Wednesday 29th week in ordinary time
"Lk 12:39-48"
Jesus said to his disciples: "that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating. But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more."
This is the same as saying: "Do not compare yourself with anyone else because you are not anyone else". It's a very natural thing. When your mother asks you to clear the table, you check if your brother is also doing something. When you are told to load the dishwasher, you make sure that your sister also has a job to do. And when we do something wrong, we try to excuse ourselves by immediately pointing out others' wrongdoings.
Comparisons are often used just to excuse ourselves. Like the boy who was asked by his dad if he had passed the last exam he had taken. "I didn't pass, Dad," said the boy, "but I was top of those who didn't!" What consolation would it be to fail to enter Heaven but be top of the list of those left outside?
God doesn't give the same talents to everyone because He doesn't entrust the same mission to everyone. From some individuals He expects more because He gives them more. And you are on the list of the privileged ones. Not many people know that they can talk to God (like you do); not many know what you know about God; not many have had the Christian formation that you have. Some people still don't know what sin is, but you do. For that reason God will demand more from you than from others. The enemy loves it when we compare ourselves to others because that way we are being less demanding on ourselves. Others are not expected to give as much as you are expected to give, because they are not you. This would be like Leo Messi playing football in a school team. Surely you couldn't demand from the other boys what you would expect from him. And if he spent his life playing in that team it would be a waste of his talents. God has given you great talents also. He wants you close to Him. Mary, my Mother, don't allow me to waste my talents, to waste my life!
St Luke, Evangelist
"Lk 10:1-9"
After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest."
These 72 disciples couldn't be more different from one another. They weren't a set of apostles in uniforms with written speeches to be read in a particular tone of voice, all in the same way. They were all different and had different talents, different accents, different ways of expressing themselves. They were not an army of clones or robots because God needs free and genuine disciples, not impersonators. St Paul explains that God called some to be "apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers..."
St Luke was a physician. He wasn't a skilful rhetorical speaker or a wise Scripture scholar. He was a faithful companion of St Paul on his trips, absorbing his teachings on their missionary journeys. There is something he was good at: writing. He was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write his Gospel and the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. He researched the life and preaching of Our Lord, carefully interviewing witnesses who were still living and collating all the necessary material. Almost half of the content of his Gospel is not to be found in the other Gospels. To him we owe, for instance, the account of Jesus' Infancy that he probably gathered from Our Lady.
Luke had that talent: he could write very elegant Greek. God didn't need two St Pauls or two St Peters to spread the Gospel; He needed one Paul and one Peter, and one Luke... and one you. He needs people with different talents but who put their gifts at the service of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel has to be spread throughout the world. Some will use pulpits, others can use websites, blogs, social media, radio stations, music, poems, novels, articles, paintings, films... There are so many different ways! You have your talents as well: what can you do?
Mary, Mother of the Evangelists, help me to put all my talents at the disposal of the Holy Spirit so that He can spread the Gospel effectively everywhere.
Friday 28th week in ordinary time
"Lk 12:1-7"
Jesus began to say to his disciples, "Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows."
We are used to hearing Jesus say "Do not fear", but this is the first (and last) time in which we hear Him say "fear": fear the enemy who can cast us into hell. "Yes, I tell you, fear him!" Jesus said. And if Jesus had left the explanation there it would have sounded a bit scary. But then He went on: God does not forget sparrows, so "Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows." That's better! 'Fear not' sounds more like Jesus.
The enemy has power. That's a fact. So we shouldn't be imprudent or too self-confident with him. He is like a tram: we aren't scared of trams but we are prudent and never step on its tracks when the tram is close. We are also careful with the devil. Jesus, though, has comforted us with His Words: "fear not" because God loves us more than the rest of creation.
In actual fact, it is the enemy who lives in fear. Have you ever seen one of those dogs that start barking at you loudly from a distance and, when you get close to it, the frightened dog runs away? This 'powerful angel' trembles in fear when the Holy Name of Jesus is pronounced. Like insects when we use mosquito repellent, the devil runs away when we invoke Our Lady, St Joseph, St Michael or our Guardian Angel, or we kiss our crucifix, hold the Rosary or use holy water. If we are prudent and stay close to Our Lord, the enemy can tempt us - but we have nothing to fear.
The enemy got his victory with Adam and Eve in paradise. But, ever since Jesus died on the Cross, he has been running away in fear. You, Virgin most Powerful, have crushed the head of the serpent who appears often represented with the apple stuffed in his mouth. Your children fear nothing if they are close to you, Mother.
Thursday 28th week in ordinary time
"Lk 11:47-54"
"Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."
These 'lawyers' shouldn't be confused with modern-day solicitors or barristers. They were called 'lawyers' because they were in charge of teaching the 'Law of Moses'. They studied the Bible and knew everything about it; but apparently they weren't practising it or teaching it properly to the people. They knew the Scripture but they didn't know God. They read the Bible but didn't know Its Author. They spoke about God but they never spoke with God. If they had spent less time talking about God and more time talking to God they would have recognised Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah they were expecting. They weren't men of prayer.
St Teresa of Avila is a good teacher of prayer. She became a nun at the age of 20. For more than 20 years she lived in the Monastery but didn't pray properly. She certainly said prayers… but didn't have a personal dialogue with God. Visitors often popped into the monastery, distracting her from her duties and maintaining frivolous and vain conversations. One day she saw a picture of Jesus scourged and wearing the crown of thorns; she felt sorry for her waste of time, for not loving Jesus as she should. Teresa fell on her knees in tears and implored Jesus to change her life. And Jesus heard her prayer.
Those dialogues with God changed her life and she changed the world. Fully in love with God, she wrote remarkable teachings on prayer and how to talk to God. "For prayer," she said, "is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God." She taught that all that was needed was for people to look upon Jesus as He is represented in the Gospel, and to talk to Him: "This friendly conversation will not be much thinking but much loving, not many words but rather a relaxed conversation with moments of silence as there must be between friends."
Holy Mary, Mother of God, teach me to talk to your Son as friends do!
Wednesday 28th week in ordinary time
"Lk 11:42-46"
"But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places."
The tithe was a requirement of the Law in which all Israelites were to give 10% of everything they earned and grew to the temple. Pharisees were very diligent about paying that. They didn't have any problem 'doing' or 'giving' things. Their problem was that they had neglected "justice and the love of God."
Apparently they thought that God could be satisfied with things. They didn't consider that God doesn't need 10% of anything because He OWNS everything already. God is not an employer. God didn't create men to "work for Him". God created us to LOVE Him. God doesn't want our things. He wants our hearts. The only 'gift' with which we can satisfy Him is 'love'.
You remember the story of Cain and Abel. The Book of Genesis says that "Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions." But God loved Abel's offering and rejected Cain's. Why? Certainly it has nothing to do with God not liking vegetables or preferring meat. It wasn't the thing that was offered. It was the love with which it was offered. Maybe Cain was just fulfilling his duty. But Abel loved God and wanted to offer Him the best he could.
When we go to Mass, say our prayers, work and study or we offer up some sacrifice, we need to make sure that we aren't just fulfilling our duty: we are loving God. Kissing your grandma, for example, can be just a duty (grandchildren are supposed to kiss grandmas) or a real act of affection. Think of a bride asking her groom: 'Do you love me?' and the newly-married man, distracted, looking at his phone, waving a hand and replying, 'Yeah, yeah, whatever!' Mary, my Mother, help me to put my heart into everything that I do for God, to do everything for the right intention; teach me, Mother, to love God with everything I am and everything I do.
Tuesday 28th week in ordinary time
"Lk 11:37-41"
A Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you."
How quick that Pharisee was to judge Jesus! How quick some people are to jump to conclusions, just because someone else doesn't seem to live up to their standards. The Pharisee had invited Jesus to dine with him, and was already judging Jesus before the dinner had even started. He thought Jesus was neglecting the tradition of the elders by not washing His Hands, when in fact it was he, the Pharisee, who had failed to live charity by judging and condemning Jesus in his mind.
An old lady who had been mugged was behind the two-way mirror contemplating a few suspects in the police line-up. Police officer: "Madam, can you identify the man who robbed you?" Granny: "Most certainly." Police: "Are you sure?" Granny: "Absolutely. It was the small guy dressed in red." Police: "That's... that's a fire extinguisher, madam." Granny: "Really? Well, now, you make me doubt..." Moments before, the old lady had been most certain that the fire extinguisher should go to prison.
Like the Pharisee and the old lady, many people are absolutely certain of their judgements... and yet, on many occasions they are wrong. Jesus was very clear: "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned" (Lk 6:37). The problem with this sin against charity is that it is an 'internal sin'. No one sees it, but it damages us as does any other sin. And because it's not seen, many people don't fight against it. It's not totally invisible, though, because those who have this critical spirit are like Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: a miserable grouch who is never happy with anyone or anything.
Mary, Our Lady of Charity, help me to love people and not waste time judging them.
Monday 28th week in ordinary time
"Lk 11:29-32"
When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation...The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here."
Sometimes in our prayer we can think what it would be like to travel back in time and be able to hear Jesus 2,000 years ago preaching in Jerusalem; to see Him healing people, walk with Him along the roads of Judea, spend time chatting with Him. Wouldn't it be great? Well the fact is that many people heard Him, saw Him and walked and talked with Him and yet they didn't want to be His disciples. They saw the Son of God made man but that was not enough for them – they wanted a sign!
Someone said that mediocrity could be defined as being in front of 'greatness' and not recognising it. Those contemporaries of Our Lord stood before the greatness of the Son of God and many didn't realise it. Or maybe they realised at the beginning but later they got used to Him, took His miracles and Words for granted... Too bad to get used to having God in the midst of us.
Lucy, a four-year-old girl, went for the first time to her grandparents' country house. At night, when everything was dark outside, she suddenly came running in from the garden, stormed into the lounge where the grown-ups were having coffee and started shouting to her mum, "Come! Come, mum!" and pulling her hand, the girl urged her to stand up and follow her out to the garden. Mum rushed out behind the child, fearing that something was wrong. Once in the garden, Lucy pointed at the sky with her little finger: "Look!" There, the startling sight of millions of blinking stars covering the whole sky had the child dumbstruck; and the mum as well.
Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, with your help, may I never get used to having your Son in the Tabernacle and being able to see Him, talk to Him... eat Him! There is Someone greater than Jonah there.
Saturday 27th week in ordinary time
"Lk 11:27-28"
As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!" But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"
The most beautiful thing ever said of Our Lady was what Jesus said of her: she was always ready to hear the Word of God, to keep it and follow it. It was in prayer that Mary heard the Word of God, His Will for her; there she got the grace she needed to carry it out. 'Prayer': the best way to make decisions in our lives. "Never make a decision without stopping to consider the matter in the presence of God," said St Josemaría; a very sound piece of advice.
During our life we will have to make decisions about many issues: reading, good use of time, studies, family, friends, career. God made us for happiness, for greatness - and He knows how to get it. Our paths are all different and personal, so we need to discover the Will of God for us. We need to ask for light to see His Will. We need to want to hear His Word: We need to pray, to talk to God.
The Russian author, Gorki, tells the story of a thinker who decided to rest for a few days in a monastery. His name was written on the door of his room. At night he couldn't sleep and decided to take a stroll through the impressive cloister. When he came back he discovered that there wasn't enough light to find his room; all the doors around the cloister looked alike; all had names on them but he couldn't read them. He didn't want to wake the monks so he spent the night wandering along the huge, dark corridor. With the first light of dawn he at last saw the door of his room and realised that he had passed in front of it a hundred times that night without recognising it. Like the man in the story, we need light to see which door to open. And that light comes with prayer.
We need to be souls of prayer. Not just souls who say prayers, but souls who pray, who have a personal conversation with God. Mary, Virgin most Faithful, as Jesus blessed you for hearing His Word and for keeping It, you can be my Teacher of prayer. I want to talk to God like you did in your Home in Nazareth, like you do now in Heaven. Mary, teach me to pray.