Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?”

Gospel Reading: Luke 5:17-26

One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set him in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.” Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”– he said to the one who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is teaching a crowd of people including Pharisees and teachers of the law. The Pharisees and scribes were the most knowledgeable of all the Jews. They knew what was and what was not allowed by Jewish law and tradition. Putting yourself in the shoes of God was the most sever of all violations of the Mosaic Law. They began to question Jesus, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” They question him and accuse him because they do not understand who Jesus is. In reply he say, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” At that moment, Jesus cured the paralyzed man to demonstrate his messiahship. This story has so many teachings. First, Jesus is moved by the faith of the group of men that brought him the paralyzed man. What burden these men had to overcome to bring their friend to God. They had to load the paralyzed man on a bed and carry him to Jesus. Once they got there, the entrance to house was blocked so they crawled up on the roof with the paralyzed man, cut a hole in the roof and lowered the man down to Jesus. These acts demonstrate the true determination of these men to overcome all obstacles to get to God. Nothing was going to prevent them from their mission to Christ. So what did Christ do to reward these men? He did not heal the man, which was the mission of their journey, but instead, he healed them of their sins. The real question should have been, “What is more important, your sins to be forgiven, or to rise up and walk. Jesus knows what inflictions truly cripple us. It was important to forgive these men so their hearts would be pure so that we could be set free from the things that paralyze our hearts.

The Pharisees were not happy at what they witnessed because only God can forgive someone for their sins. They accused Jesus of blasphemy. What little faith these Pharisees had. Even listening to Jesus, they did not recognize who he was. To reveal himself to the Pharisees and scribes he replied to them, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” He then turned to the paralyzed man and freed him from the burden of the stretcher. After performing the miracle “astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, ‘We have seen incredible things today.’” How often do we see miracles in our life? Do we have the same response? When God moves us or wows us, do we reply with the same enthusiasm? Jesus came to free us from our sins. He came to reveal himself to man by performing miracles, allowing the blind to see and the paralyzed to walk. Sins separate us from God. They make us unable to see and walk with God in his glory. What ailment was a greater concern to the paralyzed man, his sins or his physical paralysis? Obviously his sins would prevent him from walking in the kingdom of God. Therefore, Jesus cured the paralyzed man by forgiving his sins. What sins are blinding you and keeping you from walking with Christ? What are you willing to do to free yourself from those sins?

A Simple Prayer:

Lord God, you are the ultimate doctor.

You open my eyes and my ears so I can hear your words.

Allow me to see you and hear you.

Thanks

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 brings forth the whole notion of forgiveness and being contrite. We are challenged with the notion of limited forgiveness. Peter asks the simple question, “how often must I forgive? 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. Our forgiveness should be to others should be limitless. 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 seeing the contriteness of his heart. However, the servant did not have the same merciful heart and could not forgive one of his own. How can we expect forgiveness from God 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.

So why is forgiveness an important virtue for us to develop. If we do not forgive, then that trespass can turn into resentment and hatred. Hatred builds inside our soul and eats away at our ability to love. Resentment forms hatred and hatred 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? How much better would the world be today if we could find forgiveness in our hearts? Forgiveness leads to peace and peace leads to a world centered on love and compassion.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, you are so kind and merciful.

You forgive me for my sins.

Give me the grace to be equally 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:

“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.”

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “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 reading, 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 in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them were cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” Naaman was healed not because he did what God told him, but because he had deep 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 selfish 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 comes forth. But Jesus demonstrates his power over them by paralyzing the crowd so that the crowd cannot harm him.

A Simple Prayer

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

May 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:

“Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

Gospel Reading: Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of the Annunciation; a story of conversion and a call to discipleship. The Angel Gabriel appears before Mary and tells her, “Hail, full of grace. … Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” The early Fathers of the Church from the first and second century taught that Mary received a number of distinctive blessings or graces from God in order to make her the fitting mother and the archetypical follower of Christ. These blessings included her role as the New Eve in correspondence to Christ’s role as the New Adam, her Immaculate Conception, her spiritual motherhood of all Christians, and her Assumption into heaven. These gifts were given to her by God’s grace and not because she did anything to earn them. The early fathers tell us that the key to understanding all these graces is Mary’s role as the New Eve. Because she is the New Eve, she, like the New Adam, was born immaculate or sinless, just as the First Adam and Eve were created immaculate. Because she is the New Eve, she becomes the mother of all the people of the new covenant with God. When the Angel Gabriel greets Mary as “full of grace,” we know that she is born immaculate. Our hope is that we will all one day be rendered immaculate (sinless), but Mary, as the archetypical Christian, received this grace early. God granted her freedom from sin (“full of grace”) to make her a fitting mother for his Son. If one is “full of grace,” one cannot contain sin.

Through her grace from God, Mary says yes to God’s call. Mary’s loyalty to God is exemplified in her response to the Angel. She does not know what lies ahead, but just that God is calling her. She does not know what the future holds nor what her son will go through in his life. We too are being called by God to be his servants. Do we take joy in answering yes? Every single one of us is called into the service of God. Every single one of us has special graces which God has given us. How do we respond to God when He calls upon us? Do we react with the same wonder and awe that Mary did or do we respond with doubt? We are called to respond with the joy and amazement which would show that we are a “handmaid of the Lord”. We must not worry about the future but just be receptive to the calling. God will take care of the future, we must worry about the now. We must have faith that God will take care of us and lead us to his house. “Do not be afraid.” He is there to hold us and protect us. He is there to guide us. Do not be afraid, because God has found favor in you. God has blessed you with many graces.

A Simple Prayer

Lord God in Heaven, you call me by name to be your disciple.

Help me find strength to say yes to your will.

Your Servant in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation MInute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 20:17-28

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve (disciples) aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, "What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom." Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can." He replied, "My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left (, this) is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus again prophesies his death and resurrection. Hearing the news, the mother of James and John came to him and said, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” In response, Jesus asks them, “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?”. While they reply, “We can”, Jesus tells them, “My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” The passage says that when the ten heard what had happened, they became angry and annoyed at James and John. Why should they get to sit at the right hand of Jesus and not us? Why are they so special? To sit at the right hand would be to claim that you are superior to the others. Jesus says, “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.” To sit at the right hand of the father, we must be willing to sacrifice everything we have. We must be willing to surrender our total life to God. We must detach ourselves from this world to truly accept the kingdom of heaven. That means that we must be willing to become a slave to others. Jesus did not come to earth to “Lord over us” but to free us from the bonds of sin. To do so, we must drink the cup of Christ. This cup involves true sacrifice. Jesus shed his blood for us. We also must be willing to make that sacrifice for others. During Lent, who is more important – you or your fellow man? What do you desire more – your own worldly goods or to cloth and feed those who have nothing? To sit at the right hand of the Father is not an easy request. You must be willing to lead the sacrificial life we are called to live.

A Simple Prayer

Lord God, you are my master and my ruler.

Give me the strength and wisdom to drink from your cup.

I want to carry the cross which leads others to heaven

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Gospel Reading: Matthew 23:1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus criticizes the scribes and the Pharisees for their self glorifying righteousness and false piety. This passage is all about “practice what you preach.” It was easy for the scribes and the Pharisees to pile on hard to meet obligations and requirements to seem worthy of the graces of God. But it is no good to pile on the obligations if you yourself are not willing to comply. It is also wrong to works only to glorify yourself. If you do things only for the praises it will receive, then you are burdened with the sin of pride. Pride causes us to do things for the wrong reason. Self glorification sets us up to be not like God, but God. But who doesn’t want to be recognized when they do something good? We need to be willing to do things for others simply out of love for our fellow man, not so others will praise us. God sees us truly as we are. We are completely exposed to the eyes of God. He sees us as the sinners we truly are. The scribes and the Pharisees wanted to set an example; but in doing so they eventually set themselves on the pedestal above all others. They wanted people to focus their attention on them and their own actions and not on the will of God. When we do things to show off our religious zeal, then we too are placing ourselves above God. Jesus calls us to be humble and to be contrite. We should do good deeds not to impress others, but to honor God for all He has given us. When we humble ourselves, we remove the barriers of pride. We also remove the fear of inferiority. This frees our heart to open and giving to others. Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” If we truly want to be exalted, we must first become humble.

A Simple Prayer

Lord Jesus, you were the servant of all mankind.

Teach me to be humble and contrite.

Teach me to love my neighbor as myself.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

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Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.”

Gospel Reading: Luke 6:36-38

Jesus said to his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

In today’s Gospel reading, we are told how to be merciful “even as your Father is merciful.” We are told that we should not judge or condemn others, but that we should forgive those who trespass against us and give of ourselves if we expect to receive. If we follow this simple rule, Jesus says, “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.” Everything we give will be given back to us. All the glory we give to others is also given to God and God returns the glory to us in abundance. The model that Jesus presents to us is the exact model of God himself. God is the most merciful and loving and we are commanded to be as merciful and loving to others. During lent, we are called to abandon those things which keep us from becoming like Christ. This means abandoning our judgmental ways and to avoid condemning others. Instead, we are called to give of ourselves even to those people we would judge not worthy. Are any of us worthy of God’s love? Yet he pours it out to us anyway. This is the ultimate definition of mercy. We are called to be understanding to those who are in error. The love which God expects from us saves us from error. We are called to reject the error but we are never called to condemn the person who may commit the error. If we condemn the person, he loses his dignity as a person. God alone is our judge and that day is coming. While we are on earth, we are only commanded to give, forgive and love our fellow man – nothing else.

A Simple Prayer

Lord God, you are so kind and merciful.

Help me to set aside my judgment and condemnation.

Help me to forgive my fellow man.

Help me to see past his sins as I too am a sinner.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:14-15

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Today is the first Friday of Lent. This is a day of fasting. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is questioned about fasting. Jesus replies, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Friday is the day that Lord is crucified so during Lent we fast on Fridays to remember the sacrifice that he made for us. But the gospel refers to the wedding guests. So who are wedding guests? They are generally the closest friends of the bridegroom. Jesus refers to himself as the bridegroom and his disciples are his closest friends. The wedding is a time of great celebration. How can one fast when they are in the presence of the wedding party? How can one fast when Jesus is with them? Jesus’ disciples are hungry for the kingdom of heaven. They celebrate because Christ is with them. They do not fast from God, but seek God to enter their lives. So what type of fasting should we practice? We should fast from things that separate us from God. We should fast from our bad habits, our sinful ways and our vices. But most importantly, we should share in the hunger of those who go without food. Today is a fast day. Take time to decide what it is that you need to fast from. While you abstain from meat, think about those who do not have food for their own table. Think of those who have no shelter to live in. Pray for the poor and the hungry that they may be fed today. Today, we should hunger for God and we should hunger for peace to cover the world.

A Simple Prayer

Come Lord Jesus, I hunger for your love.

I hunger for the love you poured out for us.

Help me conquer those things which keep me from you.

Help me fast from sins of my life.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:22-25

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”

The purpose of Lent is to help focus us on Christ and his journey. Christ tells us, “to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” We must deny all our wants and desires and desire only Christ and his will in us. Jesus asks each of us a very simple question today, “Are we ready for the journey?” Jesus tells us that “the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” The message is meant to open the eyes of his disciples so that they can see who he is and why he was sent to earth. He also tells them this so they can understand their own mission. We are told that no matter what happens to us, if we give up our life to Christ, we will rise up triumphant in the end. To gain eternal life, we must follow Christ. To follow Christ, you must be willing to deny yourself and carry the cross of Jesus. When Jesus was crucified, he was joined by two other men who were crucified with him; one man accepted Jesus and one man denied him. We must chose which cross we want to bear, the cross of good or the cross of evil. Which cross will you chose this Lent? Our materialistic world can appear to be appealing and desirable. The material things in our lives can become the god that we worship. If we are not careful, our spiritual life can be dominated by our material desires. We can push the true God out of our life for the worldly desires. The material things such as new cars, fancy expensive clothes, the latest IPod or Xbox can become more important than honoring God and walking in His ways. If these things become the most important thing in your life, then you have lost site of the true cross. If Christ were to walk into your home, which altar would he find. Would he even know that you are Christian? “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”

A Simple Prayer

"Lord Jesus, I give you my hands to do your work.

I give you my feet to go your way.

I give you my eyes to see as you do.

I give you my tongue to speak your words.

I give you my mind that you may think in me.

I give you my spirit that you may pray in me.

Above all, I give you my heart that you may love in me, your Father, and all mankind.

I give you my whole self that you may grow in me, so that it is you, Lord Jesus, who lives and works and prays in me."

(Prayer from The Grail)

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”

Gospel Reading: Mark:12:1-12

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey. At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant. And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully. He sent yet another whom they killed. So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed. He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture passage: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?" They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them. So they left him and went away.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is addressing a group of Jews. The purpose of this discourse is to explain the history of man’s salvation. God created the world that we live in for us. Everything he created was good, yet man found some way to corrupt the creation of God. Jesus uses the analogy of the vineyard to explain our treatment of the gifts God gave us. In this story, the master provides the workers with everything they need. He provides them good stock, protection from the outside, a place to make wine and a place to store the harvest. When it is time for the master to collect but a small share of the harvest, he sends a messenger to claim some of the harvest. How do the workers repay him? They attack the messenger. This is the same thing that man did with all the messengers that God sent to help us with our salvation. But the master does not give up. Eventually he sends his beloved son. Humanity does not change. In response to the beloved son, they kill him. When asked what should the master do, the Jews respond that the master should come and destroy the tenants. This is not the behavior of a righteous master. Instead of killing them, the beloved son becomes the cornerstone of our faith and our salvation. Instead of relation of hatred with hatred, God responds with love.

This same message is true today. God gives us everything we need. He provides us with many gifts and talents. How we use those gifts reflects on how we respect the master who gave them to us. The parable tells us how God deals with the sinfulness of man. God loves us and continually forgives us. His forgiveness is limitless. No matter what we do with the gifts he gives us, God will continually be there for us. He has entrusted us each with different gifts to help in the harvest. We are free to do as we will with those gifts. Not only does God trusts us to make our own decisions, he loves us so much that he will not force us to do things that is against our will. God entrusted us with the vineyard and it is our responsibility to reap the harvest. Jesus knew that he would be rejected and killed, but he also knew that his death would not be the end. Through his death would come the ultimate glory. He knew that he would be the cornerstone of our faith and our salvation. Jesus promises us a great harvest if we submit to his will. If we use the gifts he gave us to fulfill the wishes of the master, we will be rewarded abundantly in the Kingdom of heaven.

A Simple Prayer

Lord Jesus, you are the cornerstone of our faith.

Through you we find our salvation.

You provide me with many gifts and talents.

May I use these gifts for your glory and praise.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

Gospel Reading: Mark 11:11-26

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area. He looked around at everything and, since it was already late, went out to Bethany with the Twelve. The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry. Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs. And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” And his disciples heard it. They came to Jerusalem, and on entering the temple area he began to drive out those selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area. Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written: My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples? But you have made it a den of thieves.” The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it and were seeking a way to put him to death, yet they feared him because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city. Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”

Today’s gospel reading seems to be all over the place. You’re probably thinking that Jesus is a little ADD or that the Gospel writer is mixing up way to many themes. Jesus starts off cursing a fig tree, then Her goes and runs off the money changers and finally He is concerned about moving mountains into the sea. But in reality there is a very common thread sown throughout this scripture reading. The fig tree is barren and unable to bear fruit and therefore is no longer useful. It just depletes the nutrients from the soil that could be used to grow other trees which produce fruit. The Jews equated the barren fig tree to spiritual decay and evil. Therefore, removing the fig tree removed the evil from the land. Likewise, when he reached the temple, the temple was not being used as a place of worship, but a place of deception and deceit. The merchants were swindling the people coming to the temple and robbing them and cheating them. The temple is suppose to be a safe place; a place where evil does not lurk. Removing the merchants removed the evil in the temple. Finally, the mountains represent barriers. They are the obstacles in our life which prevent us from finding the temple. They represent those items which separate us from God. For those who truly have faith can say to the mountains, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea” and the mountains which separate them from God will be gone. It is clear, the we must have faith to truly see God and when we encounter evil, it is faith that will banish it so it withers away in our life. We also need to have faith to avoid those who are trying to rob our temples of our spirituality. The temples of our souls are reserved for God. If we fill them with material and worldly vices, the temple will become a haven for those who will rob us our eternal life.

A Simple Prayer

Lord Jesus, give me wisdom to destroy evil and fight off those who will rob my faith.

Give me the strength to move the mountains that separate me from you;

So I can spend eternity with our Father in heaven.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”

Gospel Reading: Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

In today’s gospel reading, we see the classic struggle between the world and God. As we cry out for God, the world tries to suppress us and put us down. How many times have you cried out, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me” only to be held back by our friends. In today’s story, Jesus is approached by a blind man. What is most interesting is that the blind man does not ask for his sight, but asks for Jesus to “have pity”. He asks Jesus to have compassion on his soul. In the days of Christ, if a person had an affliction, it was thought to be a punishment from God. Therefore, before the man could gain his sight, Jesus had to have compassion. Is this not how we feel many times. Somehow God is punishing us for something we did. This is what the material world wants us to believe, that God is punishing and not loving.

The crowds tried to keep the blind man away, yet he kept calling out. He knew that his sight was only possible from the compassion of God himself. Jesus asks him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replies, “Master, I want to see.” So often in our own life we are blinded by the world or blinded by the problems that afflict our lives. We cry out to God and the world rebukes us. They try to prevent us from seeing God. So often we give up on our quest to see the true light of the world which will set us free from our afflictions. When you cry out to God, he responds with a simple question, “What do you want me to do for you?” We must respond, “Master, I want to see.” If we are tue in our requests, our faith will save us and free us from our affliction.

A Simple Prayer

Lord God, I am blind,

Give me sight so I can see your wonderful works.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Are you able to drink the cup that I drink.”

Gospel Reading: Mark 10:32-45

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise." And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

In today’s gospel reading, James and John are just a little bold in asking Jesus to sit at his side in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus challenges them when he says, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" Basically, Jesus is telling James and John that their request is a little bit self serving. Even worse, this request causes conflict among the other disciples. Who would be so bold as to ask this question? The other disciples want to know why James and John should get to sit at the right hand of the Father because the two are no better than they are. The gospel reading says that the other disciples “began to be indignant at James and John.” Jesus, feeling the tension among his disciples said to them: “but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” So what is Jesus calling us to do? We must be willing to drink of His cup and live His baptism. Jesus’ cup was one of sacrifice and servitude. Therefore, to reign in the Kingdom of Heaven, we must be willing to make great sacrifices. We must be willing to be servants to those who are least. We must be willing to wash the feet of the lowliest of mankind.

Jesus calls us to drink His cup. This means living a truly Christian life and making daily sacrifices. It is easy for us to glorify God when we’re in church and to do good deeds for our parents, our close friends or possibly even our siblings. But how easy is it for us to be a servant to the homeless, to the poor, to the elderly, to the cripple? Do we go out of our way to help the poor or the aging? When was the last time you worked in a soup kitchen? Jesus came to this earth not to be served, but to serve. He came to free us from the slavery of sin. He came to free us to the bonds of our material desires. To truly be the Messiah, Christ had to be a servant to all. Are you willing to sacrifice your life to be a servant for the Lord? You need to ask the Lord to help you discern your calling; to help you understand what it means to be his servant. Ask Him to guide you in a clear direction to be his servant.

A Simple Prayer

Lord Jesus, You died on the Cross as a ransom for many.

Give me the strength and wisdom to drink from your cup, and

to live in the fullness of your baptism.

From this nourishment, may I be a loyal servant to you.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“But many that are first will be last, and the last first.”

Gospel Reading: Mark 10:28-31

Peter began to say to Jesus, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

What is it that we treasure most in life? What do you place first in your life? Christ tells us that everyone who gives up their material possessions for God will be rewarded a hundred times. But more importantly, we must shed everything that keeps us from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. When we remove ourselves from the bondage of our material possessions, we remove ourselves from the baggage which they possess. This transfers the power from the earthly goods to us. We become in control of these items and not vice versa. By giving up everything, we remove ourselves from our selfish behavior. In return, we develop a charitable heart. A heart which allows us to give more fully of ourselves. By giving everything away, we get it all back plus more. This does not suggest that we will become millionaires, but that we will no longer be controlled by our worldly possessions. Jesus also lists persecution as one of our rewards. When we become like Christ, we share in the true glory of God. Christ was persecuted and suffered for our salvation. We must also be willing to share in the same persecution. When we share in the burden of the cross, we help Christ burden the pain he endured for all of humanity. We also must suffer to fully achieve the glorify of God in Heaven. No earthly good or possession can equate to the peace and joy in knowing God. Christ is offering us a true vision of Heaven if we are willing to make the sacrifice. Is eternity worth it? Or do you chose eternity separated from God?

A Simple Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart with the peace and joy of the Gospel.

May I be filled with the knowledge of God’s personal love.

Breakaway the bonds of my worldly possessions so I can live more closely to thee.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon