Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:36-43

 

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

 

I pray you pay attention to today’s Gospel message. Jesus says, “Whoever has ears ought to hear,” warning us that the end times will not be pleasant if one is not a good seed. Today's gospel reading reflects on the deeds that we do. We are the seeds of the sower and our deeds and our actions are fruits of those seeds. The big question is, “What kind of seed are you?” Will your seeds produce weeds or will they produce bountiful fruit? Weeds choke the good plants robbing them of the nourishment that they need to survive. The weeds take away from the harvest. Will the seeds that are sown choke out the good plants or will the harvest be plentiful? In the end of our earthly life, we will all be judged by the quality of the harvest and the fruit of our efforts. "For a person will reap only what he sows, because the one who sows for his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit. Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest." (Galatians 6:7-9). We have many opportunities to sow good seeds every day.  We can either chose to help others or to be selfish and only worry about our own needs.  These seeds will not only benefit our own harvest, but more importantly, they will encourage others to sow better seeds. While it is much easier to sow the seeds of weeds because they do not take as much care to grow; good seeds take sacrifice and commitment. They take a sacrifice for others. You must water them, you must fertilize them and most importantly, you must provide good light.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, you are my inspiration and my light.

You provide me with all that I need.

And while I may want, you know what my soul needs

to live in the Kingdom of God.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:31-35

 

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.” He  spoke to them another parable. “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

 

Today’s gospel reading talks about growing the Kingdom of heaven.  The Kingdom, as Christ describes it, starts as a very small seed planted within our heart.  Through proper nourishment it grows into the “largest of plants.”  The mustard bush becomes so big that the “birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”  As our own faith grows within us, it can attract others to the Kingdom just as the mustard tree attracted the birds of the sky.  They too want to eat the seed of life.  By your example, you attract others to the faith.  However, our faith cannot grow on its own.  It must be fed to grow and fill us.  Christ equates our faith to flour, without the yeast, it just remains a pile of flour.  But once the flour is stirred with the yeast, it grows.  It transforms the simple pile of flour into leaven bread.  Once we mix Christ into our lives, our lives begin to transform like the flour with the yeast mixed in it.  In both parables, we must take action to grow the Kingdom of heaven.  We must either plant the seed or mix in the yeast.  If we do not take action, the tree will not grow nor will the bread rise.  We must be willing to take action so that we too can lead others to the seeds of life.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, You have filled me with the Holy Spirit.

May your Grace overflow in me.

May it nourish my body.

May it grow within me so that I can provide shelter and security for others.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

 

 

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“The seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:18-23

 

Jesus said to his disciples: "Hear the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

 

Today’s Gospel reading is a rather simple message with many intertwined lessons “sown” together (pun intended). Today’s gospel is the continuation of the parable of the sower from Matthew 13:1-9. The sower is God spreading his word among the people. When he casts out his message, sometimes the message fall upon deaf ears; some people hear the message but do not care; while others grasp the message and grow in the word. For the first person, the seed of God’s word falls upon the path. The soil along the path is trampled and hardened not allowing the seed to receive the nourishment of the good soil. The one who does not get the message is a person whose heart is hardened. This person does not understand the word of God because he does not know his love and compassion. This person has not opened their heart to others to accept the light which surrounds him. The absence of love allows Satan to darken his soul. A seed does not grow in darkness. The seed is trampled and does not prosper.

 

The second seed of God is sown in the briar patch. This is a person who hears the word and knows the word, but allows earthly vices to control their lives and choke out the Word of God. The weeds are those things in our lives that prevent us from fully accepting and nourishing the Word of God. These are things that rob our seeds of needed nutrients to make them grown strong. While the seed sprouts; it is weak. It does not grow into maturity because the weeds in our life choke the plant.

 

The last seed sown is on fertile soil.  This is the person with an open heart and a receptive mind. Jesus tells us, “But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” This last verse tells us the importance of having fertile soil within our hearts. Not only will the word of God grow within us; but we will produce new fruits and new fruits produce new seeds. The seeds that we produce must also be sown. In the gospel reading, one seed had the ability to produced 100 new children of Christ, another 60 and yet another 30.

 

When we allow the Word of God to grow in the fertile soil of our soul, we are also commanded to spread that word with others. This message tells us that some of the people we meet will not hear us and some will hear us but will be consumed with earthly treasures. However, some of our seeds will again fall on fertile soil. It does no good to let the Word of God in and then conceal the word from others. St. Francis of Assisi tells us to preach the gospel daily and if necessary use words. The most fertile seeds that we sow are our actions. They are the things that come from our examples. Your example is the loudest message of all. Cherish the word and share it with others.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, my soul is for you.

I pray that I am receptive to your word

I pray that my soil is fertile and can grow the seeds you have sown

I pray that the seeds become fruitful and that which I produce is plenty.

I pray that the seeds that are sown from my fruit are sown on fertile ground.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 20:20-28

 

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 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 your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 

Today’s gospel reading reminds me of the school playground when I was in elementary school. It seems like one kid was always had to be the king of the playground and the rest of the kids regarded him as the ruler. Once somebody took charge, every other kid wanted to be his second in command. The apostles John and James were no different. They were beginning to realize that Jesus was the head of the playground, the Messiah, and they wanted to position themselves at the right and left hand of the new king-of-the-hill. Jesus asks them if they can handle the pressure. He tells them that it won’t be easy being his follower and that life on the playground is tough. They tell Jesus not to worry, that they can handle the playground. When the rest of the apostles hear that John and James are jockeying for position, they become agitated and upset. So Jesus calls them all around to explain the rules of the playground. He tells them: “that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 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 your slave.”

 

Jesus was sent to this earth to be our Lord and savior, not to lord over us. To be at the right hand of the Father, we must not be the master but be the slave. We must be willing to do for others. We must be willing to make great sacrifices for the benefit of those in need. Just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, we too must take on a life of service for others. Jesus’ service to mankind was exemplified in all his actions and his teaching. His mission was one of enduring love and compassion for all man, not just those that believed. He reached out to the sick and to the sinner; to the Jew and the Gentile. Jesus lets us know that for us to have any true authority, we must sit in the back and humble ourselves to those that need us. He tells us that we must be last to be first. God gives each of us so many graces not so we can hold these powers over people, but so we can use these powers to create the Kingdom of God right here on earth. We must be a community for others. We must be willing to be generous with our gifts, our talents and our time for everything that we own was given to us by God above. Even the life that we breathe is a gift from God. We do not own anything. We may not always be popular nor seen as the king of the playground, but we will always be loved by our Father in Heaven. Are you willing to commit to God? Are you willing to drink from the same sacrificial cup? For us, the sacrificial cup means a daily commitment to Christ, daily prayer, a daily renewal of our faith and most of all, service to others.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, Jesus, make me a servant; humble and meek.

Lord let me lift up those who are weak;

And may the prayer of my heart always be - Make me a servant.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 12:46-50

 

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you." But he said in reply to the one who told him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."

 

I think if you were to ask people who is the most important person, the majority would respond their mom.  A Mom is the very definition of caring and compassion.  She is the one who cares for us and who comforts us when sad.  But in today’s gospel reading, it would appear that Jesus is blowing off his own mother and family. When he is told that his mother and family are there to see him, Jesus responded, "Here are my mother and my brothers,” indicating those that had gathered to hear the Word of the Lord were his family. Jesus was not ignoring his mother, but instead he was teaching his disciples the significance of a relationship with God. Our relationship with God is the most significant relationship we can seek and that all who seek the Lord are one family in Christ.  We are one community gathered to bring forth the kingdom of heaven.  We gather in communion to form a single body. When I begin my letters with “My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ” I am acknowledging the fact that we are all part of a family of Christ. I consider that we all form a unique community centered on the teachings of Jesus and the Gospels. Christianity is centered on this relationship with God; a relationship that binds us together like family. When we think of a family relationship, we think of the trust, the compassion, the loyalty and the love that our fellow family members put forth for the family unit. When we establish a relationship with others, we are forming a community. If we form this community out of love, we are forming this community with God. Whoever does the will of God is a member of this family. God is our Father. Like a Good Father, he seeks us out and tries to keep us safe. He provides for all our needs, both earthly and spiritual. We must love him and our fellow brothers and sisters.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Most Heavenly Father, You are the leader of my Family.

You provide for us and keep us safe.

Allow me to glorify your family,

To show love and compassion as you have shown me.

Allow me to grow within the family and to become a worthy member.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

 

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 12:38-42

 

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here."

 

Are we no different a society then was present at the time of Jesus. I think that Christ would still call us an “evil and adulterous generation.” Society still wants proof or scientific evidence of the existence of God? People still try today to prove that the historical Jesus existed through ancient writing and artifacts. Why is it that we still demand proof that Jesus was around. Instead, we should be focused on living the life of Jesus and not trying to validate his existence. It is simply a matter of faith. In today’s gospel message, the Pharisees and the scribes demand to see a sign from Jesus so they can validate that he is the messenger from God. So why does Jesus call the Pharisees adulterous? He calls them adulterous because of their spiritual infidelity. Not only did they question God, but they demanded God give them a sign. Jesus tells them that he is the sign and they should need no other. However, the Pharisees and the scribes rejected Jesus as the sign. They could not accept him as the Son of God because they were looking for someone who was a military leader who would defeat the Romans. Jesus did not fit the mold of the person they were seeking.  Unfortunately, healing people, freeing them from their internal demons and bringing people back from the dead was not enough to convince the Pharisees that he was truly the Son of God.  To believe in God and recognize the signs which He so clearly provides should be enough for us as well.  However, at times we still demand more. We say to him, “If only …, then I would believe.” Can we not open our eyes and see God in the little flowers that bloom in the fields?

 

God performs miracles right before our very eyes so we can witness his greatness. What other signs do we need? Instead, we allow the darkness of evil in the world to blind our vision. When we witness a miracle, we should fall to our knees and praise the blessing which he has bestowed upon us; that he has provided a sign so we may believe. Jesus told the Jews that “Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth.” This would be the ultimate sign proving that he is truly the Son of God, the Messiah. It is ok to have doubts, but do not let your doubts become demands of God. We should seek the answer and not allow the doubts to grow into demands of our God. We just need to open our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with wisdom and he will show us his glory. Miracles occur every day. If we wish to have the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in us, we must humble ourselves to the Lord.

 

A Simple Prayer:

 

Lord Jesus, fill my soul with the Holy Spirit so that my faith may grow.

Give me the strength to shed my doubts so that I can truly see you as the Son of God.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 12:1-8

Jesus was going through a field of grain on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath." He said to the them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

 

After reading today’s reading, one might conclude that keeping holy the Sabbath is no longer a commandment. Jesus’ disciples are chastised by the Pharisees for not keeping the Sabbath. According to Jewish Law, the Sabbath was set aside as a time of rest and the Jews were not to do any work or labor. Today, conservative Jews take this day very seriously. They go as far as to even limit the number of steps one takes, everything they eat on this day is prepared the day before and they go to great lengths not to expend any labor. The elevators are set to stop on every floor so they don’t even have to push a button.  While this may seem extreme, they believe this is what God commanded them to do.  However, Jesus says that they are taking this commandment beyond what God had intended.  This day was set aside to honor the greatness of God’s creation. In the gospel story, the disciples were hungry and therefore were harvesting and eating corn. This action was forbidden on this day. Jesus explains that these actions are not in violation of the Sabbath and that when men are hungry, it is okay for them to eat. Jesus says that God “desires mercy, not sacrifice.” He is telling the Jews while the ritual of the Sabbath is important, compassion for man’s basic human needs are more important. Jesus was trying to tell the Jews that they were missing the truly important meaning of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is truly about honoring the greatness of God’s creation. If we allow God’s creation to suffer on this day, then are we really honoring this day. If God is Love, them would God want his servants to starve when food was sitting right in front of them.  If we see a person who is hungry, should we not feed them. Allowing him to starve would be dishonoring this day. Feeding our fellow man shares the love and compassion that God shared with us through his Son.

 

But have we gone too far in the opposite direction.  Modern Christians have lost the meaning of honoring the Sabbath. Stores are now open on Sundays. Most of us work on Sundays or are involved in activities that take us away from the greatness of this day. Many Catholic Christians do not even go to Mass anymore or Mass is second to all the other activities in our lives. We are so busy that we forget the importance of this day. We are still called to keep holy the Sabbath day. This is still one of the commandments. Dishonoring this commandment is a sin. This means that we are called to rest and to reflect on this day. We are to go to church, to pray and give thanks for all the things that God has given us. Many of us are so busy that this day goes on like any other day. We should take the time on this day to cherish what God has given us. We need to take time to smell the roses. We should celebrate the graces that God has bestowed upon us. We should spend time with our family and most importantly, we should spend time with Christ thanking him for the sacrifice he made to save our souls.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, thank you for all of creation.

Thank you for the mountains and thank you for the seas and the oceans.

Thank you for all the living creatures on this earth.

Give me the wisdom to know the Sabbath and to honor it.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:28-30

 

Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

 

Do you think that the first response from his disciples was, “Yeah, right.  Following you is going to lead us into self sacrifice and turmoil with our friends.”  Yet the reality is we actually find true peace and happiness even in the face of resistance and hatred by others.  We are told to take up the yoke of the Lord “[f]or my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” To help ease the load on the oxen, each ox had its own tailor made yoke. One specially made to fit their build.  The craftsmen took the time to make sure it fit perfectly so as not to burden the ox.   Jesus tells us that he will help us with our load if we will take up his yoke. He has a tailor made yoke just for us designed to free us from the heavy burdens of life. Yokes are made for two. This makes room for both you and Christ. There is nothing we can do without the aid of Christ.  The sooner we accept this, the sooner we will realize that he truly does lighten our load.  Only if we are willing, Christ joins in to help us with our life which sets us free from the heavy burden of sin. Any other load is crushing and weighs us down. It is through Christ that we find our worries removed and we can truly experience the joy of being united with Christ.

 

We are all called to prepare for the coming of Christ and to open the doors to our soul to let in Christ. He comes to us through the Sacraments to lighten our load and to remove the burdens of sin which we place upon ourselves. We are nourished through the Eucharist which gives us the energy we need to go out into the world to pull our cart we call life.  Through the sacrament of reconciliation, our sins are not only forgiven, but removed from our cart. It is through the love of Christ that he relieves us from our burden. But we too have the option to lighten the load of others. We are called to forgive those who trespass against us. When we ask for forgiveness we are also called to give forgiveness. This forgiveness removes the burden which others have placed upon themselves. What a great place this world would be if we all forgave each other for all the sins that are committed. Take up the yoke of Christ and he will give you rest.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, my yoke is heavy and my load is burdensome.

Help me free myself from the burdens which hold me back

And give me strength to help free the burden placed on others.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“You have revealed them to the childlike.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:25-27

 

At that time Jesus exclaimed:  "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

 

Why would God hide things from adults and reveal them to the babes? Think of the time when you were very young, maybe even before you were in school. You believed in God and Jesus and all His miracles without question. You were totally in awe about his presence.  You believed the stories and were amazed at the wonder expressed by Jesus in his works on earth. I can remember sitting there listening to my religion teacher teaching us about Jesus and never once did I doubt the things that I was told. A child is simple and tends to think in simple ways. This simplicity allows Jesus to be revealed to a child in his full glory without the doubt we apply as adults. A child is naturally humble with no consuming pride which prevents them from seeing God as our creator, Lord and master. The questions and the comments that young children ask are from their innocence and reveal to them the greatness of the Father in Heaven. Yet as we grow in world knowledge and understanding, we somehow let this new found intelligence cloud our vision of the reality of God. We begin to rationalize his existence and justify his being. We try to use science to confirm his miracles instead of just simply accepting Jesus for who he is. We want the physical evidence to explain the unknown and to eliminate the mystery.

 

We are all called to have a childlike belief in the Father and the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only does a babe express unconditional belief in our Father in heaven, they also express unconditional love. The clearest example of this is a child’s loves for their parents. This love is unbounded and without limitations or conditions. Jesus Christ expressed this same unconditional love when he walked on the earth saving us from our sins and lastly when he died on the cross to defeat evil. Jesus expressed love perfected and without blemish. Jesus tries to reveal himself to us through his teachings.  Because of the cloudiness of our vision, He preformed miracles so we would believe.  Yet we still ask for more evidence. We must become childlike in our belief to fully grasp the unconditional love that was expressed by Christ for us. We must humble ourselves. It does no good to brag about our intelligence if this intelligence keeps the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit from being fully revealed to us.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord I ask for childlike belief and understanding so that I can see you in your true glory.

May this childlike expression of love fill me with a deeper relationship with you.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:20-24

 

Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

 

What would Jesus say to us if He were to visit our community, our church or even our family? Do you wonder if Jesus would say woe to you, Spring or woe to your town? Even worse, would he say woe to your family?  Today’s message is again a warning to his disciples. Jesus is just a little upset with the people from these two towns for he has done great miracles in these towns and the people have not repented to the Lord. Chorazin and Bethsaida were two small communities probably represented by a single Jewish synagogue. He compares them to the towns of Sodom, Tyre and Sidon. These towns were known for loose living, prostitution, gambling, drunkenness. We all know what happened to Sodom and how they were punished for their loose living and sinful ways. Jesus tells the people from these two towns “it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.” The evil ways and lack of faith were expected from these other towns, but not Chorazin and Bethsaida.  This is probably the harshest warning that Jesus gives in the Gospel of Matthew.  The people have witnessed the great miracles preformed by Jesus. They have seen Jesus cure people of ailments, being deaf or blind, and even people possessed by the devil. They have heard His teachings first hand and yet they are indifferent to him. This same thing can happen to us at church.  Mass comes second to the other activities in our life.  Jesus is only honored when it is convenient.  We may say that we honor him, but do our actions follow through.    

 

Would Jesus deliver the same message to us today? What would he think about our own home? Is Jesus Christ alive in our house? When people visit your house, can they tell that you are a disciple of Christ. When we look at our community, can we see the miracles of God that occur all around them? We are called to proclaim the word of God and we are called to repent. When Jesus said that these towns did not repent, he implies that they did not change their ways. We need to change our ways to create change within our community. We need to convince others to change their ways so that they can realize the salvation of the Word of God. It is through our actions and our words that our family and our community can see the change in us. Jesus’ anger in today’s gospel is really sadness for us. He is sad because we have not seen the light of his salvation. If we do not change then we will not be with him in heaven. Christ calls each of us to walk with him; to carry our cross and to repent for our sins. We are all sinners and we must all repent, we must all change. None of us are perfect.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Most Glorious God in Heaven

Open my heart and my mind so that you can reign in on me.

Shower me with your grace so that I can change.

May my change be seen by others as new light leading them to Christ.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:34-11:1

 

Jesus said to his Apostles: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household. "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward." When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

 

Generally when we think of the gospel message from Jesus, we think of love and joy and hope. Jesus’ words usually instill compassion for his fellow man. However, today’s gospel message appears to be rather harsh and condemning. Jesus tells us: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” Why would Jesus want us to take up a sword against our parents or to be in opposition to our families? This does not sound like a person who came in peace to love and serve the world, but one who wants to start a war. Not only was Jesus sent to love the world, he was also sent to defeat the powers of evil and free us from darkness. Jesus is trying to tell us that our true salvation comes from obedience to Him and that we must follow Him no matter what the cost. We must open our hearts to hear the Word of the Lord and not let others lead us astray, not even our own families. The sword that we must take up is not a sword of steel, but the Holy Scriptures. We must be willing to take up our cross and follow him no matter what happens to us.

 

The gospel message goes on to have a very positive message: “Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” Christ asks us to find good in the world. We must seek good and not evil; we must look for the good in everyone. We must try to find the good in the least of our brothers. Not only will this make you a better person, it will bring you closer to Christ. Christ came to help us find the way, the truth, and the life. By seeking the righteousness and goodness in people, we are showing them the truth and the way. The true love expressed by God is for everyone and we must express that same love. We are not only asked to love our families and our best friends, but those who are difficult to love. If we give to others, Christ tells us that we will be rewarded in heaven. We are not called to serve ourselves but to serve God, for he who serves God will celebrate with our Father in Heaven.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, lead me to you.

May I be obedient to you;

May my actions and words be pleasing;

Help me to find the goodness in others

So I can receive the rewards that you promised.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:16-23

 

Jesus said to his Apostles: "Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 

Have you ever felt that when you are around your friends that you needed to defend your faith or that you are attacked because of your faith or are told that you’re not really Christian. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells us that we are sent out as “sheep in the midst of wolves.” The gospel reading tells us that we will encounter opposition to our faith: “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.” We must stand strong in our faith and be the example of what it means to be a member of the one true universal church. Be proud to be a Catholic, but do not let the pride become boastful. It is through your example that others will learn what it means to be a member of the one catholic and apostolic church. When you are put on trial by others, God tells us, “do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say.” Every week when you go to mass and receive the Eucharist, you receive the energy you need to defend the church and to defend your faith. You become a living tabernacle of Christ and a symbol of the love that was poured out for us on the cross. There are many false churches out there that are not true to the teachings of Christ, some even promise earthly riches, and others contend that a simple statement of belief is all you need to be “saved”. The commitment to Christ is much more significant than that. It is a journey with many trials and we are not the judge or the jury in these trials. Only God can judge our actions. We will fail in some of these trials, but our faith is what gives us the strength to get back up and return to the path. Be strong my young lambs for you are among wolves, wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing. But God gives us hope. If we endure and have patience to conquer these trials, we will be saved in the end.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, I am a sheep among wolves.

Give me the wisdom and knowledge to defend my faith.

Allow me to be a beacon of hope for others.

Give me the strength to accept the persecution of others.

Give me the courage to do your will.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditatin Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Without cost you have received; without cost you   are to give.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:7-15

 

Jesus said to his Apostles: "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town."

 

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

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus Christ, God of heaven on Earth,

Nourish me and give me strength to preach your Gospel.

Let me want not for your glory is all I seek.

Let me be a living testament to your Word.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

 

 

Meditation Minutes

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:1-7

 

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.'"

 

Jesus called each of his twelve Apostles by name to go out among the people of Israel and preach the Word and to heal those afflicted with disease and illness.  They were sent out not to preach to the non-Jews, but to preach to the Jews who had fallen away.  We too are called to do the same today.  We called to go out among those who have fallen away from the church and to heal them of the aliments which keep them from the Eucharistic table.  That person may even be you.  Today’s message is one of reflection and one of prayer.  The Kingdom of Heaven is that place where God opens his doors to give us a taste of the eternal.  It is a place where we become extraordinarily linked to our Father.  This not only happens during Mass, but everytime we set aside time for prayer individually or in community.  During this time, we should become especially attentive to Word of God.

 

Do you hear the call of God to be his servant? He calls all of us to celebrate at his table because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The Kingdom of Heaven is made up of all those people who hear the calling and are willing submit their lives to God and the message of the Gospel. He called these twelve men to be the first twelve men of the New Covenant. These men were ordinary people just like you and I. They were not kings or rulers, but common people who gave up their life for Christ. These men answered faithfully to the grace of their calling. When Jesus walked this earth, He spread a message of hope and joy. He sent these new apostles out into the world to first spread the good news to their Jews, to reawaken the spirit within. These men gave up everything they owned for the glory of God. When God calls us to serve, we must also be willing to faithfully commit to him. We must be willing to hear the calling and respond with our lives. This year, Pope Benedict is calling upon us to initiate the New Evangelization. In this initiative, we are asked to first, nurture and grow our own faith and then those of our fellow brethren who may have fallen away.  If we do not restore our own house, how can we serve others.  It is time to invite your friends and neighbors who once attended church but maybe have stopped for some reason.  Ask them to join you this Sunday at Mass.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, I am your apostle.

Give the strength I need to spread your word.

Give me the wisdom I need to speak the truth.

May I always be a servant of your glory.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:32-38

 

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "He drives out demons by the prince of demons." Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."

 

In today's gospel, Jesus is out wandering through Israel “curing every disease and illness.” Jesus was brought a dumb man who was plagued by a demon. His friends, realizing the pain and suffering that this man was going through, were in hope that Jesus could rid him of these evils. Jesus cast out the demon and the man was able to speak. The crowds of people were astonished by this miracle. Yet the Pharisees accused Jesus of “driving out demons by the prince of demons.” So what was the difference between the people who witnessed and proclaimed and the Pharisees who accused. The people who rejoiced in the miracles of Jesus had faith that Jesus was the Messiah. He gave the people hope that their sins and their afflictions could be healed. Because of their belief, Jesus set them free from the demons that tormented them. We too can go to Jesus with our afflictions and our sins. Whenever we yield to the power of God with unconditional faith, he frees us from evils that binds us and the sins that darken our lives.

 

Jesus acknowledges the massive amount of evil in the world and the people who need help. He tells his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.” We are called to be his disciples to heal the sick and to reach out to those that are in need. Sometimes our needs are satisfied by taking care of the needs of others. By going out into fields, we too can give faith and hope to others. We can be there to set them free. Whenever we approach Christ with expectant faith, he will set us free from the things that keep us from the kingdom of heaven. But even greater is to approach Christ for the needs of others. If we set the needs of others before Christ, he will also answer those prayers. Be willing to lay your needs before the Eucharistic Table. We should offer up these inflictions and be willing to pray for forgiveness and healing.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, may my work shed light and free those that are caught in darkness.

Let me be an example of your compassion so others know love.

Give me the compassion to be your laborer so others may learn to love.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Take heart, your faith has made you well”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:18-26

 

While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, "My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live." Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured." Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you." And from that hour the woman was cured. When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping." And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land.

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus performs two different miracles to help two different people. It was the uncompromising faith of the two that yielded Christ to answer their prayers. The first is an earthly ruler that comes to Jesus and must humble himself to ask for help. He tells Jesus that his daughter has died and says, “come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Touched by his faith, he gets up to help the ruler. But before he could come to the aide of the father, a woman who suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years reaches out to touch Jesus’ garment to receive his healing powers. Jesus turned to this woman and said, “Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you.” Then Jesus went to the ruler’s house and was able to bring his daughter back to life. In both cases, it was the unconditional faith of the individuals that spurred Jesus to help these individuals. Just imagine, you’re a powerful Jewish ruler and you have to go to Jesus to ask for his help. Not only do the Jews dislike Jesus, they think he is a heretic and one who blasphemies the church. Not only did he go and ask Jesus, but he prostrated himself before Jesus in recognition of the Messiah, our Lord and savior. He does this knowing that his followers and friends were laughing at him. He did this knowing that his followers would not respect him anymore. Likewise, the woman that was hemorrhaging was thinking if she could just touch his garments that would be enough to cure her. So she reached out for him and Jesus, realizing her faith cures her of her aliment. Who do you reach out to help you when you need help? Are you willing to lay it all on the line for Christ?

 

Belief was not enough. Both people believed in Jesus, but Jesus says, “Take heart, your faith will make you well.” We too must have faith. We must not only believe in God, but we must have faith in his powers. Jesus opened his arms for these people and expressed the deepest form of love. He showed them a love that yielded hope and compassion, at the same time. We too can take our problems and troubles to God. We must be sincere and have faith in what he does. We must be willing to prostrate ourselves before him, even when our friends may make fun of us and laugh at us. It is your faith that will set you free. Through Jesus’ actions, we see the infinite love God extends to all of us. He gave this love freely to each person who needed it. This love was able to cure the sick and raise the dead; it was able to expel demons and heal sinners.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, your love is all I need.

It heals my pains and makes me well.

Help me to give that same love to others so that I too can be healing.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

 

 

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Follow me.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:9-13

 

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

 

What were you doing when Jesus called out to you, "Follow me." Jesus calls each of us by name to follow him. Matthew rose to the challenge and became one of the twelve. We too are called to leave the comfort of our normal everyday lives to become Disciples of Christ. There is not one person on this earth who has not been called to serve. Are you ready to be one of his disciples?  You might be saying to yourself that I am not worthy of his calling.  But if not you, then who?  Jesus called forth Matthew, a tax collector and a sinner.  In the days of Jesus, the tax collectors were considered some of the most evil and corrupt men on earth as they would pilfer and steal from others. The tax collector was put on par with the thieves and prostitutes. They were the worst of individuals. So why would Jesus call Matthew? He was not like other apostles called into service. In fact he was probably strongly hated by the townspeople in the village he lived. Matthew was chosen because he experienced the salvation shared through the grace of God. The simple command “follow me” was all Matthew needed to abandon his sinful ways and become a true disciple of Christ. Matthew became a loyal and dedicated servant of Christ at such a simple request. So why would Matthew become an apostle? Matthew, a greedy tax collector, must have realized after simply experiencing the presence of Christ in his life that the treasures of the Kingdom of God were far greater than the treasures he pilfered from the local Israelites. Jesus did not have to tell Matthew any long parable or convince him to be an apostle. He just simply looked into his heart and said, “Follow me” - two words that must have translated into “You’re forgiven” or “You’re loved.” Two words completely changed the life of Matthew forever.  It was this inner grace from God that completely changed Matthew’s life.

 

After Jesus called Matthew into service, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. Matthew’s calling opened the door for other sinners to come to God. However, the Pharisees were not happy that Jesus would sit and break bread with such men. They say to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus hearing their complaints responds, “Those who are well do not need a physician,  but the sick do.” Jesus came not to heal the righteous, but to heal the sinners. We are all sinners, and yet we are all called into service to spread the word of God. There is no sin so great that you cannot repent and become a missionary for Christ. In two words, Jesus healed Matthew. In two words, Jesus can heal you too.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, our Savior and Light, I hear your calling to “Follow me.”

Give me the strength and wisdom to let go my sinful life so I can follow you.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon