The Gospel according to Matthew (6:7-15)

Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

Reflection:

The use of pronouns is an interesting subject. Here is just one example. As a parent we choose pronouns when we speak of our children to reflect our feelings at the time. We may be proud or joyful because of something they have accomplished or an act of unexpected kindness. In this case one might say “That’s my boy or that’s my girl”. On the other hand, when they have done something that upsets us or behave in an unkind or rebellious manner we say, “Your son or your daughter did…”. Then, if we are talking about our children in a tender moment we might say, “Our children are an incredible blessing because…”.

In today’s gospel, when Jesus’ followers ask Him to teach them how to pray and he shares these beautiful familiar words of praise, worship, supplication, and hope. Unfortunately, far too often when we pray these words, we say them in haste and do not savor the meaning of each precious word. I invite us to focus on the first two words and at some other time to do the same with the rest.

Jesus begins with “Our Father…”. The way He starts this prayer not only sets up the rest of the prayer but lays the foundation for Jesus’ mission on earth. Jesus came to reestablish our place in the heavenly kingdom and to restore our relationship with the Most Holy Trinity. There are two times (but so many more) in the gospels where the desire to make this possible is clear.  In John 15:15 he says we are no longer slaves but friends because he has told us everything he heard from his father. And in Luke 8:21 he says His mother and brother are those hear the word of God and act on it. Jesus’ mission began with a call to repent, to change our ways, our direction. His message continued to evolve as He ministered to people in all walks of life and circumstances, but His purpose never wavered. He obeyed the will of His Father, Our Father to bring us back from the dead to new life with His Father, Our Father.

And as a reminder to all of us, His invitation to reconciliation and redemption is not restricted to those who respond favorably. It is not an offer only for those who meet certain criteria based on rules and regulations. It is meant for every person who has ever existed. The Father we pray to does not exclude anyone from his love, mercy, and forgiveness. Neither should we.

Action of the Day:

Pray the Our Father slowly. Pay attention to the words pausing every so often and think about, medidtate on what you say and how you feel. God may reveal something new and beautiful in this familiar prayer. May we never take for granted the message of love and hope in the words our Lord and Saviour taught us.

Audio Reflection:

The Gospel According to Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

Reflection: After reading this Gospel passage, I thought about who my heroes were as I was growing up. They all seemed to be genuine, without being boastful. If they had any special talent or skill, it was either a gift from God or something they had to work at very hard to achieve greatness. But even through all that hard work, they still never bragged about their accomplishments, they would always refer back to their struggles and obstacles they overcame just to get where they were in life. 

Today, Jesus warns us not to become hypocrites especially when your pray to the Lord.

Prayer is supposed to be all about the relationship each of us have with God. It’s personal and private. Developing that personal relationship should always be first and foremost. In the end that’s what will really matter. Especially when you take into consideration that the relationship, with God, will last each one of us through eternity. Works of charity, spiritual practices, and praying, if not centered on and offered to God, become nothing more than self-gratification. 

For me, it’s always been a best practice to look back at each day to see where I failed to bring someone closer to God and even better where I have succeeded in helping someone to a closer relationship with Him. Where we succeed, we give glory to God and where we have failed to receive His graces, we asked for forgiveness. And knowing that God will give us another opportunity tomorrow.

Action of the Day: For one day, try telling everyone, you come in contact with, whether in person or on the phone to have a ‘blessed day’, and let God know how this made you  feel in your heart and in your soul!

Audio Reflection:

The Gospel according to Matthew (5:43-48) 

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Reflection:

Jesus’ direction to His followers in today’s Gospel was very hard for them to hear, indeed.  It’s really not easy for us to hear even today, either!  Our natural inclination when others mistreat or speak ill of us is to strike back – to cause the one afflicting us to feel some of that same pain.  It’s a very human response.  That’s why Jesus’ words are such a challenge – they are not a human response; they are the response of our loving Creator for each of us!  It is still hard, though.

We are called to love and be kind to others, whether or not they are kind to us or whether or not they act loving toward us.  Today is my dad’s birthday.  Now, those who knew my dad would know a few things about him: he was ornery, opinionated, grumpy and stubborn.  Yes, all of those were true.  But, the quality I especially recall now is his generosity.  My dad, who came from a not-very-well-off family, had a heart of wanting to help others.  I saw that many times through my growing-up years.  He often gave more than he could really spare, but for him, it was natural to help.  It was a wonderful example, all the more remarkable because my dad was not a religious man.

Today, we see so much dissension in the world.  There are wars where people are literally killing each other.  There are so many who are not given the dignity they deserve as members of God’s human family.  There are so many who think that *their* way is the only way and to disagree is to be somehow less of a person.  That’s not what God wishes for us, His children.  But, how do we change the world?  Each of us may not be able to change the world, but we can change the part of the world we can reach.  Each of us can be kind and merciful and forgiving, regardless of who the other person may be. 

We might think that can’t possibly make a difference.  It’s just a small thing, right?   But, if we all do that “small” thing, the impact won’t be “small” anymore.  And, whether or not we see that “large” change or not, the world *will* be better, and who knows how that good act may pay forward to more kind acts?  May the Lord help each of us to do that kindness and strive toward that “perfection” that Jesus talks about!

Action for the Day:

Be kind!  Share a kind word with whomever you meet today.  Forgive those who have hurt you, whether or not you think they “deserve” it.  Brighten your corner of the world!

If you would like to hear this reflection, click the link below! 

The Gospel according to Matthew (5:38-42)

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

Reflection: Before the pandemic, Mary’s Mercy Center would host an annual Christmas Party. This party was for all the underprivileged children in the area of San Bernardino. There would be a huge tent where Santa Claus would be at, and the tent had elves (volunteers) and was filled with wrapped gifts (toys). But outside the tent was the prize possession, it had hundreds of brand-new bikes for boys and girls. Needless to say, there is always a line around the block and the line would start hours before the event started. The objective for these families was to get a bike but it wasn’t easy. Let me explain, the number of bikes didn’t equal the number of children so when it was their time to get a gift, they had to pick a ticket out of a box. One ticket said “gift” and the other “bike”. You could see by the expression on the children that received the gift were sad but they kept a stiff upper lip. But the children that received the bike … their smile was ear-to-ear. 

There is one particular scenario that I was Blessed to experience. There was this boy, he was about 11-12 years old that won a bike and he was glowing with joy. Then there was another family, right behind the boys family, with a little girl that wasn’t so lucky and didn’t get the bike ticket. The little girl was so distraught and was fighting to hold back the tears. She was so upset that she couldn’t gain enough energy to pick a toy. Her family did everything in their power to try to compose that girl but failed. Now here’s the Blessing. The boy witnessed all this, and I saw him lean into his parents and say something; they nodded with a smile and a affirmation. The boy walked over to the girl and stretched his arm out to the girl and in his hand was the ticket for the bike. This boy was giving her his bike ticket! 

The JOYFULNESS he brought to that little girl was priceless and probably made her Christmas. But think about what else this tiny act of kindness possibly created. It could be possible that this gift relieved the girls’ parents because they could afford a new bike. It could be possible that this little girl will NEVER forget this beautiful act of kindness. Imagine how proud the boys’ parents must have been. This whole act of kindness was also a gift for me to experience. It brought me to tears and I’m still tearing up now as I recall this moment. 

There are 3 types of “Giving”: Time is to Give your time from your busy lives to assist someone or volunteer somewhere. Talent is to use your gift that God gave you such as baking, singing, listening, and talking to someone. Treasure is to give financially to a charity that makes a difference in this world. 

You see, my brothers and sisters, a little act of kindness goes a long way and touches not just one life but many lives. I believe that when you “Give” that God will repay you in many other ways.  2nd Corinthians (9:6-8) states the following: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”. I wonder what gift this boy received from God.

One last thing, after all this was over, I approached the boy with his parents, and I asked him why did he do this? He just looked at me with this undisputable look; he shrugged his shoulders and said, “She needed a bike more than me”. Simple as that! A few things immediately came to my mind; first, I was amazed by the graciousness of this boy considering where and how he lived. Secondly, I prayed that I could be just like this boy. I also prayed that this boy would receive a gift from God and that’s when it hit me … was this boy Jesus????

Action of the Day: This is just one example of giving and kindness and there are many other examples out there. But this world needs many, many more. What act of kindness will you do today?

Audio Reflection:

The Gospel according to Matthew (5:27-32)

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna. It was also said, whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Reflection: 

The language that Jesus uses in the gospel today is pretty much over the top – right? If we look deeper in the scripture and break it down, we realize it isn’t a literal command, but rather a symbolic statement commanding us to avoid sin with great zeal. That’s a good thing! We are being told to avoid all that leads us to sin.  The eye can be understood as a window to our soul where our thoughts and desires reside.  The hand can be seen as a symbol of our actions.  So, we are called to eliminate every thought, affection, desire or action that leads us to sin.

The true key to understanding this passage is to allow us to be affected by the powerful language that Jesus uses.  He doesn’t hesitate to speak in a shocking way so as to reveal to us the calling we have to confront that which leads to sin in our lives.  “Pluck it out…cut it off,” He says.  In other words, eliminate your sin and all that leads you to sin in a definitive way.  The eye and the hand are not sinful in and of themselves; rather, in this symbolic language they are spoken of as those things that lead to sin.  Therefore, if certain thoughts or certain actions lead you to sin, these are the areas to target and to work on eliminating.

Regarding our thoughts, sometimes we can allow ourselves to dwell excessively upon this or that.  As a result, these thoughts can lead us to sin.  The key is to “pluck out” that initial thought that produces the bad fruit.

Regarding our actions, we can at times put ourselves in situations that tempt us and lead to sin.  These occasions of sin must be cut off from our lives.

Action of the Day:

Take time today to ask God to help you to avoid all that leads to sin and to surrender all your thoughts and actions to Him every day.  Remember the saying – “Jesus, I trust in You.”

Audio Reflection: