Daily Reflections for Ordinary Time: Weeks 18-34

By John Paul Thomas

The Catholic Daily Reflections Series was written to help you enter more deeply into the Holy Scriptures and the Catholic Liturgy on a daily basis. Through these reflections and prayers, you are invited to embrace the Word of God in a personal, engaging, challenging and transforming way.

These reflections are also a great resource for priests and deacons for their daily homily preparations.

This Volume offers daily reflections and prayers for Ordinary Time Weeks 18-34.

Catholic Daily Reflections Series:

Volume One: Advent and Christmas

Volume Two: Lent and Easter

Volume Three: Ordinary Time: Weeks 1-17

Volume Four: Ordinary Time: Weeks 18-34

• Language: English
• Publisher: My Catholic Life Inc.
• Release date: Nov 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370423125

John Paul Thomas

"John Paul Thomas" is the pen name this Catholic priest chose in honor of the Apostles Saints John and Thomas and the great evangelist Saint Paul. This name also evokes the memory of the great Pope Saint John Paul II.John is the beloved apostle who sought out a deeply personal and intimate relationship with his Savior. Hopefully the writings in this book point us all to a deeply personal and intimate relationship with our God. May John be a model of this intimacy and love.Thomas is also a beloved apostle and close friend of Jesus but is well known for his lack of faith in Jesus' resurrection. Though he ultimately entered into a profound faith crying out, "my Lord and my God," he is given to us as a model of our own weakness of faith. Thomas should inspire us to always return to faith when we realize we have doubted.As a Pharisee, Paul severely persecuted the early Christian Church. However, after going through a powerful conversion, he went on to become the great evangelist to the gentiles, founding many new communities of believers and writing many letters contained in Sacred Scripture. His letters are deeply personal and reveal a shepherd's heart. He is a model for all as we seek to embrace our calling to spread the Gospel.

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INTRODUCTION

When I was in seminary, in the 1990’s, the rector was asked which day of the liturgical year was his favorite to celebrate. Without pausing he immediately said, A weekday in Ordinary Time. This surprised us. We thought he would say Christmas or Easter or some other high feast day. As the conversation went on he explained his reasoning. Though the great feasts of the Church year were wonderful, filled with solemnity and meaning, there was something profound about celebrating the Mass on a weekday in Ordinary Time. What was special about those days? Nothing other than the fact that the Mass was the Mass and when it was celebrated on an ordinary day during the week, in Ordinary Time, without any special feast, we were given the opportunity to enter deeply into faith as we celebrated the Mass for the simple reason of celebrating the Mass.

The profundity of this reality may not be immediately apparent, but it’s something worth reflecting upon until it makes sense. Though we should always be drawn to the high feast of the Church year with great joy, we should never discount the opportunity that Ordinary Time offers us. Ordinary Time offers us an opportunity to embrace the Eucharist, and the Holy Scripture, in a way that is anything but ordinary. We must discover every opportunity we have to participate in the Eucharist, or to ponder the Scripture, as an opportunity to love and adore our Lord simply because He is our Lord. Jesus is worthy of all praise, worship and adoration at all times. And when all the excitement of the high feasts is removed, we still are left with the greatest act on Earth.

This volume of the Catholic Daily Reflection Series is the second of two that covers the thirty-four weeks of Ordinary Time. Perhaps you will not be able to attend Mass every day throughout the year, but you can enter into the Holy Scriptures throughout the year. The goal of this volume is to help you enter more deeply into the words of our Lord as they are presented to us in the Gospels every day during Weeks Eighteen to Thirty-four of Ordinary Time.

The Gospels have unlimited potential to transform our lives because the Gospels are the Word of God. As the Word of God, the Gospels are more than the written record of Jesus’ words. They present to us the very Person of Christ. Thus, as you spend time prayerfully meditating upon the Scripture passages in this book and the reflections that accompany those Scriptures, it is hoped that Jesus will be made present to you in a real and personal way. It is hoped that you will be daily invited to encounter our Lord in such a way that your life is transformed and made holy. This can only happen if you encounter our Living Lord Himself. It is my prayer that the reflections within this book will aid you in this holy endeavor.

Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Transformation

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full. Matthew 14:19b-20

Do you ever feel as though you have little to offer? Or that you cannot make an impact in this world? At times, we may all dream of being someone important with great influence so as to do great things. But the fact of the matter is that you can do great things with the little you have to offer.

Today’s Gospel passage reveals that God was able to take something very small, five loaves of bread and two fish, and transform them into enough food to feed tens of thousands of people (Five thousand men, not counting women and children. Matthew 14:21)

This story is not only a miracle for the purpose of providing the necessary food for the crowd who came to listen to Jesus in a deserted place, it’s also a sign to us of the power of God to transform our daily offerings into exponential blessings for the world.

Our goal must not be to determine what we want God to do with our offering; rather, our goal must be to make the offering of all we are and all we have and leave the transformation to God. Sometimes our offering may seem small. It may seem like what we offer will have no benefit. For example, making an offering to God of our mundane daily chores or the like may seem unfruitful. What can God do with this? The same question could have been asked by those with the loaves and fishes. But look what Jesus did with them!

We must daily trust that everything we offer to God, whether it appears to be great or small, will be used by God in an exponential way. Though we may not see the good fruits like those in this story did, we can be certain that the good fruit will be abundant.

Reflect, today, upon every small offering you can make. Small sacrifices, small acts of love, acts of forgiveness, small acts of service, etc., have immeasurable value. Make the offering today and leave the rest to God.

My transforming Lord, I give to You my day and every small action of this day. I give You my love, my service, my work, my thoughts, my frustrations and everything else I encounter. Please take these small offerings and transform them into grace for Your glory. Jesus, I trust in You.

The Most Holy Eucharist

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

So they said to him, Sir, give us this bread always. Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. John 6:34-35

They were hungry and they wanted Jesus to perform a miracle like He had recently done. They wanted Him to multiply loaves and fishes for the crowds. Perhaps they were curious or perhaps they were hungry. But Jesus directs them to so much more.

This passage begins Jesus’ discourse on the Bread of Life which will be read at Sunday Mass for the next few weeks. We will see in this discourse Jesus giving His followers so much more than mere bread and fish. We listen to Him speak of Himself as the true Bread from Heaven. Sadly, many reject this precious teaching and gift and go their own way.

But what about you? How often have you truly pondered these words of Jesus? I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst! Do you believe this?

Deep within every human heart is a hunger and thirst that longs to be satisfied. We all have this longing and desire. We try to fill it with so many things, but in the end only one thing satisfies. Jesus alone can satiate the deepest longings of our souls.

Again, do you believe this? And if you do believe it in your head, do you believe it with your actions? Do you turn to Him as the source of your daily fulfillment and satisfaction? When you go to Mass do you long to receive Him and love Him and enter into Communion with Him? Perhaps, but perhaps not. Most likely we all need to redirect our desires toward our glorious Savior, especially as He comes to us in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Reflect, today, upon how deeply you believe in these words of Jesus. Do you regularly meet Him in the Eucharist? Do you allow His presence to consume you as you consume Him? If you cannot say Yes to this in a complete and definitive way, resolve today to renew your love for our Lord in this glorious Sacrament.

My Eucharistic Lord, I do love You and I desire You to come and consume me as I consume You in the Most Holy Eucharist. Help me to believe in You and Your presence in this Most Holy Sacrament. May Your divine presence meet my deepest need and fulfill my deepest longings in life. Jesus, I trust in You.

A Life Without Possessions

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions. Luke 12:15

Imagine what your life would be like if you had no possessions. Imagine that all you had was the clothing you wore and you went through life relying upon the generosity of others. Though, at first, this may seem like an irresponsible way to live, there are some who are called to a form of this life for a sacred reason. Those called to strict religious life are called to embrace the life of poverty, owning nothing themselves, for a reason. The reason is highlighted in this Gospel.

Too often in life we become consumed with our possessions. It’s true that material things can add spice to life. They can be fun, entertaining, comforting, etc. But the danger of becoming attached to the things of this world is that we begin to rely upon the pleasure they bring more than we rely upon the spiritual possessions which are of much greater value. It’s not that material possessions are bad, in and of themselves; rather, it’s that the spiritual possessions God wants us to obtain are of infinitely greater value.

Most are not called to live lives of material poverty, but all are called to live lives of poverty in spirit. This means that, though we live in the world, we are not to be of the world. We are to keep our hearts attached only to the greatest treasures of life: faith, hope and charity. When greed and love of material possessions draw us from these spiritual treasures, we must recommit ourselves to the discovery of their great value.

Reflect, today, upon any struggle you have with greed. If that does not sit well with you and if you find yourself immediately trying to justify your attachment to material things, then you may need this reflection more than you know. The Lord wants to give you so much more than this world can offer you. Do not make the choice to become attached to that which is cheap from an eternal perspective. Strive to embrace those true riches that will remain with you forever.

Lord of true riches, help me to always keep my heart set on the riches You bestow and to never settle for those things that can never fully satisfy me. I desire the wealth of Heaven, dear Lord, not the riches of Earth. Help me to live the spiritual poverty I am called to live so as to obtain all that You desire for me. Free me from greed and selfishness and help me to find true joy in Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.

When Faith Falters

Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Peter said to him in reply, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. He said, Come. Matthew 14:28-29a

What a wonderful expression of faith! St. Peter, caught in stormy conditions on the sea, expressed his complete confidence that if Jesus were to call him out of the boat to walk on water, it would happen. Jesus does call him to Himself, and St. Peter begins to walk on water. Of course we know what happened next. Peter was filled with fear and began to sink. Fortunately, Jesus caught him and all was well.

Interestingly, this story reveals much to us about our own lives of faith and much more about the goodness of Jesus. So often we begin with a faith in our head and have every intention of living that faith. Like Peter, we often make firm resolutions to trust in Jesus and to walk on water at His command. However, all too often we experience the same thing Peter did. We start to live the trust we express in Jesus, only to suddenly waver and give in to fear in the midst of our hardship. We begin to sink and have to cry out for help.

In some ways, the ideal would have been if Peter expressed his faith in Jesus and then walked to Him without faltering. But, in other ways, this is the ideal story in that it reveals the depth of Jesus’ mercy and compassion. It reveals that Jesus will catch us and draw us out of our doubts and fears when our faith gives way. This story is much more about Jesus’ compassion and the extent of His help than it is about Peter’s lack of faith.

Reflect, today, upon any way that you have had great intentions of trusting Jesus, started down that path and then have fallen. Know that Jesus is full of compassion and will reach out to you in your weakness just as He did to Peter. Let Him grab your hand and strengthen your lack of faith out of His abundance of love and mercy.

My compassionate Lord, I do believe. Help me when I falter. Help me to always turn to You when the storms and challenges of life seem to be too much. May I trust that, in those moments more than any other, You are there reaching out Your hand of grace. Jesus, I trust in You.

Jesus is Always There

Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Years B&C)

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. Matthew 14:13-14

Humanly speaking, Jesus’ heart was grieved by the death of John the Baptist. He loved John and was deeply saddened by his beheading. So He withdrew in a boat to a deserted place alone. But the crowds were hungry for more! They wanted to see Jesus and listen to Him. They knew many who were ill and wanted Jesus to heal them. So they sought Him out despite the fact that He had withdrawn from the crowd to be alone.

What was Jesus’ reaction? Did He look at them and sigh, saying to Himself, Why don’t they leave me alone. Don’t they know I am grieving? No. Instead, Jesus was filled with mercy and compassion for them, and He went to them to heal many of their sick.

This gives us insight into the heart and compassion of our Lord. Many times, we are afraid to go to God. We are afraid to turn to Him because of our sin. We are afraid of what He will think and say to us. We feel guilty and ashamed and, as a result, fail to seek Him out.

But just as Jesus had compassion for those who sought Him out in this story, so also He will ALWAYS have the deepest of compassion for us every time we seek Him out. If we find our lives steeped in sin, but run to Him anyway, He will look at us with compassion and mercy. He never tires of us returning to Him, seeking His healing and mercy. We should always have hope in Him and turn to Him with the greatest confidence.

Reflect, today, upon how comfortable you are in turning to Jesus just as you are. Are you afraid or worried about what He thinks of you? Are you ashamed of your sin or weakness? Do you worry He will judge you and not care? Have confidence in His abundance of mercy and run to Him without fear.

My most compassionate Lord, help me to trust in Your love and compassion. Help me to know that You always long for me to come to You. As You never tire of me coming to You, may I never tire of coming to You. Jesus, I trust in You.

Courage, Charity & Truth

Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Then his disciples approached and said to him, Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said? He said in reply, Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit. Matthew 15:12-14

Why were the Pharisees offended? In part because Jesus just spoke critically of them. But it was more than that. They were also offended because Jesus doesn’t even answer their question.

These Pharisees and scribes came to ask Jesus what was, in their minds, a very important question. They wanted to know why His disciples failed to follow the tradition of the elders by not washing their hands before they ate. But Jesus does something interesting. Instead of answering their question, He gathers a crowd and says, Hear and understand. It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one (Mt. 15:10b-11). So they were offended by Jesus both because of what He said and because He didn’t even say it to them but spoke it to the crowds.

What’s interesting to note is that sometimes the most charitable thing one can do will result in another being offended. We ought not recklessly offend. But it seems that one of the cultural tendencies of our day and age is to avoid offending people at all costs. As a result, we dumb down morality, ignore clear teachings of faith, and make getting along one of the most important virtues we strive for.

In the passage above, it’s clear that Jesus’ disciples are concerned about the fact that the Pharisees were offended by Jesus. They worry and appear to want Jesus to fix this tense situation. But Jesus makes His position clear. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit (Mt. 15:14).

Charity requires the truth. And sometimes the truth will sting a person to the heart. Clearly this is exactly what the Pharisees need even though they fail to change, which is evident by the fact that they ultimately killed Jesus. But, nonetheless, these truths spoken by our Lord were acts of charity and were the truth that these scribes and Pharisees needed to hear.

Reflect, today, upon how willing you are to speak the hard truth in love when a situation requires it. Do you have the courage you need to charitably speak an offensive truth that needs to be spoken? Or do you tend to cower and prefer to allow people to remain in their error so that you do not agitate them? Courage, charity and truth must become deeply intertwined in our lives. Make this your prayer and mission so that you will better imitate our divine Lord.

Lord of perfect Truth, please do give me courage, truth, wisdom and charity so that I may be a better instrument of Your love and mercy to the world. May I never allow fear to control me. Please remove any blindness from my heart so that I can see clearly the many ways You desire to use me to lead others to You. Jesus, I trust in You.

When Faith Falters

Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Years B&C)

Peter said to him in reply, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. He said, Come. Matthew 14:28-29a

What a wonderful expression of faith! St. Peter, caught in stormy conditions on the sea, expressed his complete confidence that if Jesus were to call him out of the boat to walk on water, it would happen. Jesus does call him to Himself and St. Peter begins to walk on water. Of course we know what happened next. Peter was filled with fear and began to sink. Fortunately, Jesus caught him and all was well.

Interestingly, this story reveals much to us about our own lives of faith and much more about the goodness of Jesus. So often we begin with a faith in our head and have every intention of living that faith. Like Peter, we often make firm resolutions to trust in Jesus and to walk on water at His command. However, all too often we experience the same thing Peter did. We start to live the trust we express in Jesus, only to suddenly waver and give in to fear in the midst of our hardship. We begin to sink and have to cry out for help.

In some ways, the ideal would have been if Peter expressed his faith in Jesus and then walked to Him without faltering. But, in other ways, this is the ideal story in that it reveals the depth of Jesus’ mercy and compassion. It reveals that Jesus will catch us and draw us out of our doubts and fears when our faith gives way. This story is much more about Jesus’ compassion and the extent of His help than it is about Peter’s lack of faith.

Reflect, today, upon any way that you have had great intentions of trusting Jesus, started down that path and then have fallen. Know that Jesus is full of compassion and will reach out to you in your weakness just as He did to Peter. Let Him grab your hand and strengthen your lack of faith out of His abundance of love and mercy.

My compassionate Lord, I do believe. Help me when I falter. Help me to always turn to You when the storms and challenges of life seem to be too much. May I trust that, in those moments more than any other, You are there reaching out Your hand of grace. Jesus, I trust in You.

Humility + Faith = Mercy

Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

But the woman came and did him homage, saying, Lord, help me. He said in reply, It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs. She said, Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters. Matthew 15:25-27

Did Jesus really imply that helping this woman was like throwing food to dogs? Most of us would have taken great offense at what Jesus said as a result of our pride. But what He said was true and was not rude in any way. Jesus obviously cannot be rude. Nonetheless, His statement has the superficial appearance of being rude.

First, let’s look at how His statement is true. Jesus was being asked by this woman to come heal her daughter. Basically, Jesus tells her she is not deserving of this grace in anyway. And that’s true. No more than a dog deserves to be fed from the table do we deserve the grace of God. Though this is a shocking way to say it, Jesus says it this way so as to first illustrate the truth of our sinful condition and unworthiness. And this woman takes it.

Second, Jesus’ statement allows this woman to react with the utmost humility and faith. Her humility is seen in the fact that she does not deny the parallel to a dog eating from the table. Rather, she humbly points out that even dogs eat the scraps. Wow, this is humility! In fact, we can be certain that Jesus spoke to her in this somewhat humiliating way because He knew how humble she was and He knew that she would react by letting her humility shine forth so as to manifest her faith. She was not offended by the humble truth of her unworthiness; rather, she embraced it and also sought out the abundant mercy of God despite her unworthiness.

Humility has the potential to unleash faith, and faith unleashes the mercy and power of God. In the end, Jesus speaks for all to hear, Oh woman, great is your faith! Her faith was made manifest