Reading I Hosea 6:1-6

“Come, let us return to the LORD,
    it is he who has rent, but he will heal us;
    he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.
He will revive us after two days;
    on the third day he will raise us up,
    to live in his presence.
Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD;
    as certain as the dawn is his coming,
    and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!
He will come to us like the rain,
    like spring rain that waters the earth.”

What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your piety is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that early passes away.
For this reason I smote them through the prophets,
    I slew them by the words of my mouth;
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
    and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab

R.    (see Hosea 6:6)  It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
    in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
    and of my sin cleanse me.
R.    It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
    should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
    a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R.    It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
Be bountiful, O LORD, to Zion in your kindness
    by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem;
Then shall you be pleased with due sacrifices,
    burnt offerings and holocausts.
R.    It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

Verse before the Gospel Psalm 95:8

If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.

Gospel Luke 18:9-14

Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — 
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” – St. Mother Teresa

How is it possible that I always find it such a struggle to pray?  While the Catholic Church offers some fundamental prayers as examples, what is most important is that we express ourselves to God from the innermost places of our hearts and listen to Him.  

However, the majority of us don’t know how to unlock our hearts, so instead we just go through the motions. To truly hear God’s Word, we must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit; we first must have awareness and clarity that He is the reason for each action we take. 

If we start teaching our children from a young age how to share our real thoughts and unfiltered feelings with Christ, both positive and negative, how empowered the world would be to trust in the Lord and change for the good! 

From today’s Gospel, we recognize that the most sincere prayers often come when we are down, when we need God the most. Like the sinful tax collector, we recognize our reliance on our Father for forgiveness and love when we make mistakes. As St. Paul declared, let us rejoice in our suffering, for through suffering, we recognize our littleness and can ask God for healing.

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King Sapor of Persia, in the eighteenth year of his reign, raised a bloody persecution against the Christians, and laid waste their churches and monasteries, Jonas and Barachisius, two brothers of the city Beth-Asa, hearing that several Christians lay under sentence of death at Hubaham, went thither to encourage and serve them. Nine of that number received the crown of martyrdom.

After their execution, Jonas and Barachisius were apprehended for having exhorted them to die. The president entreated the two brothers to obey the king of Persia, and to worship the sun, moon, fire, and water. Their answer was, that it was more reasonable to obey the immortal King of heaven and earth than a mortal prince. Jonas was beaten with knotty clubs and with rods, and next set in a frozen pond, with a cord tied to his foot. Barachisius had two red-hot iron plates and two red-hot hammers applied under each arm, and melted lead dropped into his nostrils and eyes; after which he was carried to prison, and there hung up by one foot.

Despite these cruel tortures, the two brothers remained steadfast in the Faith. New and more horrible torments were then devised under which at last they yielded up their lives, while their pure souls winged their flight to heaven, there to gain the martyr’s crown, which they had so faithfully won.

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Reading 1 Hosea 14:2-10

Thus says the LORD:
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God;
you have collapsed through your guilt.
Take with you words,
and return to the LORD;
Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity,
and receive what is good, that we may render
as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.
Assyria will not save us,
nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’
to the work of our hands;
for in you the orphan finds compassion.”

I will heal their defection, says the LORD,
I will love them freely;
for my wrath is turned away from them.
I will be like the dew for Israel:
he shall blossom like the lily;
He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar,
and put forth his shoots.
His splendor shall be like the olive tree
and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar.
Again they shall dwell in his shade
and raise grain;
They shall blossom like the vine,
and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols?
I have humbled him, but I will prosper him.
“I am like a verdant cypress tree”–
Because of me you bear fruit!

Let him who is wise understand these things;
let him who is prudent know them.
Straight are the paths of the LORD,
in them the just walk,
but sinners stumble in them.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17

R. (see 11 and 9a)  I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
An unfamiliar speech I hear:
“I relieved his shoulder of the burden;
his hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
“Unseen, I answered you in thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, my people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, will you not hear me?”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
“There shall be no strange god among you
 nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.
“If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
I would feed them with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them.”
R. I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

Verse Before the Gospel Matthew 4:17

Repent, says the Lord;
the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Gospel Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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As I continue to navigate through this life, where God often writes straight with crooked lines, I never cease to see His loving hands at work. Lately, I have noticed Him blessing us by providing for our needs. An unexpected reimbursement check from our insurance company, a friend who offered me her mother’s clothes after she passed away, an anonymous donor who gifted new athletic shoes to the kids, scholarships, discounts, and random gifts. All these things have been poured out to our family from God’s loving hand through His instruments. 

I can’t even begin to express my gratitude to Him, Who never ceases to amaze me, Who cannot be outdone in generosity. The struggle for families is real in today’s economy, but I can boldly say that we have never gone without a meal. In fact, God has even allowed us to provide meals to others. 

Last fall, we were blessed to host young adult missionaries at our house from the NET Team. They are in our county all year to be a presence in our community and help bring young people into a deeper relationship with Christ. They attend youth group meetings, community gatherings, sporting events, hold Bible studies at coffee shops, and meet people where they’re at. Jesus invites us into His heart through relationship, and they are forming just that with the youth. 

While these young men and women bless us spiritually, the community pulls together to provide for their corporal needs. Some provide meals, others vehicles, others cell phones, others gift cards and others a roof over their heads for a week or two at a time. It opens our hearts in generosity while they open their hearts to us in God’s love. There is really nothing quite like it. It reminds me of the early Christian community that pooled all of their resources and provided for one another, or of those who were sent out two by two and welcomed into the homes of complete strangers. 

These missionaries have given up the comfort of their homes and their way of life because they feel called. They are attempting to embody today’s Gospel in which Jesus commands us to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. They have left their boats on the shore and followed Jesus. 

As Christians, we are all called to be missionaries in our own ways. Whatever our walk of life may be, we can evangelize through our words and actions. Whether it be testifying to God’s generosity, being a positive voice at work, or selflessly serving our family, we can all make a difference in our parishes and communities. Who knows, we might be the instrument through which God speaks compassion to others, saying: “I will heal their defection…I will love them freely.” (Hosea 14:5)

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Saint Berthold seems to have had a connection with the beginnings of the Carmelite Order. He was a relative of Aymeric, the Latin patriarch of Antioch who was installed in Antioch during the crusades. At the time, there were a number of hermits from the West scattered throughout Palestine, and Berthold gathered them together, founded a community of priests who settled on Mount Carmel, and became their first superior.

There is a legend that he was born at Limoges in France, studied in Paris, and was ordained a priest there. According to the legend, he accompanied Aymeric on the crusades and found himself in Antioch when it was being besieged by the Saracens. Through his urgings, the Christians in Antioch turned to prayer and penance, and the city was delivered.

What is known for certain is that St. Berthold directed the building of a monastery and church on Mount Carmel and dedicated the church in honor of the prophet Elias, who had defeated the priests of Baal there and seen the vision of the cloud out over the sea. This is confirmed in a letter of Peter Emilianus to King Edward I of England in 1282.

Berthold lived out his days on Mount Carmel, ruling the community he had founded for forty-five years until his death about 1195. His example and way of life stamped the beginnings of the Carmelite Order, leading to the drawing up of the order’s rule by St. Albert, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, about 1210. That rule was approved by Pope Honorius III in 1226 and it is this primitive rule that is considered the foundation of the Order of Mount Carmel.

But it seems to have been Berthold who first organized the monastic life of the hermits on Mount Carmel and governed them until his death. St. Brocard, who apparently was his successor, petitioned Albert to compose a rule for them, undoubtedly codifying and completing the work begun by Berthold.

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You might wonder where in the world these guys talking to the Lord came from in today’s Gospel. They are standing right there in front of Jesus and witnessed Him healing a mute man. The Gospel says, “they were amazed” and in the next breath says they “asked him for a sign from heaven.” Wait a minute here, they had just witnessed a miracle and now they are asking for a sign? It would seem that what they had just seen and heard was enough to blow them away. But it wasn’t enough. “Give me more and more,” they appear to say.

Now in my golden years, I tend to look at some of the biblical stories somewhat differently. I mean that in a positive way. Now that my life is a bit quieter and calmer and closer to the Lord, I am awakened to many little things that would have gone unnoticed in the past. My wife has always loved nature, especially flowers. One of our daughters has a gift for cut flower arrangements. She also loves the beauty of flowers and has a great gift for arranging them. God has given both of them a sign to the beauty He places before them.  Thanks to them, I now have a greater appreciation for the beauty and the miracle of flowers as well.

One of the signs I have received of the beauty of God and that He really exists is children, especially babies. My sister is 12 years younger than me. When she was born, I saw something heaven sent. When she was an infant, I would sit on the edge of the bed in her room and stare at her in the crib. I would meditate on how God could do such marvelous work. As she got a little older and I turned 16, I took her everywhere in my brand old 1954 Buick. We would go cruising and I didn’t care what people thought when they saw that little girl sitting next to me. 

Do we also need a sign? What hasn’t God done to help us realize that He really exists? We don’t need a sign to help make us believe in Him. Why? Because He shows us every day how much He loves us and really does care for us. I challenge you to pay attention throughout your day and see all the little things He does for you. You will be amazed!

Why don’t we try to open our hearts a little more and give them to Him. He is waiting and waiting and waiting for us to do that. He wants us to be “all in” and to bring us unto Himself. Take a look at your current prayer time and ask yourself if it can be improved. Chances are it can, and with small sacrifices you will get even closer to the Lord. Then, His voice will get louder!

Serving With Joy!

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Saint John of Egypt, originally a carpenter in Lycopolis (now Assiut, Egypt), felt a divine pull towards a life of solitude. He spent his early years crafting wood under his father’s guidance but soon sought a deeper connection with God, leading him to abandon worldly life for the desert’s isolation.

Mentored for a decade by a venerable hermit, whom he revered as his “spiritual father,” John was imbued with the essence of sanctity. Following his mentor’s death, John’s quest for spiritual depth led him through various monasteries, eager to understand the monastic ways of prayer and existence.

Ultimately, John settled in a secluded cave, ingeniously partitioned into areas for living, working, and prayer. Here, he enclosed himself, only accessible via a solitary window, through which he shared his insights with those who sought his counsel, attracting even Emperor Theodosius I’s attention for guidance.

The local community supported him with food and essentials, drawn by his wisdom and holiness. His reputation as a sage attracted disciples, prompting the construction of a hospice nearby to accommodate the influx of seekers.

Saints such as Augustine and Jerome acknowledged John’s sanctity, marveling at his prophetic abilities and profound insight into the human soul. His healing touch, through the anointment with blessed oil, brought physical relief to many.

Despite his renown, John’s life was marked by asceticism and humility. He fasted until sunset, subsisting on dried fruits and vegetables, shunning meat and warm meals, in a continual quest for spiritual purity. John passed away in 394 at the age of ninety, having devoted his final days entirely to divine communion, departing this world in a posture of prayer.

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Thousands of years of salvation history were fulfilled with the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. The long-awaited Messiah had come. So that’s it? Show’s over? Hardly.

The arrival of our Savior ushered in the last chapter of salvation history where all that was promised to God’s chosen people was fulfilled in his Son. His followers then embark on a new journey to share the Good News. We do not throw out the old for the new. Rather, the old provides a firm foundation on which to build the new. As Fr. Thomas Weinandy explains, “By contemplating Scripture within the living apostolic tradition, the Church grows, throughout the ages, in its understanding of what has been divinely revealed. Development of doctrine is this growth in understanding and expression of what has been revealed.” (Weinandy, Fr. Thomas, O.F.M. CAP. “What Does it Mean for Doctrine to Develop?” Catholic.com. May 2, 2020 para 20)

Some aspects of the Church have developed over the years in order to reflect greater wisdom and understanding of revealed Truth, but nothing new in the Church replaces or contradicts what came before it. Just as a parent’s rules for her children adapt as the child grows up, but the foundational basis of those rules remains the same – to help the child develop conscience and a moral compass. The expression of God’s guidance for us has also evolved over time, but the foundational Truth of those rules has not changed, nor can it. Our perfect Heavenly Father put His commandments in place not for His good, but for ours, and they are not ours to change.

God’s rules, His commands, His demands of us, can be seen as limits to our freedom, but they are quite the opposite. Those perfect fences actually expand our freedom. Playground builders found that in playgrounds designed without fences, children tended to stay near the center of the play space, close to their caregivers. In playgrounds that included fencing, though, children explored much a broader space, feeling safer and freer within the defined limits. God provides the playgrounds of our lives with similar limits – not barriers to our freedom, but defining how we can most fully explore that freedom. 

Throughout history there have been grumblings that the Church must pull down those fences, must get with the times and accommodate shifting cultural mores. The parable of GK Chesterton’s fence reminds us that before we do away with a particular barrier, it is important to understand why it was put in place. Before any of us “relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so” in the name of well-meaning but misplaced compassion or progress, perhaps we need to have the humility to explore why God built those fences in the first place. Ultimately, when we put our trust in God’s design, our freedom will be fuller.

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Margaret Clitherow was born into a Protestant family in Middleton, England, in 1555. Known for her beauty, wit, and vivacity, she captivated those around her.

In 1571, she wed John Clitherow, a prosperous grazier and butcher, and mothered two children. Later, Margaret converted to Catholicism, a decision that marked her life with profound zeal. She became a sanctuary for priests on the run, defying the authorities of the time. Despite being arrested and subjected to severe attempts to break her faith, Margaret remained unwavering.

Her steadfastness led to a brutal sentence on March 25, 1586: death by pressing. Executed by being laid on the ground with a sharp stone beneath her back, a door was placed on top of her, and crushing weights were added. She succumbed within fifteen minutes, her body shattered.

Margaret’s strength and sanctity are echoed in her words to a friend upon hearing of her fate: “The sheriffs have decided my death is imminent this Friday; my body trembles, yet my soul leaps with joy. For God’s love, keep me in your prayers, and ask others to join.”

Her life is celebrated on March 26th, her feast day.

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