Monday - November 14, 2022
No tongue can express the greatness of the love which Jesus Christ bears to our souls. He did not wish that between Him and His servants there should be any other pledge than Himself, to keep alive the remembrance of Him.
-- St. Peter of Alcantara
TODAY'S READINGS
Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 497
Reading I
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him,
to show his servants what must happen soon.
He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
who gives witness to the word of God
and to the testimony of Jesus Christ by reporting what he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud
and blessed are those who listen to this prophetic message
and heed what is written in it, for the appointed time is near.
John, to the seven churches in Asia: grace to you and peace
from him who is and who was and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits before his throne.
I heard the Lord saying to me:
“To the angel of the Church in Ephesus, write this:
“‘The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand
and walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands says this:
“I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,
and that you cannot tolerate the wicked;
you have tested those who call themselves Apostles but are not,
and discovered that they are impostors.
Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name,
and you have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you:
you have lost the love you had at first.
Realize how far you have fallen.
Repent, and do the works you did at first.
Otherwise, I will come to you
and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”’”
Responsorial Psalm
R. (Rev. 2:17) Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
You know how one must imitate us.
For we did not act in a disorderly way among you,
nor did we eat food received free from anyone.
On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day
we worked, so as not to burden any of you.
Not that we do not have the right.
Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you,
so that you might imitate us.
In fact, when we were with you,
we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work,
neither should that one eat.
We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a
disorderly way,
by not keeping busy but minding the business of others.
Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly
and to eat their own food.
Alleluia JN 8:12
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia
Gospel
As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.
******************************
Daring to be Zealous Again
Sometimes, I dare to write what some readers don’t want to reflect upon, and they scold me. And there are times when I dare to point out anti-evangelization behaviors (which grieve Jesus greatly) that some priests and other leaders in our Church don’t realize they are doing. But if they don’t want to face an uncomfortable truth about themselves, they dismiss me as inferior.
One time I saw a priest post in his blog something that sounded very condemning and judgmental. It would have been a sin for me to see this and keep silent about it, so I posted a comment that compassionately brought to light a bigger picture. And what happened? He judged me as “not a real Catholic”.
However, my ministry is not about limiting myself to only messages that will win compliments from everyone.
I certainly would prefer to write only what’s “safe”, tickling everyone’s spiritual ears so that I can receive plenty of accolades. Indeed I have given in to that temptation, but today’s first reading has challenged me down through the years, reminding me that being a Christian sometimes means being misunderstood, disbelieved, and persecuted.
And he’s saying the same to you.
Listen to Jesus, “the one who holds the seven stars” (i.e., all the holy angels) and “walks among the seven golden lampstands” (i.e., the whole Church, all of us). He’s affirming you in these verses: “I know your deeds … your patience and endurance … that you don’t tolerate wickedness … that you are enduring hardships for me ….”
Now listen to what disappoints him: “You have lost the love you had at first.” Ouch.
Remember how boldly excited you used to get about the Faith? You were like the blind man who was healed in today’s Gospel reading, enthusiastically giving glory to God. But after raising a few eyebrows of disapproval on the faces around you, did you begin to restrain your zeal? I know I have. Ouch again.
There is nothing I write that I have not already faced personally. This is the reason for my zeal. The good news is: When we have wrestled with the truth and then allowed God to be the winner, the transformation that happens in us gives us zeal for sharing our discoveries, even when others disagree with us.
When we lose that confidence, we need to run back to God and let him comfort us. We need to give him the opportunity to build us up again so that we can go out into the world with renewed energy. Our zeal for running to God for comfort becomes zeal for sharing the truth despite persecution and rejection.
Well-lived Christianity is an adventure, because it’s a very daring road that we travel. To succeed, we must first pay attention to the wrestling matches we’ve been fighting and admit that God should be allowed to win.
Here’s an example of how that happens: What teachings of the Church do you disagree with? Dare to assume that there’s something about it that you don’t understand, then dare to ask the Holy Spirit to explain the truth to you. Dare to look deeper: How is this unlikeable teaching really based on love? How can it increase your holiness? God will enlighten you, perhaps immediately but more likely over time as he leads you on a journey of discovery.
God calls us to accountability. First, we must take the time and make the effort to learn what the Church really teaches and why. Then, we must dare to publicly stand firm in it.
Congratulate yourself for all the dares you’ve already taken with the Lord. This is what God’s Word for us today means: Hold fast to your “early love” and do the works that are energized by that zeal.
Today’s Prayer
Beloved Lord, give me the faith I need to proclaim the greatness of Your love every day, everywhere. Amen.
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