The word disciple is not tossed around much in daily conversation. I consider myself a disciple of Jesus Christ, but I don’t think much about what that term indicates. Let’s go a little deeper.

According to my grandson, who studies Latin in college, disciple is derived from the Latin disco which has to do with learning, becoming acquainted with, and instruction. It is easy to conclude that disciples are people who have learned about or become acquainted with someone or something. Thankfully, I am aware of the good news of salvation, of the wondrous saving, loving power of Jesus Christ. I have learned about God, our Creator, and the Holy Spirit. I understand what true love is and what priorities I should have. I am working at being a faithful disciple of Christ.

I have also learned that to be a good disciple, another disco word comes into play: discipline—more specifically self-discipline. It is necessary to apply what I have learned about myself and others in order to learn more about living a life dedicated to following the way of Jesus.

How does that self-discipline work? First of all, decisions have to be made as to what are truthful, worthy goals. With anything that is challenging, perseverance and repetition are necessary. I find that proper rest and sleep are required to keep the mind and body functioning properly. Above all, divine help should be requested through daily prayer, along with the reception of the sacraments. If I want to be a good disciple of Christ, I must stay happily focused on growing in love. I have to open myself to God’s love.

Have you noticed how certain words or expressions are used used repeatedly lately? I can think of three right away: uptick, unprecedented, and game-changer. I listen to the news channels a lot, so that might be the reason these terms seem to me to be so popular.

Uptick means a slight increase in something—for example, the number of cases of an illness, highway accidents, or instances of crime. The word seems to catch my ear, especially when I think of the hot weather and the increased danger of tick bites. While unrelated to that association, uptick gets the news across in a succinct way. We get the message that the problem is not extremely large but is something to be watched.

Unprecedented is one of those “50-cent” words with 13 letters and attention-getting emphasis. It implies that nothing like what it describes has happened in the past. The unprecedented event is unique. It comes with an implied: “Wow!” from observers.

Game-changer doesn’t refer to sporting events so much as to strategies and breakthroughs that change the way things are done. The word gets our attention because it leads us to look for who is the “winner” in whatever process, or “game,” is involved.

The gospel reading, Luke 10:25-37, for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, which we just heard, contains another term we have heard many times: neighbor. Recently, we have been hearing on the news that Ukrainians have taken refuge in the neighboring country of Poland. We have heard references to the television personality, the late Fred Rogers, who would sing “Won’t you be my neighbor?” to his audience of youngsters.

And, of course, we know of the commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is used by Jesus to expand our definition of neighbor. With modern internet technology, our neighbor can be very far away from us geographically. Thanks to satellites, electronics, and all kinds of wires, we can have neighbors all around the world and communicate with them very quickly. With all these opportunities for connecting to others comes the challenge to share love and the good news of Jesus Christ through words, donations, and kind attention.

Let us pray that we will be more mindful of the unprecedented power we have available through the Holy Spirit to love our many neighbors both near and far. Little by little, day by day, we can provide an uptick of charity that can be a real game-changer!

St. Peter’s words can prompt our prayer:

 

   For this reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, virtue

   with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance,

   endurance with devotion, devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.

   If these are yours and increase in abundance, they will keep you from being idle or

   unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 5-8)

 

Reminiscing with an old friend can be very enjoyable. It can also be quite amusing when certain incidents come to mind. A memory decades old can make us laugh and also shed light on how patterns of life are established. For instance, my friend and I attended grammar school with Ursuline nuns as our teachers. Mother Bernadette was particularly strict. I still recall the Sunday morning many, many years ago when she reprimanded my cousin and me because she caught us giggling at Mass. We had been sitting in the section reserved for school children and something struck us funny. Mother Bernadette told us that if we did that again we would: “face a stern punish task!” We were not sure what that meant exactly, but I still remember her threat!

At that same school, when I was in eighth grade, Mother Regina Marie would frequently lecture my class frequently on the merits of becoming all we can be, using our God-given gifts and talents. Her speeches seemed more like admonitions than encouraging pep talks. She would repeatedly emphasize: “Don’t vegetate….live!”

My husband remembers that when he was a youngster he would go with his father and uncles to their hunting camp in the Pennsylvania woods. One day, he thought he was becoming lost in the woods, not realizing that his uncle knew his whereabouts. He recalls his Uncle Al telling him, “If you think you are lost, always go downhill, because water flows downhill and that leads to civilization.”

Over time, we remember such warnings, good advice, and rules to follow. One statement that the followers of Jesus have remembered for thousands of years is, “Do this in memory of me.” We have relived the Last Supper miracle countless times so that the faithful can be spiritually nourished. How grateful we all should be as, at Mass, the priest quotes the words of Jesus at the Consecration!

At yesterday’s liturgy, we read from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians about the peace of God:

   Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and

   petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace

   of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in

   Christ Jesus. (4:6-7)

 It might be a good idea to memorize that particular Bible quote to remind ourselves how to access the peace of God. With so many challenges and threats in our troubled world, we need to pray to the Holy Spirit to help find the holy peace Jesus promised us. We could start our prayer with a quote from the beginning of the sequence we prayed at Pentecost:

   Come, Holy Spirit, come!

   And from your celestial home

   Shed a Ray of light divine!

 

(Bible quote from the New American Bible, New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.)

My husband received two phone calls in a row this afternoon, but “Scam Likely” popped up on his phone screen, so he did not bother to answer. I realize that sort of thing happens to many of us many times.

I heard about a scam that claimed to be a way to donate to help the war victims in Ukraine. Someone was skillful in inventing this fraud very soon after the invasion began,

A lady I used to work with told me how her mother was scammed and lost $2,000 because she thought she was helping her grandson who had supposedly been arrested. Whoever had phoned the solicitous elderly grandma was very convincing.

How upsetting to think about people with clever imaginations and creative story-telling ability who selfishly use their talents to perpetrate evil trickery for their financial gain!

Have you ever watched television episodes that show in detail how an evil person can go to great lengths to outsmart victims to make a profit or get revenge for a past encounter? Whether the stories are true or not, it is evident that many people have extremely creative minds that can be used in terrible ways.

So what about our creativity? What about those gifts and talents God has given us? Are we supposed to use our talents and gifts to spread evil for selfish pursuits? What kind of example does that provide for others? We know the answers Jesus would give. We, ourselves know what is overtly evil, but we have to be on the lookout for rationalizations we might excuse or oversights we could lazily ignore.

Creativity involves planning and personal touches. Creativity gives life and love. We read in the Bible that we are made in Creator God’s image, so with that comes accountability. We know we should use our God-given talents with love in mind. I suggest a “DSD” day every now and then: a day during which we do something different to spread God’s love. We might phone folks we don’t see too often just to wish them well, perhaps share good wishes, or tell them of a little blessing we have experienced recently. Instead of a “scam likely” it will be “love likely.”

I have heard teachers say recently that they notice their students don’t make eye contact so much with other students as in days gone by, because their eyes are more often staring at their cell phones or computers. We learn a lot about other people’s feelings, ideas, and status from looking into their eyes. There is an implicit—although, perhaps, fleeting intimacy established when we look into another person’s eyes. We gain a certain sensitivity, a particular perspective. Cell phones and other technology are helpful but impersonal machines, even as we are using them to text or face-time with others.

 What got me thinking about eyes today? In the passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel (7:1-5) read in today’s liturgy, Jesus talks about the splinter in another’s eye versus the wooden beam in one’s own eye. Splinters and beams block our vision and our judgements of what truth is. Prejudice, past experiences, and our own understanding can cloud our vision and our relationships with our brothers and sisters.

First, we have to make the effort to establish eye contact, and then we have to consider just how clear and pure that contact is. Eye intact can lead to I contact that can be be rewarding for both parties.

These thoughts about eyes were also fueled by today’s reading from the Second Book of Kings (17:5-8, 13-15a, 18), especially verse 18 which reads,

   …till, in his great anger against Israel, the Lord put them away out of his sight.

   Only the tribe of Judah was left.

 Those stiff-necked Israelites did not see things as God wanted them to see; they were not obeying God and he punished them by putting them “out of his sight.”.

 I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to look into Jesus’ eyes when he was teaching and healing during his public ministry. I think about how Jesus restored sight to the blind. What if the first thing a cured person saw was Jesus?

The first reading for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, which we celebrated this past weekend (1 Corinthians 11:24-26) recounted the institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper. Imagine the love in Jesus’ eyes as he gave his disciples and us the means to receive him as spiritual nourishment. The I contact, the intimacy with Jesus, is a phenomenal gift that we should never take for granted.

Let us pray today that we may have clearer, more Christ-focused sight. May we see past worldly things and draw closer to our Savior and his vision of love.

   Open my eyes, that I may consider the wonders of your law. (Psalm 119:18)

The lady was walking a cute little dog. It was a lovely day—not too hot, not too cool. The sun was shining, unobstructed by clouds. The lady was looking downward as she walked. She was holding a cell phone to her ear with her left hand and was fully engaged in a conversation. She was oblivious to the beauty around her.

So many people like that woman walk around with cell phones. These devices are convenient and helpful in our busyness. I could not help thinking, however, that the dog walker was missing the beauty around her and, perhaps, opportunities to interact with her immediate environment. What did she miss by not being present to her surroundings? I wonder sometimes if those phones are not like pacifiers for the ears, sort of like pacifiers in babies’ little mouths. What if some stranger could have benefited from a friendly smile from that lady? What if a beautiful bird fluttered by in a colorful feathery flurry, singing a distinctive springtime aria?

My question is, did the lady with the dog miss things to savor because she was not fully present to the moment and to her environment? How much do we all miss if we are so busy and distracted? Do we miss recognizing God’s numerous simple blessings because our attention is taken up with social media or a world that is broadcasting worry material?

Granted, technology can be useful, but it can also interfere with our chances to just be. The first four lines of “Simple Gifts,” a Shaker hymn written by Elder Joseph Brackett, put forth what I mean:

    ‘Tis the gift to be simple, ‘tis the gift to be free,

   ‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be;

   And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

   ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

Our memories, our current life circumstances, and the ways we define our challenges all affect how present we can be at any given moment. We cannot lose sight of the fact that God, our Creator, didn’t just create us and leave! He is with us all the time and loves us. He isn’t too busy on a phone call to pay attention to us! Psalm 16:7-11 tells us

   I bless the Lord who counsels me;

       even in the night my heart exhorts me;

   I set the Lord ever before me;

       with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

   Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,

       my body, too, abides in confidence;

   Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world

       nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.

   You will show me the path to life,

       fullness of joys in your presence,

       the delights at your right hand forever.

It takes conscious effort on our part to make time to try to be present as who we actually are, with our individual gifts, talents, and potential. Jesus is our example. The Holy Spirit is our helper. And so we love!

My daughter and her husband are buying a house, and the closing is in the beginning of June. In the process, they went to a few “open houses” for which there were no appointments needed. Some of the “open houses” were for sale “as is,” but more of the homes were fixed up and shown in their “Sunday best,” with all their fine features on display.

With celebrating the feast of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, my thoughts turn to how we should be like “open houses,” ready and open to receiving the Spirit’s gifts and fruits and ready to manifest them. Our just being “as is” may not be good enough. Some examination of our consciences and careful reconciliation may be necessary. The Holy Spirit offers comfort, refreshment, solace, healing, life, peace, and forgiveness, and we need to consciously accept and share these benefits.

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-11) tells us that everyone in the mixed-nationality crowd that had gathered near that house in Jerusalem heard his or her own language being spoken by men who seemingly would not know them. If we think about ways of human communication, people speak in many ways…even with body language, their compassion, and by their actions or hesitancy to act. There are many means of communication, but when love is what we are communicating, the Holy Spirit is a powerful force of inspiration and strength.

In John’s Gospel (20:21), Jesus tells the apostles that just as the Father has sent Him, so he sends them. He sends us, too, armed with the Holy Spirit. It is like the deposit my daughter had to put down on their house. That was just the beginning. We have to stay open, aware, and invested. We have to be the agents as well as the recipients of comfort, compassion, consolation, healing, peace, and forgiveness. Unlike the house-buying process, there is no “closing.” God’s love does not end. We are blessed with it over and over again.

St. Paul reminded us,

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. (1 Corinthians 12:7)

We should be rejoicing! “In the Spirit” is a great place to set up housekeeping! The Spirit is a unifier. We are in this Pentecostal afterglow together! Taking the time and giving our attention to this mission of love is worth it! Our open hearts are full of hope! In today’s world so laden with grief and sadness, the Holy Spirit will counsel us. We must stay close to that Spirit in our daily lives. It is refreshing to pray often the Pentecost Sequence, Veni, Sancte Spiritus, from the Mass on Pentecost. Thank you for coming, Holy Spirit!

With the lingering pandemic, visiting relatives and socializing with friends and family have been limited over the past couple of years. I have not heard of anyone recently staying with a relative for three months as Mary did with her cousin, Elizabeth. I am sure Mary was a very helpful visitor. I can imagine some happy conversations and sincere prayers of gratitude going up to God.

In the gospel reading for today’s Feast of the Visitation, the word “blessed” is found four times. Elizabeth tells Mary that she is blessed and blessed is the baby she is carrying. She tells Mary that she is blessed because Mary believed what the Lord had told her through the angel would come to pass. And then Mary, in her “Magnificat,” says that generations will call her blessed.

How often do we call yourselves blessed? Do we take the time to count our many blessings? Blessed isn’t a word that I hear too frequently. I do hear: “Good luck!” or “I hope things work out for you.” Despite all the evils and dangers in this troubled world, there are so many blessings we do enjoy and often take for granted. When God answers a prayer, do we spend as much time thanking him as we did asking for the blessing? God, the Creator, the Almighty, the Omnipotent, is loving us, even though sometimes we don’t understand his timing or his answers. We are blessed over and over again, in big ways and in small ways!

Did we ever go to visit a friend or relative and casually point out how blessed that person is? It is so easy to find fault and complain. People will eagerly sympathize with you. However, it is better still when we encourage people to offer thanks with us!

Jesus said in the Beatitudes in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12) that those who live in certain ways are blessed. What might seem like big challenges in life can result in future blessings! Being meek, being merciful, being righteous can be hard work, but we will be oh, so blessed for our efforts, according to our Savior.

We are especially blessed to have the true Body of Christ available to us at every Mass. we hear the priest remind us of that:

   Behold the Lamb of God,

   behold him who takes away the sins of the world.

   Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

Without a doubt, we are blessed—with life, with love, with hope. In our daily prayer time, the Letter to the Ephesians 1:3-6 is a good starting point:

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who had blessed us in

   Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before

   the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he

   destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor

   of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.

 

 

A certain phrase stood out for me in the first reading in the Liturgy of the Word for the Sixth Sunday of Easter. In this reading from the Acts of the Apostles, (15:1-2, 22-29) St. Luke writes that Barsabbas and Silas were sent to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas to deliver a letter to reassure the gentiles that by abstaining only from certain foods and by refraining from unlawful marriage, they will be acting rightly.

The apostles felt it was necessary to deliver this message to the Gentiles. Luke records their explanation:

     “Since we have heard that some of our number without any mandate from us

   have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind, we have

   with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you

 along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul…” (Acts 15;24-25)

 

So can you guess which phrase stood out for me? The answer is disturbed your peace of mind. In today’s world, there is so much that can disturb one’s peace of mind! Depending upon the broadcast channel you are watching or listening to or the newspapers you read, or even on situations in your personal life, it is easy to have your peace of mind disturbed. How about the rising prices of everything, or the upsurges in the pandemic, or the questions of “fake news,” or climate change, or local crime? The list is long!

 What factors make up peace of mind? I suggest that when you decide upon personal definitions of what is right and wrong, you give yourself a base on which to build peace. It also gives you a confidence and, perhaps, a certain methodical calmness. Of course, research and fact-finding are important, along with faith and trust in your sources of information.

 

No. 1

The Gospel according to Luke recounts the birth of Jesus. Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to be enrolled.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2: 6-7)

 Oh, that I were those swaddling clothes. The purpose of swaddling clothes is to calm the baby and decrease anxiety. The thought of being that close to the baby Son of God, to somehow be a comfort to him, to quiet him and comfort him is quite satisfying. As a human, Jesus had needs. Certainly, the circumstances of his birth were not ideal. If I could wrap around him, be so close to him, be of help to him, I would be joyful. Who can resist the awesome wonder of a newborn baby? I know this baby is the promised Redeemer. I want to be near him. I want to be near Him every day. As the swaddling clothes, in the quiet, I can adore him, listen to his breathing and his little baby whimpers. May I feel that closeness to Jesus today as I shut out unnecessary distractions from the world that can be very cold and disquieting.

 No. 2

The Gospel according to Luke recounts the great consecration at the Last Supper.

 Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you. (Luke 22:19-20)

Oh, that I were the tablecloth at the Last Supper. I would behold the first Blessed Sacrament right there as the apostles looked on. I would smell the aroma of that wine. I would see close-up the soon-to-be-pierced hands of Jesus as he broke the bread and lifted the cup of wine. I would be of ritual service at this blessed table fellowship. Perhaps I would catch some crumbs of the sacred bread as the apostles shared it. I would be clean and pure and ready to serve throughout the Passover celebration, recognizing that this celebration is new and special and will be repeated for all years to come! May I be of willing service to others. May I always appreciate the awesome gift of the Holy Eucharist and spread the news of the gift to others. May I never take this gift for granted.