Sunday Gospel Reflection: Seeking The Lost

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable. Luke 15:1–3

This is good news! Our Lord “welcomes sinners and eats with them.” For that reason, there is room at His table for you!

Sometimes it’s hard to admit that we are sinners. Of course we know in our minds that we are. But our pride can easily lead us to justify our sin, downplay it and conclude that we are not that bad after all. If you find yourself thinking this way, be careful. Doing so will make you like the Pharisees and scribes in the passage above. Clearly they did not see themselves as sinners, which is why they condemned Jesus for welcoming sinners and eating with them. 

The passage above comes from the beginning of Chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel and serves as an introduction to three subsequent parables. First, our Lord tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep, then the Parable of the Lost Coin, and then the Parable found in the rest of today’s Gospel passage, the Parable of the Lost Son. In the first parable, the shepherd who finds his lost sheep rejoices. In the second parable, the woman who finds her lost coin rejoices. And in the parable we read today, the father who finds his lost son rejoices and throws a party to celebrate.

Return, again, to the passage above that introduces these three parables: “Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus.” Once they drew near, Jesus spoke to them about the joy of finding that which was lost. Perhaps as Jesus initially spoke about the finding of the lost sheep and lost coin, this would have resonated with these tax collectors and sinners to a certain degree. But then our Lord tells them the long and detailed story about this boy who disrespects his father, takes his inheritance, squanders it on illicit living, and ends up with nothing. The story expresses the confusion of this boy, his desperation, his guilt and his shame. We learn of his interior thinking, reasoning, fears and anxiety.

As you ponder this parable, try to understand the effect that it would have had upon the tax collectors and sinners who all drew near to our Lord. They were spiritually hungry, just as the prodigal son was. They had a past full of regret, just as this boy. They were unsatisfied in life and were looking for a way out, just as this son of the loving father was. For these reasons, those tax collectors and sinners who drew near Jesus would have been mesmerized by all that Jesus taught them and filled with hope that they, too, could share in the joy that was so generously bestowed upon this wayward son.

Reflect, today, upon the touching image of these tax collectors and sinners drawing near to Jesus. Though they may have had a certain fear and caution, they would have also had hope. Try to understand what they must have thought and felt as they heard this story of the father’s abundant mercy. Think about how they would have related as they discovered that there was hope for them, too. If you struggle with being like the scribes and Pharisees, reject that temptation. Instead, see yourself as one of those sinners who drew near to our Lord and you will be the cause of joy in the Heart of the Father in Heaven.

Most loving and compassionate Lord, tax collectors and sinners were drawn to You. They found in You someone Who could free them from the burdens they carried within. Please help me to see myself as one of those humble souls in need of You and Your mercy. I reject my pride that leads me to self-justification and pray for humility so that I can come to You and gladden the Heart of the Father in Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.

Gospel Reflections: The Divine Gardener

“‘For three years now, I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not, you can cut it down.’”  Luke 13:7–9

Imagine for a moment that you were the owner of the orchard in which this fig tree was planted. After the gardener asked you to wait for one more year and promised to fertilize the unfruitful fig tree and cultivate the ground around it, you agreed. Then imagine coming to inspect that same fig tree the next year. Imagine three scenarios. First, what would you do if, once again, there were no figs present? Second, what if there were only a few figs? Third, what if the tree suddenly produced an abundance of good fruit?

It seems clear that in the first scenario, if for the fourth year in a row not a single fig was produced, it would be time to cut down the tree. This depicts the justice of God sent forth on those who obstinately resist His grace. In the second scenario, the decision might be more difficult. If the tree produced only a few figs for the first time, then perhaps that would provide enough hope for the future of that tree to ask the gardener to continue caring for it. This depicts those who are in a state of grace but are still lazy in their service of the will of God. In the third scenario, however, the reaction of the owner of the orchard would be clear. There would be much excitement and gratitude that the gardener’s good work paid off.

Jesus is the Gardener, and we are the fig tree. This parable should lead us to look at our lives and examine whether or not we bear good fruit for the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus comes to you to cultivate the soil of your heart, fertilizing it with His holy Word, watering it with His Sacraments and doing all He can to give you the opportunity to produce the fruit of charity in your life. How successful are these actions of our Lord in your life?

Too often, when we see only a little good fruit being borne from our lives, we are satisfied. And though any good fruit is good, we are wasting our lives if we do not do all we can to become as abundantly fruitful as possible. Imagine the joy in the Hearts of our Lord and the Father in Heaven if they were to look upon you and see good fruit being produced beyond expectation. Why wouldn’t this be your goal in life? Our Lord is patient, but He is also just. Do not try His patience, and do not succumb to His justice. 

Reflect, today, upon the image of you being this fig tree and our Lord as the divine Gardener. Commit yourself to His actions of tilling and fertilizing. You do so by strengthening your commitment to reading and understanding the Word of God, by participating more fully in the Sacraments, by being more focused upon your daily prayer, by examining your conscience more fully, and by sincerely confessing your sins. Do all you can to cooperate with the action of our divine Gardener and you will be amazed at the good fruit that begins to pour forth from your life.

My divine Gardener, You have committed Yourself to the humble work of tilling the soil of my heart and fertilizing it with Your abundant mercy. I choose, this day, to respond to Your grace and pray that my cooperation with You will produce an abundance of good fruit in my life for Your glory and the building up of Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.

Gospel Reflections: Becoming “Fully Awake”

 

Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. Luke 9:32–33

As we are presented with this glorious event of the Transfiguration this Sunday, there are numerous lessons we can learn from it. The passage above presents us with two particular lessons. 

First, Peter and his companions were overcome by sleep while Jesus was transfigured in glory and conversing with Moses and Elijah. This line could suggest many things. It could mean that Peter was weak and more concerned with his human condition than he was with attentiveness to the important journey he was invited to take with our Lord. It could reveal a kind of spiritual sloth. It is easy in life to become weary of the journey and to become drowsy at the times that we should be most attentive to our Lord. For example, think about any time when you knew you should pray but instead, sat daydreaming or distracted, or chose to fill that time with something mindless. Peter and his companions, therefore, teach us that it is easy for us in our fallen human nature to “doze off” during those times when God wants to speak to us, especially while at Mass.

Another interpretation of this line comes from the Church Father, Saint Ambrose. He suggests that this sleep of Peter and his two companions was primarily a result of them encountering “the incomprehensible brightness of the Divine nature.” As Jesus was transfigured, the initial vision was too much for them to comprehend, and so this vision began with them asleep as a symbol of the fact that we are all incapable of seeing the glory of God in our weakened state. But then they became “fully awake,” which implies that it took time for them to open their eyes to see the glory of God. This lesson teaches us that we all must wake up and work to become fully awake if we are to see the glory of God as He reveals Himself to us.

After becoming fully awake and encountering the incomprehensible brightness of the divine nature, Peter says, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” The Gospel writer then goes on to say that Peter “did not know what he was saying.” Again, if we turn to Saint Ambrose, he points out that Peter’s experience is commendable because he not only had earnest feelings but also took the initiative of good deeds. He wanted to build three tents so that Jesus, Moses and Elijah would remain with them. But another Church father points out that Peter “did not know what he was saying” because he did not, at that time, realize that it was indeed his mission to build a dwelling place for Jesus, the Law and the Prophets. It was his mission to build the Church, which was to be the future dwelling place of God on earth and the place in which we will encounter God throughout life.

You, too, are entrusted with the responsibility of building up the structure of the Church on earth so that many may encounter the full glory of God. This will only happen if you continually seek to become fully awakened to the glory of God as He reveals Himself to you and, in the joy of that encounter, go forth to build up God’s Church by your earnest desire and intentional acts of charity.

Reflect, today, upon Peter and his two companions, James and John. Prayerfully ponder them asleep as Jesus was transfigured in glory. Reflect upon them waking up and beginning to realize what was taking place before them. Consider Peter’s excitement and amazement and the effect that had on him. And then ponder how these disciples eventually did go forth to build the Church, the house of God, so that they and many others would come to meet Christ. Pray that the witness of these disciples will inspire you to follow in their footsteps.

My Transfigured Lord, the glory that shone forth from Your divine face in radiance must have been beyond human description. Your true glory in Heaven is something that I hope to one day behold. Please instill in me a desire to more fully understand Your glory and to work tirelessly to be an instrument of that glory to all I meet. Jesus, I trust in You.

Gospel Reflections: Going on The Offensive

 

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. Luke 4:1–2

If someone is attacked or feels threatened, it is common to be defensive. For example, if soldiers suddenly find themselves under attack from an enemy, they will most likely take up a defensive position. Similarly, when we feel personally attacked by another or are tempted by the devil, we will often try to defend ourselves. However, within the worlds of games, sports and military activity, there is a common adage that says, “the best defense is a good offense.” In other words, the best way to keep the opponent from winning is to go on the offensive rather than to sit back and take up a defensive position.

In many ways, this is what Jesus did when He entered the desert. He was aware that the evil one wanted to destroy Him. Therefore, when Jesus entered the desert for 40 days to pray and fast, He did so in a sort of offensive attack upon the devil. Jesus’ temptations in the desert were not primarily difficulties He had to endure and resist. Rather, they were first and foremost ineffective attacks from the evil one, because Jesus had already embraced the opposite virtues.

What temptations and sins are among your greatest struggles? In what ways do you find yourself experiencing defeat? In what ways have you taken up a defensive position to try to overcome your struggles? Too often we approach temptations in the wrong way. We see them as attacks from the evil one that we must resist and defend ourselves against. And though that is true, it is not the full truth. The full truth is that the best way to overcome the struggles we face is to confront them directly in a vigorous and offensive way by choosing the opposite virtue.

Consider the three temptations Jesus overcame in the desert: gluttony, vainglory and greed. Jesus’ entrance into the desert for those 40 days was the way by which He destroyed these temptations before they were even presented to Him. By voluntarily choosing to fast from food for those 40 days, Jesus rendered the temptation toward gluttony ineffective. By choosing the humility of entering into the solitude of the desert to be alone with His Father, Jesus robbed the temptation toward vainglory of its power. By choosing a life of poverty and simplicity, He overcame any temptation toward earthly wealth, even before it was offered to Him.

As we begin this forty-day Lenten journey, reflect, today, upon the sins and temptations in your life that need to be overcome. If you find yourself in an ongoing defensive position toward certain struggles, especially if you find yourself losing the battle at times, it’s time to change your strategy. Embrace the opposite virtue of the sins you are most tempted with this Lent. Embrace those virtues in an offensive manner. Choose kindness if you struggle with anger. Choose fasting if you struggle with gluttony. Choose generosity if you struggle with greed. Whatever your struggle, turn to the virtue you need the most and make it your focus this Lent so that you, too, will be well-prepared to reject the evil one and his lies when temptation comes your way.

My tempted Lord, You resisted all temptation in Your life by choosing every good virtue and living them to perfection. Please help me to see the virtues I need the most right now and give me the strength I need to run toward them this Lent with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

Gospel Reflections: Fully Trained

 

Jesus told his disciples a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:39–40

Are you “fully trained?” What does it mean to be fully trained? Jesus makes it clear that those who are fully trained will be like their teacher. Of course, we must become like our Lord, who is the one and only Teacher. So are you like Him in every way?

Being fully trained as a Christian is different than being fully trained in an occupation. For example, a doctor is fully trained when all the necessary lessons are learned and the practical aspects of medicine are put into practice. That is why that person becomes a doctor, just like the doctors who were their teachers. But the Christian life is not something we master by learning many teachings of the faith so that, by our expertise, we can then put them into practice using our natural talents. For a Christian to be fully trained, it is necessary that the Divine Physician fully possess them, live within them, and act through them. Thus, Christian training is the practice of allowing God to become one with you so that it is God Who acts in and through you.

This form of “training” first takes on the goal of freeing us from spiritual blindness. We must see Christ and come to know Him. Again, this is not a matter of simply learning various truths about God in an intellectual way. It’s a matter of coming to know the Truth Himself. We must see and know the Person Who is Christ Jesus. This is true sight. Blindness, however, can always set in again when we take the eyes of our soul off the Savior.

Seeing Christ, however, is not enough. Seeing must be followed by doing. That is why our Lord goes on to say in today’s Gospel that “every tree is known by its own fruit” and that a “good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good.” Seeing Christ Himself, within your soul, will produce that “store of goodness,” and this will make you more “fully trained.” Only then can you produce good fruit, for it will be Christ Himself producing the good fruit in and through you.

So back to our original question: “Are you fully trained?” Do you daily keep your eyes on a Person, Jesus Himself? And if so, do You allow Him to act in your life and, through you, in the lives of others? If you cannot answer these questions with a confident “Yes,” then you might have more blindness in the spiritual life than you realize.

Reflect, today, upon your mission to become a fully trained soldier of Christ. God wants to use you, to live within you, and to act through you. He wants you to be like Him in every way. This is only possible when you admit the blindness with which you struggle, turn your eyes to Him, and allow Him to become one with you. Start by turning to Him as He dwells within you. Search for Him, seek Him, and love Him. If you keep your eyes upon Him, He will carefully take care of the rest, leading you to a fully trained and fruitful life.

My divine Teacher, I turn to You, the Lord of all, and seek to fix my gaze upon You. As I see You, please remove my blindness and confusion. In place of these, give me wisdom so that I will always allow You to live in me and act through me, bearing an abundance of good fruit. Jesus, I trust in You.