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Securing Riches or a Place in Heaven?

There is nothing wrong with providing for ourselves and those we love, regarding the needs of this present, short, fleeting life. But there is something seriously wrong with not providing for ourselves and for those we love, regarding the needs of the next life, which is eternal and unchanging. This life is not like staying, it is more like walking. Many people have chosen to stay here, not to walk… This is why they try to establish themselves securely. You bury a treasure in a secure place, a place only you know, maybe a place that belongs to you. You save money in a personal account, and banks spend millions in security systems. The money is secure, but our life is not. Storing money gives us a false sense of security. If you have money, the things that help you feel good in this life, the things that help you stay well, they are secure. However, even when you have money, you are worried. First of all, because the money might be secure, but your health is not, life itself is not ...
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When Prayer Does Not Work

  1.  Let’s talk about prayer. Prayer is not a vending machine. When a vending machine doesn’t work, we get upset and go somewhere else to find what we want. God is a person, not a machine. A machine is made for us, God is not, rather, we are made by him and for him. Prayer is not like paying God for what we want, as if God were the owner at a nearby convenience store. God is our Father, and prayer is like talking to Him, asking Him for what we want, for what we think we need. It is easy to know when people relate to us, not because they care about us, but because they need something from us. True, we cannot expect everyone to reach out to us out of love, as if they were family; but we do expect it from our own family. God is our Father; we belong to His family. The way we ask things from Him matters to Him. Even when we ask things from God, it has to be personal. For example, if He sees that you approach Him with confidence, knowing that He loves you and wants the best...
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A Remedy for Martha’s Anxiety

  “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” What is that only necessary thing? If we knew, we could perhaps overcome our worries and anxieties. This necessary thing can be taken in two senses. First, it is the goal, that for the sake of which we do everything we do. Second, it is the next action in order to get closer to the goal. There is only one goal, one reason for which we should do everything we do. And there is only one action before us that will take us to that goal. We should only worry about that. If you want rest, if you want peace, you should only worry about the next action that will take you closer to God. Nothing else. 1.   This is why Jesus said once “come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest” ( Matthew 11:28). This is so true that, even in this life, all the things that can give a person rest...
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Reassigned!

  Many things pass through the mind of a religious when he is asked to move. Especially because, usually, we are not just “commanded,” but rather it comes as a request you may accept or not. Many times, they give you some time to think about it. You know that the thing has been thought through, so you know that, most probably, the best thing for everyone is that you accept, but the ball is on your court and you have to play your part. There is a part of you that feels the pressure to accept in order to please “the boss,” and another part that feels the responsibility of doing the right thing so that the move does not end up creating bigger problems for everyone; a part that mourns the loss, and a part that may be excited about what is coming. Playing your part means, sometimes, bringing to your boss’ attention relevant objections that he may not have considered or may be unknown to him; other times, just being honest about your feelings; always, it is giving your heart to your ...
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Love is being near

  “Lord, what do you want from us? What should we do to inherit eternal life?” Sometimes, we would like the Lord to give us a task, something we can do ourselves, so that once and for all we can get rid of the problem of saving ourselves and the fear of condemnation. How often do we “love” our neighbor simply as a way of getting rid of them? That is, we do for our neighbor what we have to do, and then we move away from him. It seems to us that, by giving our neighbor what he needed, we have completed our work: we are “justified,” and we can now go and do whatever we want. Perhaps we believe that to love our neighbor is to approach him when he needs something and then turn away, as if he were not really part of our life... In today’s Gospel ( Luke 10:25-37), the Pharisee knows that he must love his neighbor, that he must do something for his neighbor. But perhaps it was not very clear who was the “neighbor,” that is, the one "nearby,” the one who is considered “close.” Who is my...
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The Qualifications of the Shepherd: A Job Description by the Lord Jesus

 Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, do you love me?... Feed my sheep.” 1.   When Jesus was preparing the chief minister of the Church, He said, “Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep” (cf. John 21:17). He did not ask, “Peter, are you able to administrate a corporation? Are you good at finances and accounting? Do you have a degree? Are you a good singer?” Jesus did not ask, “Peter, are you good at administration, at dealing with things?” Jesus did not even ask, “Peter, do you know me well?” I am not saying that those things are not important, and sometimes necessary, in a shepherd. But when Jesus was looking for a shepherd, for someone who could feed His sheep, He asked about the most important and necessary thing: “Peter, do you love me?” A true shepherd is, first of all, someone for whom Jesus is food and treasure, a man in love with Jesus, a man with a personal connection to Him. All those who take care of people need to realize that they have to take care of themselves f...
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Holy Communion: A Personal Affair

 ( Corpus Christi Homily ) The disciples said, “Dismiss the crowd, Lord, so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and take care of themselves.” Jesus said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have.” “No,” Jesus could have replied, “you have also me, and this is what the crowd needs, this is what will allow you to feed thousands with the little bit you have. I am the bread of life! Have them sit down” (Cf. Luke 9:12-14). God wanted to feed human beings with Himself through the Apostles. Thus, He made the Eucharist a very personal affair, a very personal meal. A meal provided by a person (the Church’s minister), for persons (the people of God), where we eat a Person (Jesus Himself, the Incarnate Word). Nothing wrong with calling the Eucharist “a ritual meal,” but only as long as people understand that, here, ritual implies real: the food is a real Person and, therefore, eating this meal is not simply a rit...
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