Sunday Mass meditation for Eighteenth week of Ordinary time

Here is the Mass meditation from The California Mission magazine:

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

Mass Readings:
Isa 55: 1-3
Psalm 145:8-18
Rom 8:35-39
Matt 14:13-21

Many a mother has handed some food to a son or daughter as they dash in from one extracurricular activity and back out to another, to sports, or to work. In her wisdom she knows that the body cannot run for long on "empty." The time she puts into bagging up something of the family's meal makes visible the love and care she feels for her child. So too, the Church in her wisdom recognizes that Jesus is the only satisfying food for our soul, and in our Sunday liturgy we celebrate as a community of faith the heavenly nourishment the Lord provides us in the Eucharist.
We are reminded of the Eucharistic celebration in today's gospel. From Matthew's account of Jesus feeding the five thousand we learn that the crowd had followed Jesus into a deserted place (see Matt 14:13). The hour grew late and they were quite a distance from any town. Having cured their sick, Jesus again showed deep compassion by feeding the crowd. How correctly the Psalmist perceived the extent of God's love for his people! "The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season; you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Psalm 145:15-16).
Rather than dismissing the crowd and saying that he had done enough for one day, Jesus understood the hunger of the people for truth and their constant need to know God's love. He said, "there is no need for them to go away." The Lord speaks this same word to us today. There is no need for us to turn aside to seek for some other solution to our problems. He says that if we are thirsty, come to the water. If we have no money, he says, "come, receive grain and eat." Without paying, without cost, come to the Lord (see Isaiah 55: 1-3).
The Lord does not grow tired in caring for us. He still has many more won­derful blessings to share with us. "They all ate and were satisfied" (Matt 14:20). Next time that you are aware of the Lord's compassion for you, consider lingering even longer in his presence. Let the Lord give you a sense of the height and depth of his love for you.
The depth of Christ's compassion was demonstrated when he laid down his life on the cross at Calvary. We who have the eyes of faith can see that the Lord has loved us. Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (see Romans 8:39). This love endures beyond our Eucharistic liturgy and accomplishes miracles in our lives.

Sunday Mass meditation for Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary time, 7/24/05

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Here is the mediation for this Sunday's readings:

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

Mass Readings:
1 Kings 3:5-12
Ps 119:72-77.127- 130
Rom 8:28-30
Matt 13:44-52

"The kingdom of God is like a buried treasure which a man found in a field... Or, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant's search for fine pearls." In the parables of the Treasure in the Field and the Pearl of Great Price, Jesus calls us to recognize and embrace God's reign over our lives as the most precious good we could ever seek for ourselves. This grace can come to us as something utterly unexpected-like the man who found the treasure in his field. Or, this grace can come to us as something that we have deeply desired and sought-like the merchant who was constantly on the look for the most precious pearl. However God's grace finds us, we are called to make whatever sacrifices are needed in order that God may be our sole treasure.

How can each of us embrace "the pearl of great price" in our own lives? For each Christian, the response will vary. We need to consider our state in life and our responsibilities in our family (husband, wife, children) or to other groups or people. The prayer of Solomon in 1 Kings 3:5-12 is a good example to consider. Solomon was king of Israel. How was he to line up his whole life under God's authority? What should he ask of the Lord? Solomon recognized his immaturity and need for wisdom. He did not ask the Lord "for a long life, nor for riches, nor for the life of
his enemies, but for understanding," so that he might know right from wrong and guide the people the Lord had entrusted to him. The Lord was pleased with Solomon's request. It was obviously the prayer of a man who recognized the responsibilities of the position God had entrusted to him. It was the prayer of a man who earnestly desired that God's will be the measure for himself and all the people.

Another way to consider how we can embrace the pearl of great price is to ask ourselves what we are holding back from God. Is there any part of our life where we act independently of God, without seeking His guidance or authority? Do we think that our work, or our hobbies, or our home, or our vacation plans are outside the scope of God's order? Think for instance, about your vacation. Did not God Himself command us to take times of rest? Is He not interested in restoring and refreshing us after a long year of work and family activities? What would our vacations be like if we asked the Lord to guide us in our choices and plans?

An insider's look of the Pope's vacation

Popes go on vacation in July to get away from the Roman summer heat and Pope Benedict is no exception. Although I have read that he is using his vacation to do some writing and to catch up on reading, it has been said he enjoys getting away so he can do his personal work of writing and reading, two things he enjoys doing as we all know from his writings through the years. I ran across this article in the EWTN news about an inside look to what the Pope is doing on his vacation. Check it out here:
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=58737
May God bless his time away and may God recharge his batteries as the Pope will need them charged up next month for World Youth Day in Germany, the Pope's home country.

Sunday Mass reading meditation for this Sunday readings

This meditation for the 16th Sunday of the Ordinary time was first published in The California Mission magazine ( http://www.msjc.org ) in July 1999 and it is here:

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

Mass Readings:
Wis 12:13.16-19
Psalm 85:5-16
Rom 8:26-27
Matt 13:24-43

Last Sunday we heard the parable of the Sower and the Seed, which describes the power of God's word and how a person should receive it. Today, the gospel parable also speaks of sowing seeds, but this time Jesus identifies the seeds, not as the word of God, but as ''the citizens of the
kingdom." This distinction allows us to ponder the significance of what Jesus is teaching in today's parable of the "Wheat and the Weeds."
The wheat that springs from the good seed represents the citizens of the kingdom of God. The weeds represent ''the followers of the evil one." The wheat and weeds both sprout and grow together in the field that represents this world. But at harvest time, which represents God's judgment at the end of the world, the wheat and weeds will be separated. Thus, this parable covers the whole course of time between the first and second comings of Jesus Christ. Most likely, we do not often think about this vast scope of time. Even if we pray and try to develop our spiritual lives, we may think it best to focus on our own situation and problems and not think about ''the big picture," which is presumably God's concern. But the very fact that Jesus taught us this parable shows us how shortsighted this thinking is.
As we hear the parable of the wheat and weeds we need to start asking Jesus to teach us about ''the big picture" and why this is an important part of our spiritual lives. One thing the parable teaches us is that God has authority over everything that happens in the world-whether good or evil. Nothing escapes His hand. When we forget this "big picture," we often get so discouraged by the evil in the world that we give in to cynicism or destructive anger. The big picture gives us strength to resist evil, trust in God's power, and patience in the midst of our trials.
The parable also reminds us that someday every person will face judgment before Almighty God. Someday we will all have to account for our deeds before God. There will be a day when God will perfectly establish His justice. We need to remember that our life and the lives of every Single person we will ever meet are all heading toward this definitive encounter with God.
How important is it for us to remember this perspective.

Sunday Mass readings meditation for this Sunday from the California Mission magazine

I am the webmaster for the www.msjc.org web site and the MSJC prayer group put out a magazine for 5 years called "The California Mission" and one of the regular features of the magazine was the Sunday Mass Reading meditations for each Sunday. The magazine is no more but since the Catholic Church rotates the Mass readings on Sundays every 3 years, the meditations can live forever. Here is the meditation for this Sundays readings from 1999:

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

Mass Readings:
Isa 55:10-11
Psalm 65:10-14
Rom 8:18-23
Matt 13:1-23


It is often said that God desires to speak to every person. But what is it like to listen to God's word? How should we respond when we hear Him speak? The parable of the Sower
and the Seed gives us Jesus' own wisdom on these questions. The Lord describes four stages in our response to God's word: Receive, Retain, Persevere, and Produce.
The first priority in responding to God's word is to receive the word in our hearts. If we just hear God's word, but do not listen to it, ponder it and take it into our hearts, then we will inevitably "lose" the word. It will be like seed sown on a path that is immediately snatched up by birds. Jesus warns us that this is not a simple case of forgetfulness, but a manifestation of the devil' s strategy to distract our hearts from divine things. God's word often comes as a "small voice" or "message" that pricks our conscience. When this happens, it is important to "welcome" the word-even taking time to write down what we think God is saying to us-so that
the word will take root in us and begin to grow.
The second priority in responding to God's word is to retain the word in our hearts. Trials inevitably come up that test our commitment to the Lord's word. If we fail to "hold on" to God's word, we are like the rocky soil on which the seed fell and sprouted briefly, only to wither for lack of roots. Retaining God's word involves more than simply hearing and remembering it. We need to let the word sink roots in us. This can be aided in two ways: first, by asking the Lord to explain what he is saying to us; second, by being obedient to what the Lord directs us to do. For instance, if God teaches us something about the saving power of Jesus' death, we should ask questions and seek deeper insight into this revelation. Or, if God tells us to be reconciled to someone, we should obey the prompting.
The third priority in responding to God's word is to persevere. In the long haul, what most corrodes the vitality of a Christian's life is often not direct persecution but the lure of money and anxiety over worldly affairs. These problems cannot be avoided; they are a part of life. But with strong faith and God's grace, we can persevere in the word and grow toward spiritual maturity.
The final priority in responding to God's word is to produce fruit. God does not speak to us just for our own personal benefit. He speaks to us so that His word will bear fruit for others in the revelation of His merciful love and glorious majesty. Today, as we listen to the Lord speak to us, let us pray that his word in us will bear fruit for the glory of God and the upbuilding of the Church.

Fr. Corapi on Pope Benedict and the Year of the Eucharist

EWTN news has an article on an interview of Fr. Corapi that was done recently for Zenit.org Catholic news web site. It is a great interview on his insights on the new Pope and also the Year of the Eucharist. I loved this part of the interview where Fr. Corapi talks about Pope Benedict and his relationship with the Eucharist:

"Q: Benedict XVI, at the recent Eucharistic Congress in Italy, referred to "the Eucharist as the sacrament of unity." How can we seek union with other Christian faiths through the Eucharist?

Father Corapi: Benedict XVI, like all recent Popes, will continue to stress the Eucharist as a sacrament of unity. As the "Bread of Life" consists of many grains of wheat to make the one Bread, so the Eucharist ultimately will effect unity from the many individuals, religions, etc.
The Eucharist is the key to the realization of the "one Shepherd and one flock" that we must all pray for. However, between now and then there is a chasm that can be bridged by the Holy Spirit alone. We do our part, but it will be in God's time.
Jesus clearly reminded us "I have come not to bring peace but division ... that will separate a household of five, three against two and two against three, father against son and son against father..." What could the Prince of Peace mean by this? Precisely that the bold and clear proclamation of the truth will separate at first. We know this by common experience. Some accept it, some do not.
In order for the Eucharist to effect unity, Catholics must be Eucharistic people in fact, not merely in words. The gap between what we profess and what we live must be narrowed until the Eucharist is truly the veritable source, center and summit of each Catholic's life.
We must teach the doctrine of the Eucharist clearly and faithfully and then live it just as forcefully and purely. Then, when the world sees how we believe, live and love they will be drawn as to a magnet."

As you can read from the above and from the interview in its entirety, Fr. Corapi is devoted to the Eucharist as all priests should be. He states that he prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament all night before his ordination in Rome by Pope John Paul II. Great article, read it here:
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=58241

Beautiful Catholic Wedding

I went to a beautiful Catholic Wedding Mass over the weekend, it was full of great readings, a superb homily, a truly blessed wedding ceremony, great music (same man that played at my wedding :) and of course, the Eucharist. The priest that said the Mass and witnessed the wedding was a friend of the bride, so right there, you knew that he was going to put his heart and soul into the ceremony which he did, but also the reverence for the Catholic Mass that the two getting married had was very touching. I love going to Wedding Masses as they combine two great events, a wedding and the Mass. Sounds simple, but I believe that it is a blessing from God to be able to incorporate both into one Mass. The two people that got married are from my charismatic prayer group so a little bit of the charismatic praise and worship were brought into the Mass also. Even the reception had quite a few Christian surprises like a very nice good blessing by the Mass priest and a few Christian songs done as special remembrances of people. Unfortunately, I don't see any Catholic Wedding Masses in my future as I am getting to that age where all my friends who wanted to get married are and those that didn't get married probably are not going to get married. Well, God works in mysterious ways so who knows what he has in store. *