MONDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER      John 15:26 - 16:4

"You have been with me from the beginning."

Cradle Catholics" often speak of having been "born Catholic." Tertullian, one of the early North African Church Fathers, offered this corrective: "Chris­tians are made, not born." If it is true that we Christians are not born, but made, then how is it that we are made? In the same way that Peter, Mary of Bethany, James, Mary Magdalene, John, Martha, Andrew, and the rest were made like Christ: by dwelling with him, by following him. We become his disciples, we are not born so. It is something we must choose daily. Those of us who have been with him from a time shortly after our birth do sometimes take our Catholic Chris­tian faith for granted. But the Risen Lord comes to stir us out of complacency and into a more mature responsibility for our faith as adults. 

Because of Christianity's early history in France, the country is sometimes re­ferred to as "the eldest daughter of the Church." Unfortunately today, there is much indifference and some hostility to the Christian faith in this ancient cradle of Catholicism. Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of La Salette, went to the people of this eldest daughter in order to rouse them from their sleep, to bring their faith to life again in the name of Jesus her Son. Her words apply still to the Church throughout the world. For the renewal Mary sought to bring to "all her people" to be effective, we must continually grow in our faith, coming to a more mature level of trust in her Son. 

In what ways do I take my faith for granted and fail to truly appreciate this gift of God to me? Have I thought to pray for the children and adults who were baptized in my parish this Easter Season?

TUESDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER         John 16:5-11
"When he comes, the Paraclete will show the world how wrong it was."

We don't usually think of advocates as those who tell us what we have done wrong. We think of them as those who stand up for us and fight for us to the last. The Holy Spirit, our promised Paraclete before the Father, shows us the ways in which we have betrayed ourselves, the ways in which we have contra­dicted our true selves, the ways in which we have done wrong. We, who are flesh and spirit, must learn from the divine Spirit how to be human. It is the Spirit who leads us to recognize how wrong we are about our sins. The Spirit calls us away from both these extremes: our sins either don't matter at all or they are too great to be forgiven. As this Paraclete helps us to see how wrong we have been he also shows us how right with God, self and others we can be. 

Mary's message often seems stern to me. That sternness is tempered, however, when I recall that it was spoken by a mother. The image I have of a stern mother always includes that of a child who has just done something to hurt a friend, or him- or herself. "Why did you hit Bobby?" "Get away from that stove now! You'll get burned!" "Go to bed. You need your rest." "If my people will not repent, I will be forced to let go the arm of my Son," said Mary at La Salette. Reading between the lines, I am tempted to insert, "I'm warning you. It's for your own good." 

What warnings have I heard that I do not heed? Do I take the counsel of others seriously, or am I a spiritual individualist, insisting on learning only from my own experience of God, rather than trusting in the experience of others, like the saints, and my brothers and sisters in the Lord?

WEDNESDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER   John 16:12-15

"The Spirit of truth will announce to you the things to come."

A pocalypticism is all around us. There is much talk about the end of the world out there these days because of the new millennium. In light of this we might be tempted to think about the end of the world when Jesus tells his dis­ciples that the Spirit will reveal what is to come. When we look for the magic formula that gives us the day on which the world will end and Jesus will come in glory, we risk forgetting to welcome him into our life this very day, this very moment. Perhaps those "things to come" refer not to the end of the world, but to this world's evolution toward God's Kingdom and the revelation of God's will for us, our calling and direction in life. Some go through life aimlessly wander­ing, never sure of their steps, yet hoping to stumble into the right direction. With the Spirit as our guide, however, our steps are sure, and we walk the straight and narrow path of Christ (Matthew 7:14), not out of fear, but out of faith. 

Mary's message at La Salette is apocalyptic in the truest sense of the word. Apoca­lypse means revelation. Mary's message manifested the divine disappointment over the way things had gone (rotting crops) and also the divine hope that things would be much improved (self-sown seeds). Just as the earth sometimes seems to withhold a harvest from us, so too our hearts sometimes withhold justice from each other, obedience and worship from God. At other times, though, our re­sponse seems generous, pure, spontaneous, full of good will. At La Salette Mary calls us to such Spirit-led spontaneity. 

THURSDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER John 16:16-20

"What does he mean?" 

Earlier in the Gospel of John it was the Pharisees who failed to understand. Maybe they didn't even want to understand. Now, however, it is Jesus' own disciples, those who welcomed the Kingdom, who fail to understand. Indeed, a few hours after these words are spoken, John tells us these same disciples, who shared in that last dinner conversation, will scatter to the four winds for fear of their lives. They will abandon their master. But they will see him again, and the very sight of him will be enough to overcome their fear of the same fate, and the shame of their abandonment. For now, however, they fail to understand this "short time" remaining until he goes away. The Resurrection surprised even those like Peter and John, who had been closest to him. However close to or distant from the Lord we may be, there are parts of our walk as disciples that we do not understand. 

People were not quite as puzzled by Mary's words at La Salette. To speak of spoiled wheat and rotting potatoes in a time of famine brings immediate recogni­tion of the truth of the message. The famine before their eyes was quite obvious to everyone in 1846. The famine in their hearts was not as obvious to them. We do not see our own sins. Something needs to happen for th^e scales to fall from our eyes. The supernatural character of the apparition at La Salette is not attested to so much by crutches left behind as at Lourdes, but by hearts renewed and turned back to God. "Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of sinners, pray without ceas­ing for us who have recourse to you." 

What in Jesus' message do I find difficult to understand and live? Praying that God will remove the scales that blind you to your own sinful ways, and after asking that Mary intercede for your conversion, make a good examination of conscience.

FRIDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER     John 16:20-23

"A woman in childbirth suffers because her time has come, but when she gives birth to the child, she forgets the suffering in her joy that a human being has been born into the world." 

In light of his own reference to himself as a mother hen who longs to gather her chicks under her wings, sheltering them from danger, the 14th-century English mystic Julian of Norwich speaks of Christ as our Mother. Christ and the suffer­ings of his Passion which gave us life readily come to mind. But John seems to have the labor pains of the disciples in mind here. This seems odd since, in their confusion over what was happening to the master and what might happen to them as well, they fled from the pain and suffering. It remains true that the child, too, must endure the trauma of birth. And as the mother "rejoices that a human being has been born into the world," the child finds contentment and reassurance in its mother's arms. What joy the first disciples found, what joy will we not find in the arms of our Risen Lord! 

Mary's present sharing in Christ's glory does not insulate her from the trials her children bear on earth. Her tears at La Salette remind us of her constant care and concern for us, and reflect our God's even greater care and concern for our well-being. Her tears and her recollection of the incident on the road to Corps when, out of loving concern for him, Maximin's father gave him a piece of bread, re-mind us of Mary's unblinking watchfulness over our lives - itself a reflection of the divine concern her Son has for us every moment of our lives. 

Look at a crucifix, or call to mind the image of our crucified Lord. Fix in your heart the immeasurable love with which Christ died for you. Carry this apprecia­tion with you throughout the day and reach out to others from that same immea­surable love with which Christ has loved you.

SATURDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER         John 16:23-28

"Whatever you ask the Father, he will give you in my name."

To ask or pray in the name of Jesus requires more than simply tacking on "We ask this through Christ our Lord," or "In Jesus' name we pray" at the end of our prayers. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of Vatican Council II teaches us that in the liturgy all who are gathered are called to fulfill the priestly office of Jesus Christ (#7). This high calling to pray in Jesus' name and fulfill his priestly office by our own prayer means more than just "name-dropping^" at the close of our intercessions. To be a Christian at prayer is to make Jesus' longing for the Father and the coming of the Reign of God one's very own longing ("Thy king­dom come. Thy will be done."). It requires that at Mass, in union with the Risen Lord, we put on the altar alongside the gifts of bread and wine, our own lives, our self-offering to be sustained throughout the rest of the day and week. Yes, pray­ing in Jesus' name is no magic formula; it is a way of life, a responsibility all Christians are invited, even commanded, to carry out. 

Mary's command to pray the Our Father and Hail Mary (and to pray more when we can) at evening and morning is more than just a good way to start the day off right and end it appropriately. We begin and end by praying as Jesus prayed so that all through the day we will live as he lived (with the aid of his Mother's intercession, of course). 

What are the best times for me to pray? What does it mean to me to pray well? What keeps me from praying regularly, attentively? Does my prayer help me to walk more faithfully in the ways of the Lord?

MONDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER John 16:29-33

"Do you believe at last?"

Just when we think we have figured it out, something always seems to come along and cloud our crystal clear understanding. We find ourselves back at square one, trying to make sense of life, faith, loss. We who follow Christ in the third millennium can take comfort in the fact that the gospels all tell us of the confusion the disciples often experienced on hearing him speak or seeing him act. No one has ever been so misunderstood in all of history as Jesus of Nazareth. No one is more misunderstood today as he. I sometimes pretend to know more about Jesus and his ways than I actually do know. It is an occupational hazard. As one who is called upon to preach several times a week, I am "supposed" to know who Christ is, what Christ means. The best response I can offer is the one I some-times gave my father when I was younger: shoulders that shrug, a head and heart that hope to understand more and know better the next time. 

"You do not understand, my children?" Mary asked, then went from flawless French to a more approachable patois, Maximin's and Melanie's local dialect. Communication can be difficult when we aren't speaking the same language, or when we are not interpreting words the same way. Perhaps Our Lady was exer­cising the gift of tongues she received. at Pentecost, showing us how language, so divisive at times, can also unite. Whatever her reason for speaking both French and patois, she wanted the children to understand her Good News about Jesus as much as he wanted the disciples to understand his about the Kingdom. Neither did the first disciples nor these humble La Salette visionaries comprehend the fullness of what was entrusted to them. As we hear the Gospel in the twenty-first century, we are sure to miss the total picture too - but not entirely. 

What puzzles me about Jesus and the call to be his disciple? Am I waiting until I understand more before I make a deeper commitment to Christ, or am I willing to trust and to learn as I follow?

TUESDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER John 17:1-11

"Now, Father, glorify me with the glory I had before the world began."

This is not good ol' boy talk about the good ol' days, a lament over things gone downhill since they did that "Eden thing" and everything went sour. This is no lament Father and Son are sharing. This is the Son's disclosure of his deepest desire for the completion of the work he had begun: not just what we saw at Bethlehem, but what had been prepared from the foundation of the world. While Thomas Aquinas, the Dominican theologian, believed that Christ came among us, because we needed to be redeemed from sin, his contemporary, the Franciscan theologian Duns Scotus, believed that God intended that the eternal Word should become incarnate even if human beings had never sinned. We would have been incomplete, he argued, as long as God had not become one with his creation. In this perspective, the dialogue about glory between Jesus and his Father is not about good ol' days, but about the days they had always longed and planned for, days when not only Father, Son and Spirit would be one, but all creation would be one with them. 

"Only a few somewhat aged women go to Mass!" Between the famine and low church attendance, good ol' days 1846 certainly was not. Neither would our day qualify. Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter about the centrality of Sunday, a day meant to be the Day of the Lord from start to finish, seems to have fallen on deaf ears, as did Mary's cry. What is this Sunday observance about anyway? Sunday is about celebrating the manifestation of God's glory in human flesh, that of the Risen Jesus, the pledge that we share in unending life and will rest one day from our labors. On Sunday, the day above all other days, we celebrate the promise that God's glory will be ours too. 

When you realize that God is prepared (indeed desperately desires) to share his very life, his glory, with you, how does that make you feel? What do you do on Sunday that distracts you from the revelation of God's glory, even in the partial way we experience it in this life?

WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER  John 17:11-19

"They are not of the world any more than I belong to the world."

I once caught myself saying in a homily, "... the Mother Teresas of this world." I don't recall exactly what I was speaking about, but I'm sure it had something to do with her exceptional holiness as an example for us to imitate. Months later this phrase came to mind out of the blue, and I realized the irony of it: Mother Teresa was not "of this world." She was simply in it. It was not the benevolence of the human heart that made her what she was for the creatures of this planet, but the greatness of God's grace that made her so. Like the Christ she so humbly followed, Mother Teresa had set her heart on the will of her heavenly Father. She sought no compensation in this world, but to know she was a beloved daughter of God. She excelled in giving Christian witness, because she belonged first to Christ and only in him did she belong to the world to which he gave her. We may not be so great as she in giving our witness to Christ, but we too are called "out of this world" to live in Christ. But he will likely give us back to the world as witnesses to his love. 

"Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). Mary's fiat continued in the apparition and message of La Salette. As she encountered the no of the children of God, her yes resounded all the louder. Once again, she came to earth to draw us closer to her Son, she brought us the opportunity to be filled with the blessing of the "fruit of her womb." No doubt Mary's yes to Christ echoed in Mother Teresa's life. May it echo in yours and mine as well! 

THURSDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER   John 17:20-26

"May the world know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me."

Jesus clearly turns his attention to the future. He anticipates the success in time of the disciples' mission, praying "for those who will believe in him through their words" and foresees their presence in eternity "with him where he is." He expresses his Last Will: "that they may all be one" and goes on to sketch the essential traits of this ardently desired unity. Its model is the unity of Father and Son. It is a unity in diversity (despite their perfect oneness Father and Son remain distinct persons). This unity must be visible enough to challenge the world, just as he did, to recognize God present and at work in him. The fact that Jesus prays to the Father for this gift tells us that it lies within the sole power of God. It is fitting that this majestic and stirring prayer which concludes the Farewell Dis­course itself closes on the note of the unity of all believers, "the fruit that will remain." 

At La Salette the Mother of Jesus expresses concern about various harvests: grapes, potatoes, walnuts, wheat. She is solicitous of earth's produce in field, garden, orchard and vineyard. In biblical language, such productivity mirrors the fruitful­ness of the human spirit as it obediently carries out the Creator's purpose. Mind­ful of the solemn words her Son spoke at the Last Supper, "It was not you who chose me but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain" (John 15:16), she cares deeply about the spiritual fruit human hands and hearts are to bring forth for the life and unity of the world. 

Science and technology in the new millennium will be much improved. Their human manipulators, however, won't be. Am I nonetheless hopeful? In light of Jesus' prayer can I imagine a day when human life will have been completely transformed?

FRIDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER John 21:15-19

"Do you love me?"

Sometimes one spouse has trouble saying, "I love you." When the question is raised (usually because "I love you" never gets spoken!) the response is de­fensive: "Yes, you know I love you. ... Of course I love you. ... I'm hurt. How could you even ask; you know I love you.^" People cite the many things they do, the hardships they endure, the many things they have sacrificed, the lengths to which they have gone. There is something about hearing it, however, that seems to make a difference. Showing it is walking the talk, but saying it is still impor­tant because mere routine, or who knows what, could be what keeps the relation-ship going. Sometimes the question is asked even when the answer is known for certain. Jesus, who knows what's on our mind before we say it, still seems to want to hear us say it. Maybe he realizes that it will make a difference to us if we say it, and realize we mean it. 

Not hearing that you're loved can lead to tears and much sadness. Maybe that's what Mary's tears were about? "How could someone who had experienced the glory of God in heaven be sad and cry?" some wondered when the children re-ported that the Beautiful Lady wept for the entire duration of the apparition. Maybe she realized how much her children, the children of the Church, the children of God, were missing out on when they failed to practice what they professed, and failed to appreciate what they practiced. 

Whom do you love that you have taken for granted lately? How can you show them that you love them today - for your own awareness as well as theirs?

SATURDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER      John 21:20-25

"The rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die."

At a recent gathering of La Salette Missionaries that focused on our Marian roots, we were reminded that apparitions, including that of Our Lady at La Salette, always address "the last things." This doesn't mean that La Salette Mis­sionaries go around predicting a precise day, time or even the extreme nearness of these "last things." Nor does it mean that they are to be dismissed altogether. Talk about the end times in Catholic circles has always intended to bring about repentance here and now and not to cause hysteria or panic. In the midst of a millennial madness in which many will vaguely hint or specifically point to Christ's Second Coming, we are to look closely at the signs of the times and recognize that, whether or not his return is imminent, now is always the moment for repen­tance. Whether they live until he comes or whether generation upon generation will yet follow, Christians know it's never too early to return to their Lord with all their hearts. 

The authorities were worried that if Mary's dire predictions about the crops were to get out, no one would risk planting anything. Reasons for opposing the La Salette message were not just anti-religious, but very practical. Mary's words expressed concern about the kind of daily bread that would feed spirits, not just stomachs, however important the latter may be. The authorities may have been aware that "people don't live on bread alone," but they also knew that at least a little bread was needed. In the story of Maximin's father offering him a piece of bread on the way home to Corps, we have evidence that Mary is aware of both the bread of this world and the bread of the Kingdom to come. She knows the role each of these must play, and is willing to intercede that body and soul be kept together and ordered rightly to our ultimate good. 

What am I feeding my body? What am I feeding myself mentally, emotionally, morally, and spiritually? Is it all healthy? Is it what I should be feeding myself? Is it what I need?

MONDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK OF THE YEAR       Mark 12:1-12

"They will have respect for my son.^"

The parable of the tenants in the vineyard shows the great love God has for his people, no matter what the cost. Throughout the centuries God has proven that love to us time and time again. He created the world for us. He freed us from captivity. He marks us as his own special people. From the beginning of time God has sent us various messengers and has spoken to us through the prophets to remind us of this love. Finally, God sent his only Son, Jesus, to tell us once again of his love for us. The miracle of it all is that, even though we abuse the gift and reject all that God has done for us; even after we crucify God's only beloved Son, God continues to tell us in countless ways how much he loves us. 

Mary's visit at La Salette is yet another way that God tells us that love is the ultimate gift. God has given that gift freely to us, we must give one another the gift in order for love to grow and prosper. God sent us his Son, thinking, "They will have to respect my Son." Ever resourceful in expressing his infinite love for us, God sends us Mary, thinking that we will respect her message, "turn away from our sins and believe in the good news." 

Name some instances and events in your life where God has spoken of his great love for you. What effect has this had on your life? How has this affected your decisions and choices in life?

TUESDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Mark 12:13-17

"Their amazement at him knew no bounds."

Amazement is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that was given to us at our Baptism and ratified at our Confirmation. That gift is commonly known as "fear of the Lord," but amazement seems to give a better sense of the power this gift bestows. Amazement is the awesome realization of and wonder at God's interaction with us. Amazement leads to dumbfounded silence then boundless praise of God's love and mercy. Jesus is the ultimate source of amazement - God loving us so much that he sent his Son into the world. People who experienced Jesus also experienced amazement, like the Pharisees and Herodians did in today's gospel. Their amazement may have left them dumbfounded, but it failed to prompt the praise of God. 

At La Salette the two children were entranced by Mary's beauty and awestruck by her message. So much so that they were able to repeat word-for-word what she said to them and, through them, to us and to the whole world. The people who heard these children were likewise amazed that two poor, uneducated herders should be given such a task. Perhaps does the gift of amazement need to be nur­tured in today's world where so much is taken for granted and so many wonders often go unnoticed. We might become like innocent children and look at our world with the eyes of childlike faith. We would perhaps then see God! We may then even get a taste of what heaven is like! We would be amazed to know God's love.

What was it that amazed you today? Sit for a while in silent awe and wonder at God's tremendous love for you.

WEDNESDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK OF THE YEAR    Mark 12:18-27

"You are badly misled, because you fail to understand the Scriptu^res
or the power of God."

It is amazing how an attitude, bias or preconceived idea can distort a teaching and blind us to the saving truth of the gospel. The Sadducees strongly believed that there is absolutely no resurrection from the dead, and that stubborn belief blinded them to the freedom God's plan of salvation enfolds. Their bias and un­willingness to change narrowed their vision to the point where they could not envision the possibility, let alone the reality, of the resurrection of the dead. It is also worth considering that a narrow belief system can generate ridicule and stub­bornness when confronted with an alternative vision and truth. The Sadducees concocted the tale about the brother and the seven-times-widowed woman in an attempt to refute Jesus and trivialize his teaching about the resurrection. 

At La Salette Mary said that if we can only see ourselves as God sees us, then "rocks and stones will turn into heaps of wheat and potatoes will be self-sown in the fields." But if we continue to see ourselves as sinners, and fail to hope in the salvation of the Cross then, "the walnuts will become worm-eaten and the grapes will rot!" It is within our power to change our self-image, our image of others and our image of God. In doing so we can unleash the miraculous power of God's loving Spirit. But if we continue to see ourselves as sinful, hemmed in and unde­serving of God's love, such a vision will affect not only our own future but the future of our world as well. Pray God that we can truly "turn away from sin and believe in the Good News." 

What are your basic attitudes about yourself? Others? God? What blinds you to God^'s love? What needs to be changed in your life?

THURSDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK OF THE YEAR     Mark 12:28-34

You are not far from the reign of God."

In Mark's Gospel the scribe who asked Jesus about the greatest commandment questioned him in a spirit of honest and sincere inquiry. This particular scribe did not appear on the scene to test Jesus or to try to trip him up in some way, as his counterpart does in the retelling of the incident by St. Matthew and St. Luke. Rather he seriously ponders Jesus' words on the commandment of the love of God and neighbor and self and responds thoughtfully and sincerely. In the scribe's own words, "Yes, to love him with all our heart, with all our thoughts and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is worth more than any burnt offering or sacrifice."' Jesus praises him for this insight and tells him, "You are not far from the reign of God."

On the mountain of La Salette Mary came to ask us to consider another great gospel truth, namely, the challenge to "turn away from sin and believe in the good news." Mary invites us to "come near and not be afraid" as she shares that good news with us. The good news is that Jesus is coming and that his arm is heavy, laden as it is - not with judgment and threats but - with unclaimed bless­ings, forgiveness, mercy, redemption, in a word, salvation. If we can see and believe in the truth of this message then we ourselves "are not far from the reign of God."

How would your life be changed if Jesus told you, "You are not far from the reign of God"? What would you say to Jesus after he shared that piece of good news with you? Tell him in a prayer of gratitude and praise.

FRIDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Mark 12:35-37

"How can the scribes claim, `The Messiah is David's son'?"

We always try to put God into a little box that we might comprehend God within the narrow limits of our human understanding. The scribes of the past and the scribes of today try to explain God by describing what God can and cannot be, what God can and cannot do. The scribes of today warn us that Jesus is coming soon, and that he will be cloaked in a mantle of anger, condemnation, and judgment. When Jesus comes, the world will suffer and we will really pay for our sins, they assure us. Jesus is coming and there is nothing we can do to stop him. We wait in dread, shame and terror for Jesus' return. What today's scribes distort beyond all recognition is the heartfelt and well-founded declaration believers pro-claim every time they celebrate the Eucharist: "We wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ." 

At La Salette Shrines worldwide, Mary is honored as the Reconciler of sinners, a title spontaneously conferred upon her by the earliest pilgrims to her chosen mountain. She appeared there wearing a crucifix with hammer and pincers, en-circled by a chain and multicolored roses - eloquent symbols of Jesus' love breaking down all barriers, using our strengths and our weaknesses as he heals and saves us. Both the hammer of our sinfulness and the pincers of our repentance play key roles in Christ's death and resurrection for us. So obscured has our vision become that the abyss of God's generous mercy is beyond what we dare imagine. All we can do is submit to that immense love, believe in the good news and "wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior." 

Reflect on the symbols of the hammer and pincers, the chain and roses that Mary wore in her apparition. What do these tell you about Jesus and the Good News'?

SATURDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Mark 12:38-44

"One poor widow came."

The widow. She surely knows the keen ache of loss. At the death of her be loved husband, the world she knew and depended upon for support and self-esteem fell apart. She feels the sadness of the void his passing left. She tastes the bitterness of death. And yet - despite her loss, she is generous in giving. "She gave from her want, all that she had to live on." The widow encounters death and in that experience comes to know life's real value. She puts into practice what St. Francis preached many centuries later, namely, that "it is in giving that we re­ceive." Death and loss teach her well how to be generous in life. She contributes her two cents' worth - and for centuries afterward the world takes a lesson from the generosity of the widow's mite - and might! She gives until it hurts and mani­fests the true meaning of dignity and self-respect. 

The widow. The holy widow comes to us again, broken and in tears. She wears the dress of a peasant woman. The children suspect she is a mother who was beaten by her children and has fled to the mountain to cry in solitude. Such is the ache of loss and desolation. Yet see what wealth this widow shares as she offers her two cents' worth, a basic, down-to-earth message. Heeding her words can mean blessings in abundance, hope rekindled, love both received and returned. She bears on her breast the image of her Beloved, the only Son. In his loss, the loss of his precious life, is our eternal gain. How rich, indeed, this poor widow is. How she wishes to share her riches with us who are poorer than we know. 

Where is your poverty? Where are your riches?

MONDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 5:1-12

"Be glad and rejoice, for your reward in heaven is great."

We seem always to be in search of the elusive reward, those achievements that will bring us applause, honor, and recognition. The reward will tell us that we are better than we thought we were. When we get our reward we will have finally attained our rightful place in this world. No matter how hard we try, how much we achieve, we can never seem to fill that void within that tells us that something, or Someone, is still missing. Not only does it fail to satisfy that inner longing, the reward seems to leave us emptier than ever. Jesus tells us that only the meek, the oppressed, the poor and the persecuted find the truly satisfying reward. They are indeed happy in their discovery that God's love alone can fill the void. The pursuit of possessions, fame and fortune cannot do so. Heartfelt love of God and neighbor for their sakes can. 

Our Lady of La Salette asks us to take a good look at all our possessions and those rewards we prize so highly. Compared to God's love and compassion these possessions of ours will seem like so much "spoiled wheat and rotted potatoes!" Mary asks us to give all these away and acknowledge her Son as the source and summit of our salvation and happiness. Then we will know our true worth. Then we will realize what real gladness and rejoicing mean. The kingdom of heaven will be ours, at least in anticipation. 

What is that void that always needs filling in my life? What is it that fills my life with meaning and purpose?

TUESDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 5:13-16

"You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world."

Jesus tells us what he really thinks of us! The judge of all is plainly calling us "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world." Normally, we would at-tribute such titles to Jesus alone, praising him as the light that shines in our dark­ness, or the living Bread that sustains us. But today Jesus holds us up to view and asks that we look at ourselves as our God in heaven sees us - as gifts to be dearly valued and unsparingly shared with others. "Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." Imagine what the world would be like if we lived out the truth of who we are, the image and likeness of God, and the astonishing fact that God saw fit to call the entire creation "very good" (Genesis 1:31). 

On the holy mountain, Mary appears to Melanie and Maximin in a globe of bright light. She invites them to "come closer" and share in that brightness. Echoing her Son, she reminds us that we are the light of the world, and that if we could see ourselves in the light of God's love for us we would obtain heaven. As she van­ishes into the light, she urges us to relay that message to all her people, a reaffir­mation of what her Son told us long ago: "You are the light of the world!" 

Do you find it easy or difficult to accept the praise Jesus speaks of you in today's gospel? Are you sharing God's gifts of" salt" and "light" with others?

WEDNESDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 5:17-19

"I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill."

Jesus affirms that what he is about is doing the will of his Father. It is not God's will that the earth should be destroyed, but redeemed. It is not the will of God that we should be cast out of heaven, but that we should draw ever closer to our eternal happiness. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:16-17). Jesus fulfills the law by restating the greatest commandment, the commandment that sums up the entire law and the prophets: "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ... You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37, 39). 

The Beautiful Lady of La Salette asks us to "come near and not be afraid." The question is why are we so terrified of this good news? What is it that holds us back from the saving arm of Mary's Son? Maybe it is that, in order to renew the world of God's creation, we have to give up the world that we ourselves have created and are quite complacent in - even if it is filled with false hopes and empty promises. Maybe we are dulled by our routines, schedules and duties, so much so that the good news of a better world interferes with those things that have taken on tremendous importance to us. Like Jesus, Mary confronts us with a choice: to stay in our own little world and suffer the consequences, or be con­verted, believe in the good news of salvation and fulfillment, and get a healthy taste of "the real world!" 

Are you living in "the real world"? Can you come nearer to God ... and not be afraid?

THURSDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR   Matthew 5:20-26

"Go first and be reconciled with your brother or sister,
and then come and offer your gift."

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, "Give until it hurts," and Jesus seems to say "Forgive until it doesn't hurt anymore!" Forgiveness is a basic attitude, a calling, a vocation. Reconciliation is not simply a one-time occurrence. We can-not simply forgive and forget, as the saying goes. Forgiveness is like a surgeon's scalpel that reopens old wounds in order to clear out the infections of anger, bitterness and resentment. At the same time, forgiveness is a soothing ointment, liberally applied, to cleanse and heal old or new wounds. Jesus bids us "forgive seventy times seven times" (Matthew 18:22). Forgive, even though everyone does not request it. Forgive even though everyone does not deserve it. This gift, Jesus offers as a key to heaven; our eternal happiness can begin now if we so choose. 

The oldest and best known title of Our Lady of La Salette is Reconciler of sin­ners. In her apparition she assures us that she "prays without ceasing for us," thereby affirming that forgiveness - rather than an occasional act of kindness or isolated instance of bigheartedness - is a lifelong vocation for the Christian. "And this is from God who reconciled us to himself in Christ, and has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation. ... God was in Christ not counting our trespasses against us" (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). 

Have I ever been the one to take the first step in bringing about reconciliation with a friend, a neighbor, a relative? Is there someone in my life I cannot bring myself to forgive?

FRIDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR      Matthew 5:27-32

"Better to lose part of your body than to have it all cast into Gehenna."

Jesus uses strong language here. The reality of the kingdom of God compels us to search our innermost impulses and to uproot all those longings that could hinder its growth within us. Jesus is applying the greatest commandment, the command that we should love God, our neighbor and ourselves in such a way that whatever violates it or could lead to its violation be seen as evil. The human heart, he well knew, is capable of the basest and the noblest of instincts and deeds (see John 2:24-25). He condemned the inner thought even unaccompanied by outward effect. Internal anger is already murderous, he warned, because once ignited they can intensify and become murderous. Lustful looks are already un­faithful because they can inflame passion and lead to infidelity. The Savior's heart addresses the original goodness of our hearts. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). 

Mary at La Salette makes use of strong language. She speaks in plain terms: "How long I have suffered for you." "If the harvest is ruined, it is only on account of yourselves." "A great famine is coming." "Children under seven will be seized with trembling and die in the arms of those holding them." The bitter conse­quences of our refusal to change our ways and convert are painfully evident as we take leave of the twentieth century, the most violent in recorded human his­tory. May the seeds of destruction and violence never find fertile soil in our hearts. 

What dark impulses and reflexes within you need to be cast off? In what ways is the kingdom of God coming in your heart and life?

SATURDAY OF THE TENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR    Matthew 5:33-37

"Say 'Yes'when you mean 'Yes' and 'No' when you mean `No'.'"

We learn to lie at a very early age. Although we were taught that "honesty is the best policy," telling the truth is what usually got us into the most trouble. Lying offers an easy way of escaping the truth's harsh consequences and eventu­ally becomes a way of life. So much so that we become addicted to reflexes that blind us to the truth. As we well know, this induces a state of constant denial. What Jesus tells us is what men and women of wisdom have been telling us for ages: "Be true to yourself." However painful truth may be, facing it, owning up to it, is redemptive. The truthful person doesn't have to take oaths or swear to God or anyone else. Truthful people are taken at their word. Truth leads to trust and the trustworthy earn valued respect. 

It is the Woman of the Word, honored as the Seat of Wisdom, who speaks to us from that stone bench high in the French Alps. Her reassuring "Don't be afraid" to the children, the angel Gabriel had first spoken to her. "Be it done to me as you say," she had replied. A Yes she ratified all her life until its culmination at the foot of the cross. She pondered the word constantly and it bore fruit in the generous soil of her Immaculate Heart. Founded to make her apparition known to all her people, the La Salette Missionaries are to preach Mary's message "more so by the example of their own lives than by their words." 

What keeps you from facing the truth? What keeps you from telling the truth?

MONDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 5:38-42

"Offer no resistance to injury." 

The word "injury^" calls up all sorts of mental images, from a cut on a finger to injuries sustained in a serious accident. Wouldn't a person want to offer re­sistance to injury? Isn't it the normal thing to do? It is the pain and suffering that come with injuries that people shun. This goes to the core of our being. Jesus, however, did not shun injury or suffering. He embraced it for the good of all. The inconvenience and bother of reaching out and attending to a fellow human being in need draws us out of ourselves. 

Earning a modest living as a farmer in the mountain villages around La Salette was an ungrateful task. Very hard work with scant little to show for it. Mary urges these poor people to return to the practice of their faith, promising them newfound closeness to God, consolation and hope. 

How can the injury we embrace and the suffering associated with it bring us closer to God? In what way can embracing injury and its attendant suffering bring us closer to one another?

TUESDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 5:43-48

"You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Jesus' call to "perfection" in today's gospel, we think is almost impossible. How can we be as perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect? The command that Jesus gives us is a continuous action. It is something that we continually work toward. Our human nature is always in need of conversion and healing. Jesus offers us healing that can bring us closer and closer to our goal of perfec­tion. We are not saints, but we strive for the wholeness that only Jesus can give. 

At La Salette Mary sought to encourage Maximin and Melanie and us to seek wholeness. Wholeness can only be found in her Son. When we pray for our en­emies, we are working toward that wholeness. Running in circles is not the an­swer. Changing the subject is not the answer. Neither is blaming others. Unless we change our hearts wholeness will elude us. And how do we change our hearts? By praying. Prayer changes our hearts. 

What reconciliation needs to be worked toward in my life? What healing needs to be attempted with estranged family members, coworkers and friends?

WEDNESDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

"For people to see."

We are very familiar with our gospel today. As part of its annual instruction on the proper observance of Lent, the church proclaims this gospel on Ash Wednesday. Jesus tells us it is not the exterior action that matters most but the innermost intention of the person performing the act of fasting, penitence, or prayer. Our heavenly Father not only sees our actions but the intentions and mo­tives behind them. 

Mary at La Salette grieved that the people of the day only practiced their faith to mock religion. Their hearts and souls were not a part of it. They spoke Jesus' name not in prayer but for swearing when they were angry or upset. By keeping inward sentiments of adoration, love and trust out of their worship, it was a grudg­ing and reluctant service they offered their Maker. 

When doing a good deed for someone, or giving to a charity, or attending Mass, am I doing so with a truly sincere intention? Am I doing the action with an ulte­rior motive in mind, for my own gain?

THURSDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Matthew 6:7-15

"This is how you are to pray."

Jesus' emphasis is on the quality of prayer rather than its quantity: "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew, in his gospel, gives us the ideal example of Christian prayer which is ascribed to the Lord himself and which has always been a prominent feature of the Christian liturgy. There is prob­ably no other prayer in the church that has been so often and extensively com­mented on, meditated on and written about than the Lord's Prayer. It contains every type of prayer: praise, adoration, petition, supplication, confession and for­giveness of sins. It asks for the strength and the grace to forgive others. Finally it is a prayer of exorcism, a prayer for deliverance from the oppression of evil. 

Mary at La Salette told Melanie and Maximin to pray this prayer in particular. Mary encourages us to pray the words her Son himself taught his followers, a timely reminder that, first and foremost, we are his disciples, called to share in his spirit and carry his mission forward. 

When I pray the Lord's Prayer how aware am I of the various forms of prayer it contains? Am I moved to forgive as I ask my Father in heaven to forgive me?

FRIDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR  Matthew 6:19-23

"Where your treasure is, there your heart is also."

How often we have heard this phrase! But do we really understand its meaning? It means keeping material things in their proper place and spiritual things at the center of our concerns and lives. The material treasures we store up bring us a fleeting satisfaction and enjoyment. It is usually in the striving for the material treasure that we find the most pleasure. Once we have obtained it, we become bored and seek yet another treasure. Spiritual treasures, at the center of our lives, serve to anchor us. They bring us serenity and stability amid the dis­tractions and annoyances of everyday living. 

The distractions and evils of contemporary society can lead us to dejection and disheartenment. They can cause us to lose our inner peace and serenity. Mary encouraged Melanie and Maximin to become well anchored in prayer, so that the enticements of the world would not blind them to true values. Prayer and spiritual realities at the heart of our lives can give us welcome light and hope. 

Have you heard Our Lady of La Salette's call to cultivate your inner life'? Can you honestly say that you give spiritual goods the nod over material goods in your own life?

SATURDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 6:24-34

"Do not worry about tomorrow"

The AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) program is centered on two days of the week that one should not worry about: yesterday and tomorrow. One is al-ready over, its hopes and joys, its gains and failures are gone. Tomorrow is not yet here, neither are the joys or disappointments it can bring. In today's gospel Jesus gives us the same message: "Which of you by worrying can add a moment to your life span'?" Jesus tells us to remain anchored in the present moment. In the present moment we can seek God's will for us and endeavor to carry it out. At-tempting to do God's will for me today should be enough to be concerned about. 

"Come near, my children; don't be afraid." These were the opening words of Mary at La Salette to Maximin and Melanie. Once these children's fear and worry had vanished they were able to be present to the graced moment in their lives. Mary as an ambassador for her Son urges us to be fully present to the graced moments in our own lives. 

Have I allowed my spiritual anxiety and fear to be dispelled so I may hear God's word more clearly? What might God's will for me be this very day?

MONDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 7:1-5

"The measure with which you measure will be used to measure you."

How often we like to think our way of seeing or doing things is the right way. Others are wrong. We like to make ourselves superior to others because this boosts our own ego. In the Christian way of life things are quite different. The way for us to avoid judgment, Jesus tells us, is not to judge others. We find this mandate very difficult because seeing the faults in our brothers and sisters is easier than seeing them in ourselves. An unknown author once wrote: "There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it ill behooves any of us, to find fault with the rest of us." 

At La Salette Mary, whose entire life was devoted to the person and mission of Christ, speaks to the two children about conversion, conversion to the person and mission of her Son. Those who follow him share their Lord's mind and do his deeds. They look upon others with understanding and show them compassion. 

What plank in my eye is now obstructing my view of certain other people? What plank in my eye is blocking my vision of my mission in Christ?

TUESDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 7:6, 12-14

"Treat others as you would like to be treated."

Often, we have two standards: the way we like to be treated and the way we treat others. There is usually a great divergence between the two. Jesus tells his disciples to be calculating and discerning. What is worthwhile should not be wasted on lesser opportunities or with the reckless. The road that leads to perdi­tion is indeed enticing and inviting. It can easily attract. But it inevitably leads to a dry and arid wasteland. The road to what is life giving is often difficult and presents many obstacles. However, when we invest our best talents and gifts in this effort, the outcome is life giving for ourselves and for others as well. 

Mary chose to leave a memorial of her visit to La Salette. The spring that sprang forth following her visit to that privileged site, and which has not ceased flowing since then, remains a sign and symbol of all that is life-giving, of all that sustains life. The life Mary refers to is eternal in her Son. Following him in faithful dis­cipleship is the road that leads to abundant and full life. 

What gifts and talents has God given me as special means to eternal life? Am I aware of double standards in myself as I relate to others?

WEDNESDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 7:15-20

"By their fruits you will know them."

Jesus gives us a warning: "Be vigilant where the behavior and actions of others are concerned." Again, if we are discerning, we will recognize the goodness and genuineness of people by their behavior, by what they do. Jesus used the ordinary experiences familiar to the people of his day to illustrate his teachings, comparing the kingdom of God with nature and agricultural realities. A healthy plant or tree, for example, will yield healthy fruit. The essence of goodness within the plant or tree manifests itself in the fruit it bears. Decay, too, is telltale. 

So too did Mary at La Salette graphically call the attention of Melanie and Maxi-min to spoiled wheat, worm-eaten walnuts and rotted grapes, reflections in na­ture of what was happening in their day, in the lives of the people around them. The evils of today's society: crime, drugs, murder are as many indicators that the core of our society is in need of conversion and healing. 

What good fruits do you recognize in your life that help in the building of the Kingdom of God? How much care and prayer do you bring to the choices and decisions you are called upon to make?

THURSDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 7:21-29

"Only the one who does the will of my Father will enter the kingdom."

Jesus was the example par excellence of doing his Father's will. This he com­pares to building a foundation on rock rather than on sand. In the Gospel of Mark Jesus learns that his relatives are outside asking for him. He sees this as an opportunity to declare: "Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother" (Mark 3:35). The one who hears God's word and acts on it, Jesus assures us, is mother, sister and brother to him. Knowing God's will for me and my life is seldom easy. This requires careful discernment. I pray for the grace and insight to know the Father's will for me. The answer will often speak to my heart rather than my ears. I will intuitively know and recognize the goodness of God's will for me. 

In her life on earth, as her Son testifies, Mary heard the word of God and always acted on it. In her apparition at La Salette she urges her people to build their faith lives on the solid foundation of God's commandments: submission to the Cre­ator, reverence for God's name, observance of the Lord's Day. 

Do I seek Mary's intercession as I discern God's will for me? Who are the people in my life that awaken in me a sense of spiritual realities?

FRIDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 8:1-4

"If you will to do so, you can cure me."

Jesus is the divine physician. He does want to heal us. Like the leper and so many others in the gospel that Jesus cured,  there was one prerequisite: they recognized that Jesus could do it. They put faith in his power rather than in their own.They appealed to his compassion and gentleness. Jesus wants us to be healed of our anger, our pride, our self-centeredness that often keep us from seeing his will and that of the Father for us. Trying to let go of these personality defects allows the healing power of the Lord to enter and penetrate to the core of our self. 

In her exercise of prophetic ministry Mary at La Salette diagnoses her people's spiritual illness and prescribes a remedy. Her entire message, through strategic repetition, calls attention to this medicine: "As for you, you pay no heed. ... You paid no heed." Our moral condition can be cured, she tells us, if we resolve to be alert, attentive, vigilant, watchful in the future. If we learn to pay attention to really important, to eternally important matters. 

Is it a sign of strength or of weakness to seek healing? You say to the Lord: "If you will to do so, you can cure me" If he should answer: "Do you will to take the prescribed medicine?" How would you reply?

SATURDAY OF THE TWELFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 8:5-17

"I assure you, I have never found this much faith in all Israel."

Jesus came not only for his own - the house of Israel - but for all people. A centurion, a Roman pagan interceded with him to cure one of his servants. The centurion recognized the greatness of Jesus. And recognizing the authority Jesus had, he did not feel it necessary that he enter his house - perhaps to spare Jesus the ritual impurity attached to his entering the house of a Gentile. He has faith and trust in Jesus' words. This is enough for him. Jesus responds with high com­mendation and praise. He has never seen as much faith in all of Israel. The basis of it all was the centurion's unwavering trust that Jesus could and would do this. 

We would not be off the mark to say that Mary shed tears at La Salette over her people's lack of faith and loss of trust. In the unfolding of today's gospel story these very traits draw Jesus' commendation and praise: "It shall be done because you trusted." Our faith and trust, themselves gifts of God, open the compassion and power of Christ to us. 

Do I believe that the Lord's word can work powerfully in my personal life? Am I confident that the Lord will show me his compassion?

 MONDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR        

Matthew 8:18-22       

"Follow me."

Multiple choice test.. On the surface it would seem easy to follow Jesus. Anyone who counts himself or herself a true believer would readily and gladly do whatever Jesus might ask if he came down and spoke his request di­rectly. But he doesn't do that. Instead he invites us in today's world to discern among multiple choice actions we must accomplish to follow him faithfully. For guidance as we make our choices we look to prayer, our own inner light, and especially the input of our brothers and sisters in the faith.

The children of La Salette were given a mission. To make known Mary's mes­sage of reconciliation with her Son. That first day the mission was glowingly clear. Each day afterward they had to decide over and over again to follow him Many times they were offered excruciatingly difficult choices. To betray their calling or face the threat of death or imprisonment. The first miracle of La Salettewas the apparition itself. The second was the fidelity with which the children followed their calling.

Do I understand my own calling with great clarity? If not, am I reaching out t( others for help in discerning what it could be

TUESDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 8:23-27

"What sort of man in this?"

The Titanic feeling: The apostles were not quite out in the middle of the ocean about to be struck by an iceberg. But for them the situation seemed just as desperate. Fear gripped their bodies and terrified their souls. Would their lives be snuffed out by this rampaging power of this freakish storm? Suddenly Christ, answering their alarmed plea for help rebuked the winds and the sea. All became calm." What sort of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him?" In the simplest terms: the sort of man who answered those who called out to him. He does that for us in the midst of the most terrifying hours of our lives. How could he not? After all did he not call us his friends (see John 15:15)?

The world that Maximin and Melanie inherited was one that was being torn by violence at the dawn of industrialization and in the lingering twilight of the French Revolution. Society had been torn from its three-thousand-year-old moorings and an agrarian way of life was experiencing violent upheavals. Jesus sent his Mother to calm us, to reassure us, to tell us "not to be afraid, for she had great news to tell," It was simply that her Son remains deeply present to suffering humanity. "What sort of man is this?" In ways that our theology cannot explain he is the one suffers with us even in eternal glory.

At the darkest hours of my life, how did my faith in Jesus sustain me? Can I share with another how frightened I was, how reassuring he was?

WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 8:28-34

"They implored him to leave the neighborhood."

Thanks for the help, Jesus. Now, please leave. Demons are for real. Jesus, the great prophet, came among his people to deliver them from the demons that were plaguing them. And those demons, like demons of all times, kept the people shackled. In doing his Father's work, Jesus came forward to purify. to cleanse, to set free. And the latter is well exemplified in this gospel passage In return for all the good things that he did, he got the usual prophet's reward. He was, rather unceremoniously, asked to leave

At La Salette Mary came to speak to us about the demons of the era. She was the great prophet speaking in her Son's name, targeting the evils attendant upon a dying, if not entirely dead, faith in far too many. She invited us to follow ill her Son's footsteps and in hers too. To be prophets, denouncing, not only with our words, but especially by our actions; casting out the evils of addiction, corrup­tion, materialism, poverty, racism, and violence. Being aware all the while that like Jesus, and Mary at La Salelle, our reward may be simply to be asked to leave. Actually, it may even be the true litmus test of our success. Not a happy thought!

What demon is clicking my own spiritual growth these days? What prophetic words are welling up in my heart these days and are waiting to he uttered by me.

THURSDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 9:1-8

"A feeling of awe Came over the crowd"

They were blown away. That would have blown us away too. This paralytic was healed not only of his infirmity, but also, and more importantly, he was healed of his sins. There was universal applause from the crowd for the healing .. but for the forgiving some scribes mumbled, calling this blaspheming. Jesus, effect, was making himself the equal of God. That was a bit too much to stomach

Our Lady at La Salette talked about humanity's sins (read: yours and mine). The: arc to be forgiven if we but ask. That is a miracle in itself, but in addition, she promised that "rocks and stones will turn into mounds of wheat." We are cleansed and made whole. And when we get in touch with the deepest part of ourselves, we are in touch with the hidden part that touches God and is touched by God. Ii those rare but gifted moments of great spiritual insight, we cannot hut he in awe of the wondrous work the Almighty does in us. Those graced moments suffuse u with the deepest feelings of awe and wonder.

Bow open am I in living my spiritual life to the graced moments described above Am I still awed by God's work in me, even to the point of tears at times?

FRIDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR           

Matthew 9:9-13         

'"And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners." 

Jesus is out to get us. If ever there were words in Scripture that are both shocking and comforting, they are the ones cited above. First of all, one would think that the virtuous need help and support also. And since they arc doing so well you would think that they would be Jesus' first target audience. Who better than he knows that the more dazzling the virtuous are the better name Christian­ity will have! Wow, what a reputation the church could have if Jesus took a differ­ent tack. We would be a true holiness church. Second, doesn't it make all the more sense that the sinless should be the ones to interface with Jesus? Why should Jesus' own reputation be soiled by the people he associates with? But thirdly, it is a great comfort that he does in fact seek out sinners. Because of it we can look forward to getting serious help in our straggles toward goodness, for he says we are number one in his book. How 'bout that?

At La Salette, very much in her Son's mode, Our Lady came to seek out sinners. Those who were doing everything to turn away from the hand of love and friend­ship her Son was extending. They were her target audience as well. She speaks powerfully about her suffering and prays for all who are far from being virtuous. At one time we thought the church was exclusively meant for the good and the holy ones. And to receive Holy Communion was a sure fire sign that we were being rewarded for good behavior. We now know that the Eucharist is food and drink for hungry and thirsty wayfarers, for wanderers who falter along their way.

I I was born before Vatican Council II do I still automatically think that God will give me a second look only if he finds holiness in me? Have I completely out­grown my childhood image of God?

SATURDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 9:14-17

"Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins." 

Wine making, anyone? Although precious few of us know much about wine making, and even less about wineskins, all of us have a fairly good idea what point Jesus was making. If we are to make any type of progress on our spiritual journey we have to understand the interior transformation that is called for. The new wine of Jesus' love and forgiveness cannot be poured into the old skin (container) of our obdurate and hardheaded selves. If our gas tank is leaking, constantly refilling it will not fix things, The hole is bound to get bigger. Unless we radically change our focus, pouring God's love into our self-centered selves will never lead us to embrace our world.

At La Salette Our Lady invited us to what? To conversion. As you know, conver­sion does not simply mean making minor adjustments. It means a radical shift away from the way we operated in the past - a 180 degree turn. What does it take for this to happen? Often times a major setback in our health, plans, financial fortunes; most often, personal failures in our most valued relationships. Our hearts are broken. We are deeply hurt and perhaps even feel abandoned. Since God's ways are not our ways, a heart broken is a heart opened wider. The needy of the world can more easily walk in on us. The Living God can find in them a welcome mat not found there before. Radical setbacks, paradoxically, can make close en­counters with our God more likely.

Can I consider past heartbreaks in my own life and recall the feelings of empti­ness and abandonment they brought? Has heartbreak created new skins in me into which God's love can be poured?

  MONDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 9:18-26

"She touched the fringe of his cloak." 

Pay attention. These two miracles offer us great insight as to Jesus the man. An important religious official came to see him imploring that Jesus do some­thing about his daughter. She had just died, yet did the man state his belief that she was not for all that beyond Jesus' power to save. Jesus and his disciples immediately were off on this mission of mercy. Jesus certainly was single-minded, but not so focused that he could not sense power leaving him as another touched his cloak in a confident bid for healing. What amazing presence to people even in times of personal stress!

Mary at La Salette tells us that God has not lost that desire to be present to us in all the moments of our lives. Although taken up with the providential guidance and maintenance of the ongoing miracle of creation - an expanding universe whose size is beyond calculation, this same God notices a father and child discussing spoiled wheat in the eorner of a remote field.

What recurring events in my life stress me the most? And who are those people I tend to neglect at those moments?

TUESDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 9:32-38

"They were like sheep without a shepherd." 

Jesus is looking for a few good men (and women). Jesus had a special love for the poor. Surely most of those who followed him were such. Life for them undoubtedly was one of harassment by the rich and powerful and of burnout from the constant struggle to survive. Jesus felt very sorry for them. He saw how great their need was. And he realized that he as a person could not meet them all. And how he wished that more people were available to give him a hand. He himself was stretched to the max as he went about curing and healing, listening and sustaining, encouraging and challenging. 

The tears of Our Lady of La Salette speak of a bottomless love for her people. She saw the crowds of a Europe at the threshold of the industrial age. She could not help but see how harassed and dejected they were. It is true they sinned. And yet as once was said they were more sinned against than sinning. Mary, like Jesus, in Jesus' name, took pity on them. Her tears spoke eloquently and she missioned two new young disciples, Melanie and Maximin, to spread the message of God's concern for harassed and dejected people. 

Today's communications revolution makes us immediately aware of the evils being perpetrated against the innocent around the world. What am I doing by way of response? Do I use limited resources or personal obligations as pretexts for inaction?

WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Matthew 10:1-7

"Do not visit pagan territory. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel."

Scripture contradicting itself? Reading the above brings to mind a number of contradictions found in Scripture. In this case Jesus prohibits his disciples from going to evangelize people outside the Jewish faith. And yet toward the end of this same Gospel according to Matthew he tells us to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Well, which is it? Both, actually. Some are called to be missionaries in faraway lands. Others are called to stay put and work among and with their own. In God's eyes, disciples are making disciples in both instances.

Mary at La Salette speaks especially to those who are of the faith, in need of conversion, of change of heart. Of metanoia, to use the big fancy word. Is she against preaching the gospel message in distant lands? Of course not! She simply makes it clear that those sheep within the fold are in need of continuous conver­sion. And the La Salette Missionaries have historically expended a great deal of their energies staffing shrines, spiritual life centers, as well as preaching parish missions in that very spirit.

Do I reach out in any meaningful way to inactive Catholics? How well can I relate to the belief that, as St. Therese was truly a missionary through prayer without ever stepping out of her cloister, the missionary spirit takes on many

guises?