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25th Week of Ordinary Time - Week Day Readings

September 22, 2025

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Monday, September 22, 2025

Monday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092225.cfm

177. FEARLESS FAITH (LK 8:16-25)

“Christ has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature.”

- St Cyril of Alexandria

Luke 8:16-25

‘No one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or to put it under a bed. No, he puts it on a lamp-stand so that people may see the light when they come in. For nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing secret but it will be known and brought to light. So take care how you hear; for anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even whathe thinks he has will be taken away.’

His mother and his brothers came looking for him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd. He was told, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.’ But he said in answer, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice’. One day, he got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.’ So they put to sea, and as they sailed he fell asleep. When a squall came down on the lake the boat started taking in water and they found themselves in danger. So they went to rouse him saying, ‘Master! Master! We are going down!’ Then he woke up and rebuked the wind and the rough water; and they subsided and it was calm again. He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were awestruck and astonished and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that gives orders even to winds and waves and they obey him?’

CHRIST THE LORD Imagine how the disciples would have remembered this event. It must have left a particularly deep impression on them. So many of them were fishermen, experts in working a boat and navigating rough waters. And yet in the face of this squall, they panic. It must have been a terrible storm. It must have been humbling for them to admit that their experience and skill failed them, but fail they did.

We are all fragile and small, no matter how much success we may have experienced in life. Sooner or later we have to face this truth, and when we do, we should follow the example of the apostles. They did the right thing when their resources ran out – they went to the Master. He is always near, even if he seems asleep. And no storm is too great for his calming touch. In fact, the most elemental and uncontrollable powers of nature, in the face of which even modern technology has to bow its proud head, meekly obey the word of the Lord.

Some spiritual writers see in this passage a prequel to the Resurrection. Jesus asleep in the boat anticipates his sleep of death in the tomb. The storm corresponds to the fears and doubts that beset the scattered disciples after the tragedy of the cross. Jesus waking up and calming the wind and water is his resurrection on the third day, which renews the apostles’ confidence. In the face of our own storms, we should make a point of keeping the Lord’s resurrection in mind – it’s our lifetime warranty and everlasting guarantee.

CHRIST THE TEACHER The light of Christ’s doctrine, which is only penetrating the apostles’ hearts bit by bit as they have a chance to question him in private about his parables and teachings, will one day shine out for the whole world to see, through the work of the Church. And throughout the epoch of the Church, Christ’s disciples are called to boldly spread that light. He has given it to us for our own good, but also so that we in turn will light up the whole household of mankind.

Jesus related this parable of the lamp because he knew we would be tempted to keep what we have received to ourselves. We hide things under bowls and under beds when we are afraid that other people will see them. When it comes to our Christian beliefs, fear of mockery, disdain, and rejection often make us hesitate when we should speak forth. The possibility of persecution throws us into a panic, just as the storm on the lake threw the apostles into a panic. The solution for our cowardice is the same as the solution Christ gave the apostles – faith: “Where is your faith?” God has given us more than enough reasons to believe in him and trust in him – now we just have to exercise the little faith we alreadyhave, and it will soon grow into a robust, joyful, and fruitful virtue: “Anyone who has will be given more.” Otherwise, hiding the lamp under a bowl may protect the lamp, but it will snuff out the flame; our timorous efforts to avoid ridicule and persecution will have deprived even our own lives of Christ’s saving light: “From anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.”

CHRIST THE FRIEND In this passage, Jesus reiterates his Kingdom’s fundamental law of generosity, the only law that makes sense in a Kingdom where all the King’s subjects are also his friends, brothers, and sisters. He states this law in a slightly different way than he has before by saying, “Anyone who has will be given more” – a little trust and obedience can quickly grow into an abundant harvest of all the virtues. Then he points to a living illustration: Mary, his mother. She and some of his relatives have come looking for him, and Jesus makes the most of the opportunity to remind his listeners of what he really wants for them. He came to earth to atone for our sins and win us a place inside God’s family. If only we trust him enough to fulfil God’s will, to live as Jesus teaches we should live, “hearing the word of God and putting it into practice,” then we will become his very brothers and sisters and mothers.

This is exactly what had happened with Mary. She trusted in God; she lived with the consciousness of being “the handmaid of the Lord” (Luke 1:38). And because of her faith, God was able to give her much more; he made her into the mother of the Lord. From handmaid to mother, from village girl to Queen of the Universe – this is the “anyone who has will be given more” rule at its best, and Jesus wants us to give him a chance to apply it in our lives as well.

CHRIST IN MY LIFE I wonder why I don’t think about your Resurrection more often. Why doesn’t that victory make a bigger difference in my attitudes and reactions? You rose from the dead. You showed your power over the wind and the sea, and over death itself. You are the same Lord who comes to me in Holy Communion, who waits for me patiently in the Tabernacle. Lord, increase my faith...

I know I am supposed to trust you in the midst of the storms, but Lord, it’s not easy. The storms come and I often cave in. Where is my faith in those moments? You asked your apostles that question, but I ask you: why don’t I believe more firmly? Why don’t I trust more easily? Why, Lord, do I advance so slowly? Have mercy on me, Lord. Teach me. I trust in you, I really do...

Mary, you learned perfectly the most important lesson – the path to true happiness: to hear God’s word and put it into practice. Teach me what you learned. That’s all I want to do. In my work, to work as he would have me; in my family, to be patient and selfless as he would have me; in my prayer, to be humble; in my relationships, helpful, kind, and forgiving. Mary, Seat of Wisdom, make me wise...

QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What struck you most in this passage? What did you notice that you hadn’t noticed before?

2. Have you ever been “awestruck and astonished” at something God did in your life or the life of someone you know?

3. What are some common fears we have to overcome in order to share our faith? What has helped you most to overcome them in particular situations?

4. In one sense, following Christ is so simple: “Hear the word of God and put it into practice.” Why do think so many people refuse to do so?

Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 148, 490, 494 on Mary’s assent; 2030 on Mary as the exemplar of holiness; 257, 1077 and 2009 on our filial adoption in Christ

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Memorial of St Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092325.cfm

177. FEARLESS FAITH (LK 8:16-25)

“Christ has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature.”

- St Cyril of Alexandria

Luke 8:16-25

QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What struck you most in this passage? What did you notice that you hadn’t noticed before?

2. Have you ever been “awestruck and astonished” at something God did in your life or the life of someone you know?

3. What are some common fears we have to overcome in order to share our faith? What has helped you most to overcome them in particular situations?

4. In one sense, following Christ is so simple: “Hear the word of God and put it into practice.” Why do think so many people refuse to do so?

Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 148, 490, 494 on Mary’s assent; 2030 on Mary as the exemplar of holiness; 257, 1077 and 2009 on our filial adoption in Christ

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Wednesday of The 25th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092425.cfm

180. A TEST OF FAITH (LK 9:1-17)

“Christ sent out the apostles as the ministers of his divine will. They were to proclaim that spiritual gospel which runs above natural law and written codes, and to call men to himself.”

- St Procopius of Gaza

Luke 9:1-17

He called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there. As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave their town shake the dust from your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the Good News and healing everywhere. Meanwhile Herod the tetrarch had heard about all that was going on; and he was puzzled, because some people were saying that John had risen from the dead, others that Elijah had reappeared, still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. But Herod said, ‘John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’ And he was anxious to see him.

On their return the apostles gave him an account of all they had done. Then he took them with him and withdrew to a town called Bethsaida where they could be by themselves. But the crowds got to know and they went after him. He made them welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing. It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here.’ He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all thesepeople.’ For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, ‘Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.’ They did so and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve baskets.

CHRIST THE LORD Imagine the apostles’ impression as Jesus sent them out on their first missionary journey. He hands them over a share of his own divine power, instructing them to cast out demons, perform miracles, and preach to the crowds. Which of the Twelve was naturally qualified for that kind of an assignment? And just to make sure they don’t get cocky, Jesus tells them to travel without supplies – they are to depend entirely on God’s providence. You can picture them furrowing their brows in consternation as they set out, eager but nervous. Even bold Peter must have been shaking a little bit the first time he took on a demon all by himself. But the apostles obey and trust, and the results are substantial –even King Herod hears about their goings on.

Then, imagine the apostles’ reaction when Jesus commanded them to feed dinner to those thousands of people. They utter a whimpering protest, pointing out that they don’t have nearly enough food for that many people. But when Jesus tells them to have the crowds sit down in groups, they do it. What must have been going through their minds? Jesus just keeps stretching their faith. And then he takes their loaves and fish and miraculously multiplies them.

More than our brilliant minds, rich personalities, and fabulous organizational skills, God needs us to give him our trust and our faith. With those, he can expand our small efforts and ideas into miraculous proportions, extending his Kingdom to thousands of souls – many more than we could have reached by trusting merely in our paltry human qualities. He is the Lord; we are only his ambassadors.

CHRIST THE TEACHER Sometimes we are afraid of giving ourselves completely to God because we think we won’t have anything left for ourselves. When he asks us to give up the things that we think make us the happiest, we hesitate. Jesus knows that we struggle with this. In the multiplication of the loaves, he teaches us a lesson to allay those fears.

The apostles were no doubt hungry after a long day of ministry. They had little enough food for themselves (five large loaves and two fish would hardly satisfy a dozen brawny men). Jesus asks them to give it all away. They probably handed them over reluctantly, mouths watering. But Jesus took the food, blessed it, broke it, and gave it back to the disciples to distribute to the crowds (the same four verbs used in the consecration of the bread during the Mass). And at the end, each disciple had an entire basket full of food for his own little feast.

Christ will never, never be outdone in generosity. The more we give to him, the more we will receive. As St Luke put it in another passage of his Gospel, Jesus said: “Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will begiven back” (Luke 6:38). When God asks us to empty ourselves, it’s only so he can have room to fill us up with something better.

CHRIST THE FRIEND When Jesus walked the dusty trails of Palestine, he did so for the sake of the people who lived there. He “talked to them about the kingdom,” he “healed those who needed to be cured,” and he fed them when they were hungry. His whole life was for others. The mere fact that he came to earth at all tells us that much. The fact that he has remained with us not only in the Holy Scriptures, not only in the living Church, not only in the examples of the saints, but even under the humble and silent appearances of bread and wine in the Eucharist, only makes it that much clearer. Christ came for us! He lived for us, died for us, and rose for us, and he is still here with us, for our sakes. He has not changed since the day he multiplied the loaves for the hungry crowds. He has not all of a sudden become selfish, harsh, and unforgiving. And yet, we often act as if he had. We keep ourselves at a distance; we let doubts and hesitations mar our friendship with him; we leave him alone in the Tabernacle, not even dropping by to say hello. What more could he have done for us to declare his love?

CHRIST IN MY LIFE I wonder how many times my small-mindedness has inhibited your action in and through my life. I get tangled up in complicated considerations and excuses that simply don’t take into account the primacy of your grace. Lift me out of the swamp of foolish self-sufficiency! You are the general; I am just a soldier on the battlefield. Teach meto trust, obey, and give my all...

I want to be generous with you, Lord. Most of the time, when I’m honest with myself, I know what you are asking of me. But many times I am simply afraid to make the sacrifice. I keep thinking that the result will be boring, unpleasant, or uncomfortable. But would you ever ask of me something that wasn’t best for me? Jesus, I trust in you...

You are always thinking of me. Teach me to think of you more often. Teach me to live life deeply and wisely, in constant contact with you, talking things over with you, keeping close to you. Lord Jesus, be my refuge and my strength...

QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What struck you most in this passage? What did you notice that you hadn’t noticed before?

2. What are the “five loaves and two fish” that Christ is asking us to give him?

3. If Christ himself, his entire being and life, is truly present in the Eucharist and reserved in the tabernacles of all our Catholic Churches, why do so few people spend significant time with him there?

4. When we have an important meeting or event to attend, we usually take plenty of time to prepare ourselves. Why do we generally not take time to prepare ourselves for Mass and Communion? How can we prepare ourselves better?

Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1322-1340 and 1406-1419 on the Eucharist; 1391-1401 on Holy Communion; 1345-1390 on the Mass

Thursday, September 25, 2025

Thursday of The 25th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092525.cfm

180. A TEST OF FAITH (LK 9:1-17)

“Christ sent out the apostles as the ministers of his divine will. They were to proclaim that spiritual gospel which runs above natural law and written codes, and to call men to himself.”

- St Procopius of Gaza

Luke 9:1-17

QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What struck you most in this passage? What did you notice that you hadn’t noticed before?

2. What are the “five loaves and two fish” that Christ is asking us to give him?

Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1322-1340 and 1406-1419 on the Eucharist; 1391-1401 on Holy Communion; 1345-1390 on the Mass

Friday, September 26, 2025

Friday of The 25th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092625.cfm

181. CROSSES WITH CHRIST (LK 9:18-27)

“The only petition I would have you put forward on my behalf is that I may be given sufficient inward and outward strength to be as resolute in will as in words, and a Christian in reality instead of only in repute.”

- St Ignatius of Antioch, martyr

Luke 9:18-27

Now one day when he was praying alone in the presence of his disciples he put this question to them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ And they answered, ‘John the Baptist; others Elijah; and others say one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’ ‘But you,’ he said, ‘who do you say I am?’ It was Peter who spoke up. ‘The Christ of God,’ he said. But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this. ‘The Son of Man,’ he said ‘is

destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’ Then to all he said, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man will save it. What gain, then, is it for a man to have won the whole world and to have lost or ruined his very self? For if anyone is ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his own glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. ‘I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.’

CHRIST THE LORD“Christ” means “anointed” (and in Hebrew, “Messiah”). The term is used in reference to King David, who was anointed by the prophet Samuel to show that he had been chosen and sent by God to lead his people to peace and prosperity. (Olive oil comes from olives, and the healthy olive tree was always a symbol of peace and prosperity.) The same term is used in reference to God’s promise to reestablish the Kingdom of David forever under one of his descendents (the Davidic Kingdom fell after the reign of Solomon, David’s son). Jesus is that descendent. He is the one God has chosen and sent to lead all mankind to the spiritual peace and prosperity of life in communion with God, which had been symbolized by the material peace and prosperity of the Davidic Kingdom. Peter and the other disciples recognized this, and when they asserted it, Jesus did not contradict them. Critics still say that Christ was merely “a prophet” or a “great religious teacher,” but Jesus himself made it clear that he claimed to be nothing less than the Lord.

CHRIST THE TEACHER Jesus knew that the general public still associated the title “Christ” with an image of political and military victory. After all, David’s kingdom was political, and he had established it through force of arms. But Christ’s Kingdom was of a different stamp. It was built around the cross, around suffering, sacrifice, and self-denial. True, he was the Messiah, God’s anointed, and his Kingdom would stand forever, but he would establish it through obedience to the Father’s will, even unto death by crucifixion. And everyone who wished to enter that Kingdom would have to follow the same path: obedience to God’s will, no matter how difficult it might be: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me.”

So Jesus told his disciples not to use the term Christ for the time being, allowing him a chance to instruct the crowds, to elevate their hopes and adjust their expectations, to explain how it was that an apparently weak, submissive, suffering Jesus could be the Lord of life and history. We also need time to learn this lesson. We need time spent in prayer,contemplating Christ’s teachings and example in the Gospel. We need time spent in study, looking into the history of the Church and the lives of the saints. We need to desire Mt Calvary as much as Mt Tabor. Only then will this hardest of all lessons – that earth isn’t heaven and never will be, that the path to abundant meaning and happiness passes through a daily cross, that unless we are willing to sacrifice our personal preferences and worldly desires we will never reach the goal for which we were created – only then will this lesson be able to seep down into our hearts and spread into every corner of our minds.

CHRIST THE FRIEND True friends tell friends the hard truth; flatterers don’t. In this intimate exchange with his chosen disciples, Jesus looks them in the eye and tells them a very hard truth – that their lives will only take on real meaning if they are willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary (dreams, hopes, comfort, plans) in order to follow him. If we don’t take the time to learn this lesson, we run the risk of discarding our friendship with Christ when it starts to cost us. Jesus warns us that if we are ashamed of him and our identification with him, if we prefer acceptance by the world and worldly success to being a faithful Christian, then we may, tragically, end up with what we have preferred. In the end,Christ’s Kingdom will come in all its glory (now in the Church it is still in embryonic form), and our allegiance to him in spite of suffering and rejection will prove to have been, as he promises us, the wiser course.

If Christ had not traveled that path ahead of us, climbing the hill of Calvary and dying on a cross, it would be hard to believe him. But he has, and so it shouldn’t be that hard after all.

CHRIST IN MY LIFE And if you were to ask me this question, “Who do you say I am?” how would I answer? I would say the right words: you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord of life and history. But I think you would keep looking at me, because you see beyond words into my heart. And in my heart, Lord, I have still not surrendered completely to your love. Lord Jesus, help me...

You know I am afraid of the cross. I know that I don’t have to be. So why don’t you take this fear away? I have a crucifix. I see it all the time. Open my eyes, Lord, so that I not only see the cross, but also the crucifix. May I understand with all my being the immensity of your love that the crucifix communicates. If I truly believe in your love for me, no cross will make me hesitate...

What are you asking of me, Lord? Okay, I give it to you. I will follow where you lead. If you went to Calvary for me, I will go there for you. Help me to see everything with faith. If I know it’s your will, I can embrace it, but my faith is sometimes so weak that I forget to look for your hand in the circumstances and responsibilities of my life. Lord, increase my faith...

QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What struck you most in this passage? What did you notice that you hadn’t noticed before?

2. What does this dialogue reveal to us about the heart of Jesus?

3. How would the agents of popular culture answer the question Jesus puts to his disciples?

How would popular culture react to Jesus’ doctrine of the cross?

4. What are the most common “crosses” that we need to “take up daily” in our present life- situations?

Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 436-440 on the meaning of the term “Messiah”; 409 & 2015 on the necessity of the cross in the life of every Christian

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Memorial of St Vincent de Paul, Priest

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092725.cfm

183. BACK TO THE ROUTINE (LK 9:37-50)

“I resolved always to prefer labors to comforts, contempt to honors. And, in particular, if on one side a kingdom were offered and on the other the washing of dishes, I would refuse the kingdom and accept the dishwashing so as to be truly like Christ, who humbled himself.”

- St John Berchmans

Luke 9:37-50

Now on the following day when they were coming down from the mountain a large crowd came to meet him. Suddenly a man in the crowd cried out. ‘Master,’ he said ‘I implore you to look at my son: he is my only child. All at once a spirit will take hold of him, and give a sudden cry and throw the boy into convulsions with foaming at the mouth; it is slow to leave him, but when it does it leaves the boy worn out. I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.’ ‘Faithless and perverse generation!’ Jesus said in reply ‘How much longer must I be among you and put up with you? Bring your son here.’ The boy was still moving towards Jesus when the devil threw him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and cured the boy and gave him back to his father, and everyone was awestruck by the greatness of God.

At a time when everyone was full of admiration for all he did, he said to his disciples, ‘For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.’ But they did not understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had just said. An argument started between them about which of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what thoughts were going through their minds, and he took a little child and set him by his side and then said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the least among you all, that is the one who is great.’ John spoke up. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘we saw a man casting out devils in your so name, and because he is not with us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘You must not stop him: anyone who is not against you is for you.’

CHRIST THE LORD Jesus has work to do. He is a King at war, conquering lost and rebellious hearts by renewing them with his love. The era of the Church, before Christ’s second coming, is the era of work and conquest. So his apostles are necessarily called to keep moving, building, and spreading the Kingdom. We all need our mountaintop moments, as Jesus gave to Peter, James, and John at his Transfiguration. These come in many forms – insights and consolations that arrive uninvited at the oddest times, retreats and sabbaticals and vacations that revitalize our minds and hearts with fresh experiences of God’s love and goodness, even particular liturgies or moments of prayer when God makes his presence felt in especially intense ways.

God sends these experiences to us because we need them, but they are not the goal, at least not as long as we are members of the Church Militant here on earth. There is always “the following day when they were coming down the mountain,” when the demands of our daily life and mission clamor once again for attention. When the moments of bliss give way to moments of battle, we can take comfort that for Christ too the mission was demanding, and even at times exasperating: “How much longer must I be among you and put up with you?” The Lord worked and sweated and suffered, and his earthly joys were only vista points on an uphill journey. His ambassadors (that’s us!) are on the same track.

CHRIST THE TEACHER As the time of Jesus’ ministry in the district of Galilee is drawing to its conclusion, St Luke explains that Christ’s popularity reaches an all-time high: “Everyone was full of admiration for all he did.” Precisely at that moment Jesus pulls his disciples aside and reminds them of his coming passion and death. The apostles still fail to understand what he means; they feel the surge of his popularity and are already looking forward to his victory – in fact, they are arguing who will get which positions of honor once the Lord takes his rightful throne. But Jesus insists: it’s not about self-aggrandizement, it’s about self-giving. He tells them that they must keep the Passion, the ultimate model of self- giving, “constantly in your mind.”

Jesus says the same thing to us. We are continually beset by the temptation that led Adam and Eve to their demise, the one at the root of every sin: trying to make earth into heaven, trying to find satisfaction in life apart from God and his commands. Suffering, opposition, toil, hardship – these are the bread and butter of human life in a fallen world, and we will never avoid them completely. Jesus doesn’t save us from them; he saves us through them. He takes the wafers of bread that are made from the grinding and pounding and baking of the wheat, and he turns them into his Body. We are the grains of wheat, and the sufferings of life are the sickle, the millstone, and the oven that make us into hosts with the Host. They turn our lives into other Christs by giving us a chance to rehabilitate our trust in God and develop all the Christian virtues that such trust entails, that make us into fruitful and fulfilling channels of his wisdom and power. Only self-sacrificial, self-forgetful love can give his grace room to work, and that kind of love always involves the cross.

Christians in the Middle Ages had a beautiful phrase that we should all make our own: per crucem ad lucem– “through the cross to the light.” Deciphering the mystery of human life means keeping those words “constantly in mind.”

CHRIST THE FRIEND True friendship can’t be earned, it simply happens. Two people discover in each other a soul mate, and that’s that. That’s what we’re like for Jesus. He doesn’t choose us because we have certain talents, or because we’re popular, useful, or beautiful. He chooses us simply because we are who we are and we delight him. He tries to convince us of this over and over again.

In this passage, while his apostles are arguing about who deserves more recognition and prestige, Jesus puts a little child beside him – in the place of honor. It’s as if he is saying, “Look, I didn’t choose you because of what you deserve. You are like this little child, who by yourself can do nothing to build my Kingdom except delight the King. I chose you because I

delight in you, because I love you. I want you with me. That’s the kind of love I have for you, and that’s the kind of love that will be the sole law of my Kingdom. If you want to be great in my Kingdom, accept my love and love others like that. Think not of yourself, but think of others – delight in them, and serve them.”

CHRIST IN MY LIFE You are all I need, Lord. I only need to know that you are near me and that I’m on the path you want me to be on. With that I am satisfied. At least, I want to live like that. I don’t want my joy to depend on external circumstances. I want to experience truly Christian joy, rooted in your unchanging love for me. Teach me to find you in the moments of calm and in the heat of the battle...

I am struck by how often you warned your apostles about the coming drama of the cross, and how little they understood. But then I have to ask myself, have I understood? I react so violently when my will or my plans or my hopes are contradicted. In your cross is my salvation and that of the whole world. Teach me the wisdom of your cross, Lord...

I know that you love me without any strings attached. Even so, at times I’m afraid. I have been wounded so often. I recoil from such love. Don’t let me, Lord. Come after me. Convince me, Lord, that you love me just because I exist. Convince me, Lord, that nothing I can do will every increase or decrease the love you have for me right now. Reign in my heart with your peace...

QUESTIONS FOR SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

1. What struck you most in this passage? What did you notice that you hadn’t noticed before?

2. How can we keep our hopes up in the middle of life’s trials and tribulations and daily grind?

3. Why do you think it took the apostles so long to learn the lesson of the cross? How have we learned this lesson in our own lives?

4. What opportunities to exhibit Christian greatness are provided by our daily life- situation?

Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 853, 863 on how to spread Christ’s Kingdom; 699, 1244, and 1261 on Jesus and the little children; 607 and 713 on the meaning and necessity of Christ’s Passion

25th Week of Ordinary Time - Week Day Readings

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