Isaiah 12: 1-6
 
I can imagine that if Jesus had had doors and windows that locked when he lived in Nazareth, he may have told his followers: “You can trust my Father in heaven.  When my Father closes a door he always opens a window so that you do not have to fear anything, ever. And if he doesn’t open a window, it is because it is a good, safe place for you to be for a while…”  It is when we feel locked in, by grief , misunderstanding, or unforgiveness that we begin to fear anyone and anything that comes along.  That is when we begin to lose our bearings and listen to the enemy speaking sweet nothings into our ear:  “You’re not worth anything. There’s no hope. Creation, and your part in it, are all destined for nothing, etcetera.”  But throughout the ages in so many ways and plays, our Creator, our Father God, has been presenting his mercy, his faithfulness and his love to us.  It is up to us through prayer and meditation to repeatedly show up in his presence so that we can understand the truth:  That God is trustworthy, and that there is nothing to fear when we walk in friendship with Him.  Will I push and pummel the doors that lock-in my life, or will I rest in the peace that God is opening a window, in good season, for me to carry on with my journey as a follower of Jesus, his Son?  Holy Spirit, help me trust you and not fear. 
                                                                                                
I know that I will see the goodness of the Lord in this present life. Wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart.   (Psalm 27:13-14 )
 
We must ask for the help of the Holy Spirit and that of our good angel, and then remain still in God’s presence, full of faith that he is more in us, than we are in ourselves.  
Saint Jane Farnces de Chantal
 
Soli ad gloriam
Gospel Mystery of the Day on FaceBook & www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

                                             
Feast of St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross, Edith Stein, Martyred, 1942, Auschwitz
 
Wisdom 18:6-9 &Hebrews 11:1-19

 
When Edith Stein and her sister, Rosa, two Jewish, Carmelite nuns, stepped foot into the crematorium at Auschwitz 80 year ago today, they certainly knew that they were sharing in the dangers of God’s kingdom. No doubt they also knew the overwhelming blessings of God’s faithfulness in their lives, even at all the moments past and present as they ‘took up their cross’ and followed Jesus.  Rather than running away in fear and disillusionment, Edith and Rosa faced the danger before them trusting in the love and mercy of God.  Like so many saints past and present they knew that the dangers faced as a friend of God and a follower of Jesus indeed carry within them great blessings: at least a strengthening of heart, mind and soul and at most a short step into eternity into the nearer presence of God.  Will I welcome the dangers of life – the challenges, temptations, life-threatening circumstances – in the same way that I welcome the blessings of life. Will I welcome dangers as well as blessings, with faith and gratitude?  Holy Spirit of Jesus, help me willingly share in the blessings and dangers of your kingdom.
 
Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall go back again. The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!  (Job 1:21)
 
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come
Tis faith has brought me safe, thus far,
And faith will lead me home.  
John Newton,
 
See a short biography of Edith Stein, Philosopher, Professor and Nurse at
https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_19981011_edith_stein_en.html
 
Soli ad gloriam Dei
Gospel Mystery of the Day on FaceBook & www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Matthew 16:13-23

 
Peter had just distinguished himself as the only disciple to answer Jesus’ question with words inspired from God,  “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Within minutes, though, Jesus was chastising this same man for merely speaking from his own human nature and even addressed him as Satan – an obstacle in Jesus’ way! How did this happen? “Give a man an inch and he takes a mile,” they say. Peter received an inch of positive feedback from his Master, as well as prophecy about how he would become the rock foundation of the church – and then took a mile of license to try to intervene in Jesus’ passion.  Upon being praised by Jesus, suddenly Peter was powerful and thought that he could control the human condition as he saw fit – according to his human nature. “God forbid it Lord! That must never happen to you!’… According to his newly affirmed power and control, Peter leaned on his human nature to take it upon himself to direct his Master’s life, and so made himself out to be God. How often do I, like Peter, sense God’s gifts to me, and presume that I now have the power and control to call the shots in the social agendas and even family and community situations of our day. ‘No! that is not right. I won’t let that happen!’ I shout out in an email, a conversation or a hot-headed speech. That is when I find myself obstructing the work of the Lord in our own lives and the lives of ‘those we are on earth with’, our nunaqatiit, (Inuktitut). Will I spend my life leaning on my human nature and speaking pride driven foolishness, or will I wait on the Lord and speak his words, his Word, into our world, to bring healing and the Light of the Christ?  Holy Spirit of Jesus, help me nurture words, not of power and control according to human nature, but words from the heart of God.
                                                                                                
I know that I will see the goodness of the Lord in this present life. Wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart.    (Psalm 27:13-14 )
 
If we want to discover the seeds of God’s Kingdom as they manifest themselves in the midst of all the corruption and sinfulness around us, we need to look at this world with the eyes of Jesus.
John Fullenbach, SVD, in Throw Fire
 
Soli ad gloriam
Gospel Mystery of the Day on FaceBook & www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Matthew 14:13-36

Jesus came to his disciples in the winds and waves as they strained hard at the oars to cross the Sea of Galilee. This accompaniment of his disciples as they struggled to stay afloat, occurred in the dark of night between 3 and 6 am, just after they had worked with him to miraculously feed a crowd of 5,000, and just before they witnessed His healing of many sick or suffering men, women, and children at Gennesaret.  So, too, Jesus approaches me, approaches us, to accompany us as we struggle to keep afloat in the commonalities of everyday life and the somewhat overwhelming winds of challenge and change that we face in the ‘dark nights’ of the soul. Like the disciples, when Jesus comes to us, we have (fresh) (and great and small) memories of miracles we have experienced in the company of our Lord, and we have the promise of miracles to come. And we have opportunity to step out of our ‘boat’ and use the waves and water, the challenges and changes as a path to the nearer presence of Jesus. But in the moment, we/ I , like Peter so often look down rather than up into the face of Jesus.  Then we become more afraid of the ‘waves and water beneath’, that are the very present trials and troubles life is throwing up, than we are trusting of Jesus’ love, mercy, and wisdom that reach far beyond, behind, above and ahead of me/ of us.  Will we – will I -  look down and drown, or will I – we- keep our gaze fixed on Christ Jesus, the incarnation of God’s boundless and miraculous power and provision?  Christ Jesus, in the winds of challenge and change help me keep my gaze fixed on you and walk on wave and water to come to you.  
                                                                                                
Why are you cast down, my soul,
Why groan within me?
Hope in God; I will praise him still,
My savior and my God.   (Psalm 43:5 )
 
If we want to discover the seeds of God’s Kingdom as they manifest themselves in the midst of all the corruption and sinfulness around us, we need to look at this world with the eyes of Jesus.
John Fullenbach, SVD, in Throw Fire
 
Soli ad gloriam
Gospel Mystery of the Day on FaceBook & www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca

 
Sirach 44, 1-15

 
Everyone needs grandparents, needs elders in their lives – to love one particularly, to advise, pray for and with, to give perspective, and to walk alongside. Pope Francis, like Benedict XVI & John Paul II before him, is demonstrating what it is to be a faithful elder, like so many respect First Nations, Inuit and Metis elders in their home families and home communities. By making a Penitential journey across Canada tempered by his physical pain and aging body, the head of the global Catholic Church, some one billion souls strong, sat in solidarity with First Nations, Inuit and Metis elders who had also made a painful and taxes journey through life to be able to sit down with the Pontiff, the ‘bridge’ person in their midst.  From all elders present at the various venues of the Papal visit to Canada, are words of conciliation, as well as their deep experiences of the journey of life, ‘rightous deeds that are encouraging others to ‘stand by the (true) covenants, [the] children also for their sake.  This is the job of each one of us whether young or old – to become a faith-full, humble and wise elder who points people to God, their Father, who created us, God the Son who redeems and heals us, and God the Holy Spirit who comforts, teaches and protects us – always.  Will I allow myself to be fashioned by God to become the elder I am designed to be. Holy Spirit, teach me to become a faithful elder here on earth, and a saint in heaven   
                                                                                                
Praise the Lord, O my soul!  I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God all my life long.   (Psalm 146. 1 )
 
Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.
Saint Frances de Sales
 
 
Recommendedhttps://www.papalvisit.ca/walking-together-a-salt-light-media-original-documentary/
Soli ad gloriam dei
Gospel Mystery of the Day on FaceBook & www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca