Friday, September 27, 2019


                                                 Making Friends with the Poor

In this Sunday’s Gospel Jesus tells the story of a rich man who has a beggar named Lazarus at his gate…a beggar whom the rich man never notices.  When both of them die, Lazarus is in the bosom of Abraham and the rich man is in the netherworld.
    
Then the rich man tells Abraham to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool the rich man’s tongue. When the rich man finds out that’s not possible, he has the gall to tell Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his relatives!
 
The rich man never talks directly to Lazarus.  And right there is the nub of the problem.

Do you have friends who are poor?  Are there poor people living in your neighborhood? How good are you at welcoming people who live on the fringes of life?
   
In the light of this weekend’s readings I know that I have to do a better job of reaching out to people who are poor. And I also have to live with less myself. 
   
Today’s the feast of St. Vincent de Paul. It’s a great day to write a check to the St. Vincent de Paul Society! It won’t solve everything, but it’s at least a way to make a difference.

Saturday, September 21, 2019



                                                  Using the Gifts God Gave Us

This weekend’s readings from the prophet Amos and from Jesus’ words in Luke’s Gospel focus on the proper and improper use of the gift of money. We might not think of money as a gift, but everything we have, including money, ultimately comes from God. And our job is to be good stewards of all God’s gifts.

In addition to the gift of money, what other gifts has God given you? Think about that for a few moments. Use a note pad or sheet of paper to start making a list of your gifts. Keep that list on your kitchen table for the next week…and add to it on a daily basis.

Share your list with someone who knows you well and who loves you.  Ask them if they see other gifts that you don’t see in yourself.  And then make it a point to tell them some of the gifts that you see in them.

Of all the gifts on your list, which two or three gifts do you treasure most?  

What gifts do you use on a daily basis?  What gifts do you hardly ever use? At the end of this exercise, thank God for showering you with so many gifts.
 

Friday, September 6, 2019


                                              What is the Cost of Discipleship?

This weekend’s Gospel and the second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to Philemon raise key questions about discipleship. To prepare for mass this weekend take a little time to think about the following questions. 

What is a disciple of Christ?  And more specifically, what does it mean that you are a disciple of Christ?

What expectations does Jesus have for His disciples? Make a list of the requirements that you think Jesus sets for those who want to be His disciples. 

What are the costs of discipleship? And, more specifically, what does it cost you to be a disciple of Jesus?

If Jesus would tell you that there is one thing more which He hopes you will do to be a better disciple, what would that one thing be?

Name some ‘disciples’, whom you personally know, that are really good disciples. Make it a point to let them know that you appreciate them.