At the beginning of the Novena of St. Francis (Sep 25), Fr. Alan encourages using this time of preparation for renewing our commitment to conversion.

Ave Maria!

Mass: Tuesday in the 25th Week in Ordinary Time – Wkdy

Readings: 
1st: Prov 21:1-6, 10-13
Resp: Ps 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44
Gsp: Lk 8:19-21

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Fr. Pat McCloskey’s St. Francis Novena reflections can be found at https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-francis-novena-day-1-conversion/

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Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Feb 17 on how the poor will be blessed by inheriting the Kingdom of God with Christ, but only so long as they are followers of Him. He gives three ways to understand being poor, those actual being born poor, those who give up riches for the sake of the Kingdom, and poverty in spirit who have material things but use them as if they don’t have them, relying on Christ for their satisfaction. But it all depends of putting Christ first. Father exhorts us to pray for all to convert whether rich or poor.

Ave Maria!

Mass: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday
Readings: 
1st: jer 17:5-8
Resp: psa 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6
2nd: 1co 15:12, 16-20
Gsp: luk 6:17, 20-26

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Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Nov 03, 2021, on the meaning of the first beatitude, blessed are the poor in spirit, and how this primarily refers to the need for humility.

Notes:

The poor in spirit are humble and the rich in spirit are puffed up with pride

poor are attached to God and detached from things of this world, money, applause

Proud are full of themselves instead of being full of grace.

Poor are filled with God.

The focus is on the heart, the poor are humble of heart and turn to the Lord.

Poor have a teachable spirit.

The poor are crushed in spirit.

The poor also embrace poverty for the love of God.

Yet ironically the poor are rich spiritually and their possession of eternal life, theirs is the kingdom of God.

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Martin de Porres – Opt Mem
Readings: Wednesday 31st Week of Ordinary Time – http://usccb.org/bible/readings/110321.cfm
1st: rom 13:8-10
Resp: psa 112:1-2, 4-5, 9
Gsp: luk 14:25-33

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Notice the situation Jesus chooses for His Incarnation and Nativity. He chooses utter poverty, so His path in life is going to be poor: not just material poverty but above all, spiritual poverty. His Heart is detached from all riches from the first moment of His earthly life. This poor birthplace is a sign of His detachment.

During His public ministry we will find Him wining and dining with the recently converted Matthew the tax collector, but His Heart is fully detached from these things. He even prefers the most abject of things. He does all of this for us, to atone for our sinful attachment, but also to teach us…

We all need a greater detachment from material things, even from the things we truly need and must use. We have to be free from addictions, from worries, from bad habits. Only Christ can supply this power for us… We worry about many, many things and sometimes we feel very helpless because in most cases we can’t do anything about it. This is when our minds and hearts should go back to Bethlehem, always to Bethlehem.

Jesus didn’t have anything and He chose it that way. Of the thousands of choices He had, He chose poverty in order to empower us, as Saint Paul reminds us: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: that being rich He became poor, for your sake; that through His poverty you might be rich. (2 Cor 8:9).

Jesus is born in the filthiest place on earth: a stable, a dwelling place for animals with all the unpleasant sights, sounds, and smells that go along with it. It was no doubt an unexpected turn of events for Mary and Joseph, a virgin birth in this filthy stable. In the filthiest place of all, Purity is born, total Purity: the sinless Jesus, the poorest of the poor. He does not have just fleshly purity but also purity of heart and intention.

Fr. Jeffery Jambon (Ignatian Meditations)

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