Do you ever doubt that God will give you everything you need when you follow Him? - Daily Reflections May 30,2014

THE FATHER WILL GIVE US ALL THAT WE NEED

 

The promise of Jesus at the end of today’s Gospel reading is not a blank check for anything that we might desire. The context in which the promise is made clearly indicates to us that the person asking the blessings of the Father is a disciple who wants to proclaim the Kingdom of God. This effectively limits the promise to those things that we need for our faith walk with Jesus.

       That’s a bit of a pity, you might say. Well, yes and no. It is ridiculous to think that God will give everyone everything they want without any basis for it. But it makes a lot of sense that He would give all that is needed for the proclamation of the Gospel. That is His stated objective throughout the Scriptures and at the heart of every revelation through the lives of the saints. What Jesus is really saying is that those who seek to serve the Kingdom will not find God wanting in providing the means to do exactly that.

       The saints know that this is true — it is one of the secrets of their success. They simply trust that when they act on the will of God, He will provide everything that is needed to accomplish His will. It takes a lot of courage to step out and launch a new Church initiative that needs huge funding. However, we cannot sit around and do nothing for fear of looking like a fool if the funding does not come.

       Let us follow the path of discipleship without concern for how we will look in the eyes of others as that will only hinder us from obeying God. Let us always seek to put the mission and ministry of the Gospel first so that all may come to know the gift of salvation in their lives. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you ever doubt that God will give you everything you need when you follow Him?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to let go of my need to look good in front of others and to put Christ above everything in my life.

 

Have you been through any suffering? How did it turn into joy? - Daily Reflections May 29,2014

THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM

 

In one of the Psalms, we read that crying may endure through the night but joy comes with the morning. This is often so true of discipleship. Jesus tells His disciples that it will look as though the powers of the world have triumphed and that they, His disciples, have lost. However that is not the case. Things are not always as they first seem to be, as sorrow will ultimately turn to joy.

       Jesus is referring at least in the first instance to His own passion, death and then resurrection. The first two aspects reflect defeat while the third speaks of a final victory. The first two are overcome by the third. This is also often the pattern in discipleship. There are many false starts and dead ends in a disciple’s life as we grow in listening to God’s will and then putting it into action. There are times when we make mistakes and have to turn back to find the right path again, but in the end, if we are faithful to the work of the Holy Spirit in and through us, we triumph. This is God’s work in us.

       Even if we look at the world around us and see the walls of materialism, consumerism and secularism closing in on us, we can be tempted to despair as we look at defeat in the face. However, we need to look beyond seeming defeat and trust that there is always another conclusion if we have faith in Jesus Christ. The life of a faithful Christian no longer considers defeat to the powers of evil as a possibility since Christ is risen from the dead.

       It is the victory of Christ that we celebrate at Easter; it is that same victory that we live on a daily basis. It is not an option to consider defeat as that would be an insult to Jesus. Let us pray that we not only receive the gift of God’s victory but that we both live it and proclaim it at every opportunity we get. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Have you been through any suffering? How did it turn into joy?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to live a victorious Christian life that sees no defeat in any of the projects of the Church. Help me to live under the grace of God for my salvation.

Are you using your free will in your life in a way that gives glory to God? - Daily Reflections May 28,2014

GIVING GLORY TO GOD

 

       The importance of embracing the truth becomes evident when we understand that our lives are supposed to give glory to God. There is nothing more integral to the glory of God than the beauty of truth. As we reflected yesterday, we live in a world trying to sideline the importance of truth. We do this to our own peril and that of the society in which we live. If we want a just society, then it must be built on the truth.

       When convenience and personal preference are our primary guides in decision making, we are in trouble. When expediency and pragmatism are the foundations of our moral reasoning, we are also in trouble. Yes, they play a part but only insofar as they serve the truth. Truth is the bedrock upon which society must build its norms and practices.

       The Roman Empire collapsed because its society had degenerated to the point of virtually becoming amoral in its approach to many things. Western society today is quickly approaching the same level of amorality in many issues surrounding human reproductive practices. There is an agenda behind Planned Parenthood’s support of contraception and abortion on demand. They want to control the reproductive rights of the people of the Third World countries so as to lessen their impact on the use of the world’s resources. There is little or no concern for the people of developing countries other than to lessen the effect they might have on the way the Western people choose to live. The question of the morality of the practices involved is never addressed because they are immoral in both act and intent.

       The only way a person can give true glory to God is by exercising their God-given free choice when it comes to their actions. This free choice must be guided by the truth and not by the underhand intentions of a powerful minority, however numerous that minority may be. It is the truth that speaks of the beauty of God’s creation and nothing else. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are you using your free will in your life in a way that gives glory to God?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to live the truth in love every day of my life so that I will never lose any opportunity to give glory to God.

How do you defend life? - Daily Reflections May 27,2014

DEFENDING LIFE

 

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to convict us of sin in our lives. We live in a day and age of denial, and the primary denial taking place concerns the nature of the human person. Many academics deny that there is anything fundamental to the structure or the psyche of the human person, such that there might be demands made upon the actions of the individual. They might not say it in exactly the same words, but what I have just expressed is the fundamental basis of the relativistic skepticism that permeates much of today’s society. “There are no absolute truths” is the catch phrase or slogan of this trend — that what is true for me may not necessarily be true for you. This may  be the case, but there must be some truths regarding the human person, otherwise there is no basis for morality or any order in society.

       Access to abortion is one of the key issues. Abortion, in its most basic description, is the killing of an innocent, unborn child. Proponents of abortion on demand use the word “fetus” to describe the child because it does not connote the same sense of personhood as the word “child.” The language of the people is focused on the woman’s self-determination and her so-called “rights” in this regard. They never speak of the rights of the unborn child to live.

       The problem with their argument is they never speak about the responsibilities of the people involved to avoid pregnancy if they are not yet ready to become parents. No one has a right to have sex just because they want it. The act of sex is one person’s gift to the other as part of a committed relationship. Human beings have a natural human appetite for sex and, as such, it should be subject to the moral demands of self-control.

       Our world is growing in its disregard for human life. There can never be a just society where the weakest and least able to protect and even speak for themselves are regarded as alien invaders of another person’s rights and could be destroyed without a second thought. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How do you defend life?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to be a firm defender of life in all its beauty and fragility. Help me to stand up for those least able to defend themselves. Help me to work for the abolition of all legal statutes that are antithetical to the dignity of human life from conception to natural death.

In what area of your life do you still rebel against God? - Daily Reflections May 20,2014

HE HAS NO POWER OVER ME

 

The title of this reflection is critical to the life of a disciple of Jesus. Jesus tells us that “the ruler of this world” is coming — Satan is alive and kicking, so to speak. However, the important thing about this is not that Satan is still alive, but that he has no power over Jesus — and over us as well because of His generosity with us. Do you believe this? If you don’t, then it would be virtually impossible for you to grow as a disciple of Jesus. If you believe, then the possibilities are endless.

       Jesus is aware, even before He entered His passion, death and resurrection, that He is going to be victorious. He is telling His disciples, and that includes anyone who chooses to follow Him, that they will share in His victory, too. Why? So that we will all be able to return to the Father. Sin has separated us from our Father in heaven. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden for eating fruit from the tree of Good and Evil. Jesus has come to dwell with us in order to reunite us with His Father. That is why Jesus shares His victory with us — in order to help us on our journey to heaven.

       As we reflect upon the victory of Christ this Easter, we are called to not just be spectators of the events but to participate in them and to receive their effects. Is there anything more that we could reasonably ask for from God? He has been as generous as He possibly can without taking our free will from us. It is up to us to use our free will to make a better choice than Adam and Eve in the Garden. Are we going to be obedient to the promises of our Baptism, namely to reject Satan and follow Jesus? Or are we going to continue in the rebellious ways of Adam and Eve and so many others? Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: In what area of your life do you still rebel against God?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to realize that, to a certain degree, my destiny is in my hands. Help me to follow Christ as His disciple so that I may share in the rewards and blessings of eternal life.

How open are you to the call of God in your life? - Daily Reflections May 16,2014

TO WHOM ELSE CAN WE TURN?

 

Earlier on in John’s Gospel, Jesus turned to the disciples and asked them if they wanted to leave Him, too, as many were deciding to give up their life of discipleship simply because it was too hard.

       In today’s Gospel we hear the expanded reason why Peter tells Jesus that they do not want to leave. In chapter six, he reasons out that they have no one else to turn to and follow. Here we find this expressed in more positive ways in terms of Jesus being the Way, the Truth and the Life. What does this mean to us?

       There is no simple answer that fits every person. We must discover for ourselves how Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life for each of us. We cannot allow our faith to rest on the shoulders of others alone. We must personalize it for our own needs. Each of us is unique in the eyes of both God and the world. We have our talents and we have our needs, distinct from each other. Jesus can meet these needs and develop our talents only if we are willing to work with Him and the Holy Spirit in this task.

       As we meditate upon this truth today and ask ourselves what we can do to develop our life of faith, we can be sure that Jesus will provide for anything that is lacking. There is never any reason to despair as a disciple of Jesus because we have a God who is in control of providence. He is the Master of the Universe and so nothing is impossible for Him. Jesus invites us to share in His perfect experience of the Father’s love and providence. I think we are mad if we do not readily accept this invitation with our whole hearts.

       Unfortunately, there are those who think they know better than God, or that they do not need Him, or can find another excuse to ignore His call. Let us be sure that we are not that person. Let us be sure that we are always ready to open our hearts and minds to the grace and blessings of God. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How open are you to the call of God in your life?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to open my heart to Jesus today and to open it unreservedly because He is my Lord and Master — the all-loving, all-powerful and all-generous living God.

When was the last time you took a serious look at the service that you offer to the Church? Can you do more? Should you do more?- Daily Reflections May 15,2014

THE CHURCH IS HIERARCHICAL

 

Whenever there is authority involved, there is always a hierachy. The degree to which the hierarchy is prominent or not largely depends on how authority is exercised. Is it exercised from above as a means to command others to do things, or is it implemented with love in and through the natural network of relationships that exist in everyone’s lives?

       Christ is an example of the latter. Too often, the way we exercise authority in our human organizations reflects the former. What can we do about the exercise of authority in the Church?

       Ultimately, the Pope exercises the ultimate authority in the Church, under the guidance of and in submission to Christ. This is why I particularly like one of the traditional titles of the Pope namely, “Servant of the Servants of God.” This title catches something of the reality that we need to see in the exercise of authority within the Church. It is neither self-seeking nor self-aggrandizing; it must always be exercised in the service of others and, in particular, service of the poor.

       The example of Jesus’ life is paramount here. He came to serve and not to be served. We ought to reflect upon this truth as it tells us the nature of His motivation as well as the expression of the service He performs. This is what we see expressed in His ministry, passion, death and resurrection. As such, Jesus is the primary model of service; Mary and the saints follow His perfect example and become models that we can look up to for inspiration. This is why it is important that we know about the lives of the saints. Sure, you can tell me about your favorite sports person or actor. What about the life of your favorite saint — if you have one?

       As we continue in the spirit of the Easter season, let us embrace the grace of the resurrection and its power to help us lay down our lives in the service of the Church and one another. Let us not miss the grace and opportunity that God is giving us to serve. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: When was the last time you took a serious look at the service that you offer to the Church? Can you do more? Should you do more?

 

Holy Spirit, grant me the grace of a servant’s heart so that I will never lose sight of the call to place my life at Your feet in the service of the Kingdom of God.

How can you love more faithfully? - Daily Reflections May 14,2014

LOVE IS THE ANSWER

 

It is stating the obvious, and probably a cliché as well, to say that love is the answer to the world’s problems. However, despite this, it is still the truth. Jesus calls all who follow Him to recognize that the most fundamental expression of our faith is the call to love one another. If we fail in this, we fail to be faithful to the Gospel as He proclaims it. This is the challenge that stands before us every day of our lives.

       Love is not an easy thing to grasp today as we use the word in so many different contexts that it is difficult to focus on its truest meaning, which is an unconditional commitment to the other person, always seeking his best interest but never demanding a response. As sinful human beings, we often focus on ourselves rather than the other person. Love has a significant component of trust attached to it — that if I give myself unconditionally to others, I trust that they will respond likewise with me. This isn’t often the case, as sin takes over and we hoard love rather than allowing ourselves to be channels and sharers of love with others.

       As we continue to reflect upon the message of Easter and as we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthias, the one who replaced Judas, let us renew our commitment to love selflessly. Christianity does not hold a mortgage on the idea of selfless love but, in my opinion, it does have a far greater consistent witness than any other faith expression. The sheer number of martyrs in the Church is a testimony to this.

       This is not to say that Christians and the Church have always been the best possible witness to selfless love. There are many examples of sin that directly contradict this message. However, such examples are relatively rare when taken in the context of the whole. Nevertheless, we must continue to strive, both as individuals and the Church, to root out all contrary witnesses to love and refocus our lives on the imitation of Jesus, who came to give His life — in love — as a ransom for us sinners. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Are you aware of the ways in which you both succeed and fail in bearing witness to love in the world? How can you love more faithfully?

 

Jesus, help me to receive the love that You are offering me each day and, thus, allow it to transform my life and enable me to love others better.

How strong is your faith relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Are there things that you can do to strengthen these relationships? - Daily Reflections May 12,2014

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SHEPHERD   As I write this reflection, we have had a new pope for about a month. In that short span of time, Pope Francis has surprised us with his ability and willingness to engage all who are willing to engage with him. Herein lies what I think will be one of the lasting legacies of his papacy. He will be remembered for his ability and willingness to listen and then to act pastorally on what he has heard. His theology is similar to that of Benedict XVI; however, his pastoral manner is much simpler and perhaps more empathetic, both visually and in practice. Each man has his gifts and this is the gift that Francis brings to his leadership of the Church.        The agenda of Vatican II was to call the Church back to its roots so that it can better engage with the world in a dialogue and, thus, enable it to bear witness to the Gospel truths and call forth the gift of conversion among the People of God. Pope Francis seems to be shepherding the Church in this very direction as he calls for consistency between both the faith as we understand it and the faith as we live and express it. Traditionally speaking, his call is for both the fides qua (the personal act of faith, the faith with which I or we believe) and fides quae (the doctrinal content that I or we believe) to be in lockstep with one another.        This is critical both from a leadership point of view and from the standpoint of effective evangelization. Pope Francis is demonstrating a return to the idea that faith is all about the relationships that it nourishes and not just about doctrinal practice or purity. Yes, the latter is important, essential even, but without the lived experience and witness, it is all words and will be ineffective in convincing people that the doctrines of the Church actually reflect the truth as God wants us to live it.        Let us all join with Pope Francis in strengthening the relationships we have so that we will be more secure in our faith and be more effective in witnessing to it. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL   REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How strong is your faith relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Are there things that you can do to strengthen these relationships?   Holy Spirit, lead me to deepen my relationship with the Trinity. I want to draw the fullness of life that You offer me through the gift of Your grace.

How do you value the sacraments of the Church? Do you avail of their graces as often as possible? - Daily Reflections May 9,2014

EATING THE FLESH OF CHRIST

 

I always find it a bit difficult to understand why it is only the Catholic Church and those in full union with Her that take this text literally. For all the talk about the inerrant Word of God that emanates from the writings of Protestant theologians, there is an embarrassing silence when it comes to understanding this Eucharistic imagery in John 6. Jesus seems to be very serious about the imagery as He repeats it a number of times. This ought to make us seriously consider that what He is saying is a sacramental and not simply a sign. The union to which God is calling us is deeper than that of a mere sign — it is a personal invitation to enter into a personal relationship and everything else that it involves.

       As Catholics, it is good for us to take this moment to reflect on our understanding of the Eucharist, in fact all of the sacraments, and the way they invite us to enter into a deeper relationship with Christ. The gift of the sacraments to the Church is one that has been highly undervalued in the last few decades. It is time for us to rediscover the wonder and gift they are to us, and so draw from the abundance of graces they make available to us. Sure, they are not the only avenues through which we can avail of God’s grace, but they are important ones. Let us never take them for granted, or they will become like muscles that have atrophied for lack of use.

       It is not just up to the priests of the Church to instill enthusiasm in us. We all have to take responsibility for developing and deepening our understanding of the faith. This is a part of developing our gratitude to God for all that He has done for us. Gratitude is a great motivator in recognizing the nature of the blessing that comes with the gifts God bestows on us. Let us never forget what we owe God for His generous love for us. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How do you value the sacraments of the Church? Do you avail of their graces as often as possible?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to open my heart to the avenues of grace that You offer me. I do not want to miss anything that You have for me.

How do you understand the dignity of the human person? Are you willing to attribute the rights you want for yourself to other persons as well? - Daily Reflections May 7,2014

FREEDOM IS FOUND IN OBEDIENCE

 

Pope Francis is very clear on this matter. True freedom is experienced in obedience to God’s will for our lives — obedience in living our lives according to the beauty and dignity of the human person we had been created to be. Most people, and probably a majority of Christians, will contradict what I have just written. How can it be freedom if it is obedience — doing what someone else tells you to do? This sentiment is derived from an incorrect understanding of freedom. Freedom is not the license to do whatever we want to do; true freedom is the opportunity we have been given to live according to the people we have been created to be by God.

       Any act that does not reflect the dignity of the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God, is not a truly free act. It is an act of slavery, an act governed by the power of sin at work in the world and in the individual’s life.

       What does it mean to be free? There are many answers to this question, but the correct answer should be rooted in the Scriptural understanding of the human person being created in the image and likeness of God. What is at stake in the various definitions of freedom is really the more fundamental understanding of the human person tied to the understanding of freedom.

       More often than not, the world’s understanding of freedom is tied to an incoherent understanding of the human person who wants to attribute rights to only a limited number of people and not everyone. This is where the Church stands out as one of the very few, and maybe the only group, arguing that whatever dignity and rights we attribute to one class of people has to be attributed to all. Hence the Church’s stance against euthanasia and abortion and its teachings on sexual and social justice matters. There are times when the Church is not the best example of its own teachings, but at least it has a coherent position. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How do you understand the dignity of the human person? Are you willing to attribute the rights you want for yourself to other persons as well?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to see and wonder at the beauty and dignity of the human person created in the image and likeness of God. I want to be able to see You in all people

Are you open to receiving even more than what you think you want? - Daily Reflections May 2,2014

WHY SO MANY LEFTOVERS?

 

Sometimes I wonder why there are so many leftovers after the feeding miracle. We see this in all the different Gospel accounts of this miracle. This miracle is the only one that appears in all of the Gospel accounts. Each of the Gospel writers attests to the many leftovers, so we are left to ask ourselves: Why are there so many leftovers?

       Perhaps one of the reasons for the excess in the food is to demonstrate the bounty of God — that is, God does not just provide enough. He provides far more than we would need because that is the God that He is — a God of abundant love, mercy and providence. This abundance is supposed to give us confidence that God will be equally abundant with the graces we need to sustain our spiritual lives and, if not equally abundant, then even more so.

       God did not create us just to abandon us after we let Him down through our sins. He will never abandon us, no matter how far we stray from His presence. He will always seek us out and woo us back into His presence. The abundance of God’s love for us is the reason behind the abundance of food when Jesus performs the feeding miracles. As such, let us reflect upon this message as we consider today’s Gospel.

       God’s love is something we should not place a measure on, as this only limits our capacity to receive from His infinite store of love, grace and blessings. Yes, we are limited in our capacity to receive due to our mortality, but let us not personally decide where these limits might be as I am sure that God has other ideas. After all, being our Creator, He has the capacity to increase our capability to receive His love. The message of Isaiah in Chapter 54, where we are told to increase the size of our tent, is an indication of this. Let us never limit God with our own limited expectations and shortcomings. Let us be as expansive as we can in order to receive all that He has for us. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What are your expectations when it comes to receiving the graces and gifts that God has for you? Are you open to receiving even more than what you think you want?

 

Jesus, help me to expand the horizons of my thoughts and visions as to Your call upon my life so that I would never limit You from using me to do Your will in building Your Kingdom..