Monday of the 4th Week of Easter

Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter (Year 1)
*Good News Reflection*
Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
May 4, 2009
*Today's Readings:*
Acts 11:1-18
Ps 42:2-3, 43:3-4
John 10:1-10
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/050409.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_05_04.mp3
*The gate that leads to breakthroughs*
Are you at an impasse in your spiritual growth or emotional healing or a difficult relationship? Do you need a breakthrough? Do you feel stuck behind a fence that's keeping you on the outside of peace, joy, satisfaction, or healing?
Today's Gospel reading tells us that Jesus is the gate in that fence. He's an open gate. He opened himself to you 2000 years ago. He wants you to reach the heavenly side of the fence, where you can live outside the realm of earthly restrictions — not only when you die and enter eternal life, but now, here, so that you "might have life and have it more abundantly."
What breakthrough are you hoping for? What's frustrating you and seems hopeless? What's causing you to think that a problem you're facing might lead to disaster and destruction?
What will you do this week to follow Jesus more closely so that you can get through this with more abundant peace?
When our paths seem blocked, we can only make progress by letting Jesus shepherd us around and through and over the obstacles.
For example, when a relationship is hurtful and we try to improve it but the other person doesn't want to do the work that's required for growth and healing, Jesus is our open gate. Not only does he comfort us and cry with us, but he also gives us what we don't receive from the other person. Sometimes he leads us to a different pasture, especially if that other person is more like a dangerous wolf than a sheep who's following him.
When God commissions us to do something but others shut the door on us, Jesus is our open gate. He will lead us into a new opportunity for accomplishing the work. When a holy desire seems to have no outlet, instead of complaining or quitting, we must stay close to Jesus so we can follow him through the gate that he's opening wide, even though it will be in a location that at first is not what we expect. Until we get all the way through his gate, we must follow like dumb sheep.
There's a journey to take before we can reach the other side of the fence. The thief that comes to steal and slaughter can only reach us when we quit following Jesus because we've taken our eyes off of him.
Despair and worry are two common thieves. They rob us of peace, joy, satisfaction, and healing. But they're not as powerful as they pretend to be. They do not speak the truth. They are merely trying to make us forget that Jesus is our Good Shepherd and that he's safely guiding us into a life of abundant victory.




© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

4th Sunday of Easter

Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: May 10, 2009
Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA:
To distribute copies of this reflection, please order the
printer-ready leaflet from Catholic Digital Resources:
http://catholicdr.com/calendar/May/Easter5.htm

Next Sunday's Readings:
Acts 9:26-31
Ps 22:26-28, 30-32
1 John 3:18-24
John 15:1-8
http://www.usccb.org/nab/051009.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_05_10.mp3

As we see in next Sunday's Gospel reading, all of us who belong to Christ are fruit-bearing branches of one vine. Jesus is the vine, and because we are all attached to him, we share the same calling: to bear good fruit. And not just any fruit that seems good, but the same fruit that Jesus produced.

However, most of us underestimate how important this is! Stop underestimating how necessary it is for YOU to produce Christ's fruit — and more of it — today. Too many Christians settle for mediocrity. As long as we get some personal satisfaction from being Christian, we feel all too satisfied. As long as we're helping some people with our kindness or generosity or love, we think God is satisfied with the good fruits we're producing.

Have you ever asked why there's so much evil in the world? Why doesn't God raise his almighty hand against war, against terrorism, against unemployment, against the greed of high-salaried managers who lay off their employees while giving themselves huge bonuses, against the perpetrators of physical and emotional abuse, against pro-abortion legislation, against poverty, against rising crime rates, or against any evil that's corrupting our world?

Why doesn't God do something?

Actually, HE DOES! However, he does it the same way he grows grapes. The energy of the vine (Jesus) travels through the vine to the little twigs (you and me and all Christians) that hold the grapes. The more open we are to receiving nourishment from Christ, the more fruit Jesus produces through us. But the grapes are not supposed to stay there!

We're nourished by Christ in order to take his fruits abundantly out into the world. We must grow strong and healthy, branch out, and use everything we've received from Christ for the sake of others.

Evil is stopped to the extent that we Christians continue Christ's earthly ministry. Victory over evil comes from Christ, that is, THROUGH us from Christ. Holiness in the world comes from Christ's Holy Spirit actively transforming it through our holiness.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
Are you doing everything you can to grow the best grapes on your branch of Christ's vine? How healthy is your connection to Christ? What in your life needs to be pruned off because it's not producing full, abundant fruit?

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
Name some of the things we do that fertilize the vineyard. What has helped your branch grow stronger and bear more fruit? How does ignoring the need to prune ourselves hinder the growth of good fruit — evil-defeating good fruit?

STARTING ON MONDAY, if you're a member of the "Emmaus Journey" e-group, share your answers by writing to EmmausJourney@gnm.org
* To join and become a member, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/GNMcommunities/EmmausJourney/

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica; All Rights Reserved.
To share this with others, see our copyright permission page.

Friday of the 3rd Week of Easter - St. Joseph

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Third Week of Easter
May 1, 2009

Today's Memorial: St. Joseph the Worker
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/JosephWorker.htm
Download for sharing: "Your Work Is Awesome!"
http://catholicdr.com/calendar/May/StJosephWorker.htm

Today's Readings:
Acts 9:1-20
Ps 117:1bc-2 (with Mark 16:15)
John 6:52-59
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/050109.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_05_01.mp3

A more powerful experience of the Eucharist

In reflecting on what it means to eat the flesh of Jesus and drink his blood, consider this: Are WE not also his Body — his Flesh and Blood — for the world today?

Today's Gospel reading contains the Great Eucharistic Command. However, we must not look at this only from the perspective of "what's in it for me?", not if we want to be followers of Christ who said, "Those who feed on me will have life because of me." What kind of life? What's the difference between having HIS life and the one we were born with, the flesh and blood existence of physical bodies that eventually loses its life? The answer lies in who benefits: us or others.

Jesus gives us his body and blood during every Mass so that we benefit by consuming him, which unites us to him (to his love, his life, his ministry, etc.), which then should benefit others.

We also consume him outside the Mass. We draw him into us during our prayers, our interactions with others, and even by appreciating the beauty of nature. He feeds us through Christian songs and other inspiring music. He quenches our thirst for spiritual growth.

As we open ourselves to receive the presence of Jesus outside the Mass, we prepare ourselves more fully to receive what he gives us inside the Mass. Because the Eucharist is our divine Lord giving himself to us completely, in his full divinity and physical humanity, powerfully and miraculously, we leave church significantly changed — or rather, that's the plan; for it to really happen, we have to cooperate with God's plan by being fully involved in the Mass.

Consuming Jesus is supposed to transform us into his likeness. We become what we receive; we become the Eucharist, which means we're ready for others to consume us, or to put it more accurately, we give them opportunities to be nourished by the True Presence of Jesus within us.

When we give love to others, they receive God's love, and when they don't return our love in equal measure, they deplete us: We're being consumed! The same Eucharistic life happens when we give our time and skills and talents but are not paid or rewarded.

The more we're depleted and consumed by others, the more we need to consume Jesus. I can tell you from experience that the busier I am, the more I need to pray and attend daily Mass.

And remember this, which is absolutely essential: By ourselves, we are not the body and blood of Christ. The body has many parts. If you feel drained and depleted, crushed by stresses and worn down, it's because you haven't allowed Jesus to fill you with all of his body and blood, which includes the people he has given you within the Church community, for they are his hands, his smile, his embrace, and his encouragement that strengthens us and renews us.

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica; All Rights Reserved.
To share this with others, see our copyright permission page.

Monday of the 3rd Week of Easter

Good News Reflection
Monday of the Third Week of Easter
April 27, 2009

Today's Saint: Zita
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Zita.htm

Today's Readings:
Acts 6:8-15
Ps 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30 (with 1ab)
John 6:22-29
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/042709.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_27.mp3

Becoming full of grace

Was the Virgin Mary the only human who was "full of grace"? In today's Gospel reading, we see that Stephen, too, was full of grace! Think of "grace" as the activity of God made present in a human person — including you — by God's choice. This activity or presence supplies us with whatever supernatural gifts are needed at that moment.

Being full of grace means being totally and completely open to these gifts and united to God's presence within us. When we're in a "state of grace", we are free of sin and detached from everything that is not of God.

We become "full of grace" during the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The True Presence of Jesus comes to us in the form of the priest, who sits in for the whole community that was wounded by our sins. Jesus takes our sins, nails them to his cross, absolves us of the punishment we deserve, and begins to heal the divisions that our sins have caused.

The completion of the healing still requires action from us, but in this Sacrament, the action of God is a grace-filled and grace-filling experience: It empowers us to change and to make amends and to avoid repeating the same sins. It's a more powerful experience than seeking God's forgiveness outside of the Sacrament.

Another opportunity to become full of grace is during Mass. It starts when we accept the invitation of the presiding priest to recall our sins and seek Christ's mercy. It continues through the insights that the Holy Spirit gives us from the Word of God and from the homily that explains it. The "Our Father", prayed in unison with the community, furthers the healing. Giving each other the "Peace be with you" handshake or hug helps to heal us from the brokenness of community life that our sins have caused.

By the time we see the miraculous True Presence of Jesus on the altar, we have encountered his grace in many ways. We open ourselves to the fullness of this grace by honestly praying, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but say the Word and I shall be healed."

Then, receiving the Eucharist is receiving our full unity with God and with the community.

If you cannot receive the Eucharist due to special circumstances, and if you're not stuck in an on-going, unrepented sin, your prayer of "Lord ... say the Word and I shall be healed" is your moment of being filled with grace. You receive Spiritual Communion. But do everything possible to receive the fullness of Christ in the Eucharist. Talk to a priest about remedies for your circumstances. The Church has ways to help you open yourself to all that God offers.

Whenever we consciously remain stuck in sin, we're choosing division over communion. Please don't continue pretending that you're not really sinning. Purifying our lives is hard, but God gives us supernatural help through the awesomeness of his grace.

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica; All Rights Reserved.
To share this with others, see our copyright permission page.

Friday of the 2nd Week of Easter

Friday of the Second Week of Easter (Year 1)
*Good News Reflection*
Friday of the Second Week of Easter
April 24, 2009
*Today's Readings:*
Acts 5:34-42
Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14
John 6:1-15
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/042409.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_24.mp3
*Joy under trial*

There's a line in the story from today's first reading that does not make sense: They left rejoicing because they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of Jesus. How could anyone derive joy from being misjudged and dishonored? Even for Christ's sake!

When I'm on trial, being judged by others, criticized, misunderstood, or rejected, and my reputation's under attack, I want to grumble about it, to say the least. What if someone in a position of authority were to order me to stop distributing these Good News reflections because he doesn't approve of non-clergy writing them? Well, I don't think joy is what I'd be feeling.

The fact is, no matter where we live, we're all on trial for our faith every day. Some of my readers live in countries where Christians are literally being persecuted like the first apostles. They face real danger if they're caught reading this. However, who hasn't been put on trial for their faith? Only those whose faith is so invisible that it has no impact.

We are whipped with words. We're hauled into the court of people's minds where we're unfairly judged and prosecuted. We're sentenced to a change of subject so that we cannot freely talk about Jesus. It happens when we speak up for children who are in danger of being aborted. It happens when we compassionately embrace homosexuals while promoting chaste living without sexual activity. It happens when we use the gifts and talents and education the Lord has given us when others think we're not qualified.

Think of any time when someone took away your freedom to do what God called you to do. Did you feel full of joy — or angrily frustrated? So, how DID the early apostles find joy as they left the Sanhedrin?

The joy of persecution comes from being so in love with God that nothing else really matters. When we're more in love with our reputations, the disapproval of others makes us miserable. Joy comes from making God our focus instead of what happens to us. And by keeping our eyes on Jesus, we remember that even our crosses become resurrections. Even our denied freedoms are new opportunities for divine intervention, because God cannot be stopped and his will cannot be deferred for long. THAT is a huge reason to feel joyful.

It's not easy to keep our focus entirely on God. It takes great effort and continual, conscious decision. The more we work at it, the more we will enable our trust in God, and that's when we experience amazing joy. With the Holy Spirit's help, it's not impossible at all. And if we feel even just a wee bit of joy, we can ask Jesus to multiply it and he will, just like he did with the bread and fish in today's Gospel reading.

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Thursday of the 2nd Week of Easter

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter (Year 1)
*Good News Reflection*
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
April 23, 2009
*Today's Saint: George*
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/George.htm
*Today's Readings:*
Acts 5:27-33
Ps 34:2, 9, 17-20 (with 7a)
John 3:31-36
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/042309.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_23.mp3

*Receiving your full portion of the Spirit*
Has the Father rationed the gift of his Spirit to you? Do you have a portion of the Holy Spirit or the fullness of the Spirit? In today's Gospel passage, Jesus says that the Father did not ration ("limit") the Spirit to him. What about us?

In the first reading, Peter says that the Holy Spirit has been given to all who obey the Father. You and I do not obey God all of the time like Jesus did. Does this mean that the Father gives us less of his Spirit than he gave to Jesus?

Try this question: Is the Father's love ever limited? Can he partially love anyone? Of course not! There is no such thing as "partial love". Love is love! God who is love fully and completely loves you. So why does it seem like he gave Jesus the fullness of the Spirit but only a portion to us?
The Son stayed fully in touch with the Father and was therefore open to receiving everything that the Father wanted to give him. When we were baptized into the life of Christ, the Father gave us his Spirit fully. The problem is, we're not fully in touch with the Father. Our worldly attachments and busyness distract us. Our sins build a dam that holds back the waters of the Spirit.

Countless saints experienced the power of the Spirit in amazing miracles, because they worked hard daily at breaking down the barriers between this world and heaven. They worked hard at purging out all the sins and distractions that disconnected them from God. "But I'll never be THAT holy," we point out. We give up before we try long enough. We become content with the progress we've made and so we sit down on a cozy wayside bench. We see hard work ahead, and so we turn onto paths that look pleasant and easy.

Thus, we lead mediocre lives instead of miraculous ones. Big dreams become fantasies instead of realities. And instead of making great accomplishments that change the world, we severely limit our potential.

The most important priority of our lives should be the nurturing of our communion with God. Do you care enough about your personal spiritual development that you'll work hard for it? Daily? The Father is not the one who rations the Holy Spirit to us. We limit the extent of the Spirit's powerful affect on our lives by neglecting to center ourselves more fully in God. We let distractions pull us off-center. We let sins pull us even farther away.

Observe the decisions that you make today (and each day) while asking yourself: "Am I choosing the way of holiness? Am I staying centered on God's love for me and my love for him?" Each and every moment! Making the right decisions — the holy and loving and soul-nurturing decisions — will flood your life with God's Spirit.


© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Easter

Good News Reflection
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
April 22, 2009

Today's Readings:
Acts 5:17-26
Ps 34:2-9
John 3:16-21
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/042209.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_22.mp3

Living free of condemnation

Today's Gospel passage makes very clear a truth that many of us don't fully believe: Jesus did not come here to condemn anyone. Yet we feel condemned whenever we feel guilty about a sin. Why is that?

It's because we are harder on ourselves than we are on others. On the surface, it seems that we're supposed to do that. To be easy on ourselves (e.g.: "I'm okay, I'm not really sinning.") would be self-indulgent, which is rooted in the sin of pride, right? Yes, but usually the reason why people rationalize that their sins as really not sins is because they're afraid of feeling condemned, which translates to feeling unloved, which translates as proof that they are unlovable.

Have you been unable to forgive yourself? Are you trying to find your happiness in how others treat you because you don't feel happy about yourself? Do you feel like you don't get enough affirmation, but when you do get it, you feel embarrassed and unworthy?

These are typical results from failing to grasp the full meaning of this scripture. They are the normal consequences of believing that we're not good enough no matter what we do.

When we sin, guilt confirms that we deserve to be condemned. When we innocently make a mistake, this too seems to confirm that we deserve to be condemned, and so we condemn ourselves for making the mistake instead of seeing it as just another learning tool. And every unjust, unfair, unkind situation that happens to us also triggers this feeling of being condemned.

The truth is: You were freed from condemnation when you accepted the idea that Christ sacrificed his life on the cross for YOU.

When we sin, we are guilty of doing something evil, and when we repent, we return to the freedom gained by Christ. But too often guilt becomes shame, which is the false assumption that WE are evil. Shame continues long after we've been forgiven. Jesus doesn't condemn us, but shame does. Shame won't free us from guilt, won't allow us to enjoy the forgiveness of God, won't enable us to forgive ourselves.

Guilt tells us the truth about ourselves and invites us to grow from it; shame lies to us and paralyzes our growth.

The truth is: There is no shame in realizing your sinfulness, because facing it frees you to become who you really are. Who are you really? Thanks to your baptism and the presence of Christ's Holy Spirit within you, you are holy!

The good we do is the earthly ministry of Christ as he serves today's world through us. As repentant Christians, we live in his light and our works are seen as done in God. Therefore, God delights in you. Don't let shame hide this truth from you.

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Thursday of the 2nd Week of Easter

Thursday of the Second Week of Easter (Year 1)
*Good News Reflection*
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
April 23, 2009
*Today's Saint: George*
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/George.htm
*Today's Readings:*
Acts 5:27-33
Ps 34:2, 9, 17-20 (with 7a)
John 3:31-36
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/042309.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_23.mp3
*Receiving your full portion of the Spirit*
Has the Father rationed the gift of his Spirit to you? Do you have a portion of the Holy Spirit or the fullness of the Spirit? In today's Gospel passage, Jesus says that the Father did not ration ("limit") the Spirit to him. What about us?

In the first reading, Peter says that the Holy Spirit has been given to all who obey the Father. You and I do not obey God all of the time like Jesus did. Does this mean that the Father gives us less of his Spirit than he gave to Jesus?

Try this question: Is the Father's love ever limited? Can he partially love anyone? Of course not! There is no such thing as "partial love". Love is love! God who is love fully and completely loves you. So why does it seem like he gave Jesus the fullness of the Spirit but only a portion to us?
The Son stayed fully in touch with the Father and was therefore open to receiving everything that the Father wanted to give him. When we were baptized into the life of Christ, the Father gave us his Spirit fully. The problem is, we're not fully in touch with the Father. Our worldly attachments and busyness distract us. Our sins build a dam that holds back the waters of the Spirit.

Countless Saints experienced the power of the Spirit in amazing miracles, because they worked hard daily at breaking down the barriers between this world and heaven. They worked hard at purging out all the sins and distractions that disconnected them from God. "But I'll never be THAT holy," we point out. We give up before we try long enough. We become content with the progress we've made and so we sit down on a cozy wayside bench. We see hard work ahead, and so we turn onto paths that look pleasant and easy.

Thus, we lead mediocre lives instead of miraculous ones. Big dreams become fantasies instead of realities. And instead of making great accomplishments that change the world, we severely limit our potential. The most important priority of our lives should be the nurturing of our communion with God. Do you care enough about your personal spiritual development that you'll work hard for it? Daily? The Father is not the one who rations the Holy Spirit to us. We limit the extent of the Spirit's powerful affect on our lives by neglecting to center ourselves more fully in God. We let distractions pull us off-center. We let sins pull us even farther away.

Observe the decisions that you make today (and each day) while asking yourself: "Am I choosing the way of holiness? Am I staying centered on God's love for me and my love for him?" Each and every moment! Making the right decisions — the holy and loving and soul-nurturing decisions — will flood your life with God's Spirit.




© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter (Year 1)
*Good News Reflection*
Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter
April 21, 2009
*Today's Saint: Anselm of Canterbury*
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Anselm.htm
*Today's Readings:*
Acts 4:32-37
Ps 93:1-2, 5
John 3:7b-15
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/042109.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_21.mp3
*Flying high in the Spirit*

What does it mean "to be born from above"? In today's Gospel passage, Jesus explained that it means being led by God even when we don't know where he's leading us. It means being free to float in the Spirit at any time in any direction, because we are not attached to this world even though it's what we can touch, smell, see, hear audibly, and control.

Life in the Spirit means living as a feather on the wind, offering no resistance to being picked up and transported by a gust that we cannot see, having no sense of alarm when find ourselves in an unexpected place. However, being a light-weight feather that's blown around by the Lord's invisible breath is more likely to freak us out than to relax us, because it challenges our "need" to be in control.

We see in the first reading that the community of believers were detached from their possessions. They were so high on the Spirit, so fully trusting in God that everyone made themselves available to be used by God to meet each others' needs. Why can't we become like that? It is possible — this is God's design — but it can only happen within the context of community.

By ourselves, we cannot be that generous, supplying everything that another person needs, but we think we should, and so we feel overwhelmed and inadequate and therefore we don't do much at all. We get stuck in our inadequacies because we live such individualistic lives that we forget that we are part of the earthly Body of Christ, which is the whole Church in community. Individually, the Holy Spirit shows us which particular needs of the community he wants us to address, and in community, Christ's Spirit joins our helpfulness to others who can also help. Thus, everyone's needs can get met.

To measure your freedom of spirit, examine how attached you are to this world. Test yourself with the collection basket at Mass. In scripture, God repeatedly asks for a tithing, i.e., 10% of our total income (which can be split between the parish and other charities). If we're so attached to our possessions that we can't give five percent of our money to our own parish, how free are we to follow any other leadings of the Spirit?

What if the Lord makes you aware of a parishioner who cannot get employment because he has no car? And what if you're about to trade in your old car for a new one? Could you give it to him? What if he attempts to pay you for it but his check bounces? Would you demand payment or forgive the debt? Or would you instead thank God for the opportunity to experience one of the wounds of Jesus as you continue to float along wherever the Spirit blows? (It really is possible; I speak from experience.)

St. John of the Cross said, "It makes little difference whether a bird is tied by a thin thread or by a cord. For even if tied by thread, the bird will be prevented from taking off just as surely as if it were tied by cord -- that is, it will be impeded from flight as long as it does not break the thread....This is the lot of a man who is attached to something; no matter how much virtue he has, he will not reach the freedom of divine union."

/*For an inspirational PowerPoint presentation on Life in the Spirit* to show in religious education classes, RCIA, and prayer groups, please visit Catholic Digital Resources at http://catholicdr.com/TrinityRetreat and scroll down to see the last one on the page where you can preview it./




© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:

http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Monday of the 2nd Week of Easter

Good News Reflection
Monday of the Second Week of Easter
April 20, 2009

Today's Readings:
Acts 4:23-31
Ps 2:1-9 (with 11d)
John 3:1-8
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/042009.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_20.mp3

Is the Holy Spirit alive and active in you?

Have you ever been asked, "Are you born-again?" Skip that question! Go directly to: "Is the Holy Spirit living within you, activating your faith, inspiring you to holy action?" Converting to Jesus Christ is not enough. A personal relationship with his Holy Spirit is what makes the difference between a sinful person and a holy person.

As we celebrate the risen Lord throughout the Easter season, the Church repeatedly reminds us that after Easter comes Pentecost. We see the disciples intoday's first reading praying so fully in the Lord that they become overflowingly filled with the Holy Spirit.

It was the Holy Spirit who gave them unfettered boldness to proclaim God's word; without this, they were scared and ineffective. Does your faith in Christ free you from what seems intimidating or frightening? Does your faith give you powerful boldness and confidence, causing you to take action for the sake of continuing Christ's ministry?

It was the Holy Spirit who filled the first Christians with rejoicing when they faced persecution. Are you able to rejoice in the midst of troubles? It was the Holy Spirit who inspired them to pray and then deepened their prayer. Is your prayer life in need of help? It was the Holy Spirit who shook the room in which the disciples were gathered, not an earthquake. Does your faith shake up your life? Do you sense the powerful presence of God when you gather in community?

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus puts the baptism of the Holy Spirit on equal level with baptism by water. The two work together. Baptism by water cleanses us from sin. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be holy and resist new temptations to sin. Does your faith enable you to overcome repeated tendencies to sin? By water, God's holiness has replaced your fallen, sinful nature. By the Holy Spirit, God's holiness has become your true nature.

The Holy Spirit is the key that unlocks our holiness: "No one can enter into God's kingdom without being born of water AND Spirit.... Spirit begets spirit." We can only be Christ-like when his Holy Spirit is alive and active in us. We can only stay on the path to heaven when the Holy Spirit is our guide.

We lack nothing that's needed for salvation and eternal life; the Holy Spirit was given to us FULLY during our Baptism, and this was confirmed in the Sacrament of Confirmation. To succeed in God's plan of salvation, all we have to do is unite our spirit to the activities of Christ's Spirit.

Here's a prayer to the Holy Spirit that you can use in your daily prayers while preparing for the celebration of Pentecost: http://wordbytes.org/prayers/HolySpirit.htm. If you want copies of this to distribute in your parish, please see the published version at Catholic Digital Resources: http://catholicdr.com/faithbuilders/prayers/HolySpirit-Prayer.htm.

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:

http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Second Sunday of Easter

Good News Reflection
April 19, 2009
Divine Mercy Sunday, Cycle B

Sunday's Readings:
Acts 4:32-35
Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31
http://www.usccb.org/nab/041909.shtml

Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_19.mp3

"My Lord and my God!" This exclamation of Thomas in Sunday's Gospel reading used to be our exclamation at the raising of the Eucharist during Mass. It was a tradition that many Catholics have forgotten in recent years. We should renew this habit. It's an awe-filled, humble recognition of Christ's Lordship AND of the reality of his presence in the form of bread and wine.

Pope John Paul II wrote in his encyclical on the Holy Eucharist, Ecclesia de Eucharistia: "To contemplate Christ involves being able to recognize him wherever he manifests himself, in his many forms of presence, but above all in the living sacrament of his body and his blood." (You can get to know the entire amazing document by taking my online course that covers it: http://catholicdr.com/e-Classroom/Eucharistia.)

Notice how Jesus convinced the disciples that he'd really come back to life in the flesh. They thought he was a ghost, or they didn't know what to think. They found the miracle of the resurrection too incredible to grasp.

Jesus revealed the truth of the miracle through his wounds. He does the same for you and me in every Mass.

Through the use of our logic and our senses, it's difficult to grasp the truth that the bread and wine miraculously become the actual body and blood of Christ — the same broken and bleeding body that died on the cross 2000 years ago. It's even harder to see and understand that the resurrected Jesus is also there!

During Mass, we enter the timelessness of eternity to benefit from the living Christ. When we realize that we personally need the sacrifice he made on Good Friday, because we've sinned, we begin to look at his wounds from a crucial perspective. It is then that we begin to understand the truth about the Eucharist.

The first step toward believing in the miracle of the Eucharist occurs when we want Christ's death to save us from our sins and his resurrection to take us to heaven. The final step occurs when our desire to unite to Jesus is so thorough that we yearn for him to consume our lives with his presence. We want the divine Jesus to come to us in the flesh — in whatever manner he chooses — to transform us into his likeness.

It is this desire that makes us exclaim whenever we see the Eucharist, "My Lord and my God!"

Questions for Personal Reflection:
Have you ever doubted the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist? How do you feel when you look at the Eucharist? Does your spirit exclaim, "My Lord and my God"? Why or why not?

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
How has Jesus revealed himself to you in surprising ways — "in his many forms of presence"? When have you found him incredible, difficult to grasp? What helped you accept the truth of his presence in that situation? And how has Jesus revealed his presence to you in the Eucharist?

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Friday in the Octave of Easter

Friday in the Octave of Easter (Year 1)
*Good News Reflection*
Friday in the Octave of Easter
April 17, 2009
*Today's Readings:*
Acts 4:1-12
Ps 118:1-2, 4, 22-27a
John 21:1-14
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041709.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_17.mp3
*Moving forward into mature spiritual growth*
Recall a time when you had no problem recognizing that Jesus was ministering to you through another person or some unusual circumstance. You had no need to ask Jesus, "Who are you?" or "Is that you, Lord?" because you knew the answer.
Prior to the incident in today's Gospel reading, whenever the resurrected Jesus visited his disciples, they either didn't recognize him or they thought he was a ghost. Now at last they have reached enough spiritual maturity to know Jesus when they encounter him.
What convinced them that this man standing on the lake shore was the Lord? Was it the miracle of the super-abundant catch of fish after a night of frustration and disappointment? As a repeat of what had happened at the beginning of his ministry, this might have been a clue. Or had they learned to sense his nearness?
How do WE recognize Jesus?
Today's first reading reminds us that we reject the presence of Jesus when we fail to recognize him in the people around us, or when we fail to accept what he's doing in our long-suffering hardships. What seems like the wrong way to solve a problem actually is the cornerstone of God's plan. What seems like a reason to doubt God's love turns out to be the cornerstone of new spiritual growth. What seems like the loss of a relationship can become the cornerstone of a new and better friendship. What seems like a day of disaster is really "the day the Lord has made", a day to "rejoice and be glad in it", as today's responsorial Psalm proclaims.
Every time we give up, every time we despair, every time we lose hope, we are misunderstanding Jesus. He is always — always! — busy caring for us and working for our benefit (and for the benefit of everyone else who's involved in the situation). He's always fulfilling the Father's plans for us — plans for our good, a loving plan. It's impossible for him to do otherwise!
Spiritual maturity comes from learning to recognize Jesus and keeping our eyes on him. We mature as he reveals himself through scripture, the Eucharist, in our hearts, in the love of the people around us, in the gifts and talents that God has given us, in the way circumstances fall into place and our prayers are answered, in the circumstances that DON'T seem good, in the people who are difficult to love, and in the dark where we can't see God at all.
When we ask: "Where are you, God? Who are you? Is that you?" — that's when we're on the cusp of new spiritual growth. The next step is to trust that God is right here beside us doing much good.

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Thursday in the Octave of Easter

Good News Reflection
Thursday in the Octave of Easter
April 16, 2009

Today's Readings:
Acts 3:11-26
Ps 8:2ab, 5-9
Luke 24:35-48
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041609.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_16.mp3

Discovering who we really are

Today's Gospel reading makes a point of calling our attention to the physical nature of Jesus' resurrected body. Why is it important to know that Jesus could still eat? Or that people could feel his skin?

Christianity is the only religion that has a savior who is fully divine yet fully human like us. Until the birth of Jesus, the world was divided between heaven and earth, the eternal and the temporal. God could bridge the gap and touch us, but due to our sinfulness, we could not exceed the limitations of earth and touch him. Since Jesus was the only sinless human who was also divine, he became the bridge that united heaven and earth.

Today, we don't have the opportunity to touch his hands and dine on fish with him like the first disciples did, and so we easily forget just how human Jesus continues to be and will always be throughout eternity. As a human, he was the first physical person to reach heaven. As a human, he comes for us when we die. As God, he embraces all those who want to be united to him eternally and takes them to heaven. Jesus leads the way — physically as well as spiritually.

Eventually, we'll all have "glorified" (i.e., eternal) flesh-bodies like the one Jesus told the disciples to touch. We won't be bodiless spirits floating around. We'll be able to eat fish and double-chocolate fudge brownies (without getting fat of course). I suppose that those who enjoy baking here on earth will be able to continue this scrumptious ministry in heaven, and the rest of us will partake of their goodies! Okay, okay, don't take my food-filled description of heaven too literally; the earthly mind cannot begin to know what heaven will really be like, and I'm only using my limited understanding to explain what I can't really explain.

Are there any wounds in heaven? Yes — the wounds of Jesus. He showed them to the disciples, so we know he's still got them. Will we take our wounds into heaven? No — by his wounds we are totally healed! This would not have been possible if God had not become one of us.

There's a bad excuse we sometimes use when we sin: "Oh well, I'm only human." Only what? Being human means being like Jesus! If we've been baptized, we've been raised up into his humanity and his divinity. Therefore, when we sin, it would be more accurate to say: "Oops, I forgot to be human like Jesus."

Our flesh-nature has been redeemed, but in its weaknesses we often succumb to an animalistic sub-human nature. Or we give ourselves up to non-human demonic influences. Either way, it's not who we really are. Jesus made a big deal about the physical nature of his resurrected body so that we could discover who we really are.

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Wednesday in the Octave of Easter

Good News Reflection
Wednesday in the Octave of Easter
April 15, 2009

Today's Readings:
Acts 3:1-10
Ps 105:1-4, 6-9
Luke 24:13-35
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041509.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_15.mp3

Recognizing Jesus when he comes to us

Mary Magdalene did not recognize the risen Jesus until he called her by name. In today's Gospel story, the disciples on the road to Emmaus do not recognize him until they (1) listen to him explain the Word, and (2) break bread with him.

When Jesus gave them a new understanding of scripture, these two unnamed disciples did not recognize him consciously (in their heads), but their hearts definitely did. Their heads caught up with their hearts at the end of the journey when Jesus gave them a eucharistic sharing of the bread.

The Masses we celebrate today are meant to be a similar journey of rediscovering and recognizing Jesus. First, we have the Liturgy of the Word. To get value from the scriptures as they are read at Mass, we must listen with our hearts.

Then we move into the Liturgy of the Eucharist. When the presiding priest consecrates the bread and wine, it is actually Jesus who is doing it. Christ who dwells within him is doing for us what he did for those two disciples at Emmaus.

If we have opened our hearts to Jesus during the first part of Mass, we will have the faith to see much more than a piece of bread and a cup of wine. We know with our hearts AND our heads that the Eucharist is indeed truly the body and blood of Jesus — not symbols, not what our eyes or our taste buds tell us, but what faith tells us.

Those who still cannot believe with their hearts that the bread and wine are transformed into Jesus himself need only ask Jesus to help them recognize the truth and continue asking until they experience the truth. The desire to believe is the starting point of full belief.

When Jesus comes to you in the Word, is your heart quickened? Do the scriptures touch your heart and change your life? And when the bread and wine miraculously become Jesus, do you fall onto your knees in awe because you are in the presence of God Almighty? Do you feel unworthy to receive onto your lips one so holy as Jesus? When you pray, "Lord I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed," are you changed by the experience? Do you become holier, purer, and more determined to live the way Jesus asks you to?

Finally, are you so moved by your encounter with Jesus in Mass that you leave church like the two disciples in Emmaus? They set out at once and returned to Jerusalem to tell others what Jesus had done for them. They became evangelizers. They did not keep the news to themselves; they shared it so that others could benefit.

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Good News Reflection
Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
April 14, 2009

Today's Readings:
Acts 2:36-41
Ps 33:4-5, 18-20, 22
John 20:11-18
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041409.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_14.mp3

Experiencing heaven on earth

Why did Jesus tell Mary Magdalene to stop clinging to him in today's Gospel reading? Was he against hugs? Don't you wish you could feel him hugging you right now? How could Mary's embrace interfere with Jesus ascending to the Father?

In Jerusalem, the Chapel of Mary Magdalene in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has a bronze sculpture depicting this scripture. It shows Mary full of joy in the discovery that her dearest friend has risen from the dead. One hand of Jesus is gesturing for her to stop. His other hand is raised toward heaven, and his gaze is following this hand upward. It's as if he's saying, "Look toward heaven; what's earthly doesn't matter nearly as much."

Mary's head is tilted upward. Her gaze wants to go where Jesus is looking, but her eyes are caught between heaven and earth. One of her hands wants to touch Jesus, the other is covering her heart as if realizing that this is where he will dwell after he ascends to the Father.

Have you ever wished you could see and touch Jesus in the flesh? Jesus wants you to know that it's better to focus on the blessings of heaven than to wish for an experience that's only brief and temporary. Jesus does hug us — through every hug we get from other people — but the physical touch is never enough. That's why he told Mary not to "cling" or "hold" onto him, instead of saying, "Don't hug me."

To fully embrace the eternal, we have to let go of everything that we cling to on earth. Saints have levitated in prayer because their spirits were stronger than their physical bodies, which were no longer attached to this world. Their relationship with God was stronger than the distractions of this world.

Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to raise our spirits to the Father. What are you clinging to that hinders this? Sometimes, we hold onto the subconscious idea that God the Father is imperfect like our human fathers. Maybe we're more interested in OUR ideas, OUR goals, OUR desires (which will only satisfy us for a season) than in what the Father wants for us (which will satisfy us for all eternity).

Do we fail to make sacrifices for others because we're clinging to our own earthly comfort? Are we refusing to stretch beyond our comfort zones, because we want to hold on to what's familiar? Are we hanging on to any old habits or addictions?

Resurrected living means letting Jesus raise us from the dying, temporary world of earthly satisfactions into the joys of heaven. We don't need to touch Jesus to feel touched by him. He's inviting us to let our spirits soar heavenward while we're still living on earth. We fly to him whenever we remember that what's earthly doesn't matter nearly as much as what awaits us in heaven.

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Monday in the Octave of Easter

Good News Reflection
Monday in the Octave of Easter
April 13, 2009

Today's Readings:
Acts 2:14, 22-33
Ps 16:1-2a, 5, 7-11
Matt 28:8-15
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041309.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_13.mp3

Living in the good news of Easter

Do you know what it's like to be fearful and, at the same time, overjoyed? That's how the women in today's Gospel passage felt when they encountered the risen Lord for the first time.

I can remember numerous occasions when I felt this way. For one, the moment my first child was born. In the midst of that wonderfully awesome joy, fear made me wonder: Can I be a good enough mom to handle the unimaginable responsibilities of raising this son into a God-serving man? (The answer was: "Yes, but only with the Holy Spirit's help. And when he grows up and seems to stray from My plans for him, it's not because you failed as a parent; it's because the Holy Spirit isn't finished with him yet.")

Think of any overwhelming, maybe even impossible task that you've been given. Or any God-ordained task you did do but apparently failed to do well.

Easter is not merely the end of Lent. Resurrection is not merely the end of an old life or old habits or an old problem that you've wanted to overcome. Easter is a season — an unending season — of joyfully running to others to share the Good News like those first evangelists on that first Easter Sunday. The resurrection experience is a season of letting your faith be a source of joy for those who don't yet know how to find Jesus, like the women did for the disciples on that gloriously surprising day.

How overwhelming does THAT task feel?

If we really understand that we're Easter people, which means that we've been resurrected from the destruction of sin, how can we restrain our joy? When we're fully aware, we don't want to keep this truth to ourselves. We push the fearfulness aside and freely share our life-changing experiences with others.

The movement of growth during Lent was inward. We reflected on our need for forgiveness. Now, the movement of growth is outward. In this, there is much to fear: What if we get rejected? What if we get persecuted for our faith?

But Jesus tells us what he told the first disciples: "Don't be afraid." And why not? The reason is simple and profound: Because he is with us always, and because he fills in the gaps of our inadequacies with his Holy Spirit. Jesus the Man kisses our boo-boos and embraces us in our persecutions. His Spirit gives us wisdom and inspiration.

The joy of Easter Sunday is nice, but let's be honest. In our everyday lives, do we live more by fear or by joy? Easter Sunday is the beginning of a season. Easter faith is the beginning of a lifetime of joy. It's time to move beyond the Cross. We have much to celebrate in Jesus. There are people around us who need to see us celebrate our faith. The Good News isn't GOOD news unless it raises people up out of their miseries. This is the evidence that the world needs, proving that Jesus is still very much alive.

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Easter Sunday

My audio of this reflection is podcast at:
http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts/

Good News Reflection
April 12, 2009
Easter Sunday, Cycle B
The Resurrection of the Lord

Readings for Easter Morning:
Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8
John 20:1-9 or Mark 16:1-7 or Luke 24:13-35
http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041209.shtml
Audio:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_12.mp3

Celebrate! This Sunday is the anniversary of the Great Surprise, and just as the first disciples were surprised to find the tomb empty, so too does God have some resurrection surprises ready for you!

In Easter Sunday's Gospel reading, there's a lot of scurrying around and excitement and reporting some amazing news that no one yet understands. Even though Jesus had given them advance notice that he would rise again after being put to death, God's plans took them by surprise. They did not expect a resurrection. They didn't understand that it was a necessary part of the Messiah's mission.

God's plans often take us by surprise. In so many situations of our lives, we don't understand that hard times are going to produce wonderful victories. We fail to realize that the empty tombs in our lives (the losses that we grieve) are beginnings of important new growth. We cannot imagine how Jesus is going to redeem bad times into great blessings.

We suffer through the hardships, just trying to cope, waiting for an opportunity to finally walk away from our crosses. Meanwhile, Jesus wants to give us an Easter morning because of the crosses.

How can we recognize the glory of God when we're depressed? How can we realize our resurrections when we're cursing our crosses? It's impossible!

To be the Easter people that we're supposed to be, we have to learn how to see the hope of resurrection in the pain of the cross. We have to trust that Jesus is always there, working a plan to redeem bad into good. We have to allow ourselves to be surprised by God.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
What trials are you still enduring? What cross are you still carrying? Are you still being nailed for something you did not do? Which of your desires or dreams are dying? Ask the Father to use your sufferings for the glory of his kingdom. What new life is this creating for you?

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
What are some of the ways in which God has surprised you? How is this an experience of resurrection?

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Good Friday Reflection

My audio of this reflection is podcast at:http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts/
Good News ReflectionGood FridayCelebration of the Lord's Passion April 10, 2009
Today's Readings:Isaiah 52:13 -- 53:12 Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25 Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1 -- 19:42

http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/041009.shtml
Audio: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_10.mp3

The healing gift of Christ's death
Over the centuries since his death and resurrection, Jesus has revealed to mystics that those who meditate on his Passion are very dear to him. St. Augustine wrote that "there is no more profitable occupation for the soul than to meditate daily on the Passion of Our Lord."
The crucifixes we see today are cleaned-up versions of the horrible torture Our Lord suffered out of love for us. Today, meditate on this love, this tremendous love. He willingly subjected himself to intense pains because HE LOVES YOU and he knew it would do much good for you.
This is a tremendous gift that Jesus has given to you and to me and to everyone who accepts it. Read today's Gospel passage with the realization that every ounce of pain he suffered was offered for your benefit so that your sins would not destroy you. That's how important you are to God! That's how much he cares!
Looking at Jesus on the Cross should cure any low self-esteem, because it shows how highly he esteems us. Since he has done this for you, will he not also do everything else besides, if it's truly good for you?
What sufferings have caused you to doubt yourself, or to think unkindly about yourself, or to feel poorly about yourself? Take them to the Cross. Imagine giving them to a soldier. Now, watch him nail them into the hands and feet of your beloved Savior.
Let these wounds die with Jesus; no matter how badly they have hurt you, he has already taken the brunt of the beatings for you.
In the Good Friday services of the Catholic Church, we venerate the Cross by kissing it. Let your kiss be a gift of "thank you" to Jesus.
Then rest in the silence of the tomb with Jesus on Holy Saturday. Rest in the truth about how valuable you are to the Lord. On Easter Sunday, as we joyfully celebrate his resurrection, he has a glorious resurrection that he wants to share with you! Open yourself to receive it.
Take your own final step to Calvary: Make a list of all the ways you feel bad about yourself. List the people who've ridiculed you and insulted you. List the times you've felt worthless. List the reasons why you feel unlovable. List everything that gives you low self-esteem.
Then, while looking at a cross, meditate on the gift of sacrificial love that Jesus has given to you. He gladly and willingly subjected himself to intense pains because HE LOVES YOU! He knew it would bring you into the kingdom of God where he wants to spend eternity with you!
To help you meditate on this, read "The Healing Wounds of Jesus":http://www.wordbytes.org/healing/HealingWounds/

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday (Year 1)

My audio of this reflection is podcast at:* http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts/

Good News Reflection

Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper April 9, 2009

Today's Readings:*Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14Ps 116:12-13, 15-181 Cor 11:23-26John 13:1-15 http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/040909b.shtml

Audio: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_09.mp3

Washing away our reluctance to serve*Jesus did not come into this world to be served, although he is God and surely deserves it. He came to serve. He came to serve YOU. And through you, he wants to serve everyone you know.After inviting us to sit back and enjoy being served by our wonderful God, Jesus says in today's Gospel passage: "I have given you a model to follow — what I have done for you, you should also do." His foot-washing ceremony is a model of service. Such a Godly model is hard to imitate, very difficult. It means loving others so much that we do good deeds for them, including the people we dislike, those whose feet are dirty and disgusting. In other words, while we're upset about the folks who have not served us the way we think they should (and probably we're right), we unite ourselves to Jesus by becoming Eucharist for them.What does it mean to "be Eucharist"? Receiving the body and blood of Jesus unites us to him and to his whole Body, the Church. We walk up to Christ in the communion line as individuals, responsible for our own conversions, saying, "I am not worthy to receive you...", but after we receive the Eucharist, we return to our pews as members of the Body, "with union" (the meaning of "communion"). As part of Christ's body, we are now as much the Eucharist as that bread and wine have become. At the end of Mass, we're commissioned to go out and be Eucharist — be the real presence of Christ — in the world.Years ago, God drove home to me this point. In a prayer meeting, I surprisingly found myself washing the feet of a priest who had betrayed his parishioners (and me and my family and some friends) through his alcoholism and lust. I tell you, his feet were ugly! But much uglier was his refusal to accept the truth about his addictions and sins.What did the foot-washing accomplish? It made a clear statement about mercy. On a personal level, it gave me the opportunity to show him that I was willing to serve him if he was willing to accept it as part of a healing process. He wasn't, and eventually I had to report him to the authorities, but the foot-washing ceremony healed me of my own unwillingness to love unconditionally. Jesus washed MY feet along with my heart. And I gained a much greater understanding of the love that Jesus has for me every time he washes my ugly feet (my sins).Remember, though, that Jesus never gives up on anyone. Years later, he washed the feet of this priest with the gift of mercy in a much firmer way. God gave him a redemptive time of earthly purgatory in the form of a painful disease that started with his feet and worked its way up through the rest of his body. Confined to bed, enduring pain that medications couldn't totally eliminate, he allowed the disease to purge him of his pride and his addictions. Although his priesthood was never fully what it should have been, Jesus embraced him with passionate love.*Today's step on the Lenten journey: *To be able to do good for others when it's not pleasant, first understand why Jesus washes your feet. Spend time in prayer today visualizing your own personal foot-washing ceremony with Jesus. Imagine him kneeling in front of you gently rinsing off the dirt from your feet. Then go to Holy Thursday Mass with a question for Jesus about how you are being called to go and do likewise.

© 2009 by Terry A. ModicaFor PERMISSION to copy this reflection, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm