Ad Jesum per Mariam Ad Jesum per Mariam

Jesus’ Call to Saul: Jesus’ Plans for St. Paul: Implications for Our Spiritual Journey!

In Jesus' times, there was great violence.

Saul was able to persecute “Christians” based solely on a letter from the high priests. Legally, there were no other documents, other than this letter that permitted the persecution.

The Lord takes advantage of this for the spreading of the Gospel. Recently, we heard the persecution of Stephen did not hinder the growth of the Church. In fact, it led to the expansion. Believers leave Jerusalem to other areas of the world to spread the Good News.

Today, we hear the Church arrives in Syria (in Damascus). We hear also that one of the persecutors is moving from Jerusalem as well, toward Damascus. Rome simply allows this persecution to take place. We hear today that Saul is struck down by someone greater than his authority. Saul is struck down, blinded, and has to be led to the town. The strong one meets a stronger authority. What a powerful transition!

Saul Was Chosen By God
Saul will go forth from Damascus with a different and greater authority. He will go and spread the Good News. He was chosen by God. This was God’s plan for Saul / Paul all along. Jesus IS NOT reacting to Saul persecution of early believers. It was His plan all along for Saul to witness and teach to the world. Why?

The Lord takes the one who is least sympathetic. He takes one with a harden heart. He takes Saul to spread the news to the unbelievers.

The Lord saw Saul from all eternity. He saw that He would meet Saul along the way. The Lord has brought Saul to this point. Saul’s self-righteousness brought him forward; the One who is truly self-righteous will bring Him forward for the good of the Gospel.

Listen to:

Jesus’ Call to Saul: Jesus’ Plans for St. Paul: Implications for Our Spiritual Journey!

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Image:
The Conversion of Saint Paul: Italian Artist: Caravaggio: 1600

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Gospel Reading: John: 6: 52-59
First Reading: Acts 9: 1-20

What is Jesus Telling Us on Good Shepherd Sunday? How Should that Influence Our Spiritual Life?

Today’s Gospel focuses on The Good Shepherd.

We have all heard this Gospel in the past. “They know my voice”. Each year the fourth Sunday of Easter is The Good Shepherd Sunday. But what is the Lord telling us? Is He just telling us that He knows us?

What is Jesus Telling Us on Good Shepherd Sunday? How Should that Influence Our Spiritual Life?

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Image:
The Good Shepherd: German Painter: Bernhard Plockhorst: (Lived) 1825-1907
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Gospel Reading: John: 10: 11-18

I Am the Bread of Life. What is Jesus Actually Telling Us? Impact on Our Spiritual Life!

Yesterday, we heard about the martyrdom of St. Stephen, and Saul was present.

Stephen placed his spirit into the hands of Christ. This had an immediate impact. Stephen says, Lord do not hold this against them. The great Deacon’s actions echo what Jesus Himself says on The Cross.

Saul is emboldened by the death of Stephen. Saul, encouraged by the people putting Stephen to death, begins his immediate persecution of members of the “Catholic” Church. We hear in scripture about breaking into homes of people in the middle of the night and dragging them out! What we hear is a remarkable example of cruelty and persecution.

Even as this is happening, within these events, something greater is happening! The world sees this false strength in a bold and threating way. What does the Church say? The Church tells us the blood of the martyrs are the seeds by which the Church grows! Stephen’s blood has been spilled. The persecution erupts around him. And the Church grows! Hear more within the Homily!

The Bread of Life
The Gospel scripture is St. John’s description of the Bread of Life (Chapter 6). He doesn’t just write down what Jesus says. He very carefully frames it. The Lord has fed several thousand people. Then He walks across the water. Note what the Lord demonstrates to us! As the Lord of nature, He is capable of doing several things . . . or anything He desires . . . with bread! And, as Lord, He is capable of doing anything He desires with His body! He easily walks upon water despite a great storm. He demonstrates He is capable of going beyond our sense of the reasonable and natural.

People experience the feeding of the thousands. People come to Him asking Him for another sign. The Lord has already given His sign. The heart of mankind still seeks more and asks for more signs. Hear the significance and reason behind this within man’s heart!

Jesus Tells Us . . .
This Gospel is not unfamiliar to us. We understand Jesus is the Bread of Life. However, we encourage you to listen to this Homily to understand what St. John is trying to frame and its importance for our own Spiritual Life. Jesus tells us to not be concerned with being unworthy. That is not what Jesus focuses on. It is not what we should be focusing on . . . as true as that might be. Understand what Jesus is telling us.

Listen to:

I Am the Bread of Life. What is Jesus Actually Telling Us? Impact on Our Spiritual Life!
Listen to this Meditation Media.

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Image:

The Last Supper – The First Eucharist: Spanish Painter: Vicente Juan Masip: 1562

The first image is a cropped image focusing on The Bread of Life.

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Gospel Reading: John: 6: 35-40

Why Does the Church Insist We Celebrate the Easter for an Octave?

The Gospel today is the Road to Emmaus.

Jesus appears to two disciples. It is important to understand today’s Gospel to comprehend how the Easter Octave works. Why does Church celebrate and keep this octave in the first place? The reason is exactly what we hear in the Gospel reading. We move forward through the octave to consider all the things that have taken place. The Church reminds us that rather than being busy to get back to ordinary time, we pause on an extended Easter Sunday. Why pause? To consider all that have taken place. Hear more within the Homily on why this is so important!

The octave is a point of shared rest and shared contemplation the Church sets aside each year. The disciples move together and share “all of these things”. As they do so, the Lord appears and joins them in this process. There is an intensity of Our Lord’s presence over these days. This is true during the Apostles days and true today for us! Why! Because we (and the disciples) contemplate Our Lord’s presence considering “all of these things”.

How we come to Mass during the Octave manners. If we come to Mass as we do on any Sunday during ordinary times, something is missing. Listen again to the conversation, in this light, to the Gospel story the Road to Emmaus.

Listen to:

Why Does the Church Insist We Celebrate the Easter for an Octave?

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Image:

On the Road to Emmaus: French Painter: James Tissot: 1886
This artwork currently resides within the Brooklyn Museum.

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Gospel Reading: Luke 24: 13-35

The Church Moves Across The Water Feeling Alone. Lessons for Our Own Spirituality!

The first reading (not included within this audio, is very instructive on how the Church moves forward.

No one in the ancient times was more vulnerable than a widow. Without the support of a husband, and often with small children, a widow was vulnerable. As the Church began to grow in numbers, many of them were widows. But the Church could not tend to all of them. For a small segment of the Church, there was an opportunity for neglect or simply an oversight.

The complaint is raised to the Apostles. The Greek widows are being neglected. The Apostles recognize they cannot do everything by ourselves. These men, personally called by Jesus, and govern the community, also recognize as the community grows, there is more work than they can handle. They cannot do or fix everything. They turn to the community and ask the community to solve it. The opportunity for complaining, now changes and requires the community to step forward to help fix the issue. This is the recognition of the order of Deacons.

It is also the recognition of another vocation by the Apostles. The Apostles ask the community to look among themselves and choose people of high quality to assist in providing a solution. Listen more within the Homily and listen to this example of the early Church at work. Hear how God calls some of us to service within His Church.

The Lord Approaches the Disciples
In today’s Gospel we hear about the Lord walking on water. The disciples are in the boat, as night settles upon the seas. They are alone. Jesus is not physically with them. This is the image of the Church. A boat on the sea. On the sea, every boat is tiny and vulnerable. Note the image.

The body of Christ is on the move to get to the other side of the sea. The only way to get to the other side is to get in the boat, which carries them forward. In scripture, water is a complicated reality. We tend to think water is always good. But that is not the case in scripture. Water can be destructive (ie; the great flood). In the Bible, the only one who is capable of controlling water, is God.

The disciples do not hear the voice of Jesus. He is obviously, not in the boat. As the storms rages on, the disciples feel alone. They know they have to move forward, but they feel alone, and it is getting darker.

Think about your Spiritual Life. At times, isn’t that a familiar scenario? Then, in today’s scripture, something remarkable happens. Hear more in the Homily!

What lessons can we draw from today’s Gospel? Listen to:

The Church Moves Across The Water Feeling Alone. Lessons for Our Own Spirituality!

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Image:
Jesus Walking On Water: English Painter: William Brassey Hole: 1905
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Gospel Reading: John 6: 16-21
First Reading: Acts: 6: 1-7

Peter Exclaims to the World, In the Name of Jesus You Are Saved!

The scene in the first reading (not included within this audio) has a theme of Holy Week.

The scene is about two months after Good Friday. The numbers of “Christians” have swelled to several thousand and growing. The scene includes the Jewish religious leaders, Peter and John, the temple guards and others. The leaders thought they were rid of Jesus and His followers.

Peter Stands Before the Religious Leaders
The same people whom Jesus stood in front of on Good Friday are in this new scene. A remarkable scene. Peter, who on that night denied the Lord, now stands before the same religious leaders. However, he stands there with an animated spirit. The same group who judged Jesus, now judges Peter. The scene is provoked by an act of power (healing the sick and teaching with authority). Some religious leaders and their groups did not believe in the possibility of a resurrection.

Announcing a resurrection will provoke the religious leaders. Hear more within the Homily.

Peter, standing in front of these leaders says something. He says you are judging us because we did something good to a cripple. That is why we are here and why you are judging us! You are judging us on the manner of how we saved / healed someone. Peter was not saying the person could now walk. He was saying the person was saved, and that his healing was a sign from heaven of that fact.

Peter tells the leaders that In the Name of Jesus, this man was saved.
Hear more:

Peter Exclaims to the World, In the Name of Jesus You Are Saved!
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Image:

Christ Charges Peter: Italian Painter: Raphael: 1515
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Gospel Reading: John 21: 1-14
First Reading: Acts: 4: 1-12