THE NOW AND FUTURE KINGDOM

Wisdom 7:22-8:1, Psalm 119:89-91, 130, 135, 175, Luke 17:20-25

Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/111413.cfm

"You cannot tell by careful watching when the reign of God will come." -Luke 17:20

The kingdom of God is coming (see Lk 17:20), and "the kingdom of God is already in your midst" (Lk 17:21, our transl.). We will be ready for the final coming of the kingdom if we are seeking first and living for God's kingdom now (Mt 6:33). The final coming of the kingdom will happen so unexpectedly (Lk 17:20) and quickly (Lk 17:24) that it will be impossible to get ready for it at the last minute. Therefore, we must always be ready for it by living already in God's kingdom as presently established.
We live in God's kingdom by:
   * being born again of water and the Spirit through baptism (Jn 3:5),
   * repenting (Mk 1:15),
   * evangelizing (Mt 10:7),
   * choosing material poverty (Lk 6:20),
   * exposing ourselves to persecution (Mt 5:10; see also 2 Thes 1:5),
   * praying for the final coming of the kingdom (Mt 6:10),
   * healing others and doing miracles in Jesus' name (Mt 10:7-8),
   * driving out demons (Lk 11:20), and
   * seeking God's way of holiness (Mt 6:33).

Sell all that you have to gain the kingdom (Mt 13:44, 46). Seek first God's kingdom (Mt 6:33) and cry: "Maranatha!" "Come, Lord Jesus!" (see Rv 22:20)


Prayer: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done" (Mt 6:10).

Promise: Wisdom, "who is one, can do all things, and renews everything while herself perduring; and passing into holy souls from age to age, she produces friends of God and prophets." -Wis 7:27

Praise: Steve inspired his fellow Christians by leading them in prayers of thanksgiving during times of adversity and struggle.

THE WHOLE THING

Wisdom 6:1-11, Psalm 82:3-4, 6-7, Luke 17:11-19

Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/111313.cfm

"One of them, realizing that he had been cured, came back praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself on his face at the feet of Jesus and spoke His praises." -Luke 17:15-16

After Jesus healed the ten lepers, one of the lepers also received faith, the grace to worship Jesus, and the greatest gift, salvation (Lk 17:19). Because of the Lord's perfect love, He wants to do more in our lives than heal us. We should not receive only healing from the Lord.
Especially for Christians, the Lord works in the reverse order from the way He worked with the lepers. Instead of healing us first, He heals us last. He gives us faith and salvation first. He calls us to abandon our lives to Him and throw ourselves at His feet not after, but before healing us.
God's healing usually comes to us in a package. Healing accompanies the proclamation of our faith (Mk 16:15, 17-18), the ministry of the word (Mk 16:20), repentance (see Jn 5:14), deliverance (see Mt 9:32-33), evangelization (see Acts 3:12ff), etc. God's healing not only comes in His package, but also in His order. For example, one person is called to repent after being healed (see Lk 10:13); others must repent before healing. Sometimes healing leads to evangelization (Acts 3:7ff); at other times, evangelization leads to healing (see Mt 10:7-8).
To receive and share God's healing, we should accept all that the Lord wants to give in the order in which He wants to give it. Jesus will be our Healer if we first accept Him as our Lord.


Prayer: Father, may I let You do it Your way.

Promise: "For the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test." -Wis 6:6

Praise: Although originally refused entrance into a convent because of health reasons, St. Frances took her own private vow of virginity.

IN THE SERVICE

Wisdom 2:23-3:9, Psalm 34:2-3, 16-19, Luke 17:7-10

Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/111213.cfm

IN THE SERVICE

"When you have done all you have been commanded to do, say, 'We are useless servants. We have done no more than our duty.' " -Luke 17:10

Jesus teaches that after serving God, we should not look for any reward or thanks from Him. Instead, we should humble ourselves and recall that we are only carrying out His orders (Lk 17:9-10). It's human nature to read this parable and think: "Is this all the thanks I get for serving You, God?" Jesus teaches that a better response is the one given in tomorrow's Gospel. A healed leper falls at the feet of Jesus, gives glory to God, and thanks Jesus (Lk 17:15-16, 18).
Once again, the Gospel challenges us to focus on what Jesus gets out our service, not what we get out of it. We expect to get thanks from Jesus; instead, we should be giving thanks to Jesus. This was Jesus' own mindset on serving. Although He was God, Jesus did not "come to be served but to serve" (Mk 10:45).
Therefore, "let us give thanks to the Lord our God" and thank Him for counting us worthy to stand in His presence and serve Him. Focus on serving as Jesus served, and not on being noticed or thanked. God will "honor" our humble service in His way and time (Jn 12:26), which will far surpass anything we can imagine (see Eph 3:20; Heb 6:10).


Prayer: Father, as the hymn says: "Knowing that I love and serve You is enough reward."

Promise: "Those who trust in Him shall understand truth." -Wis 3:9

Praise: St. Josaphat was misrepresented by both the East and the West when trying to reconcile the two factions. As a result, he was a victim of a murder plot. Yet, despite being aware of the danger, he was willing to die to gather God's people together (see Jn 11:51-52).

JESUS ON SCANDALS

Wisdom 1:1-7, Psalm 139:1-10, Luke 17:1-6

Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/111113.cfm

I just returned from the store, where I heard a man talking disgustedly on his cell phone about yet another sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. What does Jesus say about scandal?
In Luke chapter 17, Jesus presents a "scandal cycle" that is to lead to an end result of faith:
   * He sternly warns all to avoid scandal (Lk 17:1-2), a word which can be translated as leading others to sin.
   * This warning must lead us to be on guard (Lk 17:3). We are to correct both ourselves and those involved in scandalous behavior (Lk 17:3).
   * Correction is to lead to repentance and forgiveness (Lk 17:3-4), breaking the damaging power of the scandal. This is impossible for men, but not for God (Mt 19:26).
   * All of the above must lead to faith, mountain-moving faith (Lk 17:5-6). Jesus wants scandals to lead to faith.

In the midst of scandal, we can choose to stay on the human level and discuss our thoughts with others. This gives life to the scandal and ensures its spreading damage. On the other hand, we can choose to rise above the natural to the spiritual level. We can bring it to Jesus and receive His mind on the scandal. We can step out in prayer and fasting for victims, charitable correction where appropriate, constant forgiveness, and so act to overcome the scandal.
Jesus can turn even the worst mess into good (Rm 8:28). "Once you know all these things, blest will you be if you put them into practice" (Jn 13:17).


Prayer: Jesus, use me to heal those hurt by scandal. May I lead people to faith, not bitterness.

Promise: "[God] is found by those who test Him not." -Wis 1:2

Praise: St. Martin's parents were not Christian. At the age of ten, Martin so desired to become a Christian that he begged to be enrolled as a catechumen in the Church, and his wish was granted.

A HAPPY DEATH

2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14, 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5, Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15, Luke 20:27-38

Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/111013.cfm

"It also happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king." -2 Maccabees 7:1

Seven brothers were arrested, tortured, scourged, and killed because they would not compromise their faith (2 Mc 7:1ff). These heroic deaths have inspired and transformed the lives of many for centuries.

We are all going to die, unless Jesus comes back first. The question is not: "Will I die?" but "How will I die?" Will my death be a mere statistic? Or will I glorify God by my manner of death? (Jn 21:19)

Most people think a happy death means dying at an old age and with no pain. God's word says a happy death has nothing to do with age or pain but it has everything to do with love, even to death on the cross (Phil 2:8). "The way we came to understand love was that He laid down His life for us; we too must lay down our lives for our brothers" and sisters (1 Jn 3:16).

"Happy now are the dead who die in the Lord!" (Rv 14:13)

Prayer: "May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, may God our Father Who loved us and in His mercy gave us eternal consolation and hope, console your hearts and strengthen them for every good work and word" (2 Thes 2:16-17).

Promise: "It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the God-given hope of being restored to life by Him." -2 Mc 7:14

Praise: Praise You, risen King Jesus, enthroned in majesty and glory! I lift up my hands, heart, and voice to praise You today.

BUILDING CHURCH

Dedication of, St. John Lateran

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12, 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17, Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9, John 2:13-22

Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/110913.cfm

"We are God's co-workers, while you are His cultivation, His building." -1 Corinthians 3:9

St. John Lateran was one of the first parish churches. For the first three-hundred years of Christianity, there was no such thing as a parish church, since Christians met in their homes for worship, teaching, and fellowship (see Rm 16:4-5). However, as individual Christians need a community of other Christians, so individual home-churches need a community of other home-churches.

Because of persecution or the lack of a large enough facility, it was impossible for home-churches to get together with each other. After the persecution had subsided, the Holy Spirit inspired the home-churches of Rome to construct a building where a community of communities could gather. This was St. John Lateran.

This movement of the Holy Spirit teaches us that:
   * The home can be a church.
   * Home-churches should be the building blocks from which the larger, universal Church is to be constructed.
   * The Church is not primarily an institution but a community of communities, a family of families.
   * The Church is to be one, that is, united (Eph 4:4).
   * The Lord gives leaders to the Church to promote our unity through the use of their authority.

Because today's feast day tells us about the Church, it tells us about God's plan of salvation, what life is all about, how to be happy, and how to be pleasing to God. Learn Church, be Church, and love the Church (Eph 5:25).

Prayer: Father, may I make my home a center for Christian community, or may I join someone else's home-based community.

Promise: "Zeal for Your house consumes me." -Jn 2:17

Praise: St. John the Baptizer received the Holy Spirit as a six-month old fetus.