A Christmas Prayer

When the song of the angels is stilled, 
When the star in the sky is gone, 
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
Whe work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.

- Howard Thurman

A season of rebirth

I received an email today from Xavier University with a video message from the President (Fr. Graham, SJ) regarding last week's incident after the Crosstown Shootout. Our large victory over UC lead to an embarrassing brawl between the players and a long, arduous week for everyone in the Xavier community. I found myself almost ashamed at times of this institution that has in so many ways shaped me into the person I am, for the better. My association with Xavier is athletic, academic, social justice and faith-focused and I like to think that I continue to try to represent the ideals of the school as I continue down my life path. Unfortunately, because of today's media and somewhat unforgiving society, where we are quite slow to give people a second chance and look for the good in people and what can be learned from bad situations....I was met with nothing but negative reactions from people after last Saturday. All basketball bias aside, it's a frustrating feeling to try to defend someone, something, or some ideal when you know there are flaws that can't be denied. Yet, when you really believe in the good in it you want desperately for others to understand.
   After watching this video of Fr. Graham speaking, along with a 37 minute presser from Chris Mack (XU head coach), Mike Bobinski (XU AD) and Tu Holloway (our star player) I came to be reminded of some very important truths. Among these truths: the willingness to learn from mistakes, the diligence to seek goodness, the ability to humble oneself in adversity....but most importantly I recognized forgiveness and rebirth. It is only in difficult times, it is only through imperfections that we have such grand opportunities to learn the beauty of these two things. I think it's quite appropriate to have these things come into focus during Advent as well. Christ's birth was perfect....we are not. But his grace allows us to love others so much that we can be understanding of their imperfections and encourage them to continually allow their hearts to be reborn towards goodness...day in and day out....and allow them to do the same for us.
    This is love. This is Christmas.

Immaculate conception...yeah....about that...

So Thursday is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and I know I am supposed to go to mass that day and I know that it has something to do with Mary but I am ashamed to say that until I watched this video clip I had no idea it had anything to do with Ann and Joachim. It's interesting to see the reactions and thoughts of everyday people and what their perceptions are of this celebratory day in the church. Regardless of whether or not these folks are Catholic, watching this clip just brought me back to thinking about how little we actually understand certain things about the faith and church traditions...be they of our own or those of others.
   At this season of "winter holidays" we sometimes get rather touchy about what we allow to be "celebrated" in schools and proclaimed in communities. The spirit of the season not only has to compete with materialism and commercialism but also intolerance, judgement and political correctness. Kids can't have Christmas parties in school, people get offended by the Star of David, and Santa Claus can be seen by some as a pagan way of celebrating the season. My point here is that all of this gets in the way of a time of year when we all i9n some way or another feel drawn to be more charitable, more loving and more willing to enjoy those around us.
    These qualities hearken us back to out roots of sinlessness in baptism and Mary's being born without original sin. It is a feast day that helps keep us in line with where our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies should especially be at this time of year as we move through Advent and prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ and a rebirth of our own souls.
   I hope to keep this in mind and spread this understanding to my loved ones this holiday season :)

Like needing air

At the end of almost every mass that I go to on Sunday, the simple two-person choir of a man playing acoustic guitar and a woman sing this song in the video. When I first heard it, I felt something rise up like a wave in me. It was as if I was getting a spiritual lift-off from the first words to the last. I don't remember the last time I felt that way from a song, and the funny thing about it was that I didn't even understand all the words that were being said...except for one line that hit me like a freight train. I've copied and pasted the words in English and Spanish below:

SOUL of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds, hide me
Separated from Thee let me never be
From the malignant enemy, defend me
At the hour of death, call me
To come to Thee, bid me
That I may praise Thee in the company Of Thy Saints
for all eternity. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ALMA de Cristo, santifícame
Cuerpo de Cristo, sálvame
Sangre de Cristo, embriágame
Agua del costado de Cristo, lávame
Pasión de Cristo, confórtame
Oh buen Jesús, óyeme
Dentro de tus llagas, escóndeme
No permitas que me separe de Tí
Del maligno enemigo, defiéndeme
En la hora de mi muerte, llámame
Y mándame ir a Tí
Para que con Tus santos Te alabe
Por los siglos de los siglos. 
Amén.

So after doing a little searching, this is a prayer that has been used since medieval times after receiving communion. It is so beautiful, and for whatever reason, it just hits me harder in Spanish...especially the bolded lines. Whenever those lines are sung in mass, I feel my heart swell up and I get this emotion inside of me, like yeast rising. There is nothing so primal, nothing so stripped bare except wanting Christ at the hour of our death. It's much like holding your breath underwater...you get that feeling like you're going to burst if you don't fill your lungs with air. That's how we feel when we come to our end. We desperately want to see Him, we need Him so badly to take us with Him to paradise. We need to know that we've lead lives that He is pleased with, that He will allow us to spend all of eternity with him.

The thing is, that feeling of desperately needing Christ at that certain last hour...we need to be like that ALL the time. I need to have Christ fill me up every single day with grace. I need to want to pray more and more about my relationship, my family, my job search, Tomilyn's schooling, her struggles with family and career, my own struggles in wanting to support and help us...I need to throw myself into God's arms and know that His arms are always there to hold me. That core, deep feeling of wanting God in my life 24/7, especially as we lead up to the birth of Jesus, is something that I need to come to realization in my life. Here is to praying more, to needing Christ more, to bringing our relationship closer to Him and NEEDING Him within how we are and what we do.

 

Seek Him. Today and everyday.

On this advent night,
hear our prayer , O God.
Forgive us for our failings and
strengthen us to serve you
in the days to come.
Amen.

Through a child's eyes...

Educating the "Heart" of Youths in the Virtue of Chastity
While this article is directed toward parents and how to teach toddlers - teens about chastity, I found the perspective rather refreshing. Sometimes looking at things simply (i.e. through a child's eyes) provides so much clarity to a topic that can seem so vast and complicated.

 It's interesting to think back to how all of our experiences, lessons learned and signals received from so many people and media shapes our views of our bodies and those of others and the way we do or do not use them.  In turn, this basic "knowledge of the heart" that is conveyed to us and instilled in us (for better or for worse) throughout our lives ultimately affects our sexuality and how we view chastity and sex. One of my favorite lines from the article is that  "The  chaste person not only “knows” notionally or conceptually what he or she ought to do or not do, but feels that way too." This is so true because it implies a deeper experience of the theology of one's own body...something more vast and essential than we ever thought possible.  We are taught in our culture to obey the rules and then we either obey them for the sake of doing so or break them because we feel somehow repressed by them, but in either case we rarely actually fully understand them. Pope John Paul II is revolutionary in his explanation of how our human bodily and sexual experience is so intimately tied to Christ and our spiritual souls. WHen you understand a truth you want nothing more than to follow it. It has nothing to do with following a set of rules and it has everything to do with wanting to be in the presence of and experience the purest forms of happiness and holiness we can attain and then share that joy with others. In relationships, if we truly care about the other person then we want those very same things for them. Ti care for their souls by wanting to honor and explore the truths that rely in the beauty of the theology of our bodies. 

   It's hardly possible to sum up the nature of these truths without going on for another 5,000 words but I will say that in light of the aforementioned article I hope that by God's grace I can instill this beauty in the minds and hearts of my kids someday. 

high school sports and faith

You may be wondering why there's a video of a high school cheering section on the blog. This, at first glance, has NOTHING to do with seemingly anything except some ridiculously cool cheers. Seriously, watch the video. I found this today while I was searching youtube for some videos of my high school who just won a huge football game today against our rivals (2 point conversion in overtime to take the dub)...it's JUST like how my high school was and still is during sporting events, except just all white or purple. But all very loud, obnoxious, in your face, creative...and just good old-fashioned fun. I love high school sports, and I can't wait to go back and see some games of my alma mater.

After watching the video, it made me think about my time at Gonzaga and eventually in ACE. I realized how lucky I was to be in a Catholic Jesuit high school and how much I absolutely loved it...and how much I took for granted being surrounded by people who shared the same faith as myself. I had planted in my education's experience a whole faith-based group, which I had again in ACE. My time in college was extremely difficult and taxing on my faith life; there was almost no community out on campus, and the one that did exist was not highly publicized nor was it really understood by others. I felt so lonely in my belief in God, and there was no one to talk to or who would offer support about what I was going through until my senior year.

Now that I'm going back home, I have friends who are Catholic that go regularly to church and are people who I can share this faith with. But this video just made me realize how important community really is, especially in how much influence it can have on strengthening and reviving Jesus in us. All the guys in that video and at my high school are not just connected by sports or testosterone, but also a profound and deep understanding of who Jesus is. It's crucial we have a community that we can share this with...whether it be a bible study group we find, or a great church community to be a part of...Jesus is out there waiting to be found in others, but we really need to be active in looking for Him. My friends are great, but I may need to be active and find other outlets to plug myself into within my church community.

Beyond just Virginia though, this is obviously key in our relationship. Like I've said before, I'm so glad I can share with my woman my faith, whether it be in prayer or through this very blog. But we always have to keep it up, to make sure we stay consistent with it and grow. I also cannot wait to be able to start sharing our faith within a community, one that can support us, one that we can celebrate with...one that can cheer us on! And while we may not go into any type of gorilla imitations or Rocky spoofs (or if we do even), building that community within our own relationship more and in others is something so important to becoming better for each other through Christ.

Make Room for Gratitude

I really enjoyed reading this article about using a method from praying St. Ignatius' examen to mentally walk back through your day and have gratitude for all of the gifts you receive. This stuck me right now in particular because we are at the point of "so close yet so far away" in terms of being in the same physical place (read: ZIP CODE!) to progress forward in out relationship. I easily get stuck on the negative of counting how many months, weeks, long distance phone calls remain in this whole ordeal. The fact of the matter is that these trials likely pale in comparison to many more we will face in life. I should strive more to let gratitude surface for all of the little graces. Gratitude in this way must become our habit. Life never "gets easier" so it is important that we always remember that God is at-work and that it is refreshing to our souls to make room each day for gratitude, particularly for things we never take time to think about.

"THERE you are!"

I spent the past weekend in a town called Zapallar, Chile through my teaching program in a retreat...a retreat to look back at our experience, look forward the future for the new incoming teachers, and to have a time to relax and reflect on our life in general. It was a weekend where I truly felt God speak to me and show me how His hands have been in so much over the past year, but in particular my relationship. To realize that the person who brings you the closest to the Lord is the person who you want to spend the rest of your life with is nothing short of incredible, and this weekend was nothing but confirmation of that thought through reflection and prayer.

In the retreat, there was one certain reflection that really struck me as amazing. The reading above from Matthew is one that I've read ever since a child, and it was one I've always thought was fairly clear: Jesus is present in all, and when you help someone else you are helping Him as well. I've always thought about this reading on a deeper level, where others may not be hungry just for food but for something else...and this reflection really made that "something else" shine through. 

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, "At the end of our lives we will not be judged by how many diplmoas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by: I was hungry and you gave me food. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in. Hungry not only for bread - but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing - but naked of human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks - but homeless because of rejection. This is Christ in distressing disguise."

When I heard this quote, I was taken aback...have I really LOOKED for people who are hungry for love, or naked of human dignity, or homeless because of rejection in my life? Do I always look past what is so apparent on the surface into what a person really truly needs? Do I see Jesus in others, and do I always go out of our way to attend their every need?

I know as a teacher, I interact with kids all the time. And sometimes I may be in a bad mood, or there's just too many kids yelling, or there's just so much to do in the classroom and I'm in a hurry...but I feel like there's been lots of times where I might have "missed" something in a child. A chance to say a kind word, an opportunity to give positive feedback, a pat on the back...something that can brighten a child's day. But not only in the children, but in people like my roommates, my friends, even Tomilyn, who I always am trying to fulfill and upheld...we need to look past just what we see, despite how we might feel that day, INTO the person...to get in their proverbial face, really look inside, and see the real heart and soul and what it needs.

There's a beautiful scene that depicts this search in others. In the movie Hook, Peter Pan and Roofio confront each other on a beach. Roofio calls Peter Pan a fraud, that he should be the rightful leader, and demands that the Lost Boys come to his side. They all rush over to Roofio...except for the smallest Lost Boy, Pockets. Pockets slowly walks around Peter, seemingly searching for something...he gets Peter to get down on one knee, and he starts to touch his face. He runs his hands over Peter's eyes, squeezes his cheeks, and scrunches seemingly everything together. But as soon as Pockets pushes Peter's mouth into a smile, this look overcomes Pockets...one of warm recognition, one of joy in finding something that was thought long lost...and he slowly cries out, "Ohh....THERE you are, Peter!"


It's exactly this that we need to do in others. We need to inspect them, we need to search deep and look at the REAL them...and once we find them, we need to attend to their needs. Jesus is in all of us, just waiting for us to see Him shine through. Once we start to find Jesus in our friends, our roommates, classmates in Palmer West, students in St. George, each other in our relationship..once we find Him, not only can we help Him, but we can reflect Him in our interactions with everyone we encounter. What a beautiful thing, to be able to be Jesus's light to our loved ones!

Pray without ceasing...

I talked to Joanna this evening about a variety of things but she left me with one quote that stuck. It was mentioned by a priest at their local parish and he said the following:

    "To know a person you have to love them. 

To love them you have to know their soul. 

To know their soul you have to pray for them."

While this may sound simple it really spoke to me and rang true with my experiences. It seems that the people I remember to pray for I somehow feel like I know better in a special way. Like a "through God's eyes" kind of way...which is an awesome way. While we try to pray with each other every night, I don't always remember to pray for my dear man every night. When I do I find a childlike peace and understanding of him and his soul. God  brings us closer to those we pray for and it's utterly important to remember to pray for the person whose soul you intend to take responsibility for the rest of your remaining breaths. 

Speaking of which...

Two of Us

It's pretty interesting to think of sliding vs. deciding, and how often couples can tend to "fall into" a commitment because it's seemingly just the "next thing to do." It's so important to be growing, learning, and progressing together...much like we are doing so here in this blog...because the goal is to always become better for one another! How this learning and growing can be done in so many ways, and one definite way is learning from past mistakes (which has to do with the first post in slidingvsdeciding.blogspot.com), which we shouldn't brush away carelessly or without second thought. What we have done in the past defines who we are now, and we must always center ourselves with God to become better in Him and to reflect Him in the future.

Speaking of centering ourselves towards God, I found an interesting website called twoofus.org. It isn't in any way religious-affiliated, but it does have some very interesting articles and links to different videos. One of these videos was something I found while looking at their youtube channel, called:

do religious people have better marriages?

They speak upon "shared meaning experiences," and how that shapes the "we" and "couple identity" in a relationship, and steers us away from a "me" mentality. These experiences can be sitting and watching an episode of The Sing-Off, going to church together, cooking...the key is that it's something we enjoy, look forward to doing, and talk about it afterward. It just makes me realize how lucky I am to be with someone who I know that I have a lot of "shared meaning experiences" with and look forward to having in the future! It also makes me very aware of how important it is to nurture, discuss, and care about it as two people, not as one...how the language of "we" is always better than the language of "me."

Starting things up again!

In an effort to grow together in our relationship with our eyes set on lifelong commitment we are going to use this as a forum for interesting media that encourages our spiritual and emotional growth both as individuals and a couple along this path.
To start off, I found a very interesting blog article that looks at the implications of our behaviors between the age of sexual maturity to the age at which we "settle down" and get married. It's an interesting take on the social phenomena of new generations waiting so much longer to get married. I also think it is a great reminder that every decision we make with our bodies and our emotions absolutely leaves an imprint on our souls that will affect our relationships at some point in our lives. These decisions have a "piling up effect" as I have friends who are now married who can witness to this. An interesting read....

http://www.slidingvsdeciding.blogspot.com/ 

Jn 13:1-15

 

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
 for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

Mt 18:21-35

 

 

Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had him put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

Mt 23:1-12

 

 

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Mt 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:

“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,

who think that they will be heard because of their many words.

Do not be like them.

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy Kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

“If you forgive men their transgressions,

your heavenly Father will forgive you.

But if you do not forgive men,

neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

Matthew 4: 1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, ´One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.´" Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ´He will command his angels concerning you,´ and ´On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.´" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, ´Do not put the Lord your God to the test.´" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ´Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.´" Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Luke 5:27-32
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners."

Matthew 9:14-15
The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast."

 Mk 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.”
He replied and said to him,
“Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
“How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the Kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
“Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
“Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”

Is 49:14-15

Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;

my LORD has forgotten me.”

Can a mother forget her infant,

be without tenderness for the child of her womb?

Even should she forget,

I will never forget you.

Mt 6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them,
for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced the children and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.

Sir 4:11-19

Wisdom breathes life into her children
and admonishes those who seek her.
He who loves her loves life;
those who seek her will be embraced by the Lord.
He who holds her fast inherits glory;
wherever he dwells, the LORD bestows blessings.
Those who serve her serve the Holy One;
those who love her the LORD loves.
He who obeys her judges nations;
he who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers.
If one trusts her, he will possess her;
his descendants too will inherit her.
She walks with him as a stranger
and at first she puts him to the test;
Fear and dread she brings upon him
and tries him with her discipline
until she try him by her laws and trust his soul.
Then she comes back to bring him happiness
and reveal her secrets to them
and she will heap upon him
treasures of knowledge and an understanding of justice.
But if he fails her, she will abandon him
and deliver him into the hands of despoilers.

Matthew 5: 38-48
Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Mark 8:27-33
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

Ps 116:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Mark 8: 14-21
Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out--beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod." They said to one another, "It is because we have no bread." And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" They said to him, "Twelve." "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" And they said to him, "Seven." Then he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

Mark 8:11-13
The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation." And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.

Matthew 5:20-22, 27-28, 33-34, 37

Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ´Raqa,´ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ´You fool,´ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God´s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Let your ´Yes´ mean ´Yes,´ and your ´No´ mean ´No.´ Anything more is from the Evil One."

Mark 8:1-10
 In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, he summoned the disciples and said, "My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance." His disciples answered him, "Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?" Still he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" "Seven," they replied. He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over -- seven baskets. There were about four thousand people. He dismissed them and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

Gn 3:1-8

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
“Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?”
The woman answered the serpent:
“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’”
But the serpent said to the woman:
“You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil.”
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized that they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.

When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden
at the breezy time of the day,
the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God
among the trees of the garden.

AND then.....

Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7

 Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.

Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.

Gn 2:18-25
The LORD God said:
“It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him.”
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs
and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman
the rib that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
“This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called ‘woman,’
for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.
The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.

Mark 7:14-23
He summoned the crowd again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile." When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, "Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) "But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles. From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile."

 Psalm 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars which you set in place—

What is man that you should be mindful of him,

or the son of man that you should care for him?

R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

You have made him little less than the angels,

and crowned him with glory and honor.

You have given him rule over the works of your hands,

putting all things under his feet.

R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

All sheep and oxen,

yes, and the beasts of the field,

The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,

and whatever swims the paths of the seas.

Mark 6:53-56
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples: "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt losses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

aright we're going with the OT reading again... Heb 13:15-17, 20-21:

Brothers and sisters:

Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,

that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;

God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.

Obey your leaders and defer to them,

for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account,

that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow,

for that would be of no advantage to you.

May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead

the great shepherd of the sheep

by the Blood of the eternal covenant,

furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will.

May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ,

to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Friday February 4, 2011

Heb13:1-8

Let brotherly love continue.

Do not neglect hospitality,

for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.

Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,

and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,

for you also are in the body.

Let marriage be honored among all

and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,

for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.

Let your life be free from love of money

but be content with what you have,

for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.

Thus we may say with confidence:

The Lord is my helper,

and I will not be afraid.

What can anyone do to me?

Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.

Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever

Thursday February 3, 2011

Mark 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick -- no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Wednesday February 2, 2011

Luke 2 : 22 - 40
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord," and to offer the sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons," in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel." The child´s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Tuesday February 1, 2011

Mark 5 : 21 - 43
When Jesus had crossed again (in the boat) to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live." He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him. There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ´Who touched me?´" And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction." While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official´s house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep." And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child´s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. (At that) they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.