"Holiness consists not in doing uncommon things, but in doing all common things with an uncommon fervor." (Cardinal Manning) What is that uncommon fervor? It is simply love. The more we do all things in love, out of love, because of love, the holier we will become. That is the message of the Gospel. This has been the consistent message of the saints. Can we go wrong in following this?

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me.”
― Ignatius of Loyola

1Keep silence before me, O coastlands;

let the nations renew their strength.

Let them draw near and speak;

let us come together for judgment.
2Who has stirred up from the East the champion of justice,

and summoned him to be his attendant?

To him he delivers nations

and subdues kings;

With his sword he reduces them to dust,

with his bow, to driven straw.

3He pursues them, passing on without loss,

by a path his feet scarcely touch.

4Who has performed these deeds?

Who has called forth the generations from the beginning?

I, the LORD, am the first,
and at the last　I am he.


8But you, Israel, my servant,

Jacob, whom I have chosen,

offspring of Abraham my friend—

9You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth

and summoned from its far-off places,

To whom I have said, You are my servant;

I chose you, I have not rejected you—

10Do not fear: I am with you;

do not be anxious: I am your God.

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
11Yes, all shall be put to shame and disgrace

who vent their anger against you;

Those shall be as nothing and perish

who offer resistance.

12You shall seek but not find

those who strive against you;

They shall be as nothing at all

who do battle with you.

13For I am the LORD, your God,

who grasp your right hand;

It is I who say to you, Do not fear,

I will help you.

I will help you—;

the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.

There are three kinds of fears. One is natural; one is unnatural; both are human. The third is a result of faith and grace. If I come across a bear, there is a natural fear or instinct which arises within me. This natural fear speaks of imminent danger and the need to remove myself or protect myself from this threat.

The second fear is unnatural because there is no objective reason for it to rise up in me. This may be called worldly fear, because it tends to prevent us from living a full, healthy natural life. It is psychological or taught and it debilitates and paralyzes me. There are many such fears that we may have allowed to control us, such as fear of stepping on a crack in the sidewalk, fear of heights, fear of the future, fear of enclosure, fear of the bully, fear of the unknown, etc. I have a fear of eating fish that is not deboned. This comes from my father who, when I was young, would say when we would eat fish, "Watch out for the bones." It is hard for me to enjoy a good fish, unless it is filet and even then I am concerned about the bones.

The third fear is Fear of the Lord. Unfortunately, the English word Fear does not adequately translate the Hebrew words in the Scriptures, which are several with different meaning. We should fear the judgment of God or falling into the hands of God if we are among the wicked and not the just. However, we are to Fear the Lord not because he will hurt or punish us but because, knowing who he is and who we are in relationship, we have a reverential awe of the Lord. This comes from faith and grace. God, who is all in all, chooses to be part of our lives and for us to be part of his. Even though this spiritual fear may begin in the fear of God’s punishment for our wrong doings, its end is to delight in love for and of God which is eternal union with him.

Some of you may remember the Baltimore Catechism version of the Act of Contrition. "O my God, I am heartily sorry for my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because I have offended you, O my God, who is all good and deserving of all my love." This is known as an imperfect Act of Contrition. A perfect Act would be: "O my God, I am heartily sorry for my sins, because I have offended you, O my God, who is all good and deserving of all of my love." The focus is not fear of punishment, even though I deserve it, but the love and mercy of God which is pure gift. The focus is God and not us.

This is the intent of the prophetic word from Isaiah, with which we began. God reveals again and again who he is ("I, the LORD, am the first, and at the last　I am he.") He is the mighty Creator of the Universe. There is no other God. At the same time, he reveals that he has chosen Israel to be in relationship with him as Servant. Therefore, because of this choice and this relationship there is no need of human fear but of awe and wonder. Then he gives them once more the assurance of his presence with them and providential care for them. Listen to his words again: "Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand….For I am the LORD, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, Do not fear, I will help you. I will help you—; the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer."

If we do fear, we are not to fear God, who is love, but we are to fear his just punishments as a result of our non love which we call sin. Instead of fear, we are called to fall in love with God. In fact, what we should fear, because of God’s grace and our relationship with him, is sin and its consequence in our life. We should not even fear Satan the bully who wants us to think he has power to control us. His is only pseudo power. It is the power of the bully. The bully though stronger than us has only the power of making us afraid of him. Once we are afraid of the bully then we are under his power. If the bully sees that we are not afraid, then he realizes that even if he hurts us, we will not yield to his power.

Satan is real and spiritual warfare is real. He is the spiritual bully "who roars like a lion, roaming about the world seeking whom he may devour." But the Scriptures reminds us of the One who has the greater power. "Fear not, I am with you." I John attests to this: "He who is within you is greater than he who is outside."

When Adam and Eve were innocent and in right relationship with God, they were in awe and wonder of the Creator. They had a holy Fear of the Lord. There was no other focus. This was because they shared in his own divine life. But they were tempted to take their eyes off God and seek what is good for them outside of God. Thus, came sin into the world. But when they sinned, they became afraid of God and hid themselves. They knew they had done wrong, they had violated his command and they became afraid of his punishment, which they deserved.

We should not fear Satan nor his many temptations. As I have said, what we should fear is falling into sin. Wasn’t this what Moses told the Israelites on their journey? "Do not be afraid. For God came in order to test you, and so that the dread of him might be with you, and you would not sin." (Ex 20:22)

Like Jesus, when tempted, we should keep our eyes on the One whom we are in awe with, God, for he is with us at that moment. It is at those times we need to recall the words of Deuteronomy 31:6　: "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread…, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."

Throughout the Scriptures there is this constant word from the Lord. Fear not, I am with you. Probably next to the command of God for us to love, this is the next most frequent statement from God, occurring nearly 150 times. This was his message to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, Elijah, King Jehoshaphat, Jeremiah, Mary, Joseph, Peter, Jairus, etc.
We are cautioned about allowing the ordinary human fears, whether natural or psychological and emotional to overwhelm us. For these fears make us the center of our life, rather than the Lord. We become afraid because we can’t do anything humanly about a situation. The Word of God tells us to trust in him at those moments. That is why he reminds us: "Fear not, I am with you."

According to Isaiah, Fear of the Lord is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. We read in Isaiah 11:2 "The spirit of the LORD　shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD." These are known as Sanctifying Gifts of the Holy Spirit in contrast to the Charismatic Gifts of the Spirit spoken of in the New Testament.

Even though Fear of the Lord is the last mentioned, it is actually the key to wisdom and the other gifts, as we read in Ps 111:10 and other places. "The fear of the LORD　is the beginning of wisdom" It is the Holy Spirit that empowers and enables us to be in reverential awe and humble wonder of God so that we may be able to see a situation as God sees it, which is Wisdom.

Fear of the Lord enables us to obey the commands of the Lord and to love the things the Lord loves, which is the Gift of Piety. As a consequence, we are told: "Behold, thus is the man blessed who　fears　the LORD.　...　See how the Lord blesses those who　fear him."　

Many years ago, I came across the five stages of our spiritual journey from fear to perfect love, based on our choices. The first stage is fear of punishment. When we were children, we did what our parents told us to do for fear of punishment. "If you do this one more time, you will have to go into time out." As children do we remember being told that if we died in sin, we would go to hell? What dread and anxiety did that stirred in our little hearts? Jesus addressed this initial motivation in Matt 10: 28: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul. But instead fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell."

The second stage was the motivation of reward. "If you past your exams, I’ll take you to eat wherever you want to go." We were motivated to do our best because of the promised reward. As children, and maybe as adults, the promise of heaven was the motivating reason we tried to avoid sin.

The third stage why we chose to do something was obligation based on law or commandment. We stop at a red light in the middle of the night and wait even though there is no other cars on the road. It is the law.

The fourth stage is that we choose to love in order to be accepted and loved or because it is expected of us. The final stage is to choose to love because of the other person, who the other is and for the sake of the other. This is the perfect love, John talks about, that casts out all fear. It is the person of God who is all in all rather than the fear of punishment from a Just God that is my underlying motivation.

So if fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then love of the Lord is its completion. Paul tells us 2 Cor 7:1: "Knowing the promises of God, let us cleanse ourselves from all sin, growing in holiness in the fear of God." What we should be afraid of is offending the Lord, not because of his punishments, but because of who is. He is the Lord who loves us and whom we love. Initially, fear of Lord may keep us from evil, as Proverbs tells us, but when love becomes the underlying motivation, then all evil becomes abhorrent to us. In love, we delight in what God delights in and we freely choose to love God with our whole mind, heart and strength.

What is happening is the focus shifts from us primarily to God entirely. When I am afraid of God’s punishments I am concerned about what I will suffer. When I am aware of who God is and when I embrace Him as my Lord and God in love, I trust him, even if I have to suffer. I do not want to suffer, but I am not afraid of suffering. Jesus chose to be obedient to the Father’s will even to the death of the cross, because he loved the Father.

The journey we are on is one of holiness. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12 "work toward your salvation with fear and trembling." What is this fear? It is the fear of being unfaithful to God or the fear of displeasing him in the choices I make. I am aware of my woundedness and of my past sins. I am aware that I have had good intentions in the past but have failed to always act on them in the way that would keep my eyes focused on the Lord. Thus, it is with fear and trembling not that God will abandon me but that I may, out of weakness, abandon him. Only the grace of God will enable me to not focus on the fear but on the strength of the moment from God.

Here is what St John Paul II said about this Gift of the Spirit: Fear of the Lord: "Here it is a matter of something much more noble and lofty; it is s sincere and reverential feeling that a person experiences before the tremendous majesty of God, especially when he reflects upon his own infidelity and the danger of being "found wanting" (Dan　5:27) at the eternal judgment which no one can escape. The believer goes and places himself before God with a "contrite spirit" and a "humbled heart" (cf.　Ps　50 [51] :19), knowing well that he must await his own salvation "with fear and trembling" (Phil　2:12). Nonetheless, that does not mean an irrational fear, but a sense of responsibility and fidelity to the law.

"All this is what the Holy Spirit takes up and elevates with the gift of the Fear of the Lord. It certainly does not exclude the trepidation that arises from an awareness of the faults committed and the prospect of divine chastisement, but mitigates it with faith in the divine mercy and with the certitude of the fatherly concern of God who wills the　eternal salvation of each one. With this gift, however, the Holy Spirit instils in the soul most of all a filial love which is a sentiment rooted in love of God. The soul is now concerned not to displease God, whom he loves as a Father, not to offend him in anything, to "abide in him" and grow in charity (cf.　Jn　15:4-7)." (June 11, 1989)

We have all received the Holy Spirit and all his gifts in Baptism and Confirmation. The seven gifts mentioned in Isaiah 11:1-3: Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord, are called Sanctifying Gifts. They are given to us to help us grow in our relationship with God, to grow in holiness of life, to grow in love, a love that rests in God. Though given to us we must appropriate them and activate them with the grace of God, so that they may be fruitful in our lives.

How do we appropriate more fully the Gift of Fear of the Lord? First, by invoking the Holy Spirit, the Giver of all gifts, for a fresh anointing and empowering of this gift. The more we choose to obey God in all things and to abhor sin in its many manifestations, the more we will grow in love of God. The more we see and come to know God as He is and the more we see ourselves only fulfilled in God and nothing else, the more we will draw closer to him with reverential awe and adoration.
It is also important for us to both read, meditate and act on the Word of God as found in the Scriptures. For instance: Psalm 56:3 tells us "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." Psalm 34:4　 says: "I sought the　Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 23:4　"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 118:6　invites us to pray with confidence: "The　Lord　is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" However, these are only someone else’s words, unless I appropriate them into my heart and act on them in my life.


As we grow in our willingness to be obedient to the will of God no matter the cost, we will grow in our awareness of God as the Other and the beginning and end of our lives. With Paul we can proclaim: In him we live and move and have our being. Whom should I fear? Obedience to the will of God was the motivating factor of the three men in the Book of Daniel to refuse to worship the golden statute and embrace the consequence, being thrown into furnace of fire. They knew God could save them, but even if he chose not to, they would be obedient to him. They feared the consequences of disobeying God rather than the possibility of death by fire. Their relationship with God who had done such marvelous deeds in their lives was more important than living without God. Like the Apostles who were threatened with punishment if they continued to proclaim Jesus as the Risen Lord and Savior, we too will be able to rejoice for suffering for the Name of the Lord.

What are the fruits of the Fear of the Lord?

First of all, Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom which enables us to see things from God’s perspective.

Secondly, the end of Fear of the Lord is a greater love of and for God, the Gift of Piety. This is the heart of holiness.

Thirdly, it enables us to flee the evil of sin because it offends God.

Fourthly, Fear of the Lord helps us to find our security not in things but in God. As Paul tells us in Rom 8:38-39: "For I am certain that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor the present things, nor the future things, nor strength, nor he heights, nor the depths, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Fifthly, Fear of the Lord brings inner peace and true satisfaction because my life is in right relationship with God, others and myself. As Proverb 22:4 states: "The end of moderation is the fear of the Lord, riches and glory and life."

I end where I began with the words of God through the prophet Is.:

" It is I who say to you, Do not fear,

I will help you.

I will help you—;

the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer."

"St. Jerome was lamenting that his wretched and sinful state left him nothing to offer God. The Lord said to him, 'Jerome, give me your sins.'" Have we ever thought that sometimes we hold on to our sins because we feel that we have to do something about them? In doing this, we deny God what is rightfully his, when Jesus took upon himself our sins and nailed them to the cross. Instead of holding on to our sins, we need to continually offer them to Jesus in repentance so that we can receive his reconciling grace in return. He is the garbage master, who takes away our filthy rags and gives us clean clothes.

"We live the way we pray; we pray the way we live. If we want to change the way we live, we change the way we pray." (Louis Evely) What is prayer but being consciously in the presence of God, with God and for God. The focus of prayer is God and not ourselves. If this becomes more the reality, then what will our life look like? Would we then better reflect St. Paul's words: "I live now, not I, but Christ living in me"?

"The soul of one who loves God always swims in joy, always keeps holiday, and is always in the mood for singing." (John of the Cross)
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is a decision to see things through the lenses of God and to respond to them with an inner joy and peace. Paul tells us to rejoice always, because our focus is the Lord, not the problem. Try it today and see what happens.

What do we learn from St. James on his feast day? We follow his journey: one of the first to respond to Jesus's call to discipleship; part of the intimate community of three with Jesus; needs purification from his ambition and pride; becomes the first apostle to be martyred. Who and what made the difference in his life that enabled him to make such a journey? He responded and accepted Jesus and his love. What can make the difference in our journey? The same.

Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.(George Bernanos)

DEALING WITH THE ROOTS OF SIN


"I do not do what I want to do but what I hate....the desire to do right is there but not the power. What happens is that I do, not the good I will to do, but the evil I do not intend....This means that even though I want to do what is right, a law that leads to wrongdoing is always ready at hand. My inner self agrees with the law of God, but I see in my body's members another law at war with the law of my mind; this makes me the prisoner of the laws of sin in my members. What a wretched person I am! Who can free me from this body under the power of death? All praise to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So with my mind I serve the law of God but with my flesh the law of sin." (Rom 7:15-25)

"You must lay aside your former way of life and the old self which deteriorates through illusion and desire, and acquire a fresh, spiritual way of thinking. You must put on that new man created in God's image, whose justice and holiness are born of truth." (Eph 4:22-24)

"When the unclean spirit departs from a man, it roams through arid wastes searching for a place of rest and finding none. Then it says, 'I will go back where I came from,' and returns to find the dwelling unoccupied, though swept and tidied now. Off it goes again to bring back with it this time seven spirits more evil than itself. They move in and settle there. Thus the last state of that man becomes worse than the first." (Mt 12:43-45)

The story of the rich young man in the Gospel of Luke 18:18-23. He wanted to enter the kingdom of heaven but wasn't able to let go the one thing which was at the root of his problem.

1. There must be a sincere desire to recognize sin as sin and to have a horror of sin, to see sin as God sees sin.

2. There must be a sincere desire to deal with sin not on the surface but at its root cause. Example: Bad weeds will continue to grow and take over a garden if only we cut the tops off. There is need to dig to the core or nut of the weed, uproot it totally from the ground, if we wish to rid the garden of weeds.

3. One of the graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the grace of destroying the root of sin. Sometimes we limit the Sacrament to the forgiveness of sins and fail to open ourselves to the additional grace of eradication.

4. Sometimes the root remains because we deal with the symptoms of sin and not the cause or source of sin. To get to this root cause or source I need to ask God to lead me into my past where this particular sin began to take root in me. Who, when , where, how are the questions to ask. Because a particular situation happened in my life either in fact or in perception which was never fully reconciled through mutual forgiveness, then the root of the past continues to lead me into sin today.

5. We are talking about the grace of healing of memories. A person may be struggling with anger not as an occasional sin but as a core sin in life. Each time we go to confession we confess the sin of anger. We never ask the question what is the root of my anger? We never ask God to lead us to the root or source. If we do and find that a certain person was the source of anger, then we need to bring this to the Lord.

5a Sometimes when God shows us the "thorn in the flesh" it is for us to realize that we can't of ourselves do anything, except cry out to God. God will not remove it before we deal with it in our weakness. We have refused to forgive, we have held on to the situation, either out of guilt or needing to hold the other under some control. We have exercised power, now we need in our weakness to forgive. "My grace is enough for you, for in weakness power reaches perfection." "And so I willingly boast of my weaknesses instead, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor 12: 9) I my weakness I refuse to forgive, but in the power of Christ I can and choose to forgive.

6. Process: Go with Jesus into the past. What are the memories which are scared and painful, memories we have suppressed over the years because of the pain attached to them. When we get to a particular painful memory, we need not relive it but get in touch with it momentarily in the presence of Jesus. We need to forgive the person who may have been the source of the anger; we need to ask that person's forgiveness; we may need to forgive ourselves. Remember forgiveness to be authentic must come from the heart. Also forgiveness is not for the sake of the other, but for our sake. We are the ones under the bondage of anger. Once we have forgiven from the heart, then we need to bring that painful memory and place it at the foot of the cross, believing that Jesus died for all sin and guilt. Then, leaving the memory there, we are to walk away. As we do we will find Jesus on the road waiting to embrace and heal us with his love.

7. The healing of memories is a process.

8. Sometimes we are not ready to give up a sin. We say to the Lord what the St. Augustine said to him: "Soon, Lord, but not now." Read the story from the Confessions.

" Your words had become deeply rooted in my heart, and I knew that I was surrounded by you on all sides (Job 1:10). I was certain that there was an eternal life, although I saw it 'through a glass darkly' (1 Cor 13:12). I had no doubt that you were made of an incorruptible substance, and that you had created all things (Col 1:15-17). My old sinful life was tottering away as my heart was being cleansed of 'old leaven' (e Cor 5:7). And the Way--the Savior himself-gave me great delight as I thought about Him.

"But I was unwilling to enter His narrow way. And it was becoming a heavy grief to me that I continued to act like a worldling, now that I longed for the sweetness and beauty of your eternal home. The reason for my unwillingness was that I was bound by my love for women.

"Oh yes, I was certain that it was better to commit myself to your love than to give in to my sensuality. Still I kept giving the slow, sleepy reply: 'Soon, Lord. I will come to you soon.'

"But 'soon' had no ending. Because I was so violently held by my evil habit, my mind was being torn. I wanted freedom, but I was being held as if against my will--and I suppose I contributed to this state of confusion, since I willingly allowed myself to slide into sin.

"But you, O Lord, used the changed lives of other men and women like a mirror to keep turning me around to face myself. You set me in front of my own face so that I might see how deformed, how crooked and sordid and stained and ulcerous I was. Horrified, I turned and tried to run from myself--only to find that you were there, too, thrusting me in front of myself. You wanted me to discover my iniquity and hate it, because it bound me and kept me from going with you.

"Yet my soul hung back. So I lived for a long while in a silent, trembling misery, for I was afraid of giving up my sin as much as I feared death--even though it was because of my evil that I was wasting away to death!

"Then one day, as I was reading the epistles of Paul, a great storm of agitation began to billow within my soul. My heart and mind and even my face became wild, as this inner storm built. There was a garden attached to our house, and I rushed out there so that no one would see me in such a wild state.

"And there I was, going mad on my way to sanity--dying on my way to life!

"My mind grew frantic: I boiled with anger at myself for not giving myself over to your law that brings life. All my bones cried out that if I surrendered fully to you I would find myself free and singing your praises to the skies. I knew that it took but one step--a distance no as far as I had run from my own house to this bench where I had collapsed in my grief. To go over to your side, to arrive fully on your side, required nothing other than the will to go--but to will strongly and totally, not to turn and twist an half-wounded will so that one part of me would keep rising up and struggling, while the other part kept me bound to earth.

"This inability to decide--for God or for my Self--was torturing me. I pulled at my hair, beat my forehead, locked my fingers together, gripped my knees with both hands. My whole body felt the agony of my desire to go over to you, but I could not will my soul to rise and cross over to God. I knew that what held me was such a small thing, and yet I turned and twisted as one held on a chain, as if my own agonizing might finally break it somehow.

"Inwardly, I cried: 'Let it be done now. Now!' And you, O Lord, were standing in the secret places of my soul all along! With your severe mercy, you redoubled the lashes of fear and shame, so that I would not give up again, which would mean that chain which bound me from you would bind me more strongly than ever before.

"I kept imagining the voices of mistresses, as they plucked at my garment of flesh, whispering, 'Can you really send us away? How can you live without us?' I ran farther from the house, into the garden, and flung myself down on the ground under a fig tree. Tears streamed and flooded from my eyes. I cried out, 'How long will I keep saying, "Soon" and "Tomorrow"? Why can't I put an end to my uncleanness this very minute?"

"And at that very moment I heard from a neighboring house a child's voice--whether a boy or a girl I couldn't tell--singing over and over: "Take and read, take and read....' It was like the song in a child's game, but I'd never heard it before.

"These words came into my heart with the force of a divine command: 'Take and read....' I forced myself to stop crying and got up off the ground. I went back into the garden to the place where I had left the Scriptures, which I had carried outside with me--for I believed I had heard nothing less than a divine command to open the book and read the first passage I found.

"I snatched the book, opened it and read the first passage my eye fell upon: 'Let us behave decently...not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality or debauchery....Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature' (Ro 13:13, 14).

"I did not need to read further. There was no need to. For as soon as I reached the end of the sentence, it was as though my heart was filled with light and with confidence. All the shadows of my doubt were swept away." (Confessions 8)

9. The more we fall in love with God the more we want to get rid of all sin in our lives, especially the habitual sins. That doesn't say we will never sin again, but sin will not be rooted.

10. It is not enough to get rid of the root of sin; we must put on the mind of Christ. "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God's will, what is good, pleasing and perfect" (Rom 12:2)

11. I must know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God loves me. I must choose to love God in return so that in the power of the love I can deal with the roots of sin in my life, no matter how long it takes.

I was consoling a little girl who was sick and had much pain,' said Mother, 'I told her: you should be happy that God sent you suffering, because your sufferings prove that God loves you much. Your sufferings are kisses from Jesus.' 'Then Mother,' answered the little girl, 'please ask Jesus not to kiss me so much.' (Mother Teresa, in "Mother Teresa of Calcutta")

The power of Christ is so great that evil spirits fall powerless before Him...and cannot bear even the mention of his name. (St. Athanasius)

After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (of Tiberias). A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.

Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. It was significant for John to recall that it was near the Feast of the Passover that the multiplication of the loaves and fish took place. Feeding the crowd in this manner reminded the people how God provided a meal for them at Passover and fed them in the desert with Manna. This miracle also anticipated the Last Supper transformation of bread and wine into his Body and Blood.

When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?" He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.

How did he know this in his humanity? Is it the presence of the Spirit?
Last Sunday we heard that Jesus had compassion on the people for they were like sheep without a Shepherd. He will express his compassion in this miracle.

Philip answered him, "Two hundred days' wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little (bit)." One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?"

That they were barley loaves indicated they were the food of the poor. This may also be an allusion to the miracle that Elisha did in the OT.
Jesus said, "Have the people recline." Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
Since it is near the Feast of Passover it is springtime.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Indicating the number underlies the magnanimity of the miracle.

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted." So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."

The OT had spoken of one who would come who would be like Moses.
In the OT the prophets spoke of the abundant banquet in the new Messianic kingdom.
This was the fourth sign Jesus performed according to John; the first was the changing of water into wine at Cana.

Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

This event is told in each of the four Gospels, indicating its significance to the early Church.
What does this passage say to you? Where has God shown his abundant love to you?
Knowing what the people wanted to do, what is your response to God’s love in your life?

Blessed are they who place themselves in the hands of Jesus. He will place himself in their hands. (Anonymous)

"I have no longer any desire except that of loving Jesus unto folly. Yes, it is love alone that attracts me. I no longer desire suffering nor death, and yet, I love both. I have desired them for a long time. I have had suffering; I have come close to dying....Now, abandonment is my only guide. I can no longer ask ardently for anything except that God's will may be perfectly accomplished in my soul." (St. Therese of the Child Jesus)

"Father, I abandon myself into Your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you; I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures--I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord! And so need to give myself, surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father." (Charles de Foucauld)

"Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true of beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness. "( Reinhold Niebuhr)

What does it mean for Christ to be the First Fruits? First on the personal level. Do we know Jesus personally from some experiential moment or do we know of Jesus because others have told us about him or we have read about him? Do we know Jesus as a surface disciple would or a disciple seeking for a high? Jesus had many disciples, not all were committed. Those in John 6, for instance, found his teaching on the gift of his Body to eat and his blood to drink to hard to accept. Their faith in him was shaken to the point they walked away from him. At the same time, the twelve were so committed to him that they remained, even though they too did not fully comprehend Jesus’ message about him being the Bread of Life.

Story: After a large dinner at one of England's stately mansions, a famous actor entertained the guests with stunning Shakespearean readings. Then, as an encore, he offered to accept a request. A shy, gray-haired priest asked if he knew the Twenty-Third Psalm. The actor said, "Yes, I do and I will give it on one condition: that when I am finished you recite the very same Psalm." The priest was a little embarrassed, but consented. The actor did a beautiful rendition..."My Shepherd is the Lord, there is nothing I shall want," and on and on. The guests applauded loudly when the actor was done, and then it was the priest's turn. The man got up and said the same words but this time there was no applause, just a hushed silence and the beginning of a tear in some eyes. The actor savored the silence for a few moments and then stood up. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you realize what happened here tonight. I knew the Psalm, but this man knows the Shepherd."

Do we know of Jesus or do we know Jesus? If we know Jesus because of some personal, transforming experience, is this relationship growing or waning? Is Jesus calling us to greater intimacy with him or is he knocking at the door of our hearts constantly seeking to draw us into that fuller union he prayed for at the Last Supper. "Father, that they may be one in me as you and I are one. You in me, I in you, they in me."

The invitation of Rev 3:20 is not meant to be a one time experience. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, (then) I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me." The intimacy that Jesus desires with us is not a surface or casual one but a life-changing one that only deepens until our true identity and destiny is reached. No matter what we can not and chose not to walk away.

Conversion is not a one-time past event but an on-going evolving process in our lives. For conversion is to lead to further purification and healing, to fuller transformation and glorification so that our union with God begun in baptism can eventually blossom into eternal oneness with God in glory.

Secondly as the First Fruits, is Jesus primary? Is Jesus one among many or is he truly and in fact the first fruits in our life?

Story: It was a hot Sunday afternoon in 1980. A young cerebral palsy victim named Cordell Brown was walking through the clubhouse of the world Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Cordell walks with great difficulty. He talks with great difficulty. Feeding himself is a very difficult task. When people see Cordell coming, they usually turn the other way or pretend not to see him. That's what some of the Phillies were doing as Cordell made his way through the clubhouse. What was Cordell doing in the Phil's clubhouse? He had been invited there to speak to the players in a pregame chapel service. What could Cordell possibly say to stars like Steve Carleton and Mike Schmit, who were far removed from his world or pain and deformity? Some of the Phillies were asking the same thing when they sat down to listen to him.


Cordell began by putting the players at ease. He said, "I know I'm different." Then, quoting 1 Cor. 15:10, he added, "But by God's grace I am what I am." For the next 20 minutes Cordell Brown talked about the goodness of God in his life. He concluded by answering the question, What could he say to famous superstars like Steve Carleton and Mike Schmit, who were so far removed from his world of pain and deformity?

Cordell said in a loving way: "You may hit three-fifty for a lifetime and be paid a million dollars a year, but when the day comes that they close the lid on that box, you won't be any different than I am. That's one time when we'll be the same. I don't need what you have in life, but one thing's for sure: You need what I have, and that's Jesus Christ."

Story: Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian pastor, was invited to the home of one of his parishioners who asked him to pray for him and his wife because they were always losing patience with each other. After spending an afternoon in their home and seeing how they lost patience with each other, pastor Nee said, "I will not pray to God to give you patience because you don't need patience." "What?" they replied. "You see how impatient we are. How can you say we don't need patience?" "What you need is Jesus Christ,"said pastor Nee. "And that's the only thing God will give you because it's the only thing you need. You lack patience because you think you need a thousand things and you go after all of them, worried and scattered in your soul. But you need only Jesus. He will give you everything, including his patience."

When Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better part, he was referring to her primacy of focus on him in her life. When Jesus told the young rich man to go sell all he had and come follow him, he was instructing the man about what is primarily needed for eternal life: Jesus himself.

Thirdly, Is Jesus central in our life? Can we appropriate St. Paul’s understanding of this expressed in his personal life?
"(But) whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ.
More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and (the) sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ (Jesus). Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus."
Story: One day Carolyn was having lunch with her husband and their son Mike at their Los Angeles home. Mike was a navy helicopter pilot who was visiting from San Diego. At one point during the lunch, Mike and his father began talking about the helicopter that Mike flew. Mike said: "You know, Dad, as complicated as that helicopter is, its whirling rotor is held in place by a single hexagonal nut." Then turning to his mother, Mike said, "And, Mom, do you know what they call that nut?" His mother shrugged. She had no idea what they called it. "I give up," she said. "What do they call the nut that holds it all together?" Mike smiled and said, "They call it the "Jesus" nut."
What is your source of life? What keeps you together especially in time of personal difficulties and trials, during the dryness of spiritual deserts, during those times we have no answers to what is happening in our life? Is it Jesus?
Story: The surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him. "Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began, "I'll open up your heart..." "You'll find Jesus there," the boy interrupted. The surgeon looked up, annoyed. "I'll cut your heart open," he continued, "to see how much damage has been done..." "But when you open up my heart, you'll find Jesus in there."
The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly. "When I see how much damage has been done, I'll sew your heart and chest back up and I'll plan what to do next." "But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. The hymns all say He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart." The surgeon had had enough. "I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart. I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I'll find out if I can make you well."
"You'll find Jesus there too. He lives there." The surgeon left. The surgeon sat in his office, recording his notes from the surgery. "...damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration. No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: painkillers and
bed rest. Prognosis:," here he paused, "death within one year." He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said. "Why?" he asked aloud. "Why did You do this? You've put him here; You've put him in this pain; and You've cursed him to an early death. Why?" The Lord answered and said, "The boy, My lamb, was not meant for your flock for long, for he is a part of My flock, and will forever be. Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain, and will be comforted as you cannot imagine. His parents will one day join him here, and they will know peace, and My flock will continue to grow." The surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter. "You created that boy, and You created that heart. He'll be dead in months. Why?" The Lord answered, "The boy, My lamb, shall return to My flock, for he has done his duty: I did not put My lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb." The surgeon wept.
Later as the surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him. The boy awoke and whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?" "Yes," said the surgeon. "What did you find?" asked the boy. "I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.

Fourthly, if we have experienced a personal transforming moment in our life that has brought us to a personal relationship with Jesus as the first fruits; if Jesus as a result is primary in our life; if our life revolves around Jesus, what we have witnessed experientially and interiorly have we witnessed exteriorly to others by our words and deeds?
Story: A young man in Germany, barely twenty-one years of age, was conscripted into the army in the late 1930s. The full evil of Hitler's regime was yet hidden from most people. Even so this young man was already aware of a conflict between his Christian faith and propaganda he was hearing. The new Nazi law required that he obtain identity papers, including a picture of himself. It was prohibited for the picture to show on the clothing any medals, badges, fraternal pins, etc. But this young man customarily wore a small gold cross in his lapel. He insisted that it stay when the photographer took his picture. And he carefully cropped the finished picture below the cross, so it would show on his identity papers. It was there for anyone who looked to see. It was part of his identity, and a statement of his loyalty. It was also in a small way a declaration to others and a reminder to himself of where his ultimate loyalty lay. The sovereign of his life was certainly not Hitler, not even his country, nor the army, but Christ. And while the full impact of that obedience upon his life was perhaps not yet felt, he had made his choice.
An old man lived in New Guinea. He made his living by cutting firewood for the mission hospital. Everybody called him One Tooth, because his upper jaw contained just one tooth. Besides cutting wood, the old man also spent a part of each day reading the Gospel to outpatients sitting in the hospitals waiting room. Day after day, he shared his faith in Jesus with these suffering people. Then one day something happened. One Tooth began to have trouble reading. At first he thought it was something that would get better, but it didn't. So One Tooth went to see the hospital doctor. After examining the old woodcutter, the doctor put his arm around the old man and said, "I have something difficult to tell you. You're going blind, and there's nothing we can do."
"Oh no!" said One Tooth. "I'm already old. Now I'll be blind and useless too."
The next day One Tooth didn't show up at the hospital. Nor did he show up the day after that. One Tooth had vanished. Later the doctor learned that One Tooth was living alone in a deserted part of the island. A boy who brought the old man food told the doctor where he was. So the doctor went to see One Tooth.
"What are you doing here?" the doctor asked. One Tooth replied, "Ever since you told me I was going blind, I've been reading and memorizing the most important parts of the Gospel. I've already memorized Jesus' birth, several of his miracles and parables, and his death and resurrection. I've been repeating these over and over to the boy, to make sure I've got them right. In about a week I'll be back at the hospital again, Doctor, telling the outpatients about Jesus.
John Paul II stated it thus: "The new evangelization needs new witnesses...people who have experienced an area of change in their life because of their contact with Jesus Christ, and who are capable of passing on that experience to others." (John Paul II, 1991)
　
Let us look at the scriptures to get a better understanding of Christ as First fruits.
First fruits is found in the Old Testament in reference to the sacrificial offerings. The first fruits of the harvest were sacred to God and thus were to be set aside as an offering of thanksgiving to God. Initially, the people offered the first fruits of the harvest or the first born of their offspring and flocks in thanksgiving to God for his providential care and deliverance from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Later it was connected to gratitude for God’s blessings in general.
At the same time, the consecration of these fruits of the harvest to God was another way of asking God to bless the whole harvest. In the understanding of the people, the part being offered in thanksgiving as first fruits, stood for the whole of the crops yet to be harvested. For all belonged to God.
Using these two concepts–offering the first fruits in thanksgiving and the first fruits stand for the whole to be consecrated to God–we look at St. Paul’s teaching.
Speaking of the resurrection of the dead Paul says in 1 Cor 15: 20-23: "But as it is, Christ is now raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep...in Christ, all will come to life again, but each one in his proper order: Christ, the first fruits and then, at his coming all those who belong to him."
As the first to rise to a new glorified life, Christ is recognized by Paul as the first fruit. Jesus offers himself to the Father in thanksgiving at the Last Supper, on the cross and at every Mass on our behalf. He consecrated himself that we may be consecrated in turn, so that we can be offered with him to the Father in thanksgiving. In his humanity Jesus is the first fruit of perfect love and union with the Father. We now have access to the Father in the Spirit through Jesus.
One of the effects of Jesus’ death and resurrection in our lives is not only salvation, not only reconciliation and sharing once more in the life of God as sons and daughters, but the revelation that one of the fruits of his resurrected and glorified body is that one day our bodies will also be raised from the dead to share in the glorification that will be ours in the presence of God eternally. We profess this in the Creed every Sunday. We believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
St. Ambrose said: "Man arose because man died. Man was raised up again, but it was God who raised him. Then he was man according to the flesh. Now God is all in all. Now we no longer know Christ according to the flesh, but we have the grace of his flesh. We know him as the first fruits of those who rest, the firstborn of the dead. Unquestionably the first fruits are of the same species and nature as the rest of the fruits....Therefore, as the first fruits of death were in Adam, so also the first fruits of the resurrection are in Christ." (On His Brother Satyrus 2.91)
John Paul II said: "(A) new human and cosmic creation was inaugurated with the Resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of that transfiguration to which we are all destined."
Another effect of Christ as first fruits of the new creation is that the Spirit of God has been poured forth upon us as a sign of love and as a pledge of eternal salvation in Christ.
We read in Roms 8: 22-23: "Yes, we know that all creation groans and is in agony even until now. Not only that, but we ourselves, although we have the Spirit as first fruits, groan inwardly while we await the redemption of our bodies."
2 Cor 2:22 states: "It is Christ who anointed us and has sealed us, thereby depositing the first payment, the Spirit in our hearts." Eph 1: 14 explains this payment. "He is the pledge of our inheritance, the first payment against the full redemption of a people God has made his own to praise his glory."
And how do we experience this in our lives? Through the fruits of the Spirit. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity."¹¹² (CCC 1832) The evidence of these fruits of the Spirit radiating in and through us are the initial signs of God’s glory.
Christ in his humanity is the first fruit in the Father’s plan to share his divine life with us in a glorified state. As Jesus is our personal Lord and Savior, as Jesus is primary in our lives, as Jesus is central in our lives, as we courageously and boldly witness the truth of Jesus in our lives to others in the power of the Spirit, we will bear the fruit of his life within us and fulfill our baptismal and confirmational commitment sharing in the life of Christ as priest, prophet and king. Then we will fulfill the plan of God as this story relays.
In one of his books, S.D. Gordon pictures Gabriel as asking Christ when he reached heaven what recognition the world had given to his divine suffering for its sake. Christ replies that only a few in Palestine knew of it. Gabriel feels that more ought to know--that the whole world ought to know--and he asks, "What is your plan, Master, for telling them of it?"
Jesus replies, "I have asked Peter, James John, Andrew and a few others to make it the business of their lives to tell others, and those others to tell others, until the last person in the furthest circle has heard the story and has felt the power of it." "But suppose they do not tell others--what then?" Gabriel asks. Jesus answers quietly, "Gabriel, I have not made any other plans. I am counting on them."
Talk One: Christ the First Fruits: The cornerstone of the Church...
Summary
What does it mean for Christ to be the First Fruits? First on the personal level
Conversion is not a one-time past event but an on-going evolving process in our lives
Is Jesus primary? Is Jesus one among many or is he truly and in fact the first fruits in our life?
Is Jesus central in our life?
If our life revolves around Jesus, what we have witnessed experientially and interiorly have we witnessed exteriorly to others by our words and deeds? What does Scripture say about first fruits?
What does the Church teaches about the first fruits?
Questions:
To what extent is Christ as first fruit reflected in our life?
What are the fruits that are evident in our life? Where is the fruit of Christ’s death and resurrection not bearing fruit in my life?
　

The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.
He had sent them on mission two by two to prepare for and to share in his ministry.
Do you see the importance of sharing with others what God has done through you?
He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat.
Jesus wanted to teach the disciples that they must have a balanced life: ministry (action) and prayer (contemplation).
How much time do we take in our daily, weekly life for quality prayer time? We can’t always do it with a lot of people around.
When was the last time we made a personal retreat?
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
Do you have that "deserted place" in your life?
What is the purpose of this time and place?:to be alone with the Lord and to be refreshed by the Lord.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.
Sometimes people may not always understand our need for aloneness with God. How do we deal with that?
How does Jesus react?
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
Do we sometimes become angry with people who seem to need so much of our time? Reflect of Jesus’ attitude.
Notice Jesus ministered to the crowd while allowing the disciples their space to recoup. What does that say to you?
What does this passage say to you? What resolution will you make and hopefully follow up on?

In suffering, one learns many things. One learns that it is important not to be responsible for deliberately bringing pain into the lives of other. One also learns that without a willingness to forgive those who have hurt us, it is not likely that our lives can go in any meaningful manner. I do not wish to be a lifelong coaptive of my captors. A Tale of Two Cities

If I do not forgive everyone, I shall be untrue to myself. I shall then be acting as if I were innocent of the same offenses, and I am not. I must forgive lies directed against me because so many times my own conduct has been blotted by lies. Also, the lovelessness, hatred, slander, fraud, arrogance of which I too am guilty. He who tries to live by this principle will know the real adventures and triumphs of the soul. (Albert Schweitzer)

On this Feast Day of St. Benedict, we reflect on some of his steps to humility.
1. Holy Fear of the Lord.
2. Seek the will of the Lord
3. Obedience to the will of the Lord
4. Embrace suffering patiently and obediently
5. Confess your sins and faults
6. Do not seek approval but be content with lowliness

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
Up to this point, Jesus had invited them to follow him as disciples. Later they would be fishers of men. (Mk 1:16-20) Then he selected twelve of the many disciples who followed him and gave them authority. (Mk 3:13-19) Now, as fishers of men, while still in formation, he missions them to act in his name and power.
Why do you think he sent them out two by two? Could it be for support and companionship, for intercessory prayer? Could this be a model for us?
What has our journey with Jesus been like since we first followed him?
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick--no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
Why these instructions? They were to be totally dependent on God to provide for them since they were doing the work of the Lord.
How comfortable are we to totally dependent on the Lord to provide everything for us as we do the work he calls us to do?
He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
This was to avoid seeking better accommodations with more comfort.
This was to avoid focus on self and not on the ministry.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them."
This was a public sign that those who were rejecting the Word and ministry of God will themselves be rejected by God.
So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Here is the foundation of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick with the oil blessed by the Bishop.
What do we take from reflections on this reading?
How comfortable are we in sharing our faith with others and exercising the gifts of the Spirit?

 "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship." Patrick Henry, 1776

"Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of the Declaration of Independence were orthodox, deeply committed Christians? The other three all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and in His personal intervention. It is the same Congress that formed the American Bible Society. Immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of scripture for the people of this nation."  Anonymous

"If you find yourself in front of – imagine! - in front of an atheist," and he tells you he doesn’t believe in God, you can read him a whole library, where it says that God exists and even proving that God exists, and he will not have faith. But if in the presence of this atheist you bear consistent witness of Christian life, something will begin to work in his heart. It will be your witness that that he will bring this restlessness on which the Holy Spirit works. It’s a grace that we all, the whole Church must ask for: ‘Lord, [grant] that we might be consistent.’"Pope Francis