Weekly Catholic Bible Study

Weeks 701-710
 

Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 708: Christ in Your Heart : A Reflection on the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1 :67-79)

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67 Then Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

 

68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people. 69 He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David his servant, 70 even as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old: 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, 72 to show mercy to our fathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant 73 and of the oath he swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that, 74 rescued from the hand of enemies, without fear we might worship him 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

 

76 And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us 79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

 

In my homily last week, I mentioned how Zechariah let his fear take the place his faith should have in his heart. He doubted the words of the angel and after that, he became dumb and he entered a long and dark period in his interior life.

While John the Baptist grew in Elisabeth’s womb, Christ was silent growing in Zechariah’s heart as well. That is to say, his former fear became a seed; behind the doubt there was a bigger truth lying, ripening in the silence and solitude of Elisabeth’s pregnancy.

And when John was born, Zechariah was reborn. He could see what his heart would not have believed before and he could now reinterpret all his past, and even the history of his people by the light of this powerful experience he had. And Zechariah’s conversion from fear to faith was considered so meaningful by the Church that up to now we sing Zechariah’s canticle every single day during Lauds, right before the Mass.

His experience is worth being re-lived, re-enacted by each one of us. Christ wants to be born in our hearts. Our fears cannot impede that. We are instruments in the lives of our brothers, preparing the way for the Lord’s manifestation in their lives. May we welcome, full of joy, the new life that is coming in our midst today.

by Fr. Gabriel Vecchi

 

 

 

Prayer: “Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”

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Quote from a Saint:  “Lord, help me to live this day, quietly, easily. To lean upon Thy great strength, trustfully, restfully. To wait for the unfolding of Thy will, patiently, serenely. To meet others, peacefully, joyously. To face tomorrow, confidently, courageously.” – St. Francis of Assisi

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Questions for reflection:

1. How do you prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas?

2. Have you ever allowed your fear to replace your faith? What have you done to stop fear from ruling your life?

3. Have you ever doubted what the Lord was saying to you? Did this lead you into a dark period in your interior life like it did for Zachariah?

4. If you have had a dark period of your interior life, did you experience a rebirth that helped you to reinterpret your past experiences and see how God was at work in your life during that time?

5. Have you ever had the opportunity to turn your fear into “seeds” of faith? What fruits came from this?

6. How can you foster the growth of Christ in your heart?

7. What can you do to keep the joy of Christmas throughout the whole year?

8. How can the joy of Christ in your heart benefit those around you?

9. Are you prepared for the birth of Christ in your heart?

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP

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Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 707: Openness to God’s Plan : A Reflection on the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1 :5-25)

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5 In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

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6 Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.

8 Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, 9 according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.

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10 Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, 11 the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.

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13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of [the] Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, 16 and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

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17 He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”

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18Then Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel said to him in reply, “I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. 20 But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”

21 Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. 22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained mute.

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23 Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. 24 After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.”

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“How shall I know this?”, asks Zechariah. I always wondered why Zechariah’s question was punished, while Mary’s question was rewarded – both placed very similar questions. In my opinion, the difference does not lie in the question itself, but in what lies underneath the question itself.

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Zechariah was a very pious man. He observed all the commandments, he diligently expected the Messiah, and as a priest, he celebrated the liturgy and all the rites full of good zeal and love. But when the angel appeared to him, right in the middle of the liturgy, he realized that God was real, incarnate. God was not simply an idea, a distant object of faith, too far above the clouds to get enmeshed with our mundane, daily life’s issues. And if God is real, that means that I have no control over Him and that He can ask anything of me, He can do whatever He wills with my life. And Zechariah lacked that faith and fear, then, got hold of him.

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When fear overpowers our faith, we experience a lack of openness and creativity. We hold on to the old image we have of God, too afraid to discover the newness of life He wants for us. Mary, instead, had no such fear. In face of the challenge that her encounter with the angel brought to her life, she opened herself to what was new and unknown. And salvation is always new and unknown.

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Faith is a gift that should help us to open ourselves to the creative newness of life that God always wants to bring into our life; faith should not be a boulder, a wall, a defense mechanism against our fears. May we learn from Zechariah and Mary how to give birth to Christ in our lives.

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by Fr. Gabriel Vecchi

 

Prayer: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.”

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Quote from a Saint: “This is a serious warning cry: Surrender without reservation to the Lord who has called us. This is required of us so that the face of the earth may be renewed.”--Saint Edith Stein 

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Questions for reflection:

1. Why do you think Zechariah was punished while Mary was not?

2. Have there been times in your life when you acted pious and followed God’s teaching but without realizing the reality of the incarnate God? Did that make your actions feel hollow?

3. Have you ever had a moment in your life when you realized that God is real rather than an abstract concept? How did that change your life?

4. How does God being real lead to the realization that we have no control over God? Have you ever tried to “control” God?

5. When it comes to living out God’s will, are you more like Zechariah or more like Mary? Or perhaps you are a little bit of both? How can you be more like Mary?

6. Do you find that you lack openness and creativity because of fear? Do you let your fear limit how you see God?

7. What experience do you have with salvation being new and unknown? Has your path to gaining salvation lead you to new places? Did you embrace the change or was it frightening or both?

8. “…Faith should not be a boulder, a wall, a defense mechanism against our fears.” Have you ever used your faith as defense mechanism? Knowing now that this is something that you should not do how do you think you will react in the future? Could God have been offering you an opportunity to grow or change in that situation?

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP

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Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 706: The hidden God leads us : A Reflection on the book of the Prophet Baruch and the Gospel of Luke (Baruch 5: 1-9 ; Luke 3 :1-6)

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[Baruch]

1 Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on forever the splendor of glory from God: Wrapped in the mantle of justice from God, place on your head the diadem of the glory of the Eternal One.

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3 For God will show your splendor to all under the heavens; 4 you will be named by God forever: the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship.

 

5 Rise up, Jerusalem! stand upon the heights; look to the east and see your children gathered from east to west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that they are remembered by God.

 

6 Led away on foot by their enemies they left you: but God will bring them back to you carried high in glory as on royal thrones.

 

7 For God has commanded that every lofty mountain and the age-old hills be made low, That the valleys be filled to make level ground, that Israel may advance securely in the glory of God.

 

8 The forests and every kind of fragrant tree have overshadowed Israel at God’s command; 9 For God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory, with the mercy and justice that are his.

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[Luke]

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.

 

3 He went throughout [the] whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

 

5 Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

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St. Luke is very careful to give time, place, naming the various leaders, both Roman and Jewish, because he wanted to situate what follows in actual history. This event really took place; John, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, was the herald preparing the way of the Lord, his very cousin “the Lamb of God.” John fully lived his vocation to his martyrdom by calling people to repentance, still today calling us; he was filled with the inspired words of the prophet Isaiah and on fire as the Lord’s herald.

 

There is a great richness in these readings… and this presented a problem, if it really was a problem, to choose a topic for this homily. However, a phrase kept standing out and so I share some thoughts for your consideration and prayer.

 

This is the sentence: “...and mankind shall see the salvation of God.” We are mankind, God’s sons and daughters - the words are about us and the inspired word insists that you and I and others will definitely see God’s salvation. Notice: it does not say: at some future time!

 

A question: in your life, in mine, have we seen God, have we seen His salvation? Has He appeared to you, to me? I must admit that God has appeared to me! However, before you judge me crazy, illusionary or maybe, ready for canonization, I add, my brothers and sisters, to you also God has appeared - more than once - more often than any of us realize. You might be thinking to yourself at this moment: Where have I been? I’ve missed the boat!

 

There is a hint, a wonderful clue about such an appearance given by St. Luke. Mary and Joseph brought the infant to the temple and Simeon holding him proclaimed, “Now, Master, You can dismiss Your servant in peace for my eyes have witnessed Your saving deed.” He saw an infant, a child like any other but he saw more, not with his two eyes but with the eyes of his heart, the eyes of faith. In a way, in an interior way God appeared to Simeon gifting him with faith. He truly saw salvation, the Christ. Note that Simeon also said, “...a light displayed for all the peoples to see.” Simeon’s proclamation is a very important teaching, a revelation directed to us; we are “all the peoples” he referred to. In this life God does not appear to us as He will in heaven where we will see Him face to face but He does appear, our God makes His presence known. God is Presence itself!

 

The Lord appears to us in His power, His goodness, His love. By the gift of faith He gathers us to celebrate this Holy Mass; your faith, my faith is the direct result of His hidden appearance, of His presence to you, to me. There is no doubt about this! When we are moved to charity, compassion, generosity, these acts are the effects of His hidden presence. We do not see God, but, in a way, we see with faith His outstretched hand. This is no less real than seeing God face to face - only different...for now. We not only recall but also experience the prophecy “...and mankind shall see the salvation of God.” We are that ‘mankind’.

 

Shortly, we will look upon and receive the Lord in Holy Communion. The Consecrated Host is lifted up and we see the Eucharistic Face of Jesus Christ, the salvation “displayed for all the peoples.” Perhaps, a better word than ‘see’ is ‘perceive’; we perceive in our hearts through faith that the Lord Himself is present, has come to you, to me, to this community - truly a wonder and a very sacred reality, a very sacred encounter, certainly the most sacred in this life.

 

The reading from the Prophet Baruch ended with: “For God is leading Israel in joy” -let us change that- For God is leading us “in joy by the light of His glory with His mercy and justice for company.”

Lord, that we may see, perceive, know this because clearly it is Your will, Your desire, delight of Your heart, Your relentless love for us. For we are Yours and will be Yours always.

 

by Fr. John Denburger

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Prayer: “Hidden God, devoutly I adore you, Truly present underneath these veils: All my heart subdues itself before you, Since it all before you faints and fails. Not to sight, or taste, or touch be credit, Hearing only do we trust secure; I believe, for God the Son has said it -- Word of Truth that ever shall endure.”—Saint Thomas Aquinas (Adoro Te Devote)

 

Quote from a Saint: “Day by day follow God’s path, keeping Him closely attached to you by His promise. …In an invisible way, He is present in the eye of the mind, making Himself seen by those who have a pure heart and conversing with them. So pursue your path….”--  St Theodore the Studite

 

Questions for reflection:

1. Do you think of the events of the Gospels as things that actually happened? The rulers and events surrounding Jesus can be confirmed. Does that make Jesus more “real” to you?

2. How often do you read the Gospels and consider that these are historical documents? Would doing this change how you read the Gospels?

3. In what ways has God appeared to you?

4. “When we are moved to charity, compassion, generosity, these acts are the effects of His hidden presence.” How has God’s hidden presence moved you to act differently towards others?

5. Do you engage in acts of charity out of love for your neighbor? Why or why not?

6. Do you recognize the Eucharistic Face of Jesus when you look at the Consecrated Host? Do you perceive that He is present? Does it feel like a sacred encounter?

7. Do you see God leading you in joy?

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP

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Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 705: Fiat : A Reflection on the Presentation of Mary (Luke 1 :26-38)

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26  In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

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29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

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30Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

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34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”

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35 And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

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36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; 37 for nothing will be impossible for God.”

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38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

 

According to the Roman Breviary this feast [The Presentation of Mary] commemorates the dedication of the Church of St. Mary built in Jerusalem near the site of the temple. With Christians of the East, the Latin Church also recalls on this day the tradition according to which Mary, as a small child, was presented to the Lord by her parents in the Temple.

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In a way this feast anticipates that moment when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her and told of God’s favor, of the awesome role God had in mind for her. “You shall conceive and bear a Son...the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” And to this grace beyond all understanding Mary replied, “How can this be” and then with trusting surrender, “Let it be done to me as you say!”

 

How could this feast of the Presentation of Mary anticipate the Annunciation? It seems to me that there is a kind of betrothal that happens. It is not unlike two families coming together to pledge an espousal for the future. In this case there are Mary's parents, Joachim and Ann and, if you will, the family of God, the Most Holy Trinity. Something most unique, yet to be revealed, has happened.

 

Could it not be said that it was a kind of ceremony that Mary had been spoken for? The wondrous favor of God rested upon her long before this moment; in her Immaculate Conception, God has chosen her, favored her. As Zechariah prophesied, “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! See I am coming to dwell among you.”

 

Mary’s fiat is found not only in the angel’s visitation but also as St. Matthew reports, “She did the will of the Father” and as St Luke writes of her, “She pondered the Word.” She bore the mystery of being chosen and in that she speaks to us, she invites us, calls us to follow her example, humbly given. We too have been spoken for; we belong to God, we are His. In this Our Lady speaks to us, “Because you too are chosen, spoken for then ‘Do whatever He tells you’.” What could be clearer than that - to ponder having been chosen and to live this grace faithfully and gratefully - truly a mark that our lives are Marian directed and Jesus focused.

 

Fr. John Denburger

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Prayer: “Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.”

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Quote from a Saint: “Let us live as the Blessed Virgin lived: loving God only, desiring God only, trying to please God only in all that we do.”--  St John Vianney

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Questions for reflection:

1. How can you imitate Mary’s surrender in your own life? What affect could that have on how you live?

2. “She did the will of the Father” and “She pondered the word.” How could you use Mary’s example to help form your spiritual life? What kind of benefits can you reap from following God’s will and thinking on God’s Word?

3. In what ways do we see Mary’s “fiat” throughout the Gospels? How can these episodes teach you to live your own “fiat” to God’s plan for your life?

4. Do have a devotion to Mary? How does she lead you to Jesus?

5. Are there any Marian devotions that you practice? Do you pray the Rosary?

6. Is anything holding you back from having a devotion to Mary or any of the other saints? Have you read the teachings of the Church about Mary and the saints?

7. Have you ever had to defend the Church’s teachings about Mary? Do you feel equipped to explain that Catholics are not worshipping Mary and the saints? What resources have you used to obtain a better understanding about this subject.

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP

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Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 704: Jesus’ Calling : A Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 4 : 18-22)

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18 As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.

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19 He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

 

21 He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.

 

He called them, 22 and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.

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“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men”. Jesus always calls his disciples – each one of us. With some, this calling is very explicit. Most monks and nuns have a story about their calling, that moment in their lives when everything changed forever. For some, it was a very contemplative, silent, crystal-clear moment when we know that God exists and our life makes sense in Him. For others, this calling came as a turmoil, an upheaval, when everything turned upside down for a long time, and when the dust subsided – we were changed. And for many, maybe for most, this calling seems silent, never coming. In fact, I have heard many people saying, “Father, I never felt Jesus’ call in my life”.

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But Pope Benedict XVI, in his very first homily as a Pope, says that there as many vocations, as many callings in the Church, as there are baptized disciples. Each Baptism is a calling. In this sense, a religious vocation is a calling inside the universal calling to holiness. But I also would like to point [out] that, oftentimes, we prefer not to hear Jesus’ calling. Because his calling demands commitment, a radical change in our lives. And it is far easier to be mediocre and lukewarm than coherent and fervent.

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A calling is not a mystical privilege: it is a calling to die, to leave everything that we most love, take up our Cross and follow a lonely Christ, who has not where to lay his head. Maybe that is because Jesus’ calling looks so silent to many: because we are afraid of what we might hear. Discipleship is a blessed calling and a happy experience. But this blessedness and this happiness is not cheap; it is meaningful. It costs our life. May we follow St Andrew’s example and answer to Jesus every time he calls us.

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Fr. Gabriel Vecchi

 

Prayer: “Jesus, my Good Shepherd, You speak to me each and every day. You are constantly revealing to me Your most holy will for my life. Help me to always recognize Your gentle voice so that I can be led by You through the challenges of life. May my life of prayer become so deep and sustaining that Your voice always echoes within my heart and soul. Jesus, I trust in You.”

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Quote from a Saint:"Sometimes we think that we don't hear God's voice. Not because He isn't speaking but because we have the volume of the world way too loud."-- Saint Teresa of Calcutta

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Questions for reflection:

1. Have you ever thought of yourself as a “fisher of men”? Have you invited someone to come to Mass with you or answered questions about Catholicism? Do you live your life in a way that attracts people to the Church? What other ways have you been a fisher of men?

2. Have you experienced being called by Jesus? Was it a peaceful, crystal-clear calling or did it come through turmoil?

3. If you do not feel that you have experience a calling do you think it is because you, perhaps, don’t want to hear the calling?

4. Do you routinely give God time to talk to you through such activities as silent prayer or adoration?

5. Baptism is the universal calling to holiness. How has this calling played out in your life? Do you foster this calling to holiness? If you don’t feel like you have heard a specific calling from God, has this universal calling provided you with a direction for your life?

6. Reflect on this passage: “Because his calling demands commitment, a radical change in our lives. And it is far easier to be mediocre and lukewarm than coherent and fervent.” Do you agree that it is easier to be lukewarm than fervent? In what ways? Why is it more fruitful to be coherent and fervent?

7. Do you feel like Jesus’ calling is something to be feared because it is difficult or a challenge to live your life in the way He wants you to live?

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP

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Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 703: The End of All Things : A Reflection on the Gospel of Mark (Mark 13 : 24-32)

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24 “But in those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

 

26 And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, 27and then he will send out the angels and gather [his] elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

 

28 “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates.

 

30 Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

 

32“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

 

     “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”. As the liturgical year draws to a close, the liturgy invites us to reflect on the things that pass away and the things that remain in our lives. It is not exactly a pleasant topic: reflecting on the end of everything. On the end of the things we love, the people we love, and ultimately on our own end.

 

    Many years ago, when I visited a hospital and witnessed the suffering of a child with a severe and rare illness, I said to myself: I want to be prepared for my end, and I want God to prepare me for the end of those I love. I then began to pray that God would prepare me for the end of my parents’ lives. They were both in good health at the time, but I began to pray daily for this grace: that God would prepare me for the end of the lives of my parents whom I loved so much.

 

    Seven years later, my father’s health began to decline. It did not seem serious at first – he was in no pain, but we could not find out what was wrong with him. But when the diagnosis came, it was a shock: he had gallbladder cancer, which was already metastatic, widely spread in his liver and pancreas. A few days later, he went to the ICU. At that moment, my superior allowed me to visit him. And I said to myself and then to my mother and sisters: “This is dad’s Easter. And we must prepare ourselves for it. It is the most important moment of his life. And we are going to live it as the disciples of Christ that we are.” I gave the anointing of the sick and absolution to my unconscious father, and at home, I celebrated Mass every day on this intention. Every time I visited him in the hospital, I always told him how much we all loved him, how important he was to us, but that he should go in peace. That was his end, and our end would come later, not so long after his. Finally, I asked my mom to reconcile with my father, giving him her forgiveness, asking for his forgiveness, and expressing her love for him. He passed away twelve hours later. I celebrated the funeral Mass as if it were Easter.

 

    Of course, none of this was easy. But I learned a lot from my dad’s Easter. I learned that even heaven and earth will pass away, that my dad and I myself will pass away, but that the love we cherish for those we love never passes away – because this love is the very essence of Christ’s words, and of the person of God himself: God is love.

 

    While I celebrated my dad’s funeral Mass, I felt God saying to me: “Now you go and love every human being with the love you had for your father.” I don’t always succeed, but I never forget this lesson. Love is only love when it is incarnated. God is only a meaningful God when He becomes incarnate in our lives and saves us from our chaos. And He saves us when He loves us and He becomes incarnate in us when we love others as He loves us. It’s not easy, but that’s the meaning of life.

 

    Jesus compares our life to that of the fig tree, which gives signs that the end is approaching. God gives us many signs. It’s up to us to accept them or not. When Jesus speaks of the end, he is not so much speaking of the end of life and time, but he is speaking about the end, the purpose, the goal of our lives: which is to love as God loves us, even to the point of sacrificing our lives, which is what Jesus did once and for all on Calvary and which we are celebrating now, in this Mass. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” our lives will pass away, all those we love will pass away. “But my words” and the love behind them “will not pass away.” May God fill our hearts with much love, with a love that never passes away and that will never end – even after the end of times.

 

Fr. Gabriel Vecchi

 

Prayer: “O God, great and omnipotent judge of the living and the dead, we are to appear before you after this short life to render an account of our works. Give us the grace to prepare for our last hour by a devout and holy life, and protect us against a sudden and unprovided death. Let us remember our frailty and mortality, that we may always live in the ways of your commandments. Teach us to "watch and pray" (Lk 21:36), that when your summons comes for our departure from this world, we may go forth to meet you, experience a merciful judgment, and rejoice in everlasting happiness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

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Quote from a Saint: “Live so as not to fear death. For those who live well in the world, death is not frightening but sweet and precious.” – St. Rose of Viterbo

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Questions for reflection:

1. Do you think that it is important to start preparing spiritually for the end of the world and your earthly life?

2. Do you pray to be prepared for the death of your loved ones? How does this concept make you feel? Do you think that doing this on a regular basis could help you to prepare for your own or your loved one’s death?

3. Have you thought of the time of someone’s passing as being their Easter? Do you agree that the time just before someone’s death is the most important moment of their life?

4. “And we are going to live it as the disciples of Christ that we are.” How can you, as a person accompanying someone at the time of their death, live as a disciple of Christ? What does that look like?

5. Have you ever lost anyone close to you? After reading this homily do you think these concepts could have helped you get through that time of loss?

6. Have you started to prepare for your own death? What do those preparations look like? What benefits does such preparation give you and your family?

7. Do you love the people around you with the same love you have for your family members? Why is important to do so?

8. How do your actions convey God’s love out into the world? Do you consider this to be the meaning of life?

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP

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Oratory of Divine Love Reflection 702: Our Family in Heaven : A Reflection on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and the Gospel of John (Isaiah 61 : 9-11 & John 15 : 1-8)

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​[Isaiah]

Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

 

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

 

[John]

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

 

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.

 

 

The words of God through the prophet Isaiah most fittingly describe the saints - canonized or not - of the huge Benedictine Family, centuries old. Our own brothers beginning with Brother Denis and recently ending with Brother Walter are crowned, clothed with a robe of salvation, wrapped in a mantle of justice, embraced in the eternal love of God. They knew that God’s hand was upon them so they sought, they found, they lived Benedictine life and now repose in that love forever, never ending and always new. These monks and nuns are the bridegrooms, the brides in Jesus, the Bridegroom whom they see face to face.

 

The reading from Isaiah and the Gospel of John speak of growth, of fruitfulness, the very reality that must mark our vowed lives as it did our brothers and sisters now assumed into eternal life. Our growth, our fruitfulness is never too haphazard, or of our own choosing. The Sacred Word could not be any clearer: “The fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5: 22ff)

 

These monks and nuns entered into eternal glory not yet perfect, not without faults or weaknesses but in the moment of death all were consumed in God’s love and all were transformed completely into an eternal communion with the Most Holy Trinity. The anointing with grace begun in this life was complete, total, fulfilled beyond all imagination, beyond all joy.

 

Someone made this comment: “Even God is not successful in bringing forth all the plants but He is faithful to the process.” Being aware of our own limits, our inadequacies, we pray, in our efforts to grow in grace, to be faithful to this sacred process, to live each day with the strength of God’s grace, with the mindfulness of His presence, with renewed resolve.  Here and now we are surrounded by witnesses beyond number, may their presence be our encouragement, our inspiration and our peace.

 

Fr. John Denburger

 

Prayer: “Lord, I believe: I wish to believe in Thee. Lord, let my faith be full and unreserved, and let it penetrate my thought, my way of judging Divine things and human things. Lord, let my faith be joyful and give peace and gladness to my spirit, and dispose it for prayer with God and conversation with men, so that the inner bliss of its fortunate possession may shine forth in sacred and secular conversation. Lord, let my faith be humble and not presume to be based on the experience of my thought and of my feeling; but let it surrender to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, and not have any better guarantee than in docility to Tradition and to the authority of the magisterium of the Holy Church. Amen.”

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Quote from a Saint “If we wish to make any progress in the service of God we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness.”– St. Charles Borromeo

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Questions for reflection:

1. How do you remember, honor, and pray for those in your family and community that have gone before you?

2. Being a member of a religious order, either as a professed or a lay member, makes you part of a wider religious family that spreads across the church militant, suffering and triumphant. Are you or have you considered membership in an order? Do you think that would help you in your quest for Heaven?

3. Have you given much consideration as to how you are growing in faith? Have you ever considered that you should be growing in your faith and producing fruit?

4. What do you imagine that it will be like to be “consumed in God’s love” at the time of your death?

5. Are you “faithful to this sacred process”? Are you mindful of God’s presence in your everyday life?

6. When you are at Mass you are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. When you attend Mass do you meditate on this fact? How does this change the way you look at Mass? Does their presence help you to feel supported and encouraged?

7. Are you concerned with your growth in grace? Have you ever prayed to grow in grace?

--Benjamin & Kristen Rinaldo, CfP