sinful behavior. It is the inward reality of our hearts which will be judged. It is our internal desires which lead us to sin.

The last woe is the most serious indictment of all. It portrays the scribes and Pharisees as standing in the same line as their ancestors who murdered the prophets and the righteous. In spite of honoring the slain dead by building their tombs and adorning their memorials, and claiming that they would not have joined in their ancestors' crimes if they had lived in their days, the scribes and Pharisees are true children of their ancestors and are defiantly ordered by Jesus to fill up what those ancestors measured out. This order reflects the Jewish notion that there was an allotted measure of suffering that had to be completed before God's final judgment would take place. They not only neglected the poor and the weak, but they were intolerant towards anyone who challenged their idea of religion. That is why so many of the prophets who warned about tolerating evil desires and unjust behavior towards ones neighbor were persecuted and even killed by their own rulers and people. They rejected Jesus as their Messiah because their hearts were blinded and hardened to the voice of God by their own outward pride and greed. Only the humble of heart can receive forgiveness and purity from God. It is through our humbleness that we receive the grace of true wisdom and understanding, pardon and healing. The Holy Spirit is ever ready to renew our minds and hearts and to teach us God's way of love and holiness. We must ask the Holy Spirit to purify our heart and mind and to fill us with the wisdom and understanding of God's word.

A Simple Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, purify my heart and mind.

Cleanse my inner body and rid my of the sins which corrupt my body.

Fill me with wisdom and understanding so that I can truly see heaven on earth.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers And Sisters in Christ:

“Come and see.”

Gospel Reading: John 1:45-51

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

In today's gospel reading, an Israelite is questioning whether Jesus is truly the Son of God. Nathanael stated, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Not only did he question Jesus' authenticity, he kind of smacked him a little for being from the other side of tracks. There are times in our life when we too can become skeptical about the Son of God. We might ask the question, "Was He real?" “Did Jesus really die on the cross?” “Did He rise from the dead?” If we question his existence, then how can we find the faith to believe? Instead of arguing with Nathanael, Philip invites him to "come and see" Jesus and meet him. He knew that a personal encounter with Jesus would open his heart. There is nothing I can say to make you believe and there is nothing I can do to make you have faith. You must "come and see." Jesus invites us every Sunday to His alter to "come and see" the miracle of the Eucharist. We are also invited to witness his great works in the miracles we see everyday around us. He also invites us to come and see the Gospels. Think of the retreats that you attended and how you felt after the retreat. You probably didn't want to go to the retreat, but afterwards your heart was opened. Jesus opened Nathanael's heart so he could witness Christ. If we "come and see" Christ, He too will open our hearts. Once our hearts are open, the Kingdom of heaven will flow in. He will give us faith.

A Simple Prayer

God I come and see the goodness of the Lord.

Open my heart and fill it with the Holy Spirit so I do not doubt.

Give me the strength to bring people to you so they can come and see.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

Gospel Reading Matthew 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Christ lets us know the most important commandment, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” But he also tells us the second most important commandment – “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Christ says that the second is like the first. If that’s the case, is it just as important as the first? When you think about the second, how can you obey the first without obeying the second. How can you love God and not your neighbor. If we have hatred or dissent for our neighbor, then we express the same feeling toward God.

The second commandment calls us to not only love our neighbor, but to love our neighbor as our self. We are to be ourselves to our friends, to our family, and to those who we do not even know. But most importantly, we must learn to love those that we hate. We must love absolutely everyone. The second commandment does not tell us to love our neighbor except those we do not like. So what does it mean to love your neighbor. It is simple. You must be willing to put your neighbor’s needs before your own needs. You must be willing to help them when they are in need. You must be able to feed them when they are hungry, clothe them when they are naked, hold them when they are sad and comfort them when they are sick. If we ignore our neighbor’s needs then we are ignoring the basic needs of good. The commandment calls for us to be charitable to all. As we would give to ourselves, we must give to our neighbor.

A Simple Prayer

Lord in Heaven, help me overcome the hatred in my life.

Give me the strength to open my arms to all my neighbors

That I might bring the love of God into their lives.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:1-14

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells us yet another parable about the Kingdom of heaven. This time the parable is about a pending wedding feast. The wedding feast is a celebration of the union between the bride and bridegroom. In this particular story, a King’s son is to be married and the King sent out invitations well in advance of the celebration. However, the invited guests, his supposed loyal subjects ignored the invitation or brutalized the messengers. In this parable, the King represents God and the King’s son is Jesus, the heir to throne. In the Gospels, Jesus is commonly referred to as the bridegroom and we the church his bride. We are called to celebrate this union around a great feast. God has sent out many invitations, but the invitations are ignored. As it states in the scripture, “Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.” Instead of listening to the word of God, we too often make light of our obligations to the master. We do not take seriously the call to obey the commandments and decide to follow our own rules. These become the distractions in our lives which prevent us from finding the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus is waiting for us, are we willing to come to the table.

The parable indicates that the wedding feast was attended by both “bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.” This means God is inviting everyone, even sinners to the wedding feast. All are welcome and no one is turned away; however, you need to be properly dressed for the festival. If we come unprepared and improperly dressed, we will be turned away. Even though God extends his grace, we must be willing to take on the responsibility of his grace. God’s grace only comes into our souls when we are truly receptive and prepared to receive his grace. God invites each of us to the table that we may celebrate in joy of Lord - be prepared and properly dressed.

A Simple Prayer

Father in heaven, your grace is enough,

You have prepared the banquet table for a feast

Help open my heart to your feast.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew: 20:1-16

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Who deserves the rewards of heaven more - the person who worked all their life for God or the person who found God just minutes before their death. In today’s gospel reading, we hear the parable about the laborers in the vineyard. First thing in the morning, the owner goes out and gathers a group of laborers and agrees to pay them a day’s salary. Each hour throughout the day, the master hires more laborers. At the very end of the day, he still hires more laborers. For their portion of the work, each of the laborers receives the same pay. The laborers that worked only one hour were paid the same amount as the laborers that had worked 12 hours. The laborers that worked 12 hours said to the master, “These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.” But the master replied, “My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?” The Kingdom of heaven is our soul. God does not care when we find him, but only that we find him and let him into our soul. All our labor is equal if it is given to God in heaven. Our God is most generous and most forgiving. Why should we expect anything else from Him? If He is truly compassionate, then the last will receive what He has given the first. We should feel relieved that all the lambs we bring to God will be allowed into the Kingdom of heaven. This is also why we must be forgiving and not dwell on the past. We should only look to the future when we all celebrate at the table of our Lord.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, I am your servant and your laborer,

May I be worthy to sit at your table.

Give me the strength to bring others to your table.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Re: Meditation Minute

Hey Uncle Mike,

I wanted to let you know that I have some friends who are currently
deployed to the Persian Gulf. It's the command I deployed with in
2008. Well I started forwarding your beautiful writings along. I
recieved an email today from one of the guys telling me how much he
looks forward to reading the good words in the daily meditation
minute. It is giving him something wonderful to focus on each day.
Thank you so much!

Lots of love,

Alaina D. O'Quinn

On Aug 17, 2010, at 6:40 AM, "Michael Marcon"
<mike@themarconfamily.com> wrote:

> My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
>
>
>
> "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than f
> or one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God."
>
>
>
> Gospel Reading: Matthew 19:23-30
>
>
>
> Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard fo
> r one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you
> , it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than
> for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God." When the disciples
> heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, "Who then can be
> saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For men this is
> impossible, but for God all things are possible." Then Peter said to
> him in reply, "We have given up everything and followed you. What w
> ill there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you
> that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man i
> s seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thron
> es, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given
> up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or
> lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and
> will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and
> the last will be first."
>
>
>
> After reading yesterday's gospel reading and then reflecting on toda
> y's, one would again think that being a "rich man" would be a
> sin. Jesus tells his disciples: ", I say to you, it will be hard fo
> r one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you
> , it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than
> for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God." Like in yesterday
> 's gospel, the reference to being a "rich man" again refers to
> our alliances and the Kingdom of heaven refers to our soul. So wha
> t do we store in our hearts, the love of money or the love for God.
> If we fill our hearts more with earthly treasures, we push out God.
> We destroy his kingdom within us. Jesus is telling us that if we
> invest in worldly treasures, we will not share in the Kingdom of God
> . We must be willing to invest our time and our talents in the chur
> ch – the one true Kingdom. Jesus is not opposed to the wealthy; in
> fact he had friends who are wealthy. But he tells us that "it is ea
> sier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle." The eye of the
> needle was the small door that allowed late night travelers to ente
> r into the city without having to leave the large gates open. A man
> would only have to bow down to enter through this door, but a camel
> would have to get on his knees and crawl through the door. This wa
> s a very difficult task for a camel, but not impossible. Jesus reas
> sures disciples that "With men this is impossible, but with God all
> things are possible." Putting our faith in God will allow the Kingd
> om of heaven into our hearts. We will not be riding high on the cam
> el, but on our knees crawling in forgiveness and penance. Jesus pro
> mises that "those of you who have followed me will also sit on twelv
> e thrones."
>
>
>
> God calls us to put him first. We must put him before everything
> else. Not just before money and wealth, but before life itself. We
> must accept what God calls us to do. It may mean giving up
> significant things including wealth. Jesus told the disciples, "And
> every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or m
> other or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundr
> edfold, and inherit eternal life." We will be rewarded for the sacr
> ifices we make in the name of Jesus. Jesus is telling us that no sa
> crifice will go un rewarded. Whatever we place on the altar of God
> will become a new treasure for us in heaven.
>
>
>
> A Simple Prayer
>
>
>
> Most heavenly Father God,
>
> My time and my talents are yours,
>
> Use them as you will.
>
> You have given me so much,
>
> May I always love you first,
>
> And do your will.
>
>
>
> Yours in Christ
>
> Michael Marcon
>
>
>
>

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 19:23-30

Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

After reading yesterday’s gospel reading and then reflecting on today’s, one would again think that being a “rich man” would be a sin. Jesus tells his disciples: “, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” Like in yesterday’s gospel, the reference to being a “rich man” again refers to our alliances and the Kingdom of heaven refers to our soul. So what do we store in our hearts, the love of money or the love for God. If we fill our hearts more with earthly treasures, we push out God. We destroy his kingdom within us. Jesus is telling us that if we invest in worldly treasures, we will not share in the Kingdom of God. We must be willing to invest our time and our talents in the church – the one true Kingdom. Jesus is not opposed to the wealthy; in fact he had friends who are wealthy. But he tells us that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.” The eye of the needle was the small door that allowed late night travelers to enter into the city without having to leave the large gates open. A man would only have to bow down to enter through this door, but a camel would have to get on his knees and crawl through the door. This was a very difficult task for a camel, but not impossible. Jesus reassures disciples that “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Putting our faith in God will allow the Kingdom of heaven into our hearts. We will not be riding high on the camel, but on our knees crawling in forgiveness and penance. Jesus promises that “those of you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones.”

God calls us to put him first. We must put him before everything else. Not just before money and wealth, but before life itself. We must accept what God calls us to do. It may mean giving up significant things including wealth. Jesus told the disciples, “And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” We will be rewarded for the sacrifices we make in the name of Jesus. Jesus is telling us that no sacrifice will go un rewarded. Whatever we place on the altar of God will become a new treasure for us in heaven.

A Simple Prayer

Most heavenly Father God,

My time and my talents are yours,

Use them as you will.

You have given me so much,

May I always love you first,

And do your will.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 19:16-22

A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

What is it that we all seek? I think the simple answer is everlasting happiness. In today’s world, the definition of happiness is redefined by what the media wants us to understand as happiness. In today’s Gospel reading, a man poses this question to Jesus, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus first replies, “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” The young man replies that he is obeying all the commandments, so what else must he do. He asks this questions because he realizes that just keeping the commandments is not enough. Then Jesus gives him the most difficult task of all, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The man left sad because he could not let go of his earthly treasures, not event for the eternal treasure waiting for him in heaven.

The young man in today’s story was blessed with many treasures including significant wealth and security but yet this was not enough to make him happy. These things that he treasured kept him from fully uniting with God. Why, because he loved these treasures more than he loved God. At first read, one may think that being wealthy is a sin and that God is calling us all to become poor. This story is quite the opposite. In fact it has nothing to do with monetary wealth, but with spiritual poverty. It has to do with the releasing the treasures we hold closer to heart then God so that we can abound in the joy and happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven.

God gives each of us many talents and many gifts. If we do not use these gifts for the glory of God, then we place these gifts higher than God. If these gifts cause us to become possessive and greedy, then we are not truly aligned with God. These treasures could be your friends, your car, your clothes, or your stereo. Right now – what is the most important thing in your life? Think hard. what do you treasure more than anything else? What is it that you can’t do without? If you answered anything else beside God, get rid of it. It is keeping you from the Kingdom of Heaven. It is causing you sadness. The gifts that God gives us will reign down on us if we release the treasures that cause us to become possessive. God always provides more to us then we give. The more we give, the more of God’s love will overflow in us. “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” Again, if the answer to “What is the most important thing in your life” is not God, then you need to get rid of it to let God more fully into our lives.

A Simple Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you have blessed me with so many gifts,

I know that you are the source of all happiness,

Give me the strength to get those things out of my life that I possess more than you.

Help me to make you the greatest treasure in my life.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“If my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:21-19:1

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.

Today’s gospel reading is a compliment to yesterday’s message. Yesterday’s gospel reading commanded us to seek out those that have trespassed against us and to heal the injury of their sin. So how many times must I forgive someone who trespasses against me? Peter guesses seven times. But Jesus responds, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” Basically, Jesus is telling Peter that there is no limit to the amount of forgiveness we should have for others. There is no specific number of times we should forgive somebody. The servant begs the master for forgiveness and out of his kindness, the master forgives the debt while at the same time the servant could not forgive one of his own. How can we expect forgiveness if we cannot give forgiveness to those who trespass against us. When we turn to God to ask him to remove the greatest burdens of our sins, we must also ask for the strength to forgive those who trespassed against us. How can we ask to have these burdens removed if we cannot forgive our fellow man for the sins he has committed against us. The parable tells us that we must always forgive others, no matter what and we must do it whole heartedly. If necessary we must force ourselves to forgive those that offend us from the very moment the sin occurs. The offense that they commit against you is nothing compared to what God has sacrificed to forgive us. If we do not forgive, then that trespass becomes resentment and hatred. Hatred builds inside our soul and eats away at our ability to love. Resentment forms hatred which destroys our capacity to love. To forgive our fellow brother or sister is to love them as Christ loved us. Christ was willing to be crucified for our sins. What are you willing to do for the sins of others?

A Simple Prayer

Lord, you are so kind and merciful.

Give me the grace to be kind and merciful.

Free me from the resentment and jealousy.

Fill my heart with the compassion to forgive my fellow man.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

If one of your fellow brothers or sisters were lying injured on the side of the road, would you be a Good Samaritan and help them? If they we sick in bed with the flu, would you not wish them comfort and pray for their speedy recovery? In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is asking us to be a Spiritual Good Samaritan. Not only must we care for those with physical injuries, we are also called to care for those with spiritual injuries. Jesus tells us that “your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” If a person does something to injure you, then you should seek out this person and try to make amends. Jesus tells us if we do not try to repair the relationship, then we are worse than the person who caused the sin in the first place. In the Our Father, we say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us.” How can we be forgiven for our own sins if we do not forgive those who have sinned against us? Today’s gospel reading takes it a step further, we must approach this person and let them know that they are forgiven. Our position should not be one of condemnation or judgment, but one of compassion and forgiveness. It is good to forgive and forget, but the person who sinned against you is still wounded. Their soul is damaged by the sin they committed. Therefore, we are called to repair that wound.

It is so important to repair this wound that Jesus tells us if “he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” Maybe you are not capable of the needed compassion to repair this wound because of the depth of the hurt. Then you should bring along someone who is level headed enough to be the mediator. Lastly, if this does not repair the injury, you should seek out the church community to pray for the situation and to give guidance. Unattended wounds caused by sin will fester and create hatred that runs deep. Hatred is the sword of the devil which he wields freely about to create chaos in the world. Just look at how many of the major world conflicts are born out of hatred; a hatred that started between two children of God. We must do all we can to eliminate and fight hatred before it grows. Hatred becomes contagious and spreads like wildfire. There is no greater feeling then reconciliation among friends. Therefore, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.”

A Simple Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, forgive me for I am a sinner.

But before you forgive me, give me the strength to forgive others who have sinned against me.

Give me the strength and courage to encounter them and to heal this wound.

Make me a source of healing love and peace in this world.

Sincerely

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

Gospel Reading: John 12:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

What does it mean to serve God? Today’s gospel reading is the parable about the seed. Jesus compares our spiritual life to a grain of wheat. For a plant to prosper, it must die. In the process of dying, it produces seeds for new life. If these seeds fall to earth, they will produce many new plants. This message was a foretelling of the pending fate of Jesus. He would have to die on the cross and be buried in the earth before he could rise from the dead and become the new saving life. Jesus is the ultimate seed of new life. He knew that our salvation over sin was through his death on the cross. Jesus defeated sin by dying on the cross. We too are called to “die” to ourselves so we can “rise” in the new life of the Holy Spirit. In this paradox, death leads to life. So what does this really mean? It means that we must kill those things in our life which oppose the will of God. We must experience self denial and sacrifice before we can enjoy the resurrection in the Kingdom of heaven. We must be willing to take our sins to the cross. If we die to our sins and those things that cause us to sin, we will become fruitful in God. Jesus blesses those who sacrifice. We must die through mortification before we can yield a most blessed harvest.

A Simple Prayer

Most Heavenly Father, I offer up my sins and my sinful ways.

Let me die to those ways which kill my soul.

Give me new life in your ways.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Medcitation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 17:22-27

As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were overwhelmed with grief. When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" "Yes," he said. When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?" When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him, "Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you."

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus predicts his own death and resurrection. He tells his disciples that he must suffer great pain and be put to death, but that he will be raised on the third day. The Gospel reading says that his disciples were “overwhelmed with grief.” In today’s message, Jesus is telling the disciples that the world will have many demands on them and many of the demands are painful and will cause great suffering. At the same time, Jesus is confronted about paying the temple tax; again, an earthly demand. Jesus tells his disciples that they must pay so as not to set a bad example. He tells Peter to go to the sea and to catch a fish and in its mouth will be a coin worth twice the temple tax. He is to give all of it to the tax collector. Jesus is giving his disciples two lessons; first that they must go beyond the earthly demands and set an example by overpaying the taxes and secondly, that God will provide for all their needs. He is telling his disciples that they are not free from the demands of the world and that if they put their faith in God, he will provide for both their spiritual and earthly needs. God demonstrates his abundance and love in many ways. Not only does he provide the money necessary to pay the tax, but he provides enough money to pay twice the tax. Our sins are like the temple tax, Jesus was sent by his Father to pay for those sins. His actions more than covered every trespass we commit against God. It is in the death and resurrection of Christ that all our spiritual taxes have been paid and that our souls are set free from eternal damnation. Christ gives us the ultimate example in today’s Gospel. He tells us that God gives us the abundant grace of forgiveness. That through our own suffering, we too are called to pay the spiritual taxes of our fellow brothers and sisters. Are you willing to suffer for your brothers and sisters?

A Simple Prayer

Lord God, you sent your son to die for my sins.

I am truly sorry for every trespass I commit.

And I forgive all those who have trespassed against me.

Give me the faith to trust in you and your salvation.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon