Living Stones

 

Readings 102826

I think of the Deacons in our Diocese,
and how different we are.
Married, single, widowed.
Professors, doctors, professionals, 

 retirees and working men.
Introverts and extroverts,
quiet men, and those of us, like me,
who are a little loud.

Yet this is how Jesus has always built His Church.

Before He called the Apostles,
He spent a whole night in prayer.
And out of that silent conversation with the Father,
He chose Simon the Zealot, a political radical,
and Jude Thaddeus, a quiet servant.

Not isolated superstars,
but ordinary, flawed men,
bound together on one capstone: Himself.

That is why St. Paul tells us today
that we are no longer strangers.
We are living stones,
built into God's own home.

Our gifts differ.
Our stories differ.
Our mission is one.

And when Christ holds us together,
our differences do not divide us.
They strengthen the temple.

Lord, hold us together. Amen.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, 

You call people 

of every story and season.
Build us together 

upon the firm foundation of Your love.
Use our different gifts 

for Your glory and Your mission.
Keep us united as living stones 

in Your holy temple. 

Amen.

The Love We Give Away

 

Readings 102726

We begin learning about love
at the very start of life.
It's the first thing we need,
and the last thing we lose.
But Christ shows us what kind of love it is.

Paul says,
"Be subordinate to one another
out of reverence for Christ."
Husbands, love your wives
"as Christ loved the Church
and handed himself over for her."
That is not power over.
That is love poured out.

And how does this Kingdom grow?
Like a mustard seed,
planted quietly,
until it becomes a great bush.
Like yeast a woman mixed into flour,
hidden, humble,
until the whole batch rises.

No trumpets. No crowds.
Just small, quiet acts of love, repeated.
A word of patience.
A sacrifice no one sees.
A choice to put the other first.

That's how a marriage, a family,
a world is changed.

So give love away today,
in small ways, in hidden ways.
Because the love we give away
is the only love we keep,

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
Teach me to love

as You loved, 

with a heart willing to serve.
Make my small acts of kindness 

fruitful in Your Kingdom.
May the love I give away today 

draw others closer to You. 

Amen.

Locked In

 

Readings 102626 

Last week at Mass, 

 the little ones went to children’s church.
They all came back… except Logan.
Five years old. Missing.

His mother and aunt noticed, 

 but figured he’d turn up.
Then the children’s leader came in, 

 spoke to an off duty police officer, 

 and both of them left.
Now it got serious.

Then here comes Logan, 

 crying his eyes out.
He’d gone to the restroom 

 and locked the door.
It was an old lock, 

 no pick hole, 

 and at five he couldn’t work it out.

An neither could anyone else.

 He thought he’d be trapped 

 in the bathroom at church 

 forever.

Now, Paul 

 says no silly talk, 

 no obscenity, no empty words, 

 but instead, thanksgiving.
So, is God telling me not to tell 

 a story like this?

No. Paul isn’t against laughter. 

 He’s against words 

 with no wisdom and no gratitude.

So where does this story end?
Not in foolishness. In thanksgiving.
A child was lost, 

 then found. 

 Locked in, 

 then let out.

Like the woman freed in Luke’s Gospel, 

when the whole crowd rejoiced.
And when we feel stuck, 

with no way out, 

we say:
“Hope in God. 

I will praise him still, 

my savior and my God.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father, 

When we feel trapped 

and cannot see a way forward, 

remind us, You are always near.
When fear overwhelms us, 

fill our hearts with trust 

in Your saving love.
Turn our worries into praise 

and our confusion into gratitude.
You are our hope, 

our Savior, 

and our God. 

Amen.

Love in Action - Homily reflection 30th Sundy

 

Readings 102526

Blessed be God. Praise be to Jesus Christ, 

now and forever. Amen. 

Come Holy Spirit fill us with joy, 

set our hearts ablaze with your presence.

One day, my wife and I were leaving a restaurant 

when a couple approached me. 

Both carried backpacks, 

and the woman was very pregnant. 

The man said, “Sir, I’m not asking for myself, 

but my wife is hungry. 

Can you give me five dollars for a hamburger?”

I gave him twenty dollars and asked 

if they needed anything else. 

He thanked me and said someone was coming 

to get them that evening.

As they walked toward the hamburger place next door, 

a woman in a large black SUV 

rolled down her window and said, 

“You shouldn’t have given them money. 

They’re just going to buy drugs.”

I replied, “They looked hungry. 

What they do with the money 

is between them and God.”

She shook her head and drove away. 

On the back of her SUV 

were the words: 

“Follow me to church.”

I’ve often thought about that moment. 

Two people saw the same situation, 

but responded differently. 

And it raises an important question: 

Does our faith change the way we treat people?

In today’s Gospel, 

Jesus tells us the two greatest commandments: 

Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, 

and love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus connects these commandments 

because our love for God 

must be reflected in our love for others.

The first reading reminds us 

God hears the cries 

of the stranger, 

the widow, 

and the orphan. 

He tells His people to remember 

they, too, were once strangers 

in a foreign land.

In today's world, it is easy to judge 

the homeless, 

suspect the poor, 

and decide who deserves our compassion. 

But Jesus challenges us 

to look beyond appearances 

and recognize the dignity 

of every human person.

This does not mean we abandon good judgment 

or ignore the realities of addiction 

and personal responsibility. 

It means we must never allow 

caution to become cruelty 

or suspicion to replace compassion.

We may not know another person's whole story, 

but we can still respond with kindness. 

We can offer food, 

lend a hand, 

listen without condemning, 

and remember that every person 

is created in the image of God.

Friends, the greatest commandments 

are not simply words we hear in church. 

They are a way of life 

we must carry into the world.

So let us ask ourselves: 

When people encounter us, 

do they experience 

the judgment of the world, 

or the mercy of Christ?

May the words “Follow me to church” 

be more than a message on the back of a vehicle. 

May they be a testimony 

written in our daily actions.

For when we love our neighbor, 

especially someone who cannot repay us, 

we do more than perform a good deed. 

We put our love for God into action.

And that is the heart of the greatest commandments.

Be good, be holy, 

and preach the greatest commandment 

by the way you live: 

love one another, 

and forgive.

Praise be to Jesus Christ, 

now and forever. Amen.

More Than a Slogan

One day, as my wife and I were leaving a restaurant, 

a hungry couple approached us asking for help. 

After I gave them some money, 

a woman nearby warned me, 

"They're probably going to buy drugs."

I answered, 

"They looked hungry. 

What they do with the money 

is between them and God."

Then I noticed the words 

on the back of her SUV: 

"Follow me to church."

I've never forgotten that moment.

In today's Gospel, 

Jesus reminds us that loving God 

and loving our neighbor 

cannot be separated. 

Our faith is not measured 

by the stickers on our cars, 

the crosses around our necks, 

or even the pews we sit in. 

It is measured by the love we show 

to the people God places in front of us.

We may not know someone's whole story, 

but we can always choose kindness. 

We can always choose mercy. 

We can always choose love.

Because the greatest commandment 

is not merely something we believe.

It is something we live.

Be good, be holy, 

and preach the Gospel 

by the way you live, 

love one another, 

and forgive.

Praise be to Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen

The Gift We Forget

 

Readings 102426 

Grace is the unearned, 

freely given love, favor, 

and power of God 

extended to us. 

It cannot be earned, 

bought, or achieved. 

It is simply God's gift.

The human soul needs grace 

surely as the body needs air. 

Scripture tells us, 

"Grace was given to each of us 

according to the measure of Christ's gift." 

Yet in our busyness, 

we focus on careers, 

worries, possessions, opinions, 

and endless distractions, 

forgetting the greatest gift 

we have received: 

God's grace.

Jesus reminds us of this 

in the parable of the fig tree. 

The tree had borne no fruit, 

yet the gardener pleaded 

for one more year. 

He would cultivate the soil, 

nourish the roots, 

and give it another opportunity to respond. 

This is a picture of God's mercy. 

He is patient beyond measure, 

constantly giving us opportunities 

to turn back to Him.

But His patience is not meant 

to make us comfortable 

in our distance from God. 

It is meant to lead us to repentance. 

A change of mind, 

a turning around, 

a turning back toward God.

Even when we forget God's grace, 

He does not forget us. 

He continues to call us, 

to pursue us, 

and to give us opportunities 

to bear fruit. 

Life is fragile and brief. 

Today is the day to return. 

Today is the day to receive again 

the grace that has been freely given. 

Repent, believe, and come back 

to the One who has never forgotten you.

Prayer

Gracious Father, 

thank You for the gift 

I could never earn.
Forgive me for the times 

I forget how patient You have been.
Turn my heart back to You, 

and help me bear fruit.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.