Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“But who do you say that I am?”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:18-22

 

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

 

Christ asks us to answer a simple question; “Who do you say that I am?”  How do you respond to this question?  Peter responds, “The Christ of God.” In this passage, we see that the apostles finally realize that Jesus is the Christ Messiah. They identify him as the priest, king and profit to all of mankind. It was by the faith placed in Peter by God that Peter recognized who Jesus was. They do not have the hindsight benefit that we have.  Jesus has not been resurrected.  No one on earth could have given him this faith. It had to come from God. We too are given that same faith, but do you see Jesus through the eyes of your faith?  Do you see Christ in your daily life?  To see Christ, one must have faith.  Faith is something that needs to exercised.  And from time to time, our faith may be challenged and put to the test.  If you do not exercise your faith, your belief in God might fail when it is challenged.

 

This gospel goes beyond just having faith, this readings was also a prophecy of Jesus’ upcoming passion and death. Jesus tells them that, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” He tells his disciples this so they can be prepared for what lies ahead. Jesus lets them know that he must suffer before he can be truly glorified. Jesus freely accepted his fate and embraced what was going to happen to him. We all must face suffering in our lives just as Jesus did when he was crucified on the cross. We can either allow the suffering to control our lives and we can become overwhelmed with it or we can endure the suffering as a sacrifice to God in Heaven. On the cross Jesus defeated Satan and the powers of sin. Jesus’ own suffering and death on the cross gave us eternal life and freedom from the slavery of sin. Suffering provides the same grace for us. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit we can endure the suffering. Our knowledge of Christ the Redeemer encourages us to carry our cross and to live the gospels. Do not let suffering lead you from God, but closer to God.  Let the suffering strength your faith in Christ.  “Who do you say I am?”

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, you are my light and my salvation.

Take my life and make it yours now and forever.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead”; others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” But Herod said, “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him.

 

Do you desire to see God? If so, why? That may seem like a weird question, but it is a very important question. In today’s Gospel reading, Herod the Tetrarch heard about the miracles and healings that Jesus had preformed and “he kept trying to see him.” Unfortunately, his desire to seek out Jesus was not to form a relationship with him but to satisfy his curiosity. Herod had the same desire and curiosity to meet John the Baptist, but after he met him, he killed him to please others in his family. His seeking out John the Baptist was to demonstrate his own power. Who is it that you seek to know? Do you gravitate toward people of fame, power and wealth or do you seek to know God and the people of God? At school or work, do you hang with people because it will elevate your status in this earthly society or because they will lead you closer to Christ? It is so easy to seek out the popular crowd and to be with them. However, does this crowd lead one toward Christ or away from Christ? If you want to be united with God, then you should seek out people who reflect the image of God. We should associate ourselves with people who express God’s love and truth. You, yourself should be an expression of God’s compassion towards others. Allow the grace of God to fill you with the faith and courage one needs to follow the godly crowd and not necessarily the popular crowd. We should seek out the meek, the poor, the merciful, the hungry for these are the people who will inherit the Kingdom of God. We should seek out those who also seek God. Seeking these people is the same as seeking out the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Heavenly Father, it is you that seek.

I seek you not for your power, but for your grace and mercy.

I seek you not for your popularity, but because you are the source of new life.

May I be godly and lead others to you.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for the  journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Christ empowers the Twelve to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News about the Kingdom of Heaven. He sent them not only to proclaim the Word, but also to heal the sick. Christ not only empowered the Twelve, He also empowered all the generations to come to do the same. We have all been given special graces of the Holy Spirit through our baptism and we are re-nourished through the power of the Eucharist and our participation in the sacraments to continue the mission of Christ in this world. The Word of God has the ability to change your life and to set you free from pain and suffering. Through the Gospel we find salvation and eternal life. We defeat death and sickness, pain and suffering for the glory of God in heaven. We find salvation from sickness, heartache and every earthly infliction. God gave us the same power he gave to the original Twelve. We too can change the world by preaching the gospel not only in words, but in our actions. We can become the beacon of light which leads others to the narrow gate to eternal life.

 

What is most interesting about today’s Gospel is Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve.  Jesus tells them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.” He tells the Twelve that to truly preach the Gospel, they must completely surrender their lives to his will. We must learn to depend solely on him and not on earthly things.  Jesus is saying that if you completely surrender yourself to me, I will take care of you. We must release the burdens which tie us to earth and keep us from heaven. How can we ask others to sacrifice if we are not willing to sacrifice ourselves. The more earthly treasures we give up, the more room we make for Christ in our lives. If our life is filled with new cars, the latest electronic gadgets and new clothes, how can we find space for Christ. Do you set aside time for others in need? Do you set aside time for your family and friends? Do you set aside time for Christ?  As you reflect upon your conscience today, ask yourself what material items keep you from total surrounding to God.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, you gave me the power to proclaim the gospel.

Give me the power to use these gifts to bring others to your table.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 8:19-21

 

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

 

Wow, can you believe that Jesus blew-off his mom.  How much trouble would you be in if you didn’t acknowledge your mom.  After reading the Gospel, it might appear that Jesus is rebuking his family. His family comes to see him but because of the crowds they cannot get near him. When told that his mother is wants to see him, Jesus responds, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Did he just rebuke his mom? There is no doubt that Jesus loved his mother very much, but today’s message helps us understand the depth of the relationship we should seek with God. He is calling all of us to be one of his siblings. God never intended humans to be alone. In the beginning when God created man and he was alone, God saw that was not good and Adam was lonely. To respond to this solitude, God created a companion for Adam and man formed a relationship with woman. In today’s gospel, God is telling us that while the relationship with your family is important, it is nothing unless that relationship is centered on God. Only through your relationship with God can you elevate your earthly relationship to a heavenly relationship. All relationships should include a communion with God.  To be in communion with God, we must participate in the Word.  We must be willingly to allow God to take control of our life and lead us to Him.

 

Being a good Christian is more than following the Ten Commandments, it is about establishing a relationship with God and making him head of your family. Today’s gospel challenges us to take the relationship deeper by elevating the importance of that relationship. By making your relationship with God the most important relationship in your life, we commit to a relationship of love. Any relationship founded on true love includes trust, commitment, loyalty, kindness and compassion. If we have this type of relationship with God, it will flow down into our other relationships. It will become the foundation for all relationships we form on earth. Every relationship you form on earth should mirror your relationship with God. Your relationship with other men and women should be Christ centered. The relationship should mirror the relationship you would have with Christ.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

My Heavenly Father, I love you and cherish you.

I desire a relationship with you.

May all my relationships mirror the one you desire from me.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 8:16-18

Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lamp stand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

 

In today’s Gospel, we hear the story about the parable of the lamp. In the days of Jesus, lamps were the only means to see in the darkness. If you needed to work at night, you would need a lamp to get around. The lamp became the means to reveal what was hidden in the darkness.  In the darkness, we should seek out the lamp to become enlighten.  Once we become enlightened, we too will become a beacon of light for others.  God gives each of us many graces and gifts which help define who we are. These graces help light up the darkness not only in our own lives but in those around us. Our lamp helps us reveal who we are. Do you allow your gifts and talents to be revealed to others or do you keep them hidden? Jesus tells us, “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.” These truths that we have about ourselves will someday be revealed no matter how much we try to hide them. God is all knowing and knows what we try to hide. You cannot keep anything away from him. This not only includes the gifts which we have been given, but also the sins which darken your soul. You should use the light of God to illuminate and reveal those things which prevent you from journeying to God. Do not cover up the light, but let it shine bright for others to come see. Your light is a gift, reveal it to others so that those who enter may see the light.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, you are the Light of World.

Fill my heart and my soul with the wisdom and truth of the light.

May your light guide eliminate the darkness in my life,

And lead me to the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 8:1-3

 

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and  infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

 

Jesus’ mission was to spread the good news of the Kingdom of God; to open our eyes and our ears  to the message of our Father in heaven.  So often we hear the stories of the twelve men who dedicated their lives to God.  But in addition to the Twelve, Jesus was joined by a number of women who dedicated their lives to his mission.  They not only gave of their time but they gave from their coffers.  All people, both men and women, were given the call to follow Jesus.  He called the rich and the poor, the clean and the unclean to follow him.  These people not only dedicated their lives, they dedicated their resources to provide the support for Christ on his mission.  When Christ calls us to spread the good news, He is not only calling us to bring ourselves, we must be willing to bring all our resources to help bring people to Christ. This includes our time, our talents and our treasures.  These women dedicated their lives and their resources to support the mission of Christ.  We must be willing to commit everything to the mission of God because nothing is more important than bringing forth the Kingdom and bringing others to Christ.  We must remember that everything we have, all our riches, all our treasures are a gift from God.  How we use these treasures is how we thank God for giving them to us.   

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, I hear your calling.

May my soul be set on fire so I have the strength to give everything I own.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 7:36-50

 

A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus teaches a very important lesson about forgiveness. Why are we compelled to do the things that we do?  A woman, who is described as a sinner or prostitute, greets Jesus and begins to shower him with gifts of special reverence. “She stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears.” What compelled her to prostrate herself before Christ except for the sorrowfulness for her sinful ways.  She came to the feet of Christ and bathed his feet with her tears.  These tears expressed the contriteness of her heart.  She was truly sorry for her sins and knew that she had offended our Father in heaven.  On her knees, crying in sorrowfulness she expresses her remorse for who she is. It was her contrite heart that Jesus saw and forgave. 

   

Many times we are blind to the actions of others and judge them wrongly.  The Pharisee was rather indignant at what he saw. The Pharisee thought, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus, knowing the inner thoughts of the Rabbi, used the moment to teach the man about forgiveness.  It is obvious that the grace of God has filled the woman with repentant sorrow.  It is this repentant sorrow that compels her to kneel at the feet of Jesus.  It is also the hardness of the Pharisee’s heart that causes him to wrongly judge the motives of the woman.  Out of pure love, the woman worships Christ.  In response to her act of love Jesus forgives the woman of her sins.  Because of his blindness to the truth, the Pharisee cannot see the forgiveness.  In his blindness, the Rabbi does not even greet Jesus with the customary greeting yet the woman used precious oil which would have been extremely valuable.

 

The real message here is that the woman, through her own humility, fell prostate at his feet and showed true love and compassion for Christ. Because of this demonstration, Jesus says, “So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” We are all sinners. Are you willing to fall prostrate before him and ask for true forgiveness? Do you love him enough to spend the valuable perfume to anoint him? Do you shed tears over your sins? Do you open yourself to the grace and unlimited mercy of God? We can take the position of the Pharisee and reject God’s love or we can take the position of the sinner and accept God’s love. When you take time to examine your conscience and evaluate your sins, you are at the feet of Christ. What you do while you are at the feet of Christ tells God what is truly on your heart.  It is through the humility of reconciliation that we shed the tears that open us up to true forgiveness. It is through our faith, Christ’s grace and love, that we are saved.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus Christ, I fall to your feet.

A weep in sorrow because I am a sinner.

Let me anoint you with my tears and my sorrows.

I give these things up to you my Lord so I can be filled with your grace.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 7:31-35

 

Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,  ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’ For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.

 

When Jesus spoke to his disciples, his message must have fallen on deaf ears. Jesus was disappointed at the Israelites because they were not excited to hear his message. Can you imagine Jesus coming and speaking at church and you yawn in boredom? Or even worse, you completely ignore him while you’re talking with your friends or fall asleep. Can you image him coming and getting mad at him because he celebrates with sinners, beggars and prostitutes? The Israelites were “bored” with Jesus’ message. They did not want to hear what he had to say. They yawned at him and made up excuses not to be with him. Is this our reaction when we hear Jesus’ message? Do we try to avoid going to be with God? Are you excited to be able to celebrate the Eucharist or do you makeup excuses to miss Mass? Anytime you have the opportunity to engage the Word, whether through formation, fellowship, adoration, or reconciliation, you should dance with joy because God is with you in a very special way. Jesus gave us the sacraments so we could have a life-long encounter with Christ. When we meet Christ in the sacraments, we should praise God with all the same fanfare we celebrate New Year’s. The Israelites were “bored” because they could not see the greatness of the Lord. But it is out of our blindness that we cannot see the celebration which Christ has brought to us. We let the devil enter the picture to divert our eyes from the true happiness we should experience when we are with Christ. God is piping us a beautiful song, we should stand and dance with the Lord. We should get lost in his celebration.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus, I want to hear your music and celebrate,

May the good news of gospel fill my heart with joy and love

So I may serve you here on Earth.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“A great prophet has arisen in our midst.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 7:11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

 

How many times have we faced misfortune or deep sadness in our lives? How many times have you felt that the world has just completely caved in on you to the point where your grief is overwhelming.  Extreme sorrow can overcome us and it may become to difficult to coup with the grief.  The normalcy of our lives are disrupted and worry begins to creep into our life as we try to make sense of the situation.  In this situation, we can always count on Jesus to reach out as he tells us the comforting words, “Do not weep.”  It is through him that he responds to our needs and helps us through our fears.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus reached out to the lady who lost her son.  The Gospel says that Jesus was “moved with pity.”  As we suffer in life, Jesus feels our grief and reaches out to help us. He enjoins himself with our sadness to help relieve the burden, we just need to trust in his love and compassion.    Jesus does not want us to have sorrow in our lives, but we live in a fallen world and sorrow is inevitable.  If we reach out to Christ, he will comfort us and help us through the pain and suffering.  He can relieve the death in our lives and fill us with the hope of new life.  We must be willing to look to him for our security.  He will restore our lives.  Through him we will restore our lives.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, you are the life of the world.

Through you we find comfort and security.

Give me the strength to offer up my suffering.

Give me the strength to find security in you touch.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.” 

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 7:1-10

 

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, "He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us." And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

 

Today’s Gospel reading is the source for the new liturgy translation we use in Mass, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”  In this statement, we must realize and acknowledge our unworthiness, our humbleness before God.  We must accept that He is the master and we are his servants. The theme today is about coming to Christ and coming to know who Christ is.  The centurion was obviously not Jewish and was discouraged from even caring about the Jews.  So it was unexpected that he would come to Christ for a Jewish person, a person who was his slave.  Yet he had the courage to overcome the ridicule and possible retaliation from his own people to help this lowly servant.  This centurion was more concerned about the slave then he was about his own honor and dignity among the Roman elite.  He elevated the value of the servant above him when he asked Jesus to cure the slave.  As the centurion approached Jesus he said to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.”  This was an outward sign of his humility.  The centurion obviously recognized who was the greater person.  We too must accept humility before we can accept help from the Lord.  We must recognize our unworthiness and our sinfulness before we can open our hearts to allow the Lord to come in.  When Jesus say , “The last shall be first”, he is asking us to care for the wellbeing of others over ourselves.  Jesus responded to this demonstration by saying, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”  This is the same response we get when we humble ourselves before Christ and invite him into our lives.  The door to salvation is right in front of us and humility is the key which opens the lock and lets you in. 

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, I am not worthy of your help for I am a sinner

But say the word, and let my servant be healed.

Increase my faith so I can stand true even when it is not popular.

 

Yours in Christ:

Michael Marcon 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Can a blind person guide a blind person?”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 6:39-42

Jesus told his disciples a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”

 

We are all called to be disciples of Christ.  As a disciple of Christ, your job is to proclaim the liturgy of the Word and to lead others to Christ.  How can you proclaim what you do not know?  In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus questions his disciples, “Can a blind person lead a blind person?”  He is telling us that we must not only read the Scriptures, but we must study the Scriptures.  We need to know the message of God and know what God teaches us through his message.  This does not mean that you need to memorize Scripture passages, but that you must know the meaning of message.  Once we know the meaning of the message, we must learn to live the message.  By living the message, are we not teaching others?  St Francis of Assisi tells us to preach the Gospel daily and if necessary to use words.  Jesus is telling us to get trained so that by our own lives we can lead others.  We need to remove the “beam” from our eyes which blinds us so that we can clearly see the message of Christ.  Once we have done that, our example will lead others to the message.  When we teach the Scriptures, we must not judge our fellow man or use the Scriptures to condemn.  When we condemn others through the Word of God, are we not placing ourselves above others.  Each of us is a sinner and is no better than the next.  We are each a gift from God who loves us unconditionally.  When we teach the Scriptures, we must teach with unconditional love and compassion.  The message we give through our actions and our words should lead others to the banquet table.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

God, open my eyes to the Scriptures.

Allow me to be a instrument of our love and compassion.

Allow me to become your disciple.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 6:20-26

 

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:  “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.  For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

 

Today's message is quite clear, those that suffer on earth will be rewarded in the Kingdom of God. Those who sacrifice everything for God and give up all the earthly items will find a special joy in heaven. I have heard many a preacher say that someone must be blessed because they are rich or that they have a good job. Not that these people cannot be blessed, but this implies that those who have nothing are being punished by God. Today’s gospel reading tells us something quite different. The truly blessed people are those who have found God and have absolutely nothing. Those are the people who one would expect to be soured by their position in society. Christ tells us that if you are poor on earth, you will be rich in heaven; or, if you had a sad life on earth, you will have a very happy life in heaven. We will all suffer and experience some degree of pain, suffering, sickness, and even death. However, some people appear to be burdened with an abundance of pain and suffering. At times we may think that a dark cloud is just sitting over our head. Why does God allow us to suffer? Why must people be poor and homeless? We are called to have faith in God and offer this suffering to him. This offering transcends earthly happiness and allows us to reach a spiritual happiness in the kingdom of heaven.

 

We have all seen people who have absolutely nothing, yet they laugh and have fun. They are content with what God has given them and they take satisfaction in their simple lives. Why are they not sad? The word Beatitude literally means happiness. True happiness comes from the suffering. Are you really happy if you are given everything? Do we not get bored with material things to only want more? Then we become bored with that stuff and want even more. Is that really happiness? How long does that brand new IPad or Xbox keep you happy? True happiness is found in the Beatitudes. This message is really trying to tell us that the poor are not held captive to material things and therefore can see the things that bring true happiness. They can see the Kingdom of God because their site is not blinded by greed for earthly materials. To find true happiness in heaven, we will need to empty our lives of those things that prevent us from seeing God. This is why we are asked to fast, pray and give alms. During this time, we separate ourselves from the earthly things and allow our souls to unite with God in Heaven. These are things we typically do during lent; however, we are called to live Lent year round, not just during the Lenten season.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, I desire to find your happiness,

Give me the strength to separate myself from the earthly things that keep me from you.

I hunger for your love.

May my suffering allow me to see you more clearly.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 6:12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

 

In today’s gospel reading, we see that Jesus has called forth from his disciples a group of twelve.  Jesus spends all night in prayer and discernment with His Father in heaven before selecting the twelve men who would become the first leaders of the Church.  It says that he named them his Apostles.  The word apostle means somebody who tries to persuade others to share in an idea or cause. These twelve men became the chief spokesperson for Christ.  You would think that he would call forth the rich, the wealthy and the politically connected.  But instead he calls forth the ordinary, the poor, the laborers and fisherman to be his Apostles.  The job of the twelve was to go forth and invite the people of Israel to be Disciples of Christ. Eventually the twelve would be sent beyond the borders of Israel and bring Christ to the entire world. These twelve Apostles were given special gifts of the Holy Spirit to help them form the Church and grow it into the vessel which it has become today.  These twelve men became the very foundation from which the church was built.  However, the church is not complete.  We too are called to be disciples of Christ.  He calls us by name to help spread the Word of God to the world and to continue to foster and build the Church.  We are all graced with the Holy Spirit to lay down our worldly belonging and sacrifice the comfort of our own homes to go out to bring others to his banquet.  As we are filled with the Eucharist, we are called to bring the Eucharist to others so that they too can be filled with the body and blood of Christ.  It is easy to say “I can’t,” but God gives us the strength to say “I will” through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  If we seek Christ, we can be healed of the things that torment us.  Seek Christ and touch him for the power will come forth to strengthen you and heal you.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Most heavenly Father, I reach out to you for your healing power.

Inflame my heart so I can go out and spread the Word of God.

I am here Lord, take my life and do with it as you will.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 5:33-39

 

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the  skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is being challenged by the scribes and the Pharisees. These people were generally very legalistic and believed in the literal meaning of the law. They said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers; … but yours eat and drink.” Fasting was a major part of the Jewish lifestyle so why did Jesus let his disciples avoid fasting? It’s simple - “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?” Can you imagine fasting and being somber during the great celebration of a wedding? So what is Jesus really trying to tell the disciples? The disciples of Jesus were feasting in the presence of Christ – the Bridegroom. They were celebrating his very presence among them.  Now was not the time to fast, but the time to celebrate because in the near future he was going to be taken away from them. Jesus explains this in a parable about placing new wine in old wine skins. If you place new wine in old skins, the fermenting wine will cause the wine skin to burst. New wine needs to be placed in new skins. Jesus is trying to explain to the disciples that there are times when old traditions are appropriate and times when we need to let the new traditions begin. This relationship/discipleship with Jesus was new and exciting. Jesus filled them with the Holy Spirit and they were alive and celebrating. There was no way that they could be contained within the old traditions because something new and fresh was among them. Why would you fast when you’re feasting on the Holy Spirit? While there is nothing wrong with old traditions; new traditions can bring a new awakening in our lives.  And in this case, bringing you closer to God. This also goes for fasting and feasting; there is a time to fast and a time feast. When we walk with Christ we are feasting in his presence, but when we need to atone for our sins, it is a time to fast.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit so I can feast in your presence.

Help me to find your presence in my prayers and my fasting.

May you become a tradition in my life which frees me from the bonds on sin.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 5:1-11

 

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

 

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Peter?  You’re in your own boat minding your own business when along comes God.  Of all the people He could pick, He picked Peter.  He climbs in his boat and now Peter has an up close and personal seat with Christ.  When Jesus is preaching to the crowd, Peter has the best seat in the house.  From this story, you know that Peter must be special, he has the prime seat in the house.  Now Peter is also probably tired and weary.  He has been up all night fishing and hasn’t caught a thing.  He was busy putting his nets away when Jesus asks him to go out and try again.  Peter must of thought to himself, “Is this guy crazy, I’m ready to go home and go to bed and this guy wants me to dirty my nets again!”  He tells Jesus, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing!” But somehow he is touched by Jesus’ words and does as he commands. How often does God call us into service, yet we find excuses to ignore him.  When we encounter Christ in our lives and He asks us to be His servant, our first response is to reject his request either out of fear, insecurity or doubt. But once we abandon our fear and follow His commands, we find that our reward is more abundant than we could imagine. Our nets are full and we need help bringing in our catch. At that point, we are so excited about the catch that we do not realize that our boat is on the verge of sinking because we do not know how to handle this new fragile faith. We do not know how to handle this new found fulfillment. Our faith is so fragile. It is easy to get discouraged either because you have been overloaded or because you do not know how to handle the cross you have been given. But if you follow Christ, He will take care of you. Even though the boats were overload, they made it safely to shore.  He will make sure that your boat stays afloat even in troubled waters. The more we grow in faith; the easier it is to follow Christ. But not only must we follow Christ, we are asked to lead others to his way. We are call to be “fishers of men.”

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Jesus Christ, fill my heart with your compassion and love.

May I learn to use this love and compassion to lead others to you.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:38-44

 

After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ. At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

 

Have you ever felt exceptionally close to Jesus?  Maybe this happened after a retreat or sometime when He reached out and his healing mercy was felt within your heart.  You want to treasure this time and never let it go.  Unfortunately, we must move on.  In today’s gospel, Jesus reaches out to heal Simon’s mother-in-law and after healing her, he reaches out to the whole community. Feeling the joy and the amazement of his miracles, the crowds don’t want Jesus to leave them. But He tells them that he must leave to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God to others.  We are called to imitate Christ in our life; therefore, we too are called to go forth and proclaim the good news. We are called to reach out to others and cure them of their ailments.  We are called to bring the joy and love that we feel when we have been touched by Jesus to others so that they may experience the same joy and happiness.

 

When we have that amazing encounter with Christ, we feel like we are on fire with love and we make wonderful promises to serve Christ Jesus.  Simon-Peter’s mother-in-law, once she was cured, she was able to immediately get up and served them. In this story we see the unwavering compassion of Jesus for those who are ailing or those who call out for His help. The gospel story says that Jesus rebuked the fever and she was cured instantly. She was so completely cured that she was able to get up and serve them. When we encounter Jesus Christ, we too are over-energized to go forth to serve.  And when we bring that healing joy to others, they too become over-energized.  His healing grace is abundant and overflowing.  Jesus’ power is not only healing, it is revitalizing. It not only frees us from the things that cripple us, it also gives us the strength to live and to serve. Jesus is the ultimate super drug, antibiotic, and vitamin all rolled into one. It is so powerful, that when we spread the Good News, it equally effects others. 

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord Father, I am a sinner in bondage.

I have a fever which afflicts my body.

If you lay yours hands on me

I will be freed from sin to do your service.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“They were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:31-37

 

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

 

What does it mean when it says that Jesus “spoke with authority?”  Young Rabbis would rely on the teachings of the prophets and the Rabbis that came before them.  They would quote them as we do the Fathers and the Doctors of the Church.  Therefore, the authority of their teaching came from the people who they regarded as wise.  Jesus did not need to refer to the prophets for he was God himself speaking, he was the Word made Flesh.  Therefore, his word was the Word of God, there is no higher authority.  His word was so powerful, he was able to call the demons forth from the people they infected.  Jesus challenged his disciples to define who has control over their life.  In today’s gospel, we see that the man’s life was possessed by an unclean spirit, but in an encounter with Jesus Christ, the unclean spirit was banished from him.  We too may have unclean spirits in our lives and these demons may have control over our lives.  These demons are the addictions and actions which separate us from God. These are the things that are difficult for us to avoid even though we know they are wrong.  When we encounter Jesus in our life, He has the power to overcome and control these demons.  Through his authority He can destroy the demons and free us from their grip.  At times these demons are so intertwined in our lives, we may not even recognize them.  Even worse, we discount the power they have over us.  To recognize these demons, we need to examine our lives.  We also need to recognize that only Jesus has the authority and power to free us from our demons.  It is through our own submission to the will of God, that we will be freed from demons which can consume our lives.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, you are the supreme ruler,

You are God of all.

Call my name and I will come to be your servant

For your word is my authority.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon