Be Magnanimous Like Mary

15 Friday Aug 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Faith, Gratitude, Mary

Tags

Blessed Virgin Mary, Evangelization, God, Holiness, Humility, Jesus, Luke 1:39-56, Magnanimity, Magnanimous, Magnificat, Mary, Mercy, The Assumption of the Virgin Mary

The Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Peter Paul Rubens, cir. 1616-1618; Wikimedia commons

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, honoring the day our Blessed Mother was taken into heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life. The Gospel today, Luke 1:39-56 recounts Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (vv 39-45), and Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s greeting, her Magnificat (vv 46-55).

As I listened to the gospel being read at Mass this morning, I found myself marveling at Mary’s magnanimity. Here was a young woman, pregnant, who had just walked or rode a donkey nearly a hundred miles over several days, weary and probably hungry, and her humility still allowed her to express her joy and gratitude to God for the special gift she’d been given. Hers was the greatest gift that God could possibly give, the honor, but tremendous responsibility, of bearing His only Son. I wondered why we have difficulty recognizing and being grateful for the amazing gifts God gives to us, and being magnanimous in expressing that gratitude to others.

Mary begins her Canticle saying, “My soul magnifies the greatness of the Lord” (v46). How often do we proclaim the greatness of the Lord?

She continues,“My spirit rejoices in God my savior.” (v47). Would a casual observer say that our spirit is rejoicing in God our savior?

“He has looked upon His handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.” (v48). Do we realize that we are blessed to be His beloved in spite of our brokenness?

“The Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.” (v49) Do we give credit to God for all the good things he has done for us in our lives?

“His mercy is from age to age to those who fear Him.” (v50). Do we love God enough to turn to Him in reconciliation and let His mercy flow over us, absolving us of our sins?

Because of her humility, God chose Mary to be the one to bring Jesus to us, you and me. It’s her role, too, to bring us to Jesus. Being the loving Mother that she is, she’s giving us an example of how we should live our lives, to be magnanimous like her.

Think about it and resolve to grow in this virtue. Not only will you grow in holiness, but it can be a simple and effective way to evangelize others by letting them experience your joy.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus, whom you gifted to us through Your beloved Mary. Help us to emulate her humility by being grateful for all the wonderful gifts you give us each day even though we do not deserve them, especially the gift of the Holy Eucharist. We are not worthy to have You enter under our roof, yet you give us Yourself in that Blessed Sacrament. Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for us! Amen.”

(Be Magnanimous Like Mary was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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Practice Makes Perfect

10 Thursday Jul 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Apostles, Evangelization, Faith, Faith sharing, Friendship, Jesus, Mt 10:1-7, Small group

In yesterday’s gospel, Mt 10:1-7, Jesus sent his apostles on mission to announce that the kingdom of heaven is near. He specifically told them to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel rather than to pagan territory and Samaritan towns. This is in contrast to his instructions in Mt 28:19 when, after his resurrection, he commands them to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…”. In both cases, Jesus is telling them, and us, to evangelize. But why the difference?

It seems as though Jesus is giving the twelve a chance to practice evangelizing to those, who, unlike the pagans, already knew the teachings of the law of Moses and the prophets and would be more receptive to their message. He knew that taking the Word to all nations would be much more difficult. They needed to start slow and hone their skills along the way.

There is a message here for all of us, too, who, through our baptism, are also obligated to be evangelists on mission. We need to continuously increase our knowledge and understanding of our faith, and become more skillful at professing it, before we can expect to be proficient at making disciples of all nations. We need to begin with baby steps.

The best way to do this is to spend time with our friends in conversation about our faith, discussing the message of the gospel and what it is saying to us. I’m sure the apostles spent time together out of earshot from Jesus discussing all that they were learning, and sharing what it meant to them. By sharing our thoughts and insights in small faith sharing groups, or faith-based conversations over a meal with friends, we strengthen our faith and grow in virtue, and are better prepared to articulate to others His message of salvation.

I’m sure your parish offers opportunities to gather with other men and women in small faith-sharing groups and Bible studies at which you can safely share what it is that you hear God saying to you, and listen to and learn from others about the graces they receive through prayer and service. But, you don’t have to depend on your parish to organize groups or meetings. You can simply start from scratch by inviting friends to your house for a meal, spend a relaxing Sunday afternoon getting to know each other better, and interjecting faith based conversation into the experience. Do this enough and it will become second nature. Whether you realize it or not, you will be evangelizing each other. And, you will eliminate the fear that accompanies the prospect of evangelizing to people you don’t know.

“Lord Jesus, thank You for giving me insight into how to become a more effective evangelist, and for Your patience while I learn. You know I can’t go from zero to sixty in three seconds, but need space and time to accelerate slowly. You gave Your Apostles three years and even then they hesitated. I pray for the grace to grab hold of the opportunities to evangelize when You place them before me. Amen.”

(Practice Makes Perfect was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

What Month Is It, Anyway?

26 Monday May 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

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Baptism, Confirmation, Devotion, Discipleship, Evangelization, Faith, Good News, Jesus, Mental Health Awareness, Mission, Proclaim the Gospel Message

The Catholic Church’s liturgical seasons fall more or less the same time every year. Advent in December, and Christmas the last week of December through the middle of January. Lent usually starts in late February and runs into April. The 50 days of Easter takes us into late May or early June. Then, we also have months with special devotions: May to the Blessed Virgin Mary, October to the Rosary, and November to the Saints and the souls in purgatory.

In the U.S., every month is also set aside to promote awareness to various other worthy causes, e.g., Human Trafficking Awareness Month in January, and Suicide Prevention Month in September. Some months celebrate less serious interests such as National Ice Cream Month in July, and Zombie Awareness month in May.

The month of May is also devoted to Mental Health Awareness. Yesterday, as in each Sunday Mass this month, one of the petitions mentioned was for all those suffering from mental health issues. Certainly, this is something we should all pray for. Our collective prayers are a type of spiritual social outreach. But it occurred to me there is a petition that I’ve never heard mentioned at my parish church or any other church I’ve ever been to in all my travels – a petition for the faithful to evangelize.

Evangelization is the central mission of the Church. The proclamation of the Gospel – the saving message of who Jesus is and what He has done for us – is a responsibility we all have by virtue of our baptism and confirmation. Unfortunately, there are so few who actually take that responsibility seriously. If we believe our prayers will be heard for those with mental health issues, or for any special interest, then shouldn’t we believe that our prayers for the faithful to muster up the courage to evangelize will be efficacious, as well? A simple petition such as, “For all the faithful, that they evangelize by proclaiming the Gospel, let us pray…” will at least remind everyone of their role. Or, we can get bold, and amp it up a notch with, “For each and every baptized Catholic to honor their responsibility by evangelizing at least one person this month and bring them to Jesus, or deeper in their relationship with Him, let us pray…”

If we want to follow and obey our Lord, we have to spread the Good News. Every month of the year should be Catholic Evangelization Month! It is that important, not only for the salvation of the souls of those being evangelized, but our own, as well.

“Good and gracious Lord, thank You for loving me. Please help me and each and every one of the baptized faithful bring others to know Your amazing love, also. Help us to realize the grace of Fortitude that was bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit at our Confirmations so that we may be effective evangelizers. Amen.”

(What Month Is It, Anyway?was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Curious Like Nicodemus

29 Tuesday Apr 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

christianity, Evangelization, Faith, Fear, Friendship, Grace, Jesus, Jn 3:1-15, Nicodemus, Prayer

Jesus and Nicodemus, Crijn Hendricksz Volmarijn, c. early 1600s

The Gospels for yesterday and today (Jn 3:1-15), put us in the scene with Jesus and the renowned Pharisee, Nicodemus, who came to Jesus under the cover of darkness to ask questions about his ministry. We are led to believe that Nicodemus must have seen or heard of Jesus’ healing miracles and wanted to learn more about him. We know that Nicodemus eventually converted to be a secret follower of Jesus, so we can surmise that his curiosity was genuine and not a ploy to trap Jesus.

The fact that he came to meet Jesus at night may also give us a clue about his intentions. A nighttime rendezvous would be less conspicuous. If he was genuinely interested about Jesus, he may have feared being observed by other Pharisees that could result in his condemnation and rejection. In his position, he would have accumulated wealth that supported a luxurious lifestyle, which would have been jeopardized if his clandestine meeting had been discovered.

When I placed myself in this scene, I pondered Nicodemus’ motive and his dilemma. He had to satisfy his curiosity for truth, but the answer could result in his ruin. His fear of the environment and exterior influences would ultimately cause him to lead a secret and unfulfilled life.

There are millions of Nicodemuses in our world today – men, women, and teens, who are searching for truth, who are curious about Christianity, and who would like to know more but, because of negative social influences, balk at publicly asking questions for fear of what others will think or what they might lose. They are hiding out there in our workplaces, our schools, and our neighborhoods. We should be looking and waiting for them with intentionality, ready to answer their questions and allay their fears.

When a modern day Nicodemus does muster the courage to step out and seek answers, he may simply want to learn more about Jesus, or he’s aware that there’s possibly a different set of beliefs and a better way to live than he’s ever experienced. His curiosity may manifest itself by privately asking questions to a Christian friend or acquaintance. When he does, he is giving us an opportunity to evangelize, and we need to respond utilizing good listening skills. His questions may be phrased in ways that hide their real intent, and we may have to look behind the words. We should not make stuff up, nor answer questions with excess theology. He needs simple answers, and if we don’t know an answer, we should say so and endeavor to find the answer for him. We should try to avoid vocabulary that is foreign to non-Catholics.

Like Nicodemus, his questions may appear antagonistic but probably aren’t meant to be so. Instead, they are likely due to his personal cynicism and relativism that has developed over years. He’s not ready to reveal that he’s on any kind of spiritual quest. He is curious but cautious, and still needs to feel safe and unthreatened when asking questions. We should respond in a friendly manner to increase the trust that has allowed him to ask questions in the first place.

Our gentle evangelizing should have an eye towards bringing this person from a a place of curiosity to being open to exploring the idea that God is a personal God rather than a concept, and that we can have a relationship with Him. We can introduce him to Jesus and the story of His passion, death, and resurrection in atonement for our sins. And we should be patient and pray for him, being grateful that, while he may not yet be making a commitment to spiritual or personal change, he no longer rejects the idea.

“Heavenly Father, I thank You for the virtue of fortitude given to me with my Confirmation that has prepared me to proclaim the saving message of salvation of Your Son, Jesus. May I ever be vigilant and prepared to welcome anyone who is curious about our Christian faith. I pray that Your Spirit affords me the grace to respond to them lovingly with humility and gentleness. Amen.”

(Curious Like Nicodemuswas first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

The Lord’s Supper

18 Friday Apr 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Christ's Passion, Easter, Eucharist, Evangelization, Fear, Hope, Jesus, Mass, The Last Supper, The Lord's Supper, The Resurrection, The Twelve Apostles

I attended our parish’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper tonight and, as always, it was especially beautiful and reverent. During the reading of the Gospel (Jn 13:1-15), I envisioned myself in the scene, sitting around the supper table with Jesus and the Apostles. Nobody seemed to notice a fourteenth person there. When Jesus washed the feet of his Apostles, I recalled the first time I had my feet washed by our priest as he performed the Mandatum Rite, and what a humbling experience that was for me.

Then during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as our pastor held aloft the Body of Christ, my mind drifted. (I know that’s not supposed to happen, but it did). My thoughts turned to a disagreement my wife and I often have. We both like to read, and she frequently flips to the last chapter, spoiling the story by learning how it turns out. Me, well, you couldn’t pay me ten bucks to cheat. I delight in seeing the story unravel. I want to be surprised, and I certainly don’t want her to spoil the story for me by telling me how it ends before I’ve read the book.

And then it dawned on me that I was the only one sitting at that supper table who knew what was to come in just a few hours. I knew that Judas the Iscariot would soon leave to go bargain for his thirty pieces of silver in return for his betrayal of Jesus. I knew Jesus would soon be arrested and tried, and of the pain he would endure being tortured and crucified, and I knew our beloved teacher would die. I could see all these horrendous events.

But, I also knew the happy ending: that Jesus would be lifted up after three days, that His resurrected self would join and encourage His friends in the upper room, and that at Pentecost, He would ascend into heaven.

But I couldn’t tell any of this to the other twelve reclining at table there with me. And I wondered if, through some twist of time and it was even possible for me to tell them, would they be like me and not care to know how it all plays out, or would they be like my wife and want to know what the future held in store?

I’ve been mulling this conundrum for the last couple hours. I’ve decided this is one case in which I’m glad I know the story has a happy ending. It gives me hope, takes away my fears, and makes me want to give a spoiler alert to the whole world!

How about you? Won’t you join me?

“My dear Jesus, You know and I know what You’re about to experience. At every Mass, I am filled with both tears of joy and sadness as I reflect on Your Passion. I know You gave it all for me…sinful me. I am so deeply grateful for Your love. Thank you! Amen.”

(The Lord’s Supper, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

I AM

10 Thursday Apr 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections

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Abraham, Accompanyment, Eucharist, Friendship, I AM, Jesus, John 8:51-59, Meditation, Prayer, Present moment, Reconciliation, Sacraments

From 1968 to 1971 I spent my junior high and first year of high school in English grammar schools in the U.K. My typical weekly class schedule was a far cry from what I’d received in American grade schools. It included: math, biology, chemistry, physics (not just one but all three), history, geography (not social studies), English, and one or more foreign languages. I took French all three years, plus German as an 8th grader, and Latin in the 9th grade. Unfortunately, none of it stuck with me. One thing I do remember clearly, though, is conjugating verbs – first, second, and third person singular and plural, in past, present and future tenses. In any language, we always began with the verb “To Be”, i.e., “I am” (first person singular present tense); “You were” (second person singular/plural past tense); and “They will” (third person plural future tense).

I recalled this today while meditating on today’s Gospel from John 8:51-59, in which Jesus had an altercation with a group of Jews over the identity of their fathers: God as the Father of Jesus, and Abraham as the father of the Jews. Jesus states, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.”, effectively claiming that He was equal to God, (see Ex 3:14-15). Because this was blasphemous to the Jews, they attempted to stone Him to death.

“I AM” – the first person singular present tense of the verb “To Be”. Jesus speaks about Himself. If we were talking to Jesus, we would say, “YOU ARE”. If we were talking about Jesus to someone else, we would say, “HE IS”. Jesus doesn’t say, “I WAS”, or “I WILL BE”, in the past or future tenses, and we can’t say about Him, “HE WAS”, or, “HE WILL BE”. Jesus is simply, “I AM” day after day, moment after moment, with every tick of the second hand. HE IS now, and HE IS again in the next moment.

We can’t think that Jesus was with us once, or that He will be with us one day to come. No, He is with us only NOW, at this present moment, and every present moment to come. He is there with us in every present moment regardless if the circumstances of that moment are to our liking or not.

Don’t we often forget this, especially when times are tough? When remembering events from the past that caused you grief, don’t you sometimes wonder, “Why was He not there when I needed Him?” But, we forget that HE IS there, and if we had remembered this, we would have found comfort in His presence. When we unite our crosses with His cross, He helps us carry ours.

Or, consider some dream you have of the future and how you will pat yourself on the back for thinking, “Wow, look what I accomplished!” We forget that HE IS with us then, too, and that it is only through His grace that we will find that joy and satisfaction we now imagine.

Whether it’s in good times or bad, when we lose the feeling of closeness with Jesus, we open a doorway allowing the Enemy to lead us down the wrong path.

How do we keep in mind that Jesus is with us at every moment, ready to answer our call? The first and best way is through prayer. Developing a habit of daily prayer keeps Him close to us. Prayers of praise, thanksgiving, and asking for His intercession are all ways to acknowledge His presence. More effective yet is meditative prayer, when we take time to sit in silence and solitude, lovingly conversing with Him, telling Him what’s on our minds and hearts, and listening for His loving reassurance. In this way, we readily remember all the times we’ve felt His presence, and reinforce our trust in Him in the present moment.

Reading scripture, especially the Gospels, before entering into prayerful meditation is an excellent way to relate to Jesus and His love for us. During this time of closeness, we receive the graces and mercy we need to persevere through our anxieties. And when we act on these promptings of grace by adopting a resolution to change or accept our situation, we again grow in trust with Him.

When we receive the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, we immediately feel His presence. The Eucharist gives us supernatural strength to combat sin in our lives. But then, when we fall and regret our actions, we can turn back to Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, be restored and experience His merciful love.

Remembering that our Lord works in us through our interpersonal relationships helps us feel His presence, also. A network of faithful friends accompanying each other provides a source of encouragement and support when times get tough. It can keep us grounded, reminding us to be grateful to God.

“Dear Jesus, I know deep in my heart that You are always by my side. My faith can get clouded when the world challenges me, and even when everything is going my way. Help me, Lord, to remember You, to meet You each and every day through prayer and frequent reception of the Sacraments. I love You, Jesus, and I know You love me. Amen.”

(I AM was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Fear and Faith

01 Saturday Feb 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Faith

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Calming the Storm, Faith, Fear, God-moments, Heb 11:1-2, Jesus, Jesus I trust in You, Mk 4:35-41, Prayer, Trust

Calming the Storm, Simon de Vlieger, 1637, (Wikimedia Commons/Art Collection of Univ. of Gottingen)

It’s been almost thirteen years since my conversion experience that brought me to Christianity, that instant when I knew for certain there is a God, that Jesus is real, and the Holy Spirit filled me with more love than I’d ever known. And, last month was the tenth anniversary of what I consider to be my second conversion experience, the event when I learned to trust in God’s mercy and providence, and which I recorded in Put Your Faith Where Your Prayer Is.

My daughter had just given birth to my first grandson, Jack. He appeared to be a healthy newborn but the day after he came home from the hospital we thought we’d lost him. My wife was holding him and he quit breathing. I truly believe his guardian angel was watching over him because, just hours before, my wife’s sister, a nurse, and her husband, a doctor, stopped by to visit as they were traveling across the country. They had the knowledge and expertise to revive Jack until the EMTs arrived. Jack spent the next two weeks in the NICU experiencing multiple epileptic seizures per day.

To say the least, I was consumed with fear for Jack and for the emotional health of my daughter and son-in-law. Upon learning the news, I began praying continuously, including praying many Rosaries, imploring our Blessed Mother to intercede and make Jack well. In the midst of my fear, there came a moment when I finally knew there was nothing I could personally do to help heal Jack, and that it was all in God’s hands. I uttered the words, “Jesus, I trust in You!”, and I immediately broke into uncontrolled sobbing, crying tears of joy because in that instant I knew in my heart that Jack would be made well. Two weeks later he came home from the hospital and for ten years did not have another seizure. That is until this last Wednesday.

Wednesday evening, Jack was at basketball practice and went into convulsions. Again, his guardian angel was watching over him because the father of a team mate, an emergency pediatric doctor, was present and he took control until the EMTs arrived. Once again, I fell into a state of fear for Jack and for my daughter, and began praying unceasingly.

Mid-day Thursday, with Jack still on my heart, I needed to prepare for a men’s group meeting that night. Our group reflects on and discusses the following Sunday’s Gospel, so I opened my Bible to the passage upon which our group leader instructed us to meditate. However, through some error, the passage was not tomorrow’s Gospel reading, but, instead, today’s, Mark 4:35-41, the account of Jesus calming the storm at sea and alleviating the terrifying fear of his disciples. As I read it and came to verse 40, I knew the error was no coincidence: “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”. I heard Jesus say to me, “Son, have you forgotten I was there for Jack, his parents, and you ten years ago? With faith you gave it up and trusted in Me then, trust again in Me now.” Once again, my eyes sprung a serious leak and I knew I had nothing to worry about, that Jack was in good hands.

Today’s first reading is from Hebrews 11:1-2. The author reminds us that, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Through faith, I realized for a wonderful ten years that for which I hoped. And through that experience, I received evidence that Jesus’ saving grace will make all things well again.

“Dear God, I wish Your method of grabbing my attention and drawing me closer to You through faith wasn’t quite so extreme! But, Your ways are not my ways. Once again, I thank You for this experience, for reminding me of Your love, and reinforcing my faith and trust in Your Son, Jesus. I may think He’s asleep in my boat in the middle of the storms in my life, but He is always with me. Help me to recognize that moments like this are opportunities for faith to be the ballast in my boat when the storms of life rage. I know You will make all things well, even better than they were. I thank You in advance. Amen.”

(Fear and Faith, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Let Jesus Love You!

07 Tuesday Jan 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Love

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1 Jn 4:7-10, Adoration, Eucharistic Adoration, Faith, Feeding the Five Thousand, Five Loaves and Two Fish, Jesus, Love, Mark 6:34-44, Prayer

In today’s Gospel, Mark 6:34-44, we read St. Mark’s account of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Jesus’ heart is moved with pity for the crowd of “lost sheep”, all those who are following Him, and His disciples are concerned about them going hungry. The disciples ask Jesus to dismiss the people so they can find food for themselves. Jesus responds by saying, “Give them some food yourselves”, which, of course, they see no way of doing with only five loaves and two fish between them.

In this passage we read about one of our Lord’s greatest miracles as he feeds thousands of people with so little food. We get a sense of the extent of His pity, His compassion for all people. Jesus knows they are hungry, that they need food. But, He also knows they are hungry for spiritual nourishment, hungry for truth and hope, and hungry to be recognized as people with dignity and value – things they’re not getting from the Romans and their own religious leaders.

Normally when I read the accounts of feeding the five thousand (or the four thousand in Mt 15), my thoughts go directly to what I can do to reach out and show love and compassion of my own to those who are suffering in some physical or emotional way, whether that is my wife, a child, a friend, or a co-worker. Nearly everyone struggles with life in some regard, and empathic compassion can bring comfort. Occasionally, though, I’m driven by feelings of remorse for being distant and realizing I haven’t loved as I should, or that I’ve ignored someone and haven’t made them feel valued.

It’s easy to place ourselves into the scene of this Gospel as one of Jesus’ disciples and wonder what we can do to better love someone else. But, we too often forget that, like everyone else, we also suffer in many ways. We fail to see ourselves as one of the five thousand and, while putting others ahead of ourselves is a good thing, we also need some love and compassion from time to time.

In the first reading for today, 1 Jn 4:7-10, St. John reminds us that “God is love”, and, “He [God] loved us and sent His only Son as expiation for our sins.” God loves me and He loves you. He has loved us for all of eternity. He loves us for who we are despite our sins. He loves us the same no matter how different we are from each other because He made us in His image. He wants nothing more than for us to be happy, and the happiest we can be is to be united to Him. He loves us in our relationships with other people, in the tiny blessings He sends and for which we are too often ungrateful. He loves us so much that He continues to give Himself to us in the Holy Eucharist! His love surrounds us each and every moment of every day but we are too busy with life to realize it. Consequently, it can be too easy to forget to put ourselves in His presence and actively receive His love.

So, today my post-meditation resolution was not to be intentional about finding a way to love someone else as they deserve to be loved. No, today I resolved to simply spend time loving Jesus and letting Him love me. My Holy hour of Adoration was at 4:00 p.m., and for an entire hour I gazed at Jesus in the tabernacle and let Him cast His loving gaze on me. I shared with Him what was on my heart, what I am struggling with, my concerns and desires. And then I let him console me with His love. It was a beautiful thing!

I’m sure you make time to love other people in some way. And, I’m sure you make time to express your love for Jesus in some way, either through personal prayer or time in Adoration. But do you ever intentionally make time to let Jesus love you, and all that is expected of you is to soak it up? If not, give it a try! You won’t regret it.

“Lord Jesus, You showed the extent of Your love for me by offering Yourself upon the cross to redeem me of my sins. You love me enough to supernaturally give me Yourself in the Holy Eucharist. Lord, You know that in my heart I love You. But help me to more frequently acknowledge Your love for me by spending time with You, by placing myself in Your presence, and letting You love me. Amen.”

(Let Jesus Love You!, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

From the Archives: Five Words

04 Saturday Jan 2025

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Charity, Discipleship, Evangelization, Jesus, Jn 1:35-42, John the Baptist, Lamb of God

In my morning meditation on today’s Gospel, John 1:35-42, I was thinking about how John the Baptist made pointing others to Jesus look so easy. All he said was, “Behold, the Lamb of God”, and two of his own disciples immediately began following Jesus. I thought, “What might I say to others that might lead them closer to our Lord?” And then, in a deja vu moment, I remembered I’d asked that question a couple years ago and posted a reflection entitled Five Words. After re-reading it, I thought it was worthy of posting again as a reminder that it is our mission as Christians to be like St. John and point the way to Jesus.

______________________________

St. John showing Christ to St. Andrew, Ottavio Vannini, c. 17th Century

Happy New Year everyone! I pray this finds you in good health and full of hope for a safe and prosperous new year.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Or are you like me and know that you will break them at the first opportunity? Generally, I tend not to make them but prefer, instead, to make daily resolutions gleaned from what I hear God’s will for me is that day based on my morning prayer and meditation. However, one thing that’s been on my mind these last few days is understanding what I can do this year to help lead more people closer to Christ.

In yesterday’s Gospel passage, John 1: 35-42, I read, “John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’ The two heard what he said and followed Jesus.” (Jn 1:35-37, NAB) John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus brought Jesus his first two disciples. And all it took were five words: “Behold, the Lamb of God.”

Any good Jew would have understood “the Lamb of God” as indicating the Messiah, the One Who, according to Isaiah the Prophet (Is 53: 7, 10) would accomplish the Lord’s will and lead Israel out of slavery. These were the words they had longed to hear for generations. He was their hope, their salvation, the answer to their unhappiness. He was their rescuer.

Meditating on this passage, I wished it was that easy to convert people today, to help them recognize Christ as the answer to their problems, the One Who can bring peace in a stressed out world. All it took was for John the Baptist to say five words! Five words that hit home with people who were looking for peace, freedom, and a better life. I thought, millions of people today are searching for exactly those things and many of them are right here in my own community. I wondered, “What five words could I use to attract them to our Lord?”

As I pondered this question, I realized I would have to first work on getting my little ol’ self out of my introverted comfort zone. My first five words ought to be directed to Jesus Himself, “Lord, give me courage. Amen!”

I know that evangelizing can be more effective if a friendly relationship is first built with someone rather than shouting through a bullhorn from a street corner. What five words could be used to initiate a new friendship? A few that came to mind were:

“Hello, my name is __________.”
“Good morning, what’s your name?”
“Hello, are you new here?”
“Let’s get together for coffee!”

We all have friends we know very well, and we routinely meet people for the first time, who, if we are observant, we can tell are hurting in some way, either physically, emotionally or spiritually, and they need lifting up. What five words can be used to bring the love of Christ to them, to let them know we care?

“Can I pray for you?”
“How can I help you?”
“A penny for your thoughts.”
“You look lonely. Wanna talk?”
“What struggles are you having?”

And, then there are those who we see routinely at mass, who attend simply because they are supposed to or it’s what they’ve always done, yet are lukewarm in their faith. Many of these folks have let worldliness obscure their vision of Christ as the ultimate good. Their lives are out of balance and they know something is missing but they’re not quite sure what to do about it. What five words can we say to them to help them realize their situation, start them on the road back, and rekindle or strengthen their relationship with Jesus?

“How’s your prayer life, friend?”
“What graces have you had?”
“Where’s Jesus in your life?”
“Come, let’s go to confession!”
“Join me in Bible study?”

Five words for courage. Five words to make a new friend. Five words to show you love and care for someone. Five words to help someone who can’t see the forest for the trees. That might be all it takes. Of course, six, ten, or two dozen words might work even better. It’s really not that difficult if our hearts accept the mission given to us by Jesus to be disciple-makers.

“Dear Jesus, I love You because I know You love me. I want to share it with others who need to know Your love as well. Help me, Lord, to recognize the opportunities before me to evangelize, to summon up the courage to reach out, and to trust the Holy Spirit to give me the right words at the right time. Amen.”

(From the Archives: Five Words was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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Rehabilitating the Labor Force

07 Saturday Dec 2024

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Christian Life, Evangelization

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Tags

Charity, Christian living, Cleanse the lepers, Cure the sick, Drive out demons, Evangelization, Faith, God, Jesus, Master of the harvest, Mt 10:1-8, Mt 9:35-38, Prayer, Raise the dead

In today’s Gospel, Mt 9:35 – 10:1, 5-8, Jesus shows his compassion for the many people who’ve come to him to hear his teaching and to be cured. As I imagine myself in that scene, I sense Jesus is overwhelmed because He knows there are so many more people who need to be cured, who need to be preached to, but He simply can’t get to them all. He needs help and he tells His disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Then, rather than just wish for help, He commissions His twelve disciples, giving them authority to drive out unclean spirits and cure every disease and illness.

Whether you like it or not, Jesus is talking to us – to you and me. He’s asking us to not only be productive laborers but to increase the labor force. For most of us, that’s a scary thought, and a task that’s all too easy for us to turn from and walk away. We feel either incompetent or it’s inconvenient for us and low on our to-do list. But, it’s a condition of employment, so to speak. In a way, the compensation we receive will depend on how well we accept and perform that job requirement.

But Jesus is a fair and just employer. He doesn’t expect everyone to aspire to be upper level management. He just wants us to do the best job we can in the jobs we have – our particular vocations. We don’t have to be priests, religious, or parish Directors of Evangelization. He doesn’t expect us to quit our jobs as parents, siblings, friends and neighbors to be something we’re not. He just asks us to help Him in the roles we’ve chosen and the environment in which we work.

Often we get so wrapped up in our jobs that we forget that the mission of the company is to provide a service or product that is needed by others. It’s that way with our Christian faith, in which our mission is to serve others so that they will discover the saving grace of Jesus. Jesus trains us through Scripture and the Sacraments, through which He gives us the knowledge and tools to do our jobs well.

Where do we start? Well, Jesus asked his disciples to begin by asking “the master to send out laborers.” He’s telling us to pray, to pray to God for insight for whom we can reach out to join our labor force. This may be a new hire to our faith, or someone already on the payroll who’s not quite pulling their weight. If we pray, and if we pay attention, the Holy Spirit will put someone on our hearts.

But prayer is just the starting point. We have to use the knowledge and skills we’ve been taught through our faith formation, from what we’ve learned at our weekly meetings (Mass), and how we’ve seen other top producers (the Saints), do their jobs. By applying what we’ve learned, and with the support we will be given, we can add to our ranks and grow our business.

Many people, though, need some form of rehabilitation before they can become productive co-workers. Jesus has conferred on us degrees in Occupational Therapy. Like He gave His twelve disciples, He’s given us the authority and ability through the gift of charity and friendship to cure the sick– those who are spiritually ill, who are suffering from infectious diseases caught in the secular environment; and to raise the dead – those who were once alive but have succumbed to one of these fatal infectious diseases.

And, like the disciples, we can cleanse the lepers – by offering love and respecting the human dignity of those who aren’t exactly like us; who are rejected or who are outcasts from society because of decisions they’ve made or unfortunate circumstances that have occurred in their lives. And, we can drive out demons – by being good friends who, with compassion, help those who are controlled by vices such as pride, anger, envy, lust, gluttony, sloth, and greed, – all of the things the enemy uses to keep people from God; and help them through anxiety about worries and regrets over which they have no control.

Our Lord needs more good and able people to expand His kingdom. He’s depending on us to look within our own spheres of influence, to ask Him for guidance, and to employ all that he’s taught us to rehabilitate co-workers and new hires alike, so that the harvest will yield more fruit per acre.

“Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching me, for setting the example of how to grow Your kingdom. I feel pretty incompetent at times, but I know You are here with me and I only have to call upon You when I need help. Help me to never forget that I can’t do this alone, that You are always by my side. Amen.”

(Rehabilitating the Labor Force, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)