Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

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

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 24:42-51

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

A Simple Prayer

 

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

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

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

So that I may enjoy eternity in heaven.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

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

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 23:27-32

 

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

 

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

 

The last woe is the most serious indictment of all. It portrays the scribes and Pharisees as standing in the same line as their ancestors who murdered the prophets and the righteous. In spite of honoring the slain dead by building their tombs and adorning their memorials, and claiming that they would not have joined in their ancestors' crimes if they had lived in their days, the scribes and Pharisees are true children of their ancestors and are defiantly ordered by Jesus to fill up what those ancestors measured out. This order reflects the Jewish notion that there was an allotted measure of suffering that had to be completed before God's final judgment would take place. They not only neglected the poor and the weak, but they were intolerant towards anyone who challenged their idea of religion. That is why so many of the prophets who warned about tolerating evil desires and unjust behavior towards ones neighbor were persecuted and even killed by their own rulers and people. We see this more and more today.  As people of faith try t defend their religious beliefs, they are battered down as criminals.  People are being forced to compromise their belief and the church is being condemned for being righteous.  As the church stands strong in her teachings about abortion, same sex marriage, the poor and the immigrant, society condemns her. Only the humble of heart can receive forgiveness and purity from God. It is through our humbleness that we receive the grace of true wisdom and understanding, pardon and healing. The Holy Spirit is ever ready to renew our minds and hearts and to teach us God's way of love and holiness. We must ask the Holy Spirit to purify our heart and mind and to fill us with the wisdom and understanding of God's word.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Come Holy Spirit, purify my heart and mind.

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

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

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 23:23-26

 

Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”

 

What is it that we are willing to give to God?  In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is trying to refocus our vision of giving to include that which comes from the heart.  The Jews at the time of Jesus gave 10 percent of all their material belongings, but neglected to consider their spiritual treasures which rested within their hearts.  The treasures of judgment, mercy and fidelity are not physical items, but items which define our love for God and our compassion for others.  So why the reference to the spices? What is the importance of a few simple spices from their earthly treasures?  In the days of Christ, spices were used to cover up the spoiled tastes and smells of the food to make them palatable.

 

Jesus tells his disciples while it is important to have the spices, we must make sure that our souls are not spoiled. We must look inward to our own heart before we look outward. We must make sure that we are worthy, body and soul, for the Lord. To cleanse our soul, we must first know how to tell if it is dirty. We do this by the process of examining our conscience. This is an exercise we should do daily. Every evening you should kneel down and reflect on the things that transpired that day; the good things and the bad things. You should look at the things that moved you closer to the Kingdom of Heaven and those things that diverted us. You should reflect on how you can make yourself better and reflect on the sins that kept you from God.

 

By looking inward, we check to make sure that our soul is clean. If our soul is truly clean, then our outer image will also be clean. Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.” It does no good for us to look clean if internally we are dirty. Would you drink from a cup when the inside of the cup is unclean? Who cares what the outside looks like if the liquid is in contact with filth. Through the examination of conscience, we make ourselves aware of the things that make our soul unclean. However, to truly purify the soul, we must go to reconciliation. Reconciliation is the dishwasher for our souls. We go in dirty, and we come out clean – both inside and out.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Most Heavenly Father,

Make me aware of my sins and trespasses,

Help me avoid these sins so my soul remains clean.

Fill my heart with your compassion and love

So I may find the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“One who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 23:13-22

 

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.' Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.' You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it."

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus gets just little upset with the Pharisees because they are trying to outdo each other with their offerings. They put more worth in the offering itself instead of who it is being offered.  What good is it to take your treasures to the altar when the purpose of your offering is to impress others?  As they brought people to God, they required them to give large offerings to demonstrate their worthiness. Jesus tells them that it is not the offerings of gold and silver that make us worthy but the offerings from our heart.

 

What treasure do you bring to God’s altar?  The gold on the altar does not make the altar any more valuable. Jesus tells them, “You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?” We cannot make God any more valuable then he already is. There is nothing we can give him that will make God more Godly. God asks us to make a full commitment to Him and not to earthly things which are placed on the altar. The offerings that we bring and the oaths that we make must be to the altar of God and not to our treasures. We should not measure our heavenly value by our earthly treasures but by the commitment we give to God from our hearts.

 

Jesus tells the Pharisees that “One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.” Today’s gospel reading is a direct attack on the Pharisees because they treasure the wealth of the items that are placed on the altar and not the God that makes the treasures valuable. To enter the Kingdom of heaven, to make it through the narrow gate, we too must put our allegiance in the hands of God.  We must be willing to give our lives to God.  We must be willing to turn it all over to create heaven here on earth.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, you are my master and I am your servant.

My loyalty is to you and the things that are sacred,

For it is you that makes all things sacred.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

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

 

Gospel Reading Matthew 22:34-40

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

A Simple Prayer

 

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

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

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

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

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

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:1-14

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Father in heaven, your grace is enough,

You have prepared the banquet table for a feast

Help open my heart to your feast.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon 

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

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

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew: 20:1-16

 

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

 

Today’s gospel reading presents the power of God’s grace.  Who deserves the rewards of heaven more - the person who worked all their life for God or the person who found God just minutes before their death. Jesus answers this question in the parable about the laborers in the vineyard. First thing in the morning, the owner goes out and gathers a group of laborers and agrees to pay them a day’s salary. These people represent the people who all their life were committed to leading a life of Christ.  Each hour throughout the day, the master hires more laborers. These represent the people who find Jesus Christ and make Christ the center of their life sometime during their life.  At the very end of the day, he still hires more laborers.  These people represent those of us who find Christ at the very end of life, may be even after we find out we have a short time left to live.  For their portion of the work, each of the laborers receives the same pay. The laborers that worked only one hour were paid the same amount as the laborers that had worked 12 hours. Jesus is telling us that God’s grace is not measured in quantity but in the fact that we have allowed God’s grace to fill our soul.  There is no set amount of grace one must earn to enter heaven, one only needs to freely accept God’s grace with humility.

 

As Jesus tells us, some of us may not think that is fair.  The laborers that worked 12 hours complained to the master, “These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.” But the master replied, “My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?” The Kingdom of heaven is our soul.  God does not care when we find him, but only that we find him and let him into our soul. All our labor is equal if it is given to God in heaven. Our God is most generous and most forgiving. Why should we expect anything else from Him? If He is truly compassionate, then the last will receive what He has given the first. We should feel relieved that all the lambs we bring to God will be allowed into the Kingdom of heaven. This is also why we must be forgiving and not dwell on the past. We should only look to the future when we all celebrate at the table of our Lord.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, I am your servant and your laborer,

May I be worthy to sit at your table.

Give me the strength to bring others to your table.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

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

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 19:23-30

 

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

 

After reading today’s gospel, one would think that being a “rich man” would be a sin.  Jesus tells his disciples: “it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven.”  The reference to being a “rich man” again refers to where we place our trust and allegiance. If we rely on our money and material things for our happiness, then our eternal soul will rest with these items.  Unfortunately, these items are not eternal and fade away.   So what do we store in our hearts, the love of money or the love for God.  If we fill our hearts with earthly treasures, we push out God.  We destroy his kingdom within us.  Jesus is telling us that if we invest in worldly treasures, we cannot share in the Kingdom of God because there is no room for God in our heart.  We must be willing to invest our time and our talents in the church – the one true Kingdom.  Jesus is not opposed to the wealthy; in fact he had friends who were wealthy.  But he tells us that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.”  The eye of the needle was the small door that allowed late night travelers to enter into the city without having to leave the large gates open.  A man would only have to bow down to enter through this door, but a camel would have to get on his knees and crawl through the door.  This was a very difficult task for a camel, but not impossible.  Jesus reassures disciples that “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Putting our faith in God will allow the Kingdom of heaven to grow in our hearts.  We will not be riding high on the camel, but on our knees crawling in forgiveness and penance. 

 

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

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Most heavenly Father God,

My time and my talents are yours,

Use them as you will.

You have given me so much,

May I always love you first,

And do your will.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

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

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:15-20

 

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

 

Yesterday, a dear friend had to undergo surgery to remove a tumor from his colon.  A group of us got together to join in a perpetual rosary during his surgery.  We prayed not only for him, but for the surgeons that they would be able to successfully remove the tumor and not have to undergo a radical surgery.  Twelve of us prayed for a successful surgery and God answered our prayers.  We came together as a group to seek the help of God. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is asking us to be a Spiritual Good Samaritan. Not only must we care for those with physical injuries, we are also called to care for those with spiritual injuries. Jesus tells us that “your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” If a person does something to injure you, then you should seek out this person and try to make amends. Jesus tells us if we do not try to repair the relationship, then we are worse than the person who caused the sin in the first place.

 

In the Our Father, we say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us.” How can we be forgiven for our own sins if we do not forgive those who have sinned against us? Today’s gospel reading takes it a step further, we must approach this person and let them know that they are forgiven. Our position should not be one of condemnation or judgment, but one of compassion and forgiveness. It is good to forgive and forget, but the person who sinned against you is still wounded. Their soul is damaged by the sin they committed. Therefore, we are called to repair that wound. The prayers we prayed for healing not only helped Scott’s physical ailments, it enjoined the entire group on a spiritual realm allowing us to become part of his hurt and his healing.  This is the same thing Jesus is telling us to do when someone sins against us.  We must enjoin with them and become part of the spiritual healing of the soul.  By doing so, we mend the bonds that have been broken reuniting us as one body in Christ.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

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

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

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

Make me a source of healing love and peace in this world so that we may become one Body in Christ.

 

Sincerely

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:1-5, 12-14

 

The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.  “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.  In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

 

In today’s gospel reading, the disciples of Jesus want to know "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" If they know who is the greatest, then they can model their life after theirs to ensure that they get into heaven.  So who does Jesus pick but a small helpless child.  Jesus points to a child, someone who has no social standing in Jewish society, someone who is simple and innocent.  Someone who has not allowed doubt and greed into their life to corrupt their image of God. So why did Jesus use a little child? It simple, a child believes without doubt or reservation. A child does not express hatred, he does not allow pride to control him, and his faith is uncompromising. And most importantly, they are totally dependent upon others.  God wants us to be fully dependent upon him.  He wants us to need Him and to desire Him.  It is when we think that we can do it on our own that we begin to reject God from our life. We begin to feel that   I am king.  The older I get, the less I am dependent upon my Father in Heaven, and the more I want freedom from Him.  As I grow older, the more I want to control my own destiny.  Therefore, to be greatest in heaven is easy, we must simply exhibit a childlike faith. We must become fully dependent upon our Father in heaven. 

 

The second half of today’s gospel compliments the first. The first half talks about the innocence of children and how they are the greatest in heaven. But the second half talks about the sinner, the lost sheep. Jesus tells us, “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” A shepherd is dedicated to his flock and the sheep are dependent upon the shepherd for protection. Not only will does he risk his life for the whole flock, but also for each individual sheep.  If one of the sheep goes astray, he knows that the sheep will become disoriented, confused and likely die. We are also challenged to seek out the lost sinner.  People lost in sin become disoriented, confused and die to the true path of righteousness. They become complacent with their sinful life and lose site of the trail which leads to the Kingdom of heaven.  What great joy God must feel when a lost sheep is brought back into the fold. Jesus calls us to act like the Good Shepherd and to actively seek the souls of those who are lost. We are all challenged to seek out and bring the sheep home. This was Jesus’ mission on earth, to bring every lost soul to the Kingdom of God.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, teach me to have faith like a humble child.

Teach me to relive that innocence I had when I a child.

May I become a guiding light to lead others to you.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

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

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 17:22-27

 

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

 

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

 

A Simple Prayer

 

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

I am truly sorry for every trespass I commit and I forgive all those who have trespassed against me.

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

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 17:1-9

 

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead."

 

Have you seen the glory of God?  Have you climbed the mountain to hear the word of Christ?  Jesus often separated himself from others so that he could pray and talk to his Father in Heaven.  Peter, James and John made the venture with him on this very special day. They witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus.  They saw the true glory of God shine through Christ on top of the mountain.  At times, we too must be willing to climb mountains to go into retreat so we hear the Word of God without the disruption of the world.  We must be willing to separate ourselves from the rest of the world so that we can see the light of the Holy Spirit and hear his message without distraction.  On this day, the apostles said that Jesus was “transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light.”  Then a bright cloud appeared before and again they were awestruck as God told them, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”  When you pray to God do you listen for the Word of God?  We must not only speak to God, but more importantly, we must listen to God.  He speaks to us in so many ways.  Through the Gospel, through the Eucharist and through the actions of his disciples.  Listen and you will hear the Glory of God.  It will shine through like the radiant white light that transfigured Christ.  Seek the Word of God and you will be transformed.

 

Yours in Christ

 

Most heavenly Holy Spirit

I am listening.

Fill me with your glory.

May the light of Christ shine through to my life.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over– twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

As Catholics, the Eucharist is the source and the summit of our religion.  It is what makes us Catholic.  Today’s gospel reading is about feeding the people.  Christ’s disciples are concerned about the crowds that they will not be fed.  They want to send them away, but Jesus says, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.”  Jesus calls upon his own disciples to feed the crowds.  Jesus takes five loaves and two fish and feeds thousands.  It says that “they all ate and were satisfied.”  This is the same abundance that we should experience when we encounter the Eucharist.  Jesus initiated the Eucharist meal at the last supper.  He tells us that whoever eats his body and drinks his blood will have eternal life.  In other words, we will be “satisfied” when we eat the bread of life.  The meal that Jesus provided to the crowd was abundant.  At the end of the meal, the disciples gathered twelve wicker baskets full of fragments.  This abundance is also present in the Eucharist today.  While Christ sacrifice happened two-thousand years ago, its abundance continues today.  The abundance from the last supper is never ending.  While the heavens and earth may end, Christ’s abundance will not.  The Eucharistic meal will live for eternity.  As we share in the bounty of eternal life, we become more infused in the Mystical Body of Christ.  We become one with Christ.  As become one with Christ, as we become the living tabernacle, we are given the strength to feed others.  There is no need for them to go away hungry.  We are called to give them the food of life.

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, I am nourished by the Bread of Life.

It is through you that I find eternal life.

Strengthen me so that I may feed others.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 14:22-36

Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear." And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent round to all that region and brought to him all that were sick, and besought him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well.

In today’s gospel reading, we hear the miracle of Jesus walking on the water.  This story has many aspects including fear, trust, and doubt.  I think we all experience these same conditions probably in that same order.  It was out of fear that the apostles called out Jesus and he approached them on the water.  They also expressed fear when they witnessed Jesus walking on the water not knowing who he was or how he was able to do this.  When they experience Jesus in his true wonder and awe, they develop an unbelievable level of trust.  But unfortunately, that trust is generally followed by doubt once we think about our humanness.  The message is clear, we must trust in the Lord and have faith in his powers at all times. We must realize that all our strength and ability comes from God and not from us. Even if we begin to let the raging waters consume us and experience doubt, we can still cry out to the Lord and he will be there for us. When we are facing the raging waters of life, Christ is there to help us. He will carry us if we believe and trust in Him. Peter believed in the power Christ and left the boat. He stepped into the raging waters without fear. We too may be called to leave the security of the boat and to enter the raging waters. We too must do it without fear and let God be God.  We will face many challenges in our life, some of them beyond our imagination. We must trust in the Lord; we must realize that he is truly the “Son of God.” Only through him can we walk on water and calm the seas. It is his power that allows us to accomplish great miracles. If we do not have faith, how can God help us? If we deny his power, God will cease to help us. We must be willing to come to Christ and accept him as all powerful.

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, if it is your will, bid me come to you on the water.

Give me the strength to trust you and

If I experience doubt and weakness,

May I cry out to you for help.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon