predication.net

1. Prayer Begins in the Secret Place

Jesus said:

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret…”
— Matthew 6:6

The foundation of prayer is not public recognition. It is a private relationship with God.

Before we pray publicly, we should learn to pray privately.

Before others hear our prayers, God should hear our hearts.

The secret place is where our relationship with God becomes strong. It is where we cry, seek, confess, listen, worship, and receive strength.

Nobody may see us praying in our room.

Nobody may know how many tears we have shed before God.

Nobody may know how many times we have called upon His name.

But God sees.

The secret place produces the strength that becomes visible in the public place.

2. We Should Not Be Ashamed to Pray

Occasionally, we should openly show that prayer matters to us.

When food is placed before us, we can bow our heads and thank God.

When someone tells us about a problem, we can say, “Let me pray for you,” and then actually pray.

When our family is facing difficulty, we can gather together and pray.

When we receive a blessing, we can publicly thank God.

When we face a crisis, we can call upon the Lord rather than pretending we have everything under control.

Prayer should not be something we hide because we are afraid of what people might think.

Jesus said:

“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”
— Matthew 10:32

Our faith is personal, but it was never intended to be invisible.

There should be moments when people can look at our lives and say:

“That person believes in God. That person trusts God. That person prays.”

3. Our Outward Actions Should Match Our Inward Faith

James teaches us that faith is demonstrated by our actions.

In the same way, prayer should not merely be something we say with our lips. It should affect how we live.

If I pray for patience, I should allow God to work patience into my behavior.

If I pray for forgiveness, I should be willing to forgive.

If I pray for wisdom, I should be willing to listen to God’s Word and make wise decisions.

If I pray for someone’s salvation, I should also be willing to show that person the love of Christ.

If I pray for the poor, I should be willing to help those in need.

Prayer should move from our knees into our daily lives.

The world does not only need to hear that we pray.

The world should see the fruit of the prayers we pray.

4. There Is a Difference Between Witnessing and Showing Off

This is where Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 becomes especially important.

Jesus condemned the religious leaders who prayed in public “that they may be seen of men.”

The problem was not that they were praying publicly.

The problem was their motive.

We must examine our hearts.

Am I praying because I want God to hear me?

Or am I praying because I want people to notice me?

Am I lifting my hands because I am worshiping God?

Or because I want people to think I am spiritual?

Am I telling people that I am praying for them because I genuinely care?

Or because I want to appear religious?

There is a big difference between being seen while praying and praying to be seen.

One can express genuine faith.

The other can lead to pride.

Our goal should never be to impress people with our prayer.

Our goal should be to glorify God.

5. Let People See That We Depend on God

One of the strongest outward testimonies we can give is to demonstrate that we depend upon God.

The world teaches people to depend upon money, power, connections, intelligence, and human strength.

But the believer says:

“My help comes from the Lord.”

When trouble comes, we pray.

When we don’t know what to do, we pray.

When we have received a blessing, we pray.

When we are afraid, we pray.

When we are thankful, we pray.

When we are weak, we pray.

Prayer demonstrates that we recognize our dependence upon God.

The Bible says:

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
— Proverbs 3:5

A praying Christian is saying through his or her actions:

“I cannot do this by myself. I need God.”

And there is no shame in admitting that.

6. We Should Teach the Next Generation to Pray

Our children and young people are watching us.

They learn not only from what we tell them, but from what they see us doing.

If children see their parents praying when there is a problem, they learn where to turn when problems come.

If they see their parents thanking God, they learn gratitude.

If they see their parents praying for others, they learn compassion.

If they see their parents seeking God before making important decisions, they learn dependence upon God.

We should therefore create an atmosphere where prayer is normal.

Let our children hear us pray.

Let our families pray together.

Let them see that Christianity is not merely something we do at church on Sunday.

Prayer is a way of life.

7. Let Our Lives Become a Living Testimony

The greatest outward evidence of prayer is not necessarily the volume of our voice or the position of our body.

It is the transformation that prayer produces.

Can people see more love in us?

More patience?

More forgiveness?

More humility?

More compassion?

More self-control?

More faith?

More peace?

More dependence upon God?

When we spend time with God, something should change in us.

Moses went into the presence of God, and when he came down from the mountain, his face reflected that encounter.

Our time with God should also leave an impression upon our lives.

People may not know how long we prayed.

They may never know what we said in our secret place.

But they should be able to see something different in the way we live.

Conclusion

Church, let us become people who pray.

Let us pray in our homes.

Let us pray with our families.

Let us pray for one another.

Let us pray for our communities.

Let us pray for those who are hurting.

Let us pray when we are joyful.

Let us pray when we are broken.

Let us pray when we understand.

Let us pray when we don’t understand.

But let our prayer never become a performance.

Jesus calls us to sincerity.

Pray privately, but do not be ashamed of prayer publicly.

Seek God in secret, and let the fruit of that relationship be visible in your life.

We do not pray so that people will think we are holy.

We pray because God is holy.

We do not pray to impress people.

We pray because we need God.

We do not pray to receive applause.

We pray because God deserves our worship and our trust.

So let the church be known as a praying people.

Let our families be praying families.

Let our homes be houses of prayer.

And let the world see, not merely that we talk about prayer, but that we truly live a life of prayer.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Teach us to become people of prayer.

Help us to seek You not for the attention of people, but because we love You and depend upon You.

Give us courage to pray openly when the opportunity comes, but give us humility so that our prayers never become a performance.

Let our private prayer life produce public fruit.

Let people see Your love in us, Your peace in us, Your patience in us, and Your grace working through us.

Teach our families and our children to pray.

Make our homes places where Your name is honored.

Help us remember that our strength does not come from ourselves, but from You.

May our lives become a testimony that points people toward Christ.

 

Let us not be afraid to let Jesus’ light into our darkness.  This passage from the Gospel of John (cf. 12:44-50) shows us the intimacy between Jesus and the Father. Jesus did what the Father told him. That is why he says: “He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me” (v. 44). Then he clarifies his mission: “I have come into the world as a light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (v. 46). He presents himself as light. Jesus’ mission is to illuminate: light. He himself said: “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12). The prophet Isaiah prophesied about this light: “The people who lived in darkness have seen a great light” (Is 9:1). It is the promise of a light that will illuminate the people. The apostles’ mission is also to bring light. Paul said this to King Agrippa: “I was chosen to enlighten, to bring this light – which is not mine, it belongs to someone else – but to bring light” (cf. Acts 26:18). This is Jesus’ mission: to bring light. The apostles’ mission is to bring the light of Jesus. To enlighten. The world was in darkness, yet the drama of Jesus’ light was that it was rejected. John says it clearly at the beginning of the Gospel: “He came to his own, and his own did not receive him; they loved the darkness more than the light” (cf. Jn 1:9-11). Getting used to the darkness, living in darkness: they do not know how to receive the light; they cannot; they are slaves of darkness. And this will be Jesus’s continuous battle: to enlighten, to bring light that makes things visible as they are; it makes freedom visible, it makes truth visible, and it shows the path to choose with the light of Jesus. Paul experienced this passage from darkness to light when the Lord met him on the road to Damascus. He was blinded. Blind. The Lord’s light blinded him. Then, after a few days, through baptism, he regained his sight (cf. Acts 9:1-19). He experienced passing from the darkness in which he was to the light. It is also our passage, which we sacramentally received in baptism: that is why baptism in the first centuries was called “enlightenment” (cf. St. Justin, Apology I, 61, 12), because it gave you light, “it gave you entry”. That is why in the rite of baptism we give the father and mother a lighted candle, because the child is enlightened. Jesus brings light. But the people, those people, his people, rejected him. They are so accustomed to darkness that the light blinds them; they do not know how to walk (cf. Jn 1:10-11). This is the drama of our sin: sin blinds us, and we cannot bear the light. We have diseased eyes. And Jesus says this clearly in the Gospel of Matthew: “If your eye is diseased, your whole body will be diseased. If your eye sees only darkness, how much darkness is within you?” (Cf. Mt 6:22-23). ​​Darkness… And conversion is the passage from darkness to light. To

But what are the things that make the eyes, the eyes of faith, sick? Our eyes are sick: what is it that “knocks them down”, what blinds them? Vices, worldly spirit, pride – vices that “push you down”. And these three things – vices, superiority, the spirit of worldliness – lead you to associate with others to remain safe in the darkness. We often talk about mafias: this is it. However, there are “spiritual mafias”; there are “domestic mafias”; it is always the search for someone else to hide and remain in the darkness. It is not easy to live in the light. The light makes us see many ugly things inside us that we do not want to see: vices, sins… Let us think of our vices, let us think of our pride, let us think of our worldly spirit: these things blind us; they distance us from the light of Jesus.

And yet, when we begin to reflect on this, we do not come up against a wall; no, we find a way out, because Jesus himself says that he is the light, and he also says, “I did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (cf. Jn 12:46-47). Jesus himself, the light, says: “Have courage: let yourself be enlightened, let yourself be seen as you are inside, because it is I who will move you forward, I will save you. I do not condemn you. I save you” (cf. v. 47). The Lord saves us from the darkness that we have inside, from the darkness of daily life, social life, political life, national life, international life… There is so much darkness inside. And the Lord saves us. But first he asks us to look at it; to have the courage to see our darkness, so that the light of the Lord can enter and save us. Let us not fear the Lord: he is very good, gentle, and close to us. He came to save us. Let us not fear the light of Jesus.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls the Twelve to him and sends them out on a mission. Until now, they had primarily been disciples – people who followed Jesus, listened to him, witnessed his miracles, and learned from him. But now something changes. Jesus says to them, ‘Go!’

This is a crucial moment. A disciple of Jesus cannot remain merely a recipient forever. In time, the disciple must become an apostle – someone who is sent out.

And that applies to us too.

1. Jesus gives them strength – but it is his strength.

The Gospel begins with the words: ‘He called the Twelve to him and gave them power and authority over all demons and the power to heal diseases.’

Note that the apostles do not act beyond their own abilities. They derive their authority from Jesus.

Peter was not sent because he was perfect. The other apostles were not sent because they had understood everything. From the Gospels, we know how often they misunderstood Jesus, quarrelled amongst themselves and showed their weaknesses. Yet Jesus entrusted his mission to them.

God often deals with us in the same way. We might think, ‘I’m not good enough.’ ‘ I don’t know enough. I’m too weak. Others could do it better.

But God does not necessarily call the most gifted. He bestows grace upon those He calls.

So our weakness need not prevent God from using us. What matters is whether we allow Him to work through us.

2. “Don’t take anything with you on the journey.”

Jesus then gives the Apostles a strange instruction:

“Take nothing with you on your journey – neither a walking stick nor a rucksack, nor provisions, nor money.”

Why does Jesus call for such radical simplicity?

Because He wants to teach them to trust Him.

The apostles must learn that the success of their mission does not depend primarily on what they possess. Their security must lie in God.

We live in a world that conveys the opposite message to us. We want to be prepared for everything. We want financial security, plans, guarantees and savings. Of course, sensible planning is a good thing. But there is a spiritual danger: we might gradually start to place more trust in what we own than in God.

Jesus reminds us: you can possess many things and still be spiritually poor. And you can possess very little and still be immeasurably rich, because God is with you.

The apostles carried very little in their hands, for they were meant to carry something far greater in their hearts: faith in God.

3. What should they actually be preaching?

Jesus “sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God.”

That was the essence of her mission.

They were not sent out to preach themselves. They were not to impress people with their intelligence or build up a reputation for themselves. They were to proclaim to the people that God is near.

That remains the Church’s mission.

Christianity is not primarily about proclaiming, ‘Just look how good we are.’

It is the proclamation: ‘See how good God is.’

For the sinner, there is forgiveness. For the discouraged, there is hope. For those who have failed, there is mercy. For those who have wasted years of their lives, there is a fresh start. For those who place their trust in Christ, there is eternal life.

This is the Kingdom that the Apostles proclaimed.

4. They preached and healed.

Luke tells us something marvellous: the apostles went from village to village, ‘proclaiming the good news everywhere and healing the sick’.

Words and deeds went hand in hand.

They spoke of God’s love but also brought healing to those who were suffering.

This is an important lesson for every Christian. People should not just hear about God’s love from our lips; they should experience something of God’s love through our lives.

When we forgive someone, the Kingdom of God becomes visible.

When we visit someone who is lonely, the Kingdom of God becomes visible.

When we listen patiently to someone who is suffering, the Kingdom of God becomes visible.

When we help others without expecting anything in return, the Kingdom of God becomes visible.

When we turn away from hatred and choose reconciliation, the Kingdom of God becomes visible.

Sometimes the most powerful sermon we deliver is not preached from the pulpit. It is preached through the way we treat another person.

5. Not everyone will accept this message

Jesus also prepares his disciples for the possibility of being rejected:

“Wherever you are not welcomed … shake the dust from your feet.”

Jesus does not promise them universal success.

Some people will listen. Others won’t.

This is important because we often measure everything by visible results. If people accept us, we believe we’ve succeeded. If they reject us, we believe we have failed.

Jesus, however, teaches something different: Our task is to be faithful; the outcome is in God’s hands.

Parents sometimes learn this the hard way. They have tried to pass on their faith to their children, but later on the children have stopped practising it. A priest may preach the Gospel for years and wonder whether anyone is actually listening to him at all. A Christian may try to help another person, only for that person to repeatedly turn down their help.

Jesus says, ‘Do what you can.’ Speak the truth in love. Set a positive example. Pray. But remember that you cannot force another person’s heart to open up.

Even God respects human freedom.

6. We, too, have been sent

At the end of every Holy Mass, we hear the words of sending: Go!

This is not just a polite way of saying that the service is over. The Eucharist sends us back out into the world.

We enter the church as disciples. We leave it as apostles.

Where are we being sent?

Perhaps just a few metres away – from our family.

Perhaps to our workplace.

Perhaps an elderly neighbour.

Perhaps for someone who has lost hope.

Perhaps towards someone with whom it is difficult to reconcile.

We don’t necessarily have to give long sermons. Sometimes, a single sentence spoken in faith is enough to change a life. Sometimes, a gesture of kindness can open a heart. Sometimes, the quiet and sincere way we live out our faith can lead another person to ask themselves: Where does this person get this hope from?

And then a door might open for God.

Fazit

Dear brothers and sisters,

Jesus once sent the Twelve out from village to village. Today, he sends us out.

Perhaps we don’t feel ready yet. The apostles felt the same way.

Perhaps we don’t feel strong. Neither did they.

Yet they possessed the most important thing: they had been called and sent by Christ.

So let us ask ourselves today:

Lord, where are you sending me? Who needs to experience your goodness through me? Who needs encouragement, forgiveness, hope, or simply my presence?

And when Jesus shows us the answer, we should not say, ‘Lord, send someone else.’

Let’s suppose:

“Lord, if you send me, I will go.
If you grant me your grace, I will put my trust in you.
And wherever I go, help me to bring you with me, not myself.”

We have just listened to a gorgeous passage from the Gospel of Luke. At first, it may seem that Jesus does not respect his mother, Mary. He says to those who tell him that his mother and relatives are waiting for him outside: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” However, this appearance is deceptive. Jesus’ mother Mary was the first to whom his words about hearing the word of God and putting it into practice apply. St. Luke writes about her: “She kept all these words and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19. Mary also perfectly fulfilled the will of God. She accepts the word of God and thus also the will of God, saying, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38).

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us what we must do to have a close relationship with him. It is about “listening to the word of God”. However, to hear it, we must draw close to Jesus, as his relatives did when they went to him. However, a large crowd was there, so they sent a messenger with a message. Perhaps it would be appropriate to ask ourselves: If we want to get closer to the word of God, are we willing to fight and overcome the obstacles we find along the way? Saint Thomas Aquinas reminds us that “we must constantly meditate on the word of God (…); this meditation is a great help in our fight against sin.”

Finally, it is not enough to just listen to the word; we must also put it into practice, that is, abide in it. We must put into practice what the word tells us! And not only when it is easy and simple and does not cost us anything, but also when it means giving up our comfort, our own prestige, or material things or it requires making some sacrifice. Even then, obedience to the word of God is required. Let us pray to the Virgin Mary that, following her example and through her intercession, we too may love to listen to the word of God, meditate on it and put it into practice. Do

I dedicate a few minutes every day to reading, listening to, or reflecting on Holy Scripture. ▪ Which challenges or words of Holy Scripture are currently difficult for me if I want to put them into practice? Through prayer, I can ask for the necessary grace, that is, help from above. ▪ Parents and relatives are usually the closest and most important people in our lives. Something like this experience arises in our relationship with Jesus when we listen to his word and put it into practice. At least on Jesus’ side, we are the most important and closest to him. But what would happen if He became like this for us?!

 

Every journey has a destination. When we get into a car, board a train, or begin walking somewhere, we usually know where we want to go. And if the journey is long, we need directions. We need to know which road to take and which roads to avoid.

Our life is also a journey. We were not created simply to live for a few decades on this earth and then disappear. We were created for eternity. We were created for God. Our final destination is heaven.

Jesus says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6).

Notice that Jesus does not simply say, “I will show you the way.” He says, “I am the way.” Christianity is therefore not only about following commandments or fulfilling religious duties. It is about walking through life with Jesus.

1. Keep your focus on the destination.

One danger of life is that we become so occupied with the journey that we forget its destination.

We work, earn money, build houses, make plans, solve problems, worry about our health, and think about tomorrow. None of these things is necessarily wrong. But one day we must leave all these things behind.

Jesus asks a grave question:

“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Mt 16:26).

We should therefore sometimes ask ourselves: Where is my life leading me? Am I becoming closer to God? Am I becoming more loving, more forgiving, more patient, more truthful? If I stood before God today, what would I bring before Him?

Remembering heaven does not make us less interested in earthly life. On the contrary, it teaches us how precious earthly life really is. Every day becomes an opportunity to prepare our heart for eternity.

2. Walk with Jesus, not alone.

The road to heaven is sometimes difficult.

There are moments when our faith is strong and prayer comes easily. But there are also moments of darkness. We experience disappointment, illness, loneliness, misunderstanding, temptation and suffering. Sometimes we may even ask, ‘God, where are you?’

Jesus never promised that those who follow Him would have an uncomplicated life. He promised something much greater: He would remain with us.

A Christian does not walk through suffering alone.

When you are carrying a cross, Christ is beside you. When you are crying, Christ knows your tears. When you are afraid, Christ knows your fear. When you fall, Christ reaches out His hand.

The important thing is not that we never fall. The important thing is that we allow Christ to help us rise again.

3. Travel lightly.

Anyone who has walked a long distance knows that a heavy backpack makes the journey difficult.

Spiritually, too, we can carry unnecessary burdens.

Perhaps someone hurt us twenty years ago and we are still carrying resentment. Perhaps we cannot forgive someone. Perhaps we carry jealousy, pride, anger, greed or an unhealthy attachment to material things.

These things make the heart heavy.

Jesus invites us to travel lightly.

Forgive.

Ask forgiveness.

Let go of hatred.

Do not spend your life fighting battles that have no eternal value.

Occasionally we think that forgiving another person means saying that what they did was acceptable. It does not. Forgiveness means refusing to allow another person’s wrongdoing to imprison our heart forever.

A heart preparing for heaven must learn mercy, for heaven is the kingdom of mercy.

4. Do not be discouraged when you sin

Perhaps someone says: I have made too many mistakes. I have sinned too much. I have disappointed God too many times.

But look at the Gospel.

Peter denied Jesus.

Thomas doubted.

The prodigal son abandoned his father.

The thief crucified beside Jesus had wasted much of his life.

Yet God’s mercy was greater than their failure.

Only those who have fallen can walk the road to heaven. It is a road for people who, with God’s grace, keep getting up.

That is why the Sacrament of Reconciliation is such a precious gift. In confession, God does not humiliate us. He restores us. He cleans the wounds of our soul and gives us the strength to continue the journey.

Never allow your past sins to convince you that you have no future with God.

5. Receive the food for the journey

A long journey requires nourishment.

God has given us extraordinary spiritual food: the Eucharist.

At every Holy Mass, Christ comes to us. The One whom we hope to see one day in heaven comes to us already here on earth under the appearances of bread and wine.

Holy Communion is therefore food for pilgrims.

We come to Mass carrying our worries, failures, questions and struggles. Christ gives Himself to us and says, in effect, ‘Continue.’ Do not give up. I am with you.

The Eucharist joins earth and heaven. Every Holy Mass reminds us that our earthly journey has an eternal destination.

6. Heaven begins in the way we love

At the end of our life, God will not ask us how famous we became, how much money we earned, how beautiful our house was or how many people admired us.

Jesus directs our attention elsewhere:

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (cf. Mt 25:40).

The road to heaven passes through the people God places beside us.

Occasionally we imagine holiness as something extraordinary. But very often holiness is hidden in ordinary things: listening patiently to someone, visiting a lonely person, caring for someone who is sick, forgiving an insult, encouraging someone who has lost hope, sharing with someone in need, and praying for someone who has hurt us.

Every act of genuine love brings us closer to heaven.

7. Do not walk alone.

Jesus did not establish a community of isolated believers. He gave us the Church.

We need one another.

Sometimes my faith is weak and your faith helps me. Another day your faith may be weak and mine may help you.

That is why we pray together. That is why we celebrate the Eucharist together. That is why we carry one another in difficult times.

A pilgrim who walks alone can easily lose their way. Pilgrims walking together can encourage one another: Keep going. The destination is worth the journey.

8. Take one step at a time

We sometimes imagine saints as people who did extraordinary things every day. But holiness is usually built through thousands of small decisions.

One prayer.

One act of forgiveness.

One temptation resisted.

One person helped.

One Mass attended in faith.

One sincere confession.

One sacrifice made quietly.

One word of encouragement.

One day lived faithfully.

And then another.

This is how we walk toward heaven.

Dear brothers and sisters, one day our earthly journey will end. We do not know when. But for the Christian, death is not merely the end of the journey. It is the doorway through which we hope to enter into the fullness of life with God.

Imagine that moment when, after all the struggles, disappointments, crosses, temptations and tears of this life, we finally stand before Christ.

Then we will understand that no prayer was wasted, no sacrifice made in love was forgotten, no act of forgiveness was meaningless, and no suffering offered to God was without value.

So let us not be afraid of the length of the road.

Let us not become discouraged when the road becomes difficult.

Let us not remain on the ground when we fall.

Let us focus on Christ.

Pray every day. Receive the Eucharist. Go to confession. Forgive. Love. Serve. Carry your cross with Christ. And when you fall, get up and begin again.

Because we are not wandering without a destination.

We are pilgrims.

And our destination is the house of the Father.

May we live in such a way that, at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, we may hear the words for which every human heart was created:

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you.” (Mt 25:34)

Amen.

 

We would like to say more about this man, but we know almost nothing about him. We only know that his name was Matthew and that he worked in the tax office. We do not know whether he had a wife and children or whether he left them to follow Jesus. We cannot say whether he went there just for a trial or for a temporary internship to see if something would come of it, something for life or not. We do not know whether he was rich or whether he had to pay anything into the disciples’ fund. We also would like to know what kind of person he was, whether he was honest or cunning. 

The man worked in the customs office. That probably means he was a tax collector. That says it all! He was a collaborator, and he was corrupt. Tax collectors served the Roman occupiers. They rented the customs office and were happy to earn significantly more than they paid in rent. They lined their pockets—the Romans tolerated corruption. So Matthew was a tax collector. We still want to know whether he was a tax collector as described in the book or a decent one. Is there such a thing as a decent tax collector? I would like to know whether he was happy with his choice of profession. Did he have any choice at all? Was he willing to pursue a lucrative but not prestigious profession? 

We would like to know whether Matthew had a guilty conscience and could dull the resulting suffering with money and a certain amount of luxury. Or whether he had no conscience at all and said to himself: I don’t care what others think; I’ll take advantage of the good earning opportunities that the Romans offer.” Perhaps many would like to talk to Matthew. They would invite him to dinner. You get to know a person best by the food he eats. It starts with the food you choose. Does a person eat everything, or is he picky? How do you use a knife and fork? Does he talk, or does he just focus on the food? Does he take food only for himself, or does he also serve it to others? You get to know a person well by eating. 

Jesus must have thought the same: you truly get to know a person by eating. That is why he went to eat with Matthew, whom he had called and whom he wanted to get to know. They began to talk. However, we know that in addition to Matthew, other tax collectors and other people of dubious reputation also ate and talked with him, and that some Pharisees also came. They did not come to eat with him, but to see who Jesus was meeting. The stories that Jesus began to write have a happy ending because they are God’s stories. Faith opens up enough imagination that even stories about people we barely know have a happy ending. 

Faith can easily imagine how it will end. But we assume that the conversation gave everyone something to reflect on. Everyone thought about themselves: the tax collector about his profession and behavior, and the Pharisees about their values ​​and principles. Before we say anything about someone, whether they adhere to our values and principles, we should talk to them, get to know them, hear their stories, ask about their beliefs, and ask their name! And go to dinner with them! 

“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but those who are sick do. Everyone is sick; all of humanity is sick because they forget God, and they need the only physician who heals, who heals.” That is why we pray at every Holy Mass, in preparation for Communion: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul will be healed.”

Thus, Jesus heals the tax collector with a word, with one powerful, redemptive word: “Follow me!” Immediately, without hesitation, Matthew rises and follows the Lord into a new life. Perhaps we can learn from this to be more merciful and generous ourselves. The example and intercession of Saint Matthew help us in our journey!

Saint Januarius – Bishop, Martyr, and Patron of Naples

Saint Januarius, known in Italian as San Gennaro, is one of the best-known saints of southern Italy. His feast is celebrated on September 19.

Januarius lived around the end of the third and beginning of the fourth century. According to Christian tradition, he was Bishop of Benevento during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian. When several Christians were arrested, Januarius went to encourage them. He too was arrested and, after refusing to renounce his faith, was put to death, traditionally around 305 AD, near Pozzuoli.

His story reminds Christians that holiness is not simply a matter of speaking about Christ. Januarius was prepared to remain faithful when faithfulness became dangerous. As a bishop, he did not abandon his people when they suffered. He went to them, encouraged them, and ultimately shared their fate.

The famous blood of Saint Januarius

Saint Januarius is especially famous because of a remarkable tradition associated with a relic of his blood, preserved in Naples Cathedral. On certain occasions each year, especially around September 19, the substance contained in sealed ampoules and traditionally identified as his blood is observed to change from a solid or thickened state into a liquid state.

This event is commonly called the liquefaction of the blood of Saint Januarius. For centuries, it has been part of Neapolitan religious life. The Catholic Church permits and honors the devotion surrounding the relic, while the phenomenon itself should not be confused with a formally defined article of faith. Various natural explanations have also been proposed.

For the people of Naples, however, Saint Januarius is much more than an extraordinary relic. He represents a profound relationship between a saint and the city that has invoked his protection for centuries, particularly in times of epidemics, earthquakes, volcanic danger and other calamities.

A spiritual message

The deepest message of Saint Januarius can therefore be found not in the extraordinary phenomenon connected with his blood, but in the blood he was willing to shed for Christ.

His martyrdom asks us a challenging question: What is my faith worth when following Christ costs me something?

Most Christians will never be asked to become martyrs in the literal sense. Yet there is a kind of daily martyrdom: remaining truthful when lying would be easier, forgiving when resentment seems justified, defending someone who is treated unjustly, remaining faithful to prayer during spiritual dryness, and standing beside suffering people instead of avoiding them.

Saint Januarius teaches us that faith becomes especially powerful when it moves from words into fidelity, courage, and sacrifice.

A short prayer might be:

Saint Januarius, faithful bishop and courageous martyr, pray for us. Help us to remain faithful to Christ in times of difficulty, courageous in witnessing to the Gospel, and compassionate toward those who suffer. May our lives show that Christ is more precious to us than comfort, success or fear. Amen.

The kingdom of heaven is like a farmer who goes out early in the morning to hire worgoeskers for his vineyard. He negotiated with the workers for a denarius a day…

God has called us to live in the world, whereby we can participate in the improvement and sanctification of God’s creation. If someone realizes this, that is already a reward for him. But God, as a generous farmer, motivates us even more to work in His vineyard, with the reward of eternity.

When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing strangely in the square… likewise at twelve, three, and five in the afternoon, and finding them standing, he said to them: ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’

Parables about the kingdom of God reveal its essence from different points of view. The parable of the workers in the vineyard emphasizes the work, the credit for the work done. In other words: “Heaven is not for the lazy”, as St. John Bosco. God desires human activity, not dullness in both the spiritual and physical realms. Of course, professions have their differences, some work more physically, others mentally. One can see in the hours when the lord invites the workers, his status duties, which may have their destination either for work or prayer… 

When evening came, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward: ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first!’

With the workers in the parable, it is clear that not everyone knows what they are working for. Only the first will know the agreed salary, the others have been promised a fair reward. In the case of God’s steward, it should be enough for us...

So those who boarded around five o’clock in the afternoon came, and each received a denarius. When the first ones came, they thought they would get more. But they also got a denarius each.

It is strange that the pay is the same, although the length of the work is not. There is a conflict between human and God’s vision of justice. The agreement was not broken, but the human expectation was different. The temptation to evaluate oneself and one’s merits in comparison with others is human, but to try to be satisfied with what God gives and to believe that it is the best for us is divine.

They took him and grumbled at the householder: ‘These last worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us, who bore the burden of the day and the heat.’

We may have our merits, but let God judge them. Feelings of guilt—there will always be some. And maybe that is precisely the message of the parable, so that we can handle them and not get bored with the work, which in God’s eyes will certainly not lose its reward. God is sometimes surprisingly, disturbingly, even “outrageously” good in our eyes. “Are you staring at me because I’m good?”

 

When the plane landed on a rocky runway, they found themselves in the Masai Mara, Kenya. A native welcomed them and loaded their luggage into a Land Rover. They set off for a two-day camp. Along the way, they stopped to watch zebras and wildebeest migrating from the Masai Mara to the Serengeti. The guide explained that these huge herds travel together because zebras have excellent eyesight but poor sense of smell, and wildebeest have poor eyesight but a very good sense of smell. This means that when they stick together, they are less vulnerable. 

Kenya has many such examples of God’s wisdom. God created animals with different strengths and weaknesses. It is the same with humans. He created us to be dependent not only on him but also on one another. The apostle Paul discusses this idea in his letter to the church in Corinth. As members of the body of Christ, we have different gifts and abilities. The church is healthy only when we work together, care for one another, and each uses their abilities for mutual benefit. Together we will go much further than we would go alone.

Because of this danger, Christ sends the apostles. “Take nothing for the journey.” The only thing that can ensure and help the apostles is his word.

The Nobel Prize is awarded every year to those people who have made an exceptional contribution—economists, physicists, writers, doctors, scientists, and people striving for peace and tranquility. When someone receives the Nobel Prize, they receive the highest recognition for many years of education, work, professional growth, and sacrifices. What are these people willing to undergo? We Christians desire to influence the world spiritually. But I ask, what is the source of the spiritual influence of our ministry?

If we want to impact people in the name of Jesus Christ, what do we need to invest in? The early followers of Christ were profoundly influenced by spending time with Jesus. The Jewish religious leaders recognized this. In Acts 4:13, it says, “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ordinary men, they marveled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” Courses and education are valuable additions to serving Christ, but nothing can replace time spent in His presence. He is the only source of spiritual influence in our lives and the lives of believers. If we are to master our service to the Lord, let us spend time with the Master.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today the Church invites us to remember an extraordinary woman: St. Hildegard of Bingen, a Benedictine abbess, mystic, theologian, writer, composer, and Doctor of the Church. She lived in the 12th century, yet many aspects of her spiritual message remain remarkably relevant today.

Hildegard teaches us above all one important truth: when a person opens his or her heart completely to God, God can accomplish extraordinary things through an ordinary human life.

Hildegard was born in Germany in 1098. From childhood she had a profound sensitivity to the presence of God. Later she entered religious life and eventually became an abbess. She received mystical visions, but for many years she hesitated to speak about them. She did not seek attention. She did not want to become famous. She wanted simply to belong to God.

Eventually, however, she understood that the gifts God had given her were not meant only for herself. They were meant for others.

This is already an important lesson for us.

God has given something to every one of us. Perhaps we do not have mystical visions. Perhaps we cannot write books or compose music. But everyone has received gifts: the ability to encourage someone, to listen, to pray, to forgive, to teach, to care for another person, or simply to remain faithful when life becomes difficult.

The question is not: “Do I have extraordinary gifts?”

The question is: “Am I using what God has given me?”

Hildegard lived at a time when women had very little public influence. Yet she corresponded with popes, bishops, abbots, kings, and emperors. She was not afraid to tell powerful people the truth. When she saw corruption or spiritual weakness in the Church, she spoke clearly about it.

Where did this courage come from?

It came from her relationship with God.

A person who wants to please everybody will eventually become afraid of everybody. But a person who wants above all to please God becomes inwardly free.

Hildegard reminds us that holiness does not mean weakness. A saint can be gentle and at the same time courageous. Humility does not mean remaining silent when truth must be spoken. True humility means that we no longer place ourselves at the center. God is at the center.

Another beautiful aspect of Hildegard’s spirituality was her vision of creation. She saw the whole created world as filled with signs of God’s wisdom and goodness. Human beings, animals, plants, the earth, music, the human body—all belong to God’s creation.

For Hildegard, faith was therefore not something separated from ordinary life. God was not present only in the monastery chapel. His wisdom could be discovered throughout creation.

This is something our modern world urgently needs to rediscover.

We often divide our lives into two parts: the religious part and the ordinary part. We pray on Sunday, but then on Monday we return to the “real world.” Hildegard would tell us: There is only one world, and it belongs to God.

God is present when you pray.

But God is also present when you work.

God is present when you care for a sick person.

God is present when you admire the beauty of nature.

God is present when you struggle with suffering.

God is present when you use your talents for the good of another person.

Hildegard often spoke about the spiritual vitality that comes from God. Sin makes the human heart dry and sterile, while God’s grace brings life. This is a powerful image for our spiritual lives.

Sometimes our hearts become dry.

We lose enthusiasm for prayer. We become disappointed with people. We carry old wounds. We become tired of doing good because we do not see results. Perhaps we begin merely to fulfill our religious duties without joy.

At such moments Christ invites us back to the source.

He does not say: “Produce life by your own strength.”He says: “Remain in me.”

A branch does not produce fruit because it tries harder. It produces fruit because it remains connected to the vine.

The same is true for us.

Our greatest spiritual problem is often not that we are weak. Our greatest problem is that we try to live without remaining deeply connected to God.

Hildegard’s remarkable activity flowed from contemplation. Before she spoke to others about God, she listened to God. Before she advised powerful people, she knelt before the One who is more powerful than all earthly rulers.

That order is important.

First listen. Then speak.
First pray. Then act.
First receive from God. Then give to others.

Perhaps this is the invitation St. Hildegard gives us today.

We live in a noisy world. Thousands of voices compete for our attention. News, television, phones, social media, advertisements, opinions and worries constantly enter our minds. But among all these voices there is one voice that matters above all others: the voice of God.

And God usually does not shout.

We must become quiet enough to hear Him.

St. Hildegard listened. And because she listened, her life became fruitful.

We may never write theological books. We may never compose sacred music. We may never advise popes or emperors. But we can become saints.

And in the end, that is what matters.

At the end of our lives God will not ask how famous we became, how many people admired us, or how successful we appeared.

He will ask whether we loved.

Whether we listened to His voice.

Whether we used the gifts He entrusted to us.

Whether through our lives someone else experienced a little more hope, a little more goodness, a little more truth, and a little more of God.

St. Hildegard of Bingen teaches us to listen to God. Teach us to recognize His presence in creation. Teach us to use our gifts courageously. And teach us to remain so deeply united with Christ that our lives, too, may bear abundant fruit.

Amen.