Tag Archives: Christianity

His Voice

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Click here for today’s Scripture readings.

Acts 11:19-26
Jn 10:22-30

Once again, almost in exasperation, they confronted Jesus, “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”  Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.”

At times do we not do the same? Don’t we also say, ‘Come on Jesus speak to us plainly. What is it that you want of us?’ If we listen carefully we can hear Jesus ever so softly reply, “I told you and you do not believe.”

Unfortunately there is a tendency to forget the words of Jesus as we go about our daily routine. “Having ears to hear, they hear not.” Caught up in all the competiveness, materialism, false values and frenzy of daily living it is so easy to not to listen to Christ’s words.

After all, the gentle voice of Jesus is but one voice among the cacophony of voices screaming for our attention. Competing and conflicting voices promise what they can not deliver – peace, happiness, success, popularity – heaven on earth.

Jesus affirms, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” To hear the voice of Jesus is to follow him. His words promise eternal life and that we will never be snatched from his hand.

Having listened to other voices, life experience tells us they do not deliver what they promise and that listening to them can destroy any semblance of a peaceful, fulfilling and rewarding human life and can lead not to eternal life but to a dead end.

Jesus speaks to us through Scripture, through events and happenings in our lives, through the gentle voice of grace and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, through the words and counsel and good example of others, through the beauty of creation and the wonders of nature, in prayer and in solitude.

Do you hear his voice? Listen.

- Fr. Stephen Haslach, C.P.

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Problem of Grumbling

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Acts 9:31-42
John 6:60-69

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”  Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?”   Jesus was not pleased with grumbling.   God never was.   There is a long Biblical tradition about the evil of grumbling.   There is something of a menacing note about murmuring or Lun in Hebrew.  The word can mean growling.  It reminds me of an old bird dog we had as kids named  “Spotty”.  It was the most peaceful dog I ever met except at dinner time.   When his food was there and one got too close to it, he would growl a most ominous sound.

Grumbling is complaining against God and his plans for us.  It is an insult against the Lord  accusing  Him of not knowing what He is doing.   Even worse it is a petulant denial of His loving intentions towards us.    Complaining is an unmistakable sign that my will and interests are wiser and more important than God’s plans.   Grumbling stops our spiritual journey to God.  In Scripture Jewish complaints blocked the Israelites from entering the promised land.   “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.  So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say:  In this desert your bodies will fall-every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.” Num 14:27

In the New Testament they grumbled at the love and mercy Jesus showed to  Zacchaeus Luke 19.  In today’s reading they complained against the Eucharist.   How could Jesus give his body to eat?  They know more than the Lord.   They reject the Eucharist because in their arrogance they reject the way of the Lord.

We in our grumbling are like the little girl who prayed:  “O God, thank you for my new baby brother, but I prayed for a new puppy”.

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan.

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Loaves and Fishes

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Acts 5:34-42
Jn 6:1-15

Many of us are probably familiar with the loaves and fishes story in today’s gospel.  We may even be able to relate to Jesus, who wonders aloud how they are possibly going to feed the 5,000 people gathered, when faced with a seemingly impossible situation.  So, what are we to do then, when we are faced with our own challenges; at home, at work, in our inner being, in the immensity of need in our world?  And what are we called to do when all eyes turn to us for the answers to these problems?

The gospel today suggests three things

1. What you need is already there
Many of us think like Philip did in the gospel when we are confronted with a challenge.  Philip commented that, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.”  Like Philip, we think of the costs, the time, the effort, and how even after all of that, it still may not be enough.   We forget that so much of what we need we already have; within ourselves and within our community.  God blesses each person with a set of unique gifts and talents that when brought together, when multiplied, can work miracles.  We count the monetary costs and forget that the greatest treasures are the people the surround us.  Each of us is called to give a small piece of ourselves to God and to our neighbor and trust that when all of those small pieces are brought together, God will make it enough to meet the needs in our lives and in our world.  Just as Jesus multiplied the 5 loaves and 2 fishes that were offered to him by a child, our small prayers, our small offerings are small beginnings that can lead to lasting changes.

2. The power of prayer
Jesus takes the loaves and fishes, gives thanks, and distributes them to those present.  Similarly, we are called to take what we have, give thanks, and offer to God to use for the benefit of those around us.  Just as Jesus’ prayer multiplied the loaves and fishes, prayer multiplies our efforts and transforms us.  In turn, God uses us to transform the world.  We first need to make ourselves present to God to understand who we are called to be and to be filled with God’s love and grace.

3. Openness to God and to ourselves
For me, one of the most beautiful parts of this gospel is that Jesus takes the simple, small offering from a boy and multiplies it to feed thousands.  The openness and willingness of the boy to share what he had gives us a powerful example that we are called to live out in our own lives.  All too often we think that the little we have or the imperfect people we are is not enough.  But nothing is impossible for God; nothing is too small, too imperfect, nothing is beyond hope, nothing is beyond the realm of possibilities in God’s plan.  All God asks, is that we be open, that we give freely and humbly, and that we see the pressing needs of our world and offer to God the little we have and trust that He will multiply it infinitely.

So today, let us open our eyes, open our hearts to the need that surrounds us and prayerfully turn to God to take what we have to offer and multiply it for the good of our world.

Jean Baumgardner
St. Vincent de Paul Society – Milwaukee, Meal Programs Manager
2009-2010 Passionist Volunteer International in Honduras

 
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