Meditation MinuteMeditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 26:14-25

 

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The teacher says, My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.'" The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said,  "Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, "Surely it is not I, Lord?" He said in reply, "He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born." Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" He answered, "You have said so."

 

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. The Gospel says that the Apostles were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” Two things are clear in this simple reply.  First, they express a level of surprise and bewilderment in Jesus’ words.  Secondly, they acknowledge Jesus as Christ and Messiah.  But Judas’ reply is slightly different, he refers to Jesus as Rabbi or Master and more importantly, he responds knowing that he will be the betrayer of Jesus.  Judas was given 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave, yet he refers to Jesus as Master. Judas represents all of us who sell out the Word of God for earthly treasures. How many times have we become slaves to earthly desires only to be mastered by them. We want and desire the latest in fashions, the most expensive cars, the most glamorous clothes, the latest in electronic gadgets.  When we sell out to these treasures we can turn our backs on Jesus Christ. Jesus tells the Apostles, “Woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” It is okay to have nice stuff, but only to the degree that it does not become the master of your life. We must not sell out to the earthly treasures which are created through lust, greed and vainglory. Instead, we should find glory and happiness in our service to the Lord. Everything we have is a gift from God.  If we treat those gifts as solely belonging to us, we deny the gifts that God has given us.  It is prudent for us to realize where our true treasures lie.  Not on this earth but in the heaven we await and long.  In our prayers, we should foster a desire for heaven and recognize who brings us to that narrow gate.  We get into heaven through the shepherd and not anyway else.  By fasting, we recognize that the earthly things are not what’s important and those things that we give up do not master us.  When we give our treasures to others, not only do we break our dependent bond on these items, we open the door to heaven for others through our generosity.  It is still not too late to make an impact before Lent is over.  What earthly treasures have become your master?  It is time to give up these for the kingdom of heaven.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God in Heaven, I raise my eyes to Passion of Christ

I know that he suffered for our sins.

I know that through my sins I betray him.

Give me the passion to avoid sin and to be his servant.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

"Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial.”

 

Gospel Reading: John 12:1-11

 

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.  Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.  Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, "Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages and given to the poor?" He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. So Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.

 

Welcome to Holy Week, the last week of Lent and the most sacred time in the church calendar.  We are quickly approaching the shortest liturgical season of the church – the Triduum.  This is  the final stretch of Lent and we should be focused on the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and ultimately the Resurrection.  In today’s gospel reading, Jesus has entered Jerusalem and the crowds are excited to see Jesus because of the miracles that he has performed, yet at the same time others are plotting to kill him. Like in the gospel reading, Jesus is entering your house this week.  The big question is, “How do you welcome him?”  During the season of Lent, we are called to let Jesus in to our heart and into our lives so that we might unite with his suffering on the cross and ultimately his defeat of the grave on Easter Sunday. Have you opened the doors to your soul and given him extravagant gifts of love and joy? Like the fragrance of the oil, does your love for God fill the room with the sweet smelling fragrance of unconditional love?  In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is having supper with Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Mary took some very expensive oil and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The gospel reading says, “the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” Mary takes the most precious thing that she owns and uses it to honor Jesus. She puts herself at the feet of her Lord to show how much she truly loves him. She does not hold back the extravagance of her love for him. The sweetness of this gift is not only presented to Jesus, but the fragrance that spreads through the room is shared by all. We too are called to give our most treasured possessions to God so that they may fill the room with our love for him.

 

There is a second subplot going on in today’s gospel.  Judas is mad at Mary for what she did. Judas says to Christ, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages and given to the poor?” The gospel reading tells us that Judas says this not because of his concern for the poor but because of his own greed. What treasures do you hold back from Christ? Has greed held you back from your commitment to Jesus Christ. During lent, we are called to pray, fast and give alms. Judas was not truly committed to Christ, therefore, his greed for money controlled him. As we will see later, money will eventually be his demise as he sells out Jesus to the Sanhedrin.  Judas lost track of prayer, fasting and almsgiving for the material riches of this earthly world. Lent is a time to learn to shed off those earthly desires and to take up your cross even to the point where it hurts. It is not too late. Renew your commitment this last week. Make extra efforts to attend mass on Thursday and Friday; attend reconciliation service and commit to prayer. Be prepared for the eternal life which Jesus brings to us on Easter. Lent is a time to form habitats which hopefully will prepare us for the kingdom of heaven.  Be ready to celebrate Easter with all the extravagance that Mary celebrated with Jesus during that meal.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, may my love for you be extravagant.

May I the will to offer all that own.

Because everything I have is a gift from you to me.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“I am the Son of God.”

 

Gospel Reading: John 10:31-42

 

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?" The Jews answered him, "We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, You are gods"'?  If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not perform my Father's works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.  He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.  Many came to him and said, "John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true." And many there began to believe in him.

 

For years we have heard the Passion of Jesus. Every Easter we hear the story of Jesus during the last 24 hours before His crucifixion. But have we become desensitized to the real suffering that Christ faced on that day. Over the next week, we should keep the Passion at the forefront of our thoughts. The Passion of Christ should consume our thoughts. “He suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified and was buried” – but why? In today’s Gospel, the Jews want to stone him and Jesus says to them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” Why do they want to stone someone who is doing good? In the images of the Passion, we see Jesus in total agony, his sorrow is heavy with the cross he is about to carry. When he is scourged, we see the flesh ripped from his body because of our sins. Jesus is taking a lashing for every one of our sins; for my greed, my gluttony, and my lust. As you reflect on each of your sins, Jesus is struck again and again. As the whip of your sins tear through his body, his human flesh is ripped away exposing the spiritual nature of his inside. As Jesus is tortured for our sins, you see the pain and agony in his face. But when the scourging is done he rises up and opens his arms to hold you knowing that he has freed you from death.

 

The light of the Holy Spirit comes shining through the gashes in his body. Because of my weakness, he takes the cross; he takes my cross and carries it to Calvary. There, I drive nails in his hands and feet. Again, the agony of my sinfulness is heavy on his face. I raise him in the air like a flag on pole and there in his total nakedness, his total abandonment he looks down at me and says, you are forgiven for I love you. “He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) Jesus wraps himself around me and his blood covers me. His blood protects me. Jesus came to this world to bring us the Father. He did miracles so we would know that He is the Son of God. He healed the sick and brought people back from the dead. Yet the Jews could not see that this “man” was the true son of God. At this time, they did not know the Passion; they have not witnessed the ultimate glory of God. However, in response to his great works, they accuse him of blasphemy. They wanted to punish him by stoning him. In our choices we make today, we are no different than the Jews who wanted to stone him.  We turn away from his miracles and deny his healing powers.  We buy into the secularism of the world and allow our own individual desires control our morality.  We lose sight of Jesus, the Son of God, the savior of the world.

 

It is difficult for us to see and accept all the glory God pours out for us. We doubt what we see with our own two eyes. It is difficult for us to see the miracles that God performs every day. We refuse to see the Holy Spirit as it descends into our souls. Yet we cannot deny the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on that cross. Know that he is looking down on us and forgiving us of our sins. The agony and torture he faced that Friday, the blood and sweat that poured from his body was done for our sins. Are you going to stone him or are you going to ask for his undying mercy at the cross? This coming week is Holy Week. Spend extra time examining your conscience. Go through your sins. Open your mind and accept that Jesus is the Son of God. Believe in his Word for the Word became flesh to save us from our sins. If we can see Christ in his sufferings, we will then realize the depth of his love for us.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

“Praise be to you, Lord Jesus Christ!”

Praise be to you for your miracles,

Praise be to you for your agony,

Praise be to you for your suffering, and

Most of all – Praise be to you for your cross.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditatin Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”

 

Gospel Reading John 8:51-59

 

Jesus said to the Jews: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death."  So the Jews said to him, "Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, 'Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.' Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?  Or the prophets, who died?  Who do you make yourself out to be?”  Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.' You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word.  Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad."  So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Jews, “Whoever keeps my word will never see death.” Our path is the Word. Believing in the Word will take us to the cross, through the cross and into the resurrection of new life. “You do not know him, but I know him.” To know him, we need to complete our journey, we need to make it to the resurrection. The journey is not easy, but it is worth the effort. I see our Lenten journey as a vacation which includes a 12 hour car ride. When you start out in the morning, you’re refreshed and excited about the trip. As you start down the road, the trip becomes monotonous and you start asking the question, “Are we there yet?” or “How much further until we get there?” Then, just when all hope seems to be fading or your nerves have been just about completely worn, you get a glimpse of your destination or something along the ways renews your vigor. You become revitalized. You’re refocused on getting to your target and the excitement of the journey returns. This is probably where many of us are today on our Lenten journey – tired, wore out and ready for it all to be over.  Sometimes we get weary on our journey or we get tempted to divert from our path. Sometimes we even get distracted and don’t even start the journey.  But if we refocused ourselves on the path, we can still get to our destination. “Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” We too will be able to rejoice in the Word of the risen Jesus. We will soon celebrate the Easter of our redemption. God made a promise or covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:3-9). He promised to be his God and the God of his descendants. He gave Abraham the land of Canaan . But God said to Abraham, “You and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.” When we make a Lenten promise with God, our promise becomes our commitment to journey toward him and away from the barriers that keep us from the kingdom of heaven.

 

We are called to keep the Word, to live the Word to fulfill our journey to Jesus the Christ. Jesus is the life giving Word that will set us free from the bondage of Sin. Jesus is the true source of liberty and freedom.  We are not truly free unless we are solely focused on Christ in our life.  We are all called to share the Word of the last supper, to rejoice in the crucifixion and celebrate the resurrection. “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to myself.” (John 12:32) After we betrayed Jesus, after we scourged him for our sins, after we drove nails through his hands and feet, after we hung him on the cross in his full nakedness, after we crowned him with thorns to strip him of his dignity and after we ran a sword into his side so his blood would be spilled on the earth, he asked God to have mercy on us for we know not what we do. Through his resurrection, we are drawn to believe in him and his glory. In his resurrection he has defeated our sin; he has freed us from the bonds of slavery. We now know the true mercy of our Father. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Take today to reflect back on your Lenten commitment and recommit yourself to your vows before Holy Week begins.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Come Holy Spirit, fill my soul with the Word of God.

May the fire in my soul lead others to your Word.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.”

 

Gospel Reading: John 8:31-42

 

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.  How can you say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains.  So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free. I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you.  I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence; then do what you have heard from the Father."  They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham."  Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works of Abraham.  But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. You are doing the works of your father!" So they said to him, "We were not born of fornication.  We have one Father, God."  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me."

 

It’s a good thing that slavery was abolished in the United States – Or was it?  Do we not still find ourselves attracted to things that are sinful; things that lead us away from the church and from God.  Sin becomes the seductress which eventually separates us from Christ himself.  So why is sin so alluring. It’s that mistress that captivates us into a life of slavery.  Sin burdens our life and prevents us from spiritual growth.  Sin also blinds us from knowing and bonding with God.  Sin eventually becomes so common that we can no longer see these evil actions as sinful.  Jesus tells us, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So often I hear the statement, “What’s the churches opinion on this or that?”  The church does not have an opinion, it only has truth.  The church teaches truth; a truth that will free us from the slavery of sin.  In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is questioned by those who believe in him. They ask Jesus, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.  How can you say, 'You will become free'?” The answer is simple, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.” We make ourselves slaves to sin and to the material world. Our wants, our desires can become the master who keeps us from the freedom we experience through God’s love and mercy. When it becomes our will and not His, we fall prey to the lures that trap us into the bondage of sin. Jesus tells us that “a slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains.  So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.” To free ourselves from slavery, we must submit to God’s will. We are rewarded for our faithfulness with eternal life with our Father in heaven. Jesus defeated sin on the cross and defeated death through His resurrection. He gave his life so that we too could experience eternal life in heaven. He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for us. He was whipped and beaten for our sins. In these actions, he releases us from the bonds of slavery. All we need to do is to submit to his will. Through the gift and power of the Holy Spirit, we can chose to renounce sin and walk with Christ. We can chose to be a disciple of Christ. A disciple is one who listens and follows the Word of God. We must humble ourselves and open our hearts to his love and mercy. Once we do this, we become truly free from the bonds of sin and the material world.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, make me a disciple of your love and mercy.

Free me from the bonds of sin and the material world

So I may share your love and grace with others.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

Today is the solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Mother of God.  This is also the day of Pope Francis’ Inaugural Mass. 

 

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a

 

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

 

Today is the feast of St. Joseph.  It is the day we remember the role that Joseph played in the life of Christ and salvation of mankind.  Today’s Gospel tells the story of Joseph’s role in the life of Christ.  This story has two great messages. The first message is the willingness of Joseph to obey the will of God. His fiancé is pregnant and they are not married. How embarrassing that would be for his future wife to be pregnant and they are not married. Yet Joseph listened and obeyed the angel of God. The second message, which is more subtle in this Gospel reading, is the faith and trust of Mary. Mary also had to trust in God and have faith that Joseph would take care of her and provide for her. In the time of Christ, Mary would likely have been stoned or cast out of the community. This was a huge commitment by both. Mary, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was able to go to Joseph and trust that he would be there to take care of her.

  

We too are called to be obedient to the will of God no matter what He asks us to do, no matter how embarrassing, and no matter how uncertain the outcome. The Holy Spirit comes down upon us and gives us many gifts wrapped in strange packaging. We are called to use those gifts to spread the word of God, to make way for the Kingdom of God and to lead others to the narrow gate. We are also called to have great trust and faith in God. We need to trust that he knows what he is doing. In our daily lives, it is so easy to get caught up in the materialistic aspects of “All I want is…” when I should be saying yes to the angel of God when he calls upon us. We should be willing to take the time to reflect on the gifts which God has given us and give him thanks and praise for these gifts are given to us freely without any expectations of return. We should reflect on our talents to discern how to use those gifts to please God. We should discern whether we are using these gifts how God intended. We must be willing to sacrifice the material gifts that we receive for the spiritual gifts which are wrapped up in the paper of the Holy Spirit. We should celebrate the family that we have and the blessings that we are given. We should celebrate the gift of Christ in our lives. Once we accept these gifts from God, we can truly appreciate the other material gifts which we receive.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

God, you give me more graces than I deserve. Give me the strength to use those gifts to your satisfaction.

May I have the obedience of Joseph and the faith of Mary to use the gifts which you have given me.

Your son was the greatest gift of all for he came to forgive us our sins; may I also forgive those who sinned against me.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

 

Gospel Reading: John 8:12-20

 

Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  So the Pharisees said to him, “You testify on your own behalf, so your testimony cannot be verified.” Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by appearances, but I do not judge anyone. And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid, because I am not alone, but it is I and the Father who sent me. Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men can be verified. I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me.” So they said to him, “Where is your father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while teaching in the treasury in the temple area. But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

 

Do you ever feel that your life is shrouded in darkness?  During these periods of darkness and despair you feel disoriented and lost.  In today’s Gospel reading, Christ declares that He is the “light of the world”.  It is He who will light the way.  In darkness, we can become scared and panic.  The easiest way to conquer fear is to move into the light.  During Lent, we are called to move out of the darkness into the light.  The darkness is cold and empty yet the light is warm and comforting.  When our life is in disarray and we are lost in the darkness, we should look to Jesus Christ for our hope and comfort.  If Christ is the light, then why did the Pharisees question him?  They questioned Him, because they could not see the light due to their own blindness.  They could not accept him as the one who came to comfort them and to save them.  He was not the mighty military warrior they were expecting, but a meek and humble man.  How could this simple man be their Savior; the one who would deliver them from the oppression of the Romans?  Christ accused them of judging by appearance.  It was because they were shrouded in the darkness of doubt that they could not see that Jesus was truly the Christ.  His Father foretold them of his coming, but they could not understand because they lived in blindness. During these final two weeks of Lent, we need to find the light which Christ shines upon us.  In this light we will find comfort and happiness.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, You are the light of the World.

May your light lead me out of darkness.

May your light warm my soul and give strength.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

               

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

"Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe."

 

Gospel Reading: John 4:43-54

 

At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in  Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast.  Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe." The royal official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, "The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon." The father realized that was just at that time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live," and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

 

Why is it that we must see a sign to believe.  “Lord I’ll believe for ever if you just …”  Yet we turn around and doubt.  There are signs in front of us every day that demonstrate the poer and great mystery of God.  There are miracles that before our very eyes and yet we still want more.  A man suffers, dies and was buried; on the third day he rose from the dead – yet we ask to stick our fingers in his wounds.  God understands our skepticism and shows us signs to help us believe.  In today’s Gospel reading, an official whose son was ill, begged Jesus to come and heal his son. The gospel reading tells us that “The man believed what Jesus said to him and left.” At that moment his son was healed. It was the faith and belief that this man possessed that saved his son from the clutches of death. Because of our doubt, Jesus performed miracles to show us the power and glory of the Kingdom of Heaven. The fact that a government official, a person of power, had to ask Jesus for help shows that our earthly power is no match for the heavenly power of God. Part of his faith and belief came from his humbling himself before Jesus. He had to admit that God was more powerful than he. We too must exhibit this same humbleness when we approach God. When we ask God for help, we must be willing to go to our knees. We must be willing to say I cannot do it alone God, I need your help; that I am powerless and you are most powerful. It seems so simple, yet it is one of the most difficult things we have to do. We have to admit that we are weak. Today’s gospel message tells us that our faith is born out of our humbleness to God and not our pride.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, I am weak and you are strong.

I humble myself before you.

Give me the strength to build my faith as I walk with you.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

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

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 12:28-34

 

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

 

Today’s Gospel reading is probably one of my favorite Gospel readings in that it provides us with one of the clearest understandings of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is asked which is the first or most important of all the commandments to which He replies, "The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” One would expect Jesus to stop there, but he does not.  He goes on to tell us that the second most important commandment is “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” So why would he go on with the second unless the second was as important as the first.  Have you ever just sat down and thought about these words. Wow - There is no other commandment greater than these. We are called to love and cherish what God has given us because “God is love.” “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." In the time of Moses, God gave us the Ten Commandments. These Ten Commandments were expanded into 616 precepts of the Old Testament or the Torah. Jesus says to his people – why are you making things so complicated. All these things are good, but unless you do these things out of love, they are not sincere. There is only one important thing and that is to love as God has loved you. Everything we do should be out of love for God and love for neighbor. We should not obey the commandments because they are law, but out of love for our fellow man.

 

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

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Oh how I love you O merciful God.

I desire to love you more and to be embraced by the Holy Spirit.

May your love overflow in me and overflow out of me.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Whoever is not with me is against me.” 

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 11:14-23

 

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed. Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

 

There are only two teams in the battle between good and evil and there are no bystanders. Jesus lays out the ultimate challenge – either you believe that He was sent by God or he is a companion of Satan.  The Jews must decide that they are either with God or not.  There is no middle ground.  We are given a simple command to follow God; yet we tend to harden our heart to his will.  We want to put God to the test.  We want him to perform our will and not his.  “If today you hear his voice” then “come into his presence.”  When we were young children, we would put our fingers in our ears to avoid hearing what we perceived as unpleasant commands or orders from our parents.  We considered that message as “bad news.”  As young adults, we sometimes block the ears of our soul to keep from hearing God’s commands because we don’t want to hear what he has to say, we block out the Good News of his love for us.  We get confused by the messages around us. 

 

Today’s Gospel goes deep to the root of the problem.  Here we see Jesus driving a mute demon from a man and after the demon has left his body, the man is able to speak.  The people who witnessed this miracle were amazed, yet at the same time they questioned Jesus’ authority to perform the miracle.  The people tested him asking for a sign that he was truly from heaven.  If he could not perform this sign, then it was by the power of Satin that this man was cured.  Why did the people question the miracle of Christ?  Why were the people so divided?  Who created this mistrust?  Satin tries to confuse the scene by creating conflict and doubt in our souls.  He tries to divide the parties to cause them to question the pure goodness of what just happened.  Yet we close our hearts to God’s wonder and awe.  At times our spiritual life can be deafened by the mute demon.  He sends us things to separate us from good.  Unfortunately, we are tempted and fall prey to his ways.  We must be able to build a strong defense to protect ourselves from Satin.  We do this through prayer, through the sacrament of the Eucharist and through reconciliation.  These should become habitual habits in your life for they will become the armor that protects you.  It is in the whispers that we will hear Christ.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, I am with you.

Help me detach myself from my sinful ways.

Help me attach myself to God’s love and wisdom

So that I can be a disciple of God for others.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

PS

 

We are at the midpoint in Lent.  Is God’s message coming through loud and clear or is it being confused by Satin.  Are you finding it difficult to stay on course.  Victory over evil comes through prayer and consistency.  Satan hates consistency, he loves chaos.  In Lent, we try to separate ourselves from things we think are evil (e.g., X Box, television, candy).  “We do not detach ourselves from things in order to attach ourselves to God, but rather we become detached from ourselves in order to see and use all things in and for God.” (Thomas Merton).  God has not created anything evil.  Everything God created is good.  As a fallen people, we make those things evil.  That is why during Lent, we separate ourselves from the evil acts we commit with the gifts that God has given us.  The obstacle in joining God’s team is in our “self”, not in the objects we have given up.  Thomas Merton goes on to say, “The only true joy on earth is to escape from the prison of our own false self, and enter by love into union with the Life who dwells and sings within the essence of every creature and in the core of our own souls.”  St Silouan conditions this state as a state of humility.  “But to be saved, we must humble ourselves, for the proud man, even were he to be set down in Paradise would not find peace there but would be discontent, and say, ‘Why am I not up in the front rank?’ But the humble soul is filled with love and does not seek to be in the foreground. The humble soul wishes good things to all men, and in all things is content.” (St Silouan the Anthonite)

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven."

 

In light of today’s media frenzy to find fault in everything, can’t you see Jesus being challenged by one of his opponents in a debate.  Can you see the advertisement – Jesus eats with sinners and tax collectors.  The news media would paint Jesus as a violator of the Jewish law and a criminal.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus is again being changed by the establishment.  Jesus puts to bed the idea that somehow he came to abolish the Mosaic laws formulated by God in the Old Testament or that He somehow replaces the old laws. Instead he tells us, “I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” So what does that actually mean? Jesus wants us to live our lives not only in compliance with the Mosaic law, but also with the spirit of the law. “To fulfill the law” means He came to complete what is written in the Old Testament. We know that God gave us his only Son to save us from our sins. He gave us his son out of the pure love He has for humanity. It is this love conveyed by God that fulfills the commandments. To obey the laws is to love God with all your heart and all your soul.  To love your neighbor as the Father loved the Son is to love God through your actions. This is why disobeying the laws injures our relationship with God and our neighbors. Jesus tells us that, “whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.” When we try to justify our sins and transgressions, we are teaching others that it is okay to sin. Not only do you damage your relationship with God, you also cause others to damage their relationship with God. He wants just the opposite. He wants us to bring the kingdom of God to others through our actions and our practices. “But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

 

A Simple Prayer

 

God, help me to obey your commandments.

Give me the strength and courage I need to respect your law.

Give me the grace to lead others to your will.

 

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?”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:21-35

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 him 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 your brother from your heart."

 

Jesus tells many parables about forgiveness.  Many of those parables focus not only on God forgiving us, but on us forgiving others.  In the time of Christ, it was the custom of Jews to forgive a person up to three times for any sin they committed against you. But if they had committed that transgression a fourth time, then God would retract his mercy. Therefore, Peter thought he was being rather clever when he suggested that he forgive his brothers who sinned against him seven times. Jesus said to him, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” What is Jesus really saying in his response to Peter? You must always forgive your brother, no matter how many times he sins against you. We are all sinners and owe a great deal of mercy to God for all the forgiveness he has poured out for us. But this mercy becomes limited if we can’t forgive others who sin against us.

 

The servant owed 10,000 talents. In today’s money, this would be millions of dollars. This was a debt that would exceed the coffers of the king. It was literally a debt that was impossible to repay and the king still forgave the man. There is no way we can repay God for all our transgressions, yet Christ died on the cross to save us from everyone of our sins. He made the ultimate sacrifice so our sins could be forgiven.  Therefore, the same obligation is placed upon us, we must forgive the sins of those who trespass against us.  How can we be forgiven if we cannot release the hatred against our brother? God is not asking us to die for our sins, just release them from our hearts. During lent, when you examine your conscience, spend time thinking about those who have sinned against you and focus your prayers on forgiving them. Focus on releasing the debt that they owe you. This is a great time to renew bonds between friends whose relationship has been strained. Forgiveness helps build bonds of communion.  When we do not forgive, we destroy these links which bind us as humans.  To destroy these links is to destroy our relationship with God.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

God, give me strength to release the sins of my brothers and sisters.

May I have the strength to not only forgive them but forget the sins which they have committed against me.

Wash away the hatred and the sorrow that forms in heart So that I may experience the joy of your love.

 

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; not because one wants to be healed, but because one believes that they can be healed. 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. Do you demand things because you want them or do you ask for things because you believe in the powers of the Holy Spirit.  It is by putting our beliefs into action that we truly express our faith and grow closer to God.

 

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:

 

“The Kingdom of God will be … given to a people that will produce its fruit.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

 

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:  “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they  atoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

 

The word Gospel means the “Good News of the Lord”. In today’s Gospel reading, we definitely hear the Good News of the Lord, “The Kingdom of God will be … given to a people that will produce its fruit.” At first reading, one may conclude that the message is rather harsh. A landowner builds a vineyard and then leases this land to a group of people to work the land. When the landowner sends his servants for the harvest, the tenants, belligerent with power, kill the servants. The landowner, sends a larger group of servants and the same fate awaits them. Finally, the landowner “sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance’.” God planted us a vineyard on this earth, he sent us great profits and priest to help us harvest the fruits of his vineyard and what did we do?  We stoned and killed the messengers of God. As a last step to convert us and to bring us into his fold, God sends his only-begotten son, and what do we do?  We threw him out and killed him and yet God still loves us and wants us with him in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus goes on to say in today’s Gospel, “Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”

 

As children of God, we have been provided the vineyard of the Lord. We are called to produce the fruits of the vineyard. So the question is, “Are we producing the fruits of the vineyard for our own gain or for our master in heaven?” Are we “killing the messenger” or are we glorifying the Word? Today’s message is harsh, but the message is clear and good. We shall inherit the Kingdom of God , if we produce its fruit. Whenever and wherever the Holy Spirit enters our hearts, we should listen. No matter how painful the message, we should obey. We are tenants of this earth, so what have you done to produce its fruits? During Lent, listen to the Word of the Lord. Ask the Lord for Wisdom in hearing his message. The apostle James tells us, “If any of you are lacking in Wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5).

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, I am in the midst of your vineyard

Give me wisdom to know how to harvest the fruit

So I too can bear fruit in your kingdom.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon