St. Anthony Zaccaria Read:  Am 8: 4-6, 9-12    Mt 9: 9-13

DAILY PRAYER

“Jesus saw a man named Matthew at his post where taxes were collected.  He said to him, ‘Follow me.’  Matthew got up and followed him.”  (Mt. 9:9)

Jesus’ call was to a diverse group of men. 

Matthew was a publican, the type of people the Pharisees hated — a Jew who was working for the Roman occupiers as a tax collector.  Publicans used their office for personal gain by figuring the citizen’s tax responsibilities in the collector’s favor and skimming off the top.

Matthew was rich and influential, but he was rejected by the religious leaders and by all pious people as a “sell-out”  because he was working for the oppressing foreigners occupying their territory.

Nevertheless, Jesus called him. Jesus could see in Matthew that to which most are blind: Matthew had the potential to be converted, committed, and be a powerful apostle.  Matthew did not seek out the Lord,  it was the Lord who sought out Matthew and called him to initial conversion and to be an Apostle.

Do I deserve that the Lord should consider me…?  Do I have the mettle to be an apostle…?  Do I seek out others for the service of the Master, even if they may need encouragement to change some major things in their lives?

Does anyone deserve to be called?

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 26:2 “Test me, LORD, and try me; search my heart and mind.”

St. Anthony Zaccaria, d. 1539 at age 36; doctor turned priest; founded the Barnabites for the reform of society; sought collaboration between clergy and the laity; promoted frequent communion.

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USA Independence Day Read:  Am 7: 10-17      Mt 9: 1-8

DAILY PRAYER

“The people at once brought to him a paralyzed man lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, ‘Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.’”  (Mt. 9:2)

These men, including the paralytic himself, had tremendous confidence in the divine power and goodness of Jesus.  There is no other explanation as to why they would go through such hard work to get to where Jesus was in the first place. 

Jesus gave the man far more than a restoration of bodily health: He gave him health of the soul by forgiving his sins. Spiritual health is not the kind of health that is always first sought after, but Jesus attends to our needs in the way that is most beneficial for us.

We often think that God should act differently, that He ought to do things as we would.  Instead of trusting God to realize His will and to guide us to salvation and true happiness, we think God should follow our selfish whims.

The men in today’s Gospel asked nothing of the Lord, and yet He satisfied their needs.

Perhaps our measure of another’s worth is exaggeratedly skewed to our favor and benefit. Someone or something is good if I benefit from that person or thing.  If not, it is of little importance.

Those who approached Jesus filled with their worldly wisdom and using their “wisdom” to judge His Words and actions of Jesus, always left very unsatisfied — and without the benefit of His divine consolation nor the power of His healing Hand.

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 107:9 “He satisfied the thirsty, filled the hungry with good things.”

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St. Thomas, Apostle Read:  Eph 2: 19-22    Jn 20: 24-29   (PssProp)

DAILY PRAYER

“The other disciples said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’”  (Jn. 20:25)

God wanted an intimate relationship of love with us.  His divine friendship is a gift — we call it grace.  He set a condition to enter and enjoy His love, His friendship, and His Grace: Faith.

Faith is a two-fold process.  One part belongs to God and the other to us.  On God’s part, it is a revelation.  On our part, it is acceptance or belief.

Thomas received information from his companions who had seen the Lord.  Yet Thomas placed as a condition on belief the reception of further information.  He wanted to reduce the value of his faith to the same value as his friend’s knowledge.  Knowledge and faith are very distinct things.   Faith is worth much more in the eyes of Jesus.  Yet that information about Jesus’ resurrection came through others.

We too receive information about God through others… especially via His Church — His voice guide in the world.

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you… I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:19-20)

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 19:10-11 “The statutes of the LORD are true, all of them just; more desirable than gold.”

St. Thomas, d. 1c.; his doubting gave way to faith when he saw the risen Lord; associated with founding the Church in south India; mentioned in the Roman Canon; patron of builders, India, and Pakistan.

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DAILY PRAYER

“Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea so that the boat was being swamped by waves, but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’  He said to them, ‘Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?’” (Mt. 8:23-27)

There are times we may feel out of control (lost, fearful, pained, and even terrified).

Although some were experienced fishermen and knew well the tumult of the waters, the storm must have been particularly fierce that day.  They panicked at the predicament they were in.

Filled with fear they cried out: “We are perishing!”  They must have been overwhelmed less by the unusually severe weather than they were by the devil’s temptation to value life and safety over trust and Providence.

Jesus taught them the essential lesson: God is in charge. “He was asleep…” is to say that Jesus was resting in the security of the Father’s hands.   Even Jesus’ journey from Gethsemane to Calvary was a testament to His trust in God.  For a person of little faith, the cross looks like a dead loss. 

Trust is not without a price.  Sometimes, as with the martyrs, it cost their blood.

“He rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, ‘What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?’” 

He who calms the wind and controls the sea can care for us in more profound ways than we ever could imagine: He is the bridge between death and eternal life.

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 5:11“All who take refuge in you will be glad and forever shout for joy.”

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St. Junipero Serra Read:  Am 2:6-10, 13-16    Mt 8:18-22     (Pss I)

DAILY PRAYER

“Another, a disciple, said to him, ‘Lord, let me go and bury my father first.’  But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.’”  (Mt. 8:21-22)

Such a strong admonition from Jesus strikes us hard in our modern sensibilities.  His imperative: “Let the dead bury their dead…”  You, follow me.  This order came from the mouth of the Lord Himself!  In obeying Christ’s call, he demands of us the same extraordinary moral fortitude and quality — just as He modeled for His followers by accepting and acting upon the Holy Will of His Heavenly Father. “Not My will, but Yours be done.” (Lk. 22:42) 

Many of us regress in the Christian life, often for trivial matters.   We turn our backs on Christ and are unfaithful for our advantage, pleasure, comfort, vanity, weakness, or a myriad of other excuses. 

Our “faithfulness” is often dependent on the situation or moment.  We might forgo the Commandment to keep the Sabbath holy by attending and fully participating in Holy Mass each Sunday because of Mass times and/or visitors or some other inconvenience.  Is this fidelity?

“Whoever disowns me before men I will disown before my Father in heaven.”  (Mt. 10:32)

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 19:9  “The ordinances of the LORD are true.  They are more precious than gold.”

St. Junipero Serra, d. 1784; from Petra, Majorca, Spain, O.F.M.; arrived in the “New World”— New Spain in 1750; established nine of the California missions; baptized more than 6,000 native Indians; recognized as one of the great builders of the state of California; “Exemplary model of the selfless evangelizer.” — John Paul II.

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DAILY PRAYER

“Carry it through now to a successful completion, so that your ready resolve may be matched by giving according to your means.  The willingness to give should accord with one’s means, not go beyond them.” (2 Cor. 8:11-12)

The seventh commandment obliges us to respect our neighbor’s things.  There is a primal instinct in us to defend our ‘stuff”; even though we may see the need to share our of our abundance and the needs of others.

Though we may fancy ourselves as generous, our base instincts get the best of us.

We prefer to spend frivolously and waste money than to share with the needy.

For the Christian, there are two ‘fundamental laws of love.’   One is that we do for others, that which we would prefer they would do for us in similar circumstances: (read Luke 10: 27).   Two, is that which is the most perfect love— that we love one another as Christ has loved us: (read John 13: 34-35)

“For your sake, our Lord Jesus Christ made himself poor though he was rich so that you might become rich by his poverty.” (9)

“I assure you, this poor widow has put in more than all the rest.  They make contributions out of their surplus, but she from her want has given what she could not afford—every penny she had to live on.”  (Lk. 21: 3-4)

“Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you… for I was hungry and you gave me food…”  (Mt. 25:31-46)

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 92:6 “How very deep are your thoughts!  A senseless man knows not, nor does the fool understand.”

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Sts. Peter & Paul Read: Acts 12:1-11  2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18  Mt 16:13-19 (Pss Prop)

DAILY PRAYER

“Herod proceeded to arrest Peter also. He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.” (Acts 12:3-4)

We celebrate  the memory of the two greatest evangelists and apostles of all time.  They were the fundamental pillars upon which Christianity was initiated: St. Peter and St. Paul.

This incident about Peter recounted in the Book of Acts is very interesting. One of the three Herods the New Testament made infamous – Herod Agripa – after having ordered the death of the apostle James, ordered the arrest of  Peter to ingratiate himself with the Jewish leadership.

“The angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell… saying, ‘Get up quickly’… ‘Put on your belt and your sandals’… ‘Put on your cloak and follow me.’”  (Acts 12:7-8)  And the angel led Peter out of the jail.

When morning came, there was great confusion among the soldiers, for they did not know what had happened to Peter – nor did they understand that the Lord was at his side.

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 64:2 “O God, hear my anguished voice; from the foes I dread protect my life.”

St. Peter, d. 64 in Rome; Galilean fisherman; spokesman for the Twelve who became “Prince of the Apostles;” wrote two epistles; patron of all fishermen.

St. Paul, d. 67 in Rome; Pharisee who became the “Apostle to the Gentiles;” responsible for much of the Christian Scriptures; patron of all lay ministers, Cursillo, Catholic Action, and the national patron of Malta and Greece. Both are mentioned in the first Eucharistic Prayer.

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St. Irenaeus Read:    2 Kgs 25: 1-12      Mt 8: 1-4  

DAILY PRAYER

“When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.  And then a leper  approached, did him homage, and said, ‘Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.’  He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I will do it. Be made clean.’ His leprosy was cleansed immediately.”  (Mt 8:1-3)

Miraculous healings go against nature, but are not “permanent,” rather they are meant to enhance and encourage faith in the one who was healed, the witnesses and all those who hear the tale from then on.  Healings make others grow closer to God and to strengthen the Gospel message.

This is true of Jesus’ miracle of the Fish and Loaves.  He gave food to the hungry as a means of teaching them of God’s great power and their need to trust in Providence. 

This is not to say that God will not, in His mercy and goodness, grant healings today.  He very well might — if it is accord with His holy will.  It is not to say that He will not allow the great talents of doctors and scientists (knowledge proceeding from His Creating Hands) to lend their curative powers. 

If our Christian goal is to be with Him forever in life eternal, our immediate goal should always be the fullness of His Kingdom.

All our supplications and intentions should reflect this.

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 106:4 “Remember me, LORD, as you favor your people; come to me with your saving help.”

St. Irenaeus, d. 202; from Smyrna; disciple of Polycarp; for 25 years Bishop of Lyons; wrote against the Gnostics, especially in ‘Adversus haereses.’

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St. Cyril of Alexandria Read:  2 Kgs 24: 8-17     Mt 7: 21-29

DAILY PRAYER

“Anyone who hears my words but does not put them into practice is like the foolish man who built his house on sandy ground… It collapsed under all this and was completely ruined.”  (Mt 7:26-27)

Jesus is not just one teacher among many.  If we want the truth, He is the Teacher; there is no alternative. “Whoever puts faith in me believes not so much in me as in him who sent me… I have come to the world as its light, to keep anyone who believes in me from remaining in the dark.”  (Jn 12:44-46)

There is no greater torture for the soul than to futilely seek God or to be filled with doubt and insecurity in our standing with God.  It potentially leads to an existential crises.  

In Jesus, there is no doubt, and the soul finds rest.  His teaching is sure and strong.  The doubting, the “gray nuances,” are our inventions. Our thinking, when done apart from Jesus, is clouded and unclear.  Our whim and egotistical attitudes will only bring us to ruin and isolation.  Many would have us believe we know nothing in Jesus, all is relative.  Nothing could be further from the Truth.  “No follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness; no, he shall possess the light of life.”  (Jn 8:12)

If we want Jesus’ words and teachings to have any effect, we must be obedient. “Anyone who hears my words but does not put them into practice…”

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 25:4 “Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths.”

St. Cyril, d. 444; defended Mary as “THEOTOKOS” (God-bearer) at the Council of Ephesus (431) against the Nestorians; a spokesman for orthodoxy.

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St. Josemaría Escrivá Read:    2 Kgs 22: 8-13; 23: 1-3        Mt 7: 15-20

DAILY PRAYER

“Be on your guard against false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but underneath are wolves on the prowl.  You will know their deeds.  Do you ever pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from prickly plants?  Never?”  (Mt 7:15-16)

We are a living testimony for, or against, Jesus Christ.

This is no less true for the family.  Children belong to God, and He reserves His rights.

The parent who sets their children against the other parent is doing irreparable harm to their child’s psyche.  But they do much worse still if they neglect to educate their children in the faith, Sacraments, service, or teachings of Jesus.

A “wolf in sheep’s clothing” is the lie that we have to provide all material and worldly goods first before we take care of the spiritual goods of the Lord.  By showing this indifference to our faith in word and deed, what we do is reject God’s plan in our daily affairs and forever teach our children to do the same — God takes up an auxiliary place in our hearts. And we succeed in extinguishing the flame of faith in our child’s heart.

Glorious is the mission of parenting, but how quickly and easily it is misdirected or undermined by not following and living the holiness that God asks of us.

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 145:4 “Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might.”

St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer y Albás, d.1975. Spanish priest founder of Opus Dei. Taught all are called to holiness by God in their ordinary life. He was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II, who declared Josemaría should be “counted among the great witnesses of Christianity.”

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