6th Week of Easter 2024 - Monday - Preaching Jesus is indispensable

Having completed one missionary circuit through Asia minor with Barnabas, around the year 50 A.D., Paul set out a second time, this time joined by a young convert named Timothy.

And this second journey will take the Gospel beyond Asia minor into Europe. And the reading today contains the story of the first European convert: a business woman named Lydia. Lydia, was probably a widow who had taken over her husband's business selling luxurious purple-dyed cloth. She was a rarity in the 1st century: a business woman in a male dominated world.

The reading from Acts described her as among a group of women who had gathered for and a "worshiper of God". This suggests that she was a Gentile who had come to believe in the God of Israel.

Paul sits down with her, and finds her receptive to the Gospel. Paul attributes her receptiveness to the Lord Jesus himself, who opened her heart to what Paul was saying.

Sometimes we fear sharing the Gospel with others because we fear that we will not be able to convert them. But recall, Jesus is the one who wants to open their hearts. If we are sitting down with a prayerful seeker of truth, we can trust that grace has already preceded the conversation.

God is at work in the lives and minds and hearts of the people of this neighborhood, to make them receptive to the Gospel. But we like Paul have to go to them and sit down with them and share the reasons of our faith. We must preach the Gospel with deeds and words. Deeds are not enough. Words are not enough. We must use both. Like our Lord did. Like Paul.

In his great document on evangelizing the modern world, Pope Paul VI wrote, “It is by her conduct and by her life that the Church will evangelize the world, in other words, by her living witness of fidelity to the Lord Jesus—the witness of poverty and detachment, of freedom in the face of the powers of this world, in short, the witness of sanctity.”

But also, “it is not superfluous to emphasize the importance and necessity of preaching. "And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?... So faith comes from what is heard and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ." This law once laid down by the Apostle Paul maintains its full force today. Preaching, the verbal proclamation of a message, is indeed always indispensable.”

There are women like Lydia in this neighborhood, prayerful women, God fearing women, women with keen minds for business and the like. And the Lord Jesus wants to open their hearts to his Gospel, through us. May we be faithful to our call to witness, to testify, to preach for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That all bishops, priests, catechists, and parents may be faithful in preaching and teaching the saving Gospel of Christ.

For those who do not believe in God and for those who have fallen away from the Church.

For an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit among all Christians, and for all who are persecuted for the faith.

For the sick, the suffering, those in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice care, for the underemployed and unemployed, for the imprisoned, those with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, that the Spirit of Consolation may comfort them.

For the deceased members of our families, friends and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all those who fought and died for our freedom.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

2nd Week of Lent 2022 - Tuesday - They preach but they do not practice

 This morning, in his Lenten reflection, Bishop Malesic recalled the words of Pope St. Paul VI from his famous exhortation on evangelization, evangelii nuntiandi. Pope Paul said, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses."

In the Gospel, the Lord criticizes the Pharisees: they were good teachers, but terrible witnesses. So the Lord tells his disciples “Do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.”

This reminds me of my favorite part of the ordination rite for deacons. Kneeling in front of the Bishop, the newly ordained is charged: “Receive the book of the Gospels whose herald you have become. Believe what you read. Teach what you believe. And practice what you teach.”

The ordained cannot just be preachers of the word. They must be doers of the word, as St. James would say. In fact, St. James gives that instruction to all Christians: do not just be hearers of the word, but doers of the word. In the words of Pope Paul, don’t just be teachers, but witnesses. “Preach always, sometimes use words”

This teaching is most manifest in the life of Our Lord. The Christ didn’t just preach self-sacrificial love, he manifests self-sacrificial love, taking upon himself unspeakable suffering in his Passion and Death for our salvation. 

Lent is certainly an opportunity for the church to move beyond lip service. “Show your repentance” says John the Baptist. We show our repentance not just by lip service, not just with words, words, words, but through concrete, physical, visible works of penance: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, works of charity.

Words and teaching are important. Our words and teachings must always be consistent with those of Christ, with the Apostolic Faith. but Pope Paul concludes, “It is therefore primarily by her conduct and by her life that the Church will evangelize the world, in other words, by her living witness of fidelity to the Lord Jesus- the witness of poverty and detachment, of freedom in the face of the powers of this world, in short, the witness of sanctity.”

May our faith be seen in our witness, may our repentance be seen in our good works, may our love be seen in our actions, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

That the season of Lent may bring the most hardened hearts to repentance and bring to all people purification of sin and selfishness.

For those preparing for baptism and the Easter sacraments, that they may continue to conform themselves to Christ through fervent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

That we may generously respond to all those in need: the sick, the suffering, the homeless, the imprisoned, and victims of violence. And for all victims of the coronavirus and their families. And for the Church in China and all places where the Gospel is silenced.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.