July 28, 2012 - Matthew 13:24-30

In today's Gospel, Jesus uses a parable to teach the crowds about the Kingdom of Heaven. The parable is about a man who sowed good seeds in his field and then retired for the night to sleep. Then, while he was sleeping, an enemy came in the night and planted bad seeds all through his field so that weeds would choke off his crop. When the crop started producing, so did the weeds and both grew together in the field. However, to avoid his wheat from being pulled up with the weeds, he asked his slaves to "Let them grow together until the harvest" (Mt 13:30). This way the wheat would have fully taken root and the weeds could be pulled with damaging the crop.

 

I am reminded of the many times I try to give my children stong advice. The advice I give them is the wheat and the distractions, bad influences, choices they make, are the weeds. In time, I know that the advice I give them will eventually take root. And when I see them act on the advice I give them, I know then that the weeds in their lives have become weak. Those weeds that were preventing them from making good decisions, have been pulled from their life garden. God knows that we are going to be tempted all the time while we strive to be good. But when the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, we should be ready like the crop at harvest time to reap all the good we have done so that we can take the bad and "tie them in bundles for burning" (Mt 13-30).

 

 

Meditation: Matthew 13:24-30 (http://wau.org/meditations/2012/07/28)

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July 25, 2012 - Mt 20:20-28

 

In today's Gospel, the verse that I chose to reflect on is "Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matt 20:28). When the mother of the son's of Zebedee came to Jesus to ask him to command her sons to sit at his right and left, Jesus responded, "My chalice you will indeed drink (speaking about her sons), but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

 

This response from Jesus is a good example of how Jesus always humbled himself before God. He never took advantage of his position of God's son. He always kept focus on serving others and never wavered from that, even as he died on the cross.

Meditation: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 (http://wau.org/meditations/2012/07/25)

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July 24, 2012 - Micah 7:14-15, 18-20

Today's first reading reminds me of a very dark period in my life. I was on a course of self-destruction. God was the furthest thing from my mind. I was about to lose my wife, my children and everything that I had built as a family. My father had died just years earlier and I was hell-bent, as they say, to ruin all I had worked for.

 

One day, a dear friend of mine, who to this day I feel God sent to me, took me out to eat at a BBQ restaurant. We were discussing my screwed up life and he presented to me an analogy that I will never forget. Much like today's first reading, he began by pointing at my now dirty plate of food I had left behind. He said, "You see that plate in front of you? Those are your sins, and when they wash that plate after your done, it will be cleaned as new." "That's how God forgives our sins" he continued. "He allows us to start over and he doesn't care about the sins that are washed away as long as you go to Him and stop sinning".

 

That was my "aha!" moment as Oprah would say. It opened my eyes to a much larger picture of life. Even though I had heard this reading in church many times it had never hit home until that day at the restaurant. I am forever grateful to my friend for that day. Since that time, I have lived a more humble life, not that it has not been free of mistakes, but I go to that day as a reminder that I can start new each and every morning when I go to God for prayer and guidance.

Meditation: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 (http://wau.org/meditations/2012/07/24)

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July 23, 2012 - 6:1-4, 6-8

The last sentence in today's first reading sums up pretty much what God expects of us; "You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God." (Mi 6:8)

God knows we're going to sin. HE knows the thoughts in our minds, he can count the hairs on our head. Wouldn't it be easier to "love goodness, and to walk humbly"? Reflect on this very simple passage to come away with a renewal of spirit. God only wants us to know him and love him with all our heart. Nothing more, nothing less.

Meditation: Micah 6:1-4, 6-8 (http://wau.org/meditations/2012/07/23)

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July 22, 2012 - Mark 6:30-34

Today's gospel teaches us that we do not always have time to ourselves as we would like. Sometimes situations present themselves to us where we are given an opportunity to teach the Word of God or guidance for someone who is hungry for instruction. Our time is valuable and we should always take sometime to ourselves to rest and reflect on God. However, there are times when we are given the instrument of teaching even when we are at our most vulnerable.

 

"God, you are the master teacher and I love you. Give me the wisdom to teach to those who hunger for your words, even when I am exhausted and cannot find time to myself."

Meditation: Mark 6:30-34 (http://wau.org/meditations/2012/07/22)

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July 20, 2012 - Matthew 12:1-8

Choosing mercy over judgement is something you have to practice to master. How many times have we figuratively pointed our finger at someone and say "He's going to hell!" or "Don't associate with that person, he's gay!" Choosing mercy or judgment allows us to focus on the good things about someone. It's not that we are overlooking that person's sin or not giving it a second thought but it's not our job to judge when there is a much higher power already doing that for us. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, those sins included ALL sins, not just the ones we want to pick and choose. We have to trust in the Lord that he's going to address those sins at the proper time for that individual. In the mean time we can focus on the good of ALL people as much we can humanly can.

 

Meditation: Matthew 12:1-8 (http://wau.org/meditations/2012/07/20)

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July 19, 2012 - Matthew 11:28-30

Something wonderful happened to me and my family yesterday. For the past 3 1/2 years, we've been struggling with job loss, health issues and family crisis. It's been a roller coaster ride of emotions that have tested our spiritual strength. We got notified that we were approved for a mortgage reduction on our home. It was a day filled with tears of joy and thanks to our Lord our God. I truly believe that our faith in God has pulled us through. Today's reading in Matthew 11:28-30 teaches us to lay down our spiritual burdens at God's feet. It is only through Him that we find peace and joy in our hearts.

Meditation: Matthew 11:28-30 (http://wau.org/meditations/2012/07/19)

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