MONDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR        

Matthew 8:18-22       

"Follow me."

Multiple choice test.. On the surface it would seem easy to follow Jesus. Anyone who counts himself or herself a true believer would readily and gladly do whatever Jesus might ask if he came down and spoke his request di­rectly. But he doesn't do that. Instead he invites us in today's world to discern among multiple choice actions we must accomplish to follow him faithfully. For guidance as we make our choices we look to prayer, our own inner light, and especially the input of our brothers and sisters in the faith.

The children of La Salette were given a mission. To make known Mary's mes­sage of reconciliation with her Son. That first day the mission was glowingly clear. Each day afterward they had to decide over and over again to follow him Many times they were offered excruciatingly difficult choices. To betray their calling or face the threat of death or imprisonment. The first miracle of La Salettewas the apparition itself. The second was the fidelity with which the children followed their calling.

Do I understand my own calling with great clarity? If not, am I reaching out t( others for help in discerning what it could be

TUESDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 8:23-27

"What sort of man in this?"

The Titanic feeling: The apostles were not quite out in the middle of the ocean about to be struck by an iceberg. But for them the situation seemed just as desperate. Fear gripped their bodies and terrified their souls. Would their lives be snuffed out by this rampaging power of this freakish storm? Suddenly Christ, answering their alarmed plea for help rebuked the winds and the sea. All became calm." What sort of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him?" In the simplest terms: the sort of man who answered those who called out to him. He does that for us in the midst of the most terrifying hours of our lives. How could he not? After all did he not call us his friends (see John 15:15)?

The world that Maximin and Melanie inherited was one that was being torn by violence at the dawn of industrialization and in the lingering twilight of the French Revolution. Society had been torn from its three-thousand-year-old moorings and an agrarian way of life was experiencing violent upheavals. Jesus sent his Mother to calm us, to reassure us, to tell us "not to be afraid, for she had great news to tell," It was simply that her Son remains deeply present to suffering humanity. "What sort of man is this?" In ways that our theology cannot explain he is the one suffers with us even in eternal glory.

At the darkest hours of my life, how did my faith in Jesus sustain me? Can I share with another how frightened I was, how reassuring he was?

WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 8:28-34

"They implored him to leave the neighborhood."

Thanks for the help, Jesus. Now, please leave. Demons are for real. Jesus, the great prophet, came among his people to deliver them from the demons that were plaguing them. And those demons, like demons of all times, kept the people shackled. In doing his Father's work, Jesus came forward to purify. to cleanse, to set free. And the latter is well exemplified in this gospel passage In return for all the good things that he did, he got the usual prophet's reward. He was, rather unceremoniously, asked to leave

At La Salette Mary came to speak to us about the demons of the era. She was the great prophet speaking in her Son's name, targeting the evils attendant upon a dying, if not entirely dead, faith in far too many. She invited us to follow ill her Son's footsteps and in hers too. To be prophets, denouncing, not only with our words, but especially by our actions; casting out the evils of addiction, corrup­tion, materialism, poverty, racism, and violence. Being aware all the while that like Jesus, and Mary at La Salelle, our reward may be simply to be asked to leave. Actually, it may even be the true litmus test of our success. Not a happy thought!

What demon is clicking my own spiritual growth these days? What prophetic words are welling up in my heart these days and are waiting to he uttered by me.

THURSDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 9:1-8

"A feeling of awe Came over the crowd"

They were blown away. That would have blown us away too. This paralytic was healed not only of his infirmity, but also, and more importantly, he was healed of his sins. There was universal applause from the crowd for the healing .. but for the forgiving some scribes mumbled, calling this blaspheming. Jesus, effect, was making himself the equal of God. That was a bit too much to stomach

Our Lady at La Salette talked about humanity's sins (read: yours and mine). The: arc to be forgiven if we but ask. That is a miracle in itself, but in addition, she promised that "rocks and stones will turn into mounds of wheat." We are cleansed and made whole. And when we get in touch with the deepest part of ourselves, we are in touch with the hidden part that touches God and is touched by God. Ii those rare but gifted moments of great spiritual insight, we cannot hut he in awe of the wondrous work the Almighty does in us. Those graced moments suffuse u with the deepest feelings of awe and wonder.

Bow open am I in living my spiritual life to the graced moments described above Am I still awed by God's work in me, even to the point of tears at times?

FRIDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR           

Matthew 9:9-13         

'"And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners." 

Jesus is out to get us. If ever there were words in Scripture that are both shocking and comforting, they are the ones cited above. First of all, one would think that the virtuous need help and support also. And since they arc doing so well you would think that they would be Jesus' first target audience. Who better than he knows that the more dazzling the virtuous are the better name Christian­ity will have! Wow, what a reputation the church could have if Jesus took a differ­ent tack. We would be a true holiness church. Second, doesn't it make all the more sense that the sinless should be the ones to interface with Jesus? Why should Jesus' own reputation be soiled by the people he associates with? But thirdly, it is a great comfort that he does in fact seek out sinners. Because of it we can look forward to getting serious help in our straggles toward goodness, for he says we are number one in his book. How 'bout that?

At La Salette, very much in her Son's mode, Our Lady came to seek out sinners. Those who were doing everything to turn away from the hand of love and friend­ship her Son was extending. They were her target audience as well. She speaks powerfully about her suffering and prays for all who are far from being virtuous. At one time we thought the church was exclusively meant for the good and the holy ones. And to receive Holy Communion was a sure fire sign that we were being rewarded for good behavior. We now know that the Eucharist is food and drink for hungry and thirsty wayfarers, for wanderers who falter along their way.

I I was born before Vatican Council II do I still automatically think that God will give me a second look only if he finds holiness in me? Have I completely out­grown my childhood image of God?

SATURDAY OF THE THIRTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 9:14-17

"Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins." 

Wine making, anyone? Although precious few of us know much about wine making, and even less about wineskins, all of us have a fairly good idea what point Jesus was making. If we are to make any type of progress on our spiritual journey we have to understand the interior transformation that is called for. The new wine of Jesus' love and forgiveness cannot be poured into the old skin (container) of our obdurate and hardheaded selves. If our gas tank is leaking, constantly refilling it will not fix things, The hole is bound to get bigger. Unless we radically change our focus, pouring God's love into our self-centered selves will never lead us to embrace our world.

At La Salette Our Lady invited us to what? To conversion. As you know, conver­sion does not simply mean making minor adjustments. It means a radical shift away from the way we operated in the past - a 180 degree turn. What does it take for this to happen? Often times a major setback in our health, plans, financial fortunes; most often, personal failures in our most valued relationships. Our hearts are broken. We are deeply hurt and perhaps even feel abandoned. Since God's ways are not our ways, a heart broken is a heart opened wider. The needy of the world can more easily walk in on us. The Living God can find in them a welcome mat not found there before. Radical setbacks, paradoxically, can make close en­counters with our God more likely.

Can I consider past heartbreaks in my own life and recall the feelings of empti­ness and abandonment they brought? Has heartbreak created new skins in me into which God's love can be poured?

MONDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 9:18-26

"She touched the fringe of his cloak." 

Pay attention. These two miracles offer us great insight as to Jesus the man. An important religious official came to see him imploring that Jesus do some­thing about his daughter. She had just died, yet did the man state his belief that she was not for all that beyond Jesus' power to save. Jesus and his disciples immediately were off on this mission of mercy. Jesus certainly was single-minded, but not so focused that he could not sense power leaving him as another touched his cloak in a confident bid for healing. What amazing presence to people even in times of personal stress!

Mary at La Salette tells us that God has not lost that desire to be present to us in all the moments of our lives. Although taken up with the providential guidance and maintenance of the ongoing miracle of creation - an expanding universe whose size is beyond calculation, this same God notices a father and child discussing spoiled wheat in the eorner of a remote field.

What recurring events in my life stress me the most? And who are those people I tend to neglect at those moments?

TUESDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 9;32-32

"They woe like sheep without a shepherd" 

Jesus is looking for a few good men (and women). Jesus had a special low  for the poor. Surely most of those who followed him were such. Life for them undoubtedly was one of harassment by the rich and powerful and of burnout from the constant struggle to survive. Jesus felt very sorry for them. He saw how great their need was. And he realized that he as a person could not meet them all. And how he wished that more people were available to give him a hand. He himself was stretched to the max as he went about curing and healing, listening and sustaining, encouraging and challenging.

The tears of Our Lady of La Salette speak of a bottomless love for her people. She saw the crowds of a Europe at the threshold of the industrial age. She could not help but see how harassed and dejected they were. It is true they sinned. And yet as once was said they were more sinned against than sinning. Mary, like Jesus, in Jesus' name, took pity on them. Her tears spoke eloquently and she missioned two new young disciples, Melanie and Maximin, to spread the message of God's concern for harassed and dejected people.

Today's communications revolution makes us immediately aware of the evils being perpetrated against the innocent around the world. What am I doing byway of response? Do I use limited resources or personal obligations as pretexts for inaction?

WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 10:1-7

"Do not visit pagan territory. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel"

Scripture contradicting itself? Reading the above brings to mind a number of contradictions found in Scripture. In this case Jesus prohibits his disciples from going to evangelize people outside the Jewish faith. And yet toward the end of this same Gospel according to Matthew he tells us to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Well, which is it? Both, actually. Some are called to be missionaries in faraway lands. Others are called to stay put and work among and with their own. In God's eyes, disciples are making disciples in both in­stances.

Mary at La Salette speaks especially to those who are of the faith, in need of conversion, of change of heart. Of metanoia, to use the big fancy word. Is she against preaching the gospel message in distant lands? Of course not! She simply makes it clear that those sheep within the fold are in need of continuous conversion. And the La Salette Missionaries have historically expended a great deal of their energies staffing shrines, spiritual life centers, as well as preaching parish missions in that very spirit.

Do I reach out in any meaningful way to inactive Catholics? How well can I relate to the belief that, as St. Therese was truly a missionary through prayer without ever stepping out of her cloister, the missionary spirit takes on many guises?

THURSDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 10:7-15

"Provide yourselves with no gold nor silver nor copper; no traveling bag, no staff"

Travel light. So much of the image of Jesus on which we were fed as young sters was saccharine, syrupy. Jesus seemed anything but a forceful leader. Very different from the picture one would get in listening to his words in the gospel for today. In staccato fashion he tells us what disciples should and should not do in carrying out their mission: "Proclaim the reign of God. Cure the sick. Raise the dead. Cleanse the lepers. Cast out devils.” And for good measure, "Give without charge." Then just in ease we have failed to notice how exacting and demanding a taskmaster he is he bids us leave on our apostolic journeys with nothing in support, except other people's willingness to share with us. His de­mands are as radical as can be. Norman Vincent Peale's classic work on how to win friends and influence people was obviously not on his reading list.

We now turn to Mary in her apparition at La Selene. The message that she en­trusted to Melanie and Maximin was a commissioning that went beyond belief. Not only were they lacking gold, silver, or copper to fulfill their journey, they were also bereft of basic human qualifications, such as charisma, education, per­sonality, articulateness; to say nothing of prayerfulness, theological grounding, pastoral know-how. They had to get out there and "tell everyone" what their Beautiful Lady had told them "to tell."

Am I convinced that it is because of what I lack, and not what I have, that makes it possible for God to work through me? Do I allow the messenger's appearance, bearing, and credentials to influence my acceptance of the message?

FRIDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 10:16-23

"I am sending you out as sheep among wolves." 

Not the catchiest slogan for a recruitment poster. He doesn't offer people to be all they can be. He doesn't entice them by promising them an endless stream of benefits that grow with the passing of the years. No ... quite the con­trary. Ile offers persecution (if the job is done right). And then he says that you will be guaranteed protection from death. He is, of course, not speaking about physical death. If you should get in harm's way in his service you may even die. But he does promise that under questioning you will be given what it is you should say by the Spirit. You will escape death only in the sense that you are promised resurrection. Can it be surprising that so few choose to follow him in any radical way?

Again we focus on the children of La Salette ... on the message they had to impart ... their lack of human, material or spiritual resources on the opposition with which they frequently met. If the apparition at La Salette is miraculous, the faith­fulness of the witnesses in spreading the message conies in a close second in terms of the miraculous. Undaunted, they went out as sheep among wolves. They were offered bribes, ridiculed, threatened. Secular and church officials subjected them to grueling and seemingly interminable interrogations. Though humanly unprepared for the task, they were given what to say under questioning. Amaz­ing!

Do you rejoice that the Lord has decided to foil the crafty and the clever and reveal the mysteries of the kingdom to the humble? What attitude should this divine partiality toward the lowly inspire in me?

SATURDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 10:24-33

“Everyone Therefore who acknowledges me before others,
I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven."

Belly up ... pony up. This is a call to witnessing, As Catholics we are not all that good at it. We weren't trained to it as children. It was not at all pad of our religious upbringing. Religion for us is pretty much a private affair, except of course for those who are supposed to be doing it professionally: religious broth­ers, sisters, deacons, priests. The vast majority of us are satisfied to belly up to the Sacraments, and pony up in the collection. And in our consumerist society, find­ing a church that "feeds us," amounts to saying: a church that says what we want to hear, a church that will not challenge us beyond our comfort. All Jehovah's Witnesses, all Mormons, among others, are expected to witness. Witnessing is an integral part of living their faith.

At La Salette Mary, Mother of the Church, the first and most eminent of all Chris­tians, does precisely what witnessing to the faith calls for. She tells of the privi­leged place her Son holds in her life. She says what her Son means to her. She proclaims this for all the world to hear. Not only does she witness to her Son and his Gospel message, she is the prophet who speaks his words to us in his name, indicating how deeply she has absorbed him and his Word. She witnesses boldly, straightforwardly, and without equivocation.

When was the last time I fearlessly let my faith convictions be known when circumstances demanded it? In social or work-related settings how bravely do I give testimony to the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel?

MONDAY OF THE FIFTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 10:34 -11:1

"He who welcomes a prophet because he bears the name of prophet receives a prophet's reward." 

Prophets are those who, converted themselves, carry that message of conversion to the people of God. Maximin Giraud, the younger of the two cowherds to witness the apparition at La

Salette, did not have a happy home life. His mother died when he was young and his stepmother mistreated him. His father, a wheelwright by trade, spent much of his time in the village tavern.

Shortly after the apparition, when Maximin was repeating the story, Mr. Giraud cut him off. The little boy protested, "But, Father, that is not all; let me tell you what concerns you. The Beautiful Lady also spoke about you." I his father was aghast as Maximin repeated the incident of the field at Coin. Until his death three years later, Mr. Giraud assisted at Mass daily.

One of the many graces of La Salette is that of conversion. The Beau­tiful Lady undoubtedly appeared as a prophet at La Salette; she, whose life was formed by bearing the Word of God, proclaimed that word faithfully to the people of God.

Have I heard and received that call to conversion that was given at La Salette and is repeated at every Eucharist? How have I brought that word of conversion to others?

TUESDAY OF THE FIFTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 11:20-24

"You shall go down to the realm of death!" 

There is only one means of transit from this life to the next, and none of us

gets out of this world alive! We are all going to die. We believe that the passage from death to life involves some sort of judgment. Looking at my own life, I am quick to realize that I have sinned and that my love is imperfect. More­over, I realize that the way I choose to live in this life helps to determine the way I will experience eternal life. So I continue to throw myself upon the mercy of God.

It was out of love for us that God sent the Beautiful Lady to La Salette to call all people away from sin. The "great news" the Beautiful Lady came to proclaim is that of God's forgiveness. There is no such thing as an unforgivable sin, or else God's call is in vain. Instead, the Beautiful Lady attracts us to God with a won­derful picture of what forgiveness effects: "If they are converted, the stones and rocks will change into mounds of wheat, and the potatoes will be self-sown in the land."

Am I humble enough to accept God's forgiveness? Do I recognize the desire to "do it myself" as a temptation away from God?

WEDNESDAY OF THE FIFTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 11:25-27

"For what you have hidden from the learned and the clever you have revealed to the merest children" 

God respects the dignity of every human person. God loves every human person. That love does not depend on our intelligence or goodness, age or strength.

As I reflect on the apparition, there is something that always catches me up short - and that is the character of Maximin and Melanie, the witnesses of the appari­tion. They were uneducated: neither spoke French, neither could read or write. The boy was a regular chatterbox and a constant fidget. The girl was moody, stubborn, sulky, withdrawn - and was known to have a temper. Yet it was to these two that the Beautiful Lady was sent to convey her message of great news.

I may judge the witnesses of the apparition to be of less-than-sterling character. But that is not judging by God's standards. God could only look upon Maximin and Melanie the way he looks upon us all: with love.

Do I treat every person with the God-given dignity that is due them? Do I let externals stand in the way of seeing others (or myself') as loved by God?

THURSDAY OF THE FIFTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you." 

This Gospel passage, proclaimed at today's Eucharist, is also read during the celebration of the Sacrament of Anointing. When we are beset by illness, whether of mind or body, the Church reminds us of this invitation of Jesus to come to him. Even when we are not sick, the world has a way of wearing us down. Sometimes life is just plain overwhelming. The good news is: we are not alone God is always with us.

At La Selene the Blessed Virgin reminded us that we are not alone. No matter how far the people felt from God, she reminded them that they simply needed to turn from those things that had taken center place away from God. This is always' the case. Jesus said, "Come to me..." The Blessed Mother said, "Come near, my children .." Every time we notice the weight of the world on our shoulders, God sends someone to call us back.

Do I pause to listen to the voice that calls me back to God? Have I become so busy I don't have time to pray?

FRIDAY OE THE FIFTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR  

Matthew 12:1-8         

"The Son of Alan is indeed Lord oldie Sabbath." 

The rules and practices of religion are important. They help form our identity I as a people; they help guide us along the way. They put us in touch with deeper truths about our life before God. In the Old Testament special attention is given to the Sabbath because of its place in the scheme of creation and the focus on God's activity above all else. In the New Testament special attention is given to the first day of the week as the day on which Jesus rose from the dead and those known as Christians met to break bread in memory of him. But religious prac­tices can sometimes obscure rather than reveal these deeper truths, and that is what Jesus reminds his hearers of in today's gospel.

At La Salette, Mary came to remind us of the religious practices that were being neglected, especially noting that people chose to work on Sundays, rather than attend Mass. But her point could not simply have been to fill the churches. The people had forgotten God and the primacy of the call to love. It was sincerely hoped that their choices about how they spent their Sundays would remind them once again of these deeper truths.

Am I aware of the deeper truths behind the religious practices that are a part of my life? What do I consider important about Sunday?

SATURDAY  OF THE FIFTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 12:14-21

In his name the Gentiles will find hope." 

This passage in Matthew's Gospel reminds us how greatly the name of Jesus came to be prized. In the Acts of the Apostles, we see that converts to the New Way (Christianity) are baptized in Jesus’ name; people arc healed in Jesus’ name; his name is the way to salvation. In Philippians 2:9-11 Saint Paul quotes an early hymn that states that God is glorified in giving Jesus the "name above all other names, so that at the name of Jesus every knee must bend..."

It is such on awareness that allows us to hear the importance of Mary's complaint at La Salette about misusing the name of her son. "Those who drive the carts cannot swear without introducing the name of my son!" How easy it is to let this most sacred name slip into our complaints and outrage. How trivial we make this holy name, using it for precisely the opposite purpose for which it was revealed to us. How we get upset when someone trivializes our name or our family name. It comes to us as personal insult. I recall with shame how easy it was for me to use Jesus’ name over something as inconsequential as a missed golf shot. Thanks be to God, the prayers of Our Lady have helped me turn that around!

Do I give the name of the Lord Jesus the respect it deserves? Do I recognize its power in my life?

MONDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 12:38-42

"At the judgment, the citizens of Nineveh will rise with the present generation and be the ones to condemn it" 

In the time of Jonah, the nation of Assyria, whose capital was Nineveh, was the most powerful nation in the world, The Assyrians had invented the chariot and were able to conquer their neighbors. They were without equal. The story of the

conversion of Nineveh is, then, a great and important one. That such a mighty people heard and took to heart the word of God shows what power that word has. They knew that all their achievements were worth nothing if they had strayed from God. No wonder Jesus invokes them as judges to condemn those who don't recognize the revelation of God in their midst.

The Virgin of La Salette is reminiscent of Jonah. She comes into the midst of a people indifferent to God's presence among them, indifferent to the truth of the Gospel. She calls them (and us) to repentance and conversion. God never gives up on us. He uses every means to call us baek. In God's eyes, none of us is a lost cause. He considers us worth "the pains" Our Blessed Mother has taken on our behalf

Just as the Ninevites repented, am I willing to repent? Do I listen to those who speak that word of repentance and God's love today?

TUESDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 12:46-50

“Whoever does the will of my heavenly hither is brother and sister and mother to me” 

The most sublime and profound title bestowed upon the Virgin Mary is "Mother of God." The Word was made flesh and made his dwelling among us, taking his human nature from his mother's womb. It is indeed a great honor. But Jesus is not addressing honor in today's Gospel, nor is he concerned about biology. The relationship to Jesus is based on discipleship.

But Mary is also a disciple par excellence. We recall her fidelity at the foot of the Cross, when most of the disciples fled in fear. At La Salette, she comes again as the faithful disciple. Where the others have forgotten, she has remembered how her son has brought salvation and how his name continues to save. The faithful disciple is always able to call others back simply by virtue of their fidelity.

Where do I most need to grow in love and fidelity in my commitment to Jesus? How does the example of Mary's fidelity speak to my life and my call to disciple­ship?

WEDNESDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR   

Matthew 13:1-9         

"Let everyone heed what he hears!”

In the parable of the sower, Jesus addresses different reactions to the word of God. Not all the seed fell on fertile soil. One question this raises is whether we allow our own faith to bear fruit in our lives. Or is the faith we profess somehow cut off from the lives we lead? Is Sunday so separate from the rest of the week that it has no bearing on how I act? By its very nature, our faith is all-encompass­ing. Buried in the innermost recesses of our hearts, it has the ability to affect every aspect of our lives. Not allowing it to do so assures that there will be no fruit produced in our lives. 

At La Salette the Blessed Virgin comes to nourish the seeds of our faith. It is as if she is saying that it's never too late: the seed can yet fall on fertile ground. When we hear the promise of stones being turned into wheat, does the picture of that happening in fields and on mountain slopes move us? Or is it more of a miracle to know that our stony hearts, our rock-hard minds, can yet bear nourish­ment for ourselves and others - a hundredfold! 

Do I consider my choices and actions as flowing from the faith I profess? What part of the parable of the seeds matches my own life at this time? What concrete action can I take today to express my own faith in God's love and mercy? 

THURSDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 13:10-17

"To the man who has, more will be given until he grows rich; the man who has not, will lose what little he has."

At first this Gospel passage strikes me as unfair. Does God really intend that the rich get richer and the poor poorer? Upon reflection, I realize that Jesus is speaking about faith. If we do not practice our faith, it will wither, become dry. Prayer is one way to nourish our faith. The one who prays finds faith growing stronger and stronger. One who does not pray finds faith growing weaker, until it ends by being discounted altogether. 

At La Salette, Our Lady calls us to the life of prayer. She beseeches us to partici­pate in Sunday Mass. She asks us to pray at morning and evening. She reminds us to observe the practices of Lent. She does all this for the simple reason that these things put us in touch with God, deepening the relationship of faith that has been given to us as gift, and drawing us to the springs of life which always make us strong. 

"Do you pray well, my children?" Have I experienced growing "richer" as a result of remaining faithful?

FRIDAY OF THE SIXTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 13:18-23

"But what was sown on good soil is the man who hears the message and takes it in. He it is who bears a yield."

God's grace knows no bounds. It is able to accomplish amazing things. I think of the difference between Peter and Judas. Both apostles betrayed Jesus. In fact, an argument can be made that Peter's betrayal is worse - a three­fold denial of knowing Jesus. However, Peter trusted in Jesus's forgiveness, Judas despaired over what he had done. Neither is so different from the likes of us. Trusting in forgiveness is what allowed Peter to produce a hundredfold. 

On September 19, 1846 - a specific day in a specific year - the Blessed Virgin Mary came to La Salette to remind us of the specificity of God's forgiveness. In the midst of the people's indifference to God's presence among them, their indif­ference to the power of Jesus’ name, forgiveness was promised. If only they would listen, if only they would heed. If only they would be converted: wheat in abundance, potatoes self-sown. Ah, even the hundredfold will be specific to our lives! 

Am I willing to accept God's forgiveness in the specific events of my own life? Do I understand that this will allow me to lead a fruitful life, a life for others?

SATURDAY OE THE SIXTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 13:24-30

"No" he replied. "Pull up the weeds and you might take the wheat along with them." 

It is the sower of the seed that will not allow the weeds to be uprooted. He is afraid of damaging, and thereby losing, good plants. I also wonder whether the sower is hoping that the weeds will turn into good plants. After all, if we identify with the harvest, how do we know whether we are weed or wheat? The conclusion of the story of our life remains yet untold. God is slow to condemn us; we are given every chance to change our lives. God will employ any means to win us back. The fate of the weeds is postponed. 

The Virgin was sent to La Salette to remind us of the salvation already won for us, in Christ. How easily we forget. But God uses every means to remind us. Per­haps God was hoping that Mary's words would turn the weeds to good plants. After all, if rocks can turn to wheat, it should be an easy thing for weeds! And if Mary's words don't do it, maybe her tears will. God uses every means. 

Can I point to some way God has been using to get my attention, draw me closer? Am I aware of any change for the better that has occurred in my life because I have been allowed to live as long as I have?

MONDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 13:31-35

"The mustard seed is smaller than any other seed, but when it has grown taller than other plants; it becomes a tree, big enough for Me birds to come and roost among its branches,"

Our consumer society puts emphasis on having, possessing, consuming. "More is better" is the unspoken motto. There is little room in our commer­cial world for the message of Julian of Norwich that "spirituality is about sub­traction." It is not easy to appreciate that "less is more." It is not an easy choice to be without when abundance is possible and encouraged. Today's Gospel invites us to consider this counter cultural perspective. Jesus' metaphor invites us to sec beyond the mere externals, to recognize the potency hidden within the simple, within the ordinary, within the moments of life that are not sensational. 

The intervention of Mary at La Salette is an example of this. Hidden away in the Alps, on a lonely barren hillside, some cows for company and two poor, illiterate peasant children for witnesses is indeed a wasteland scene. Yet it is here that Mary's presence emerges. It is in this unworldly scene that the simple words spoken offer life, encourage abundance and hold promise for future generations. 

Are we ready to recognize each day the surprises of grace that life's simplest moments may hold for us?

TUESDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 13:36-43

"Then he sent the people away, and went into the house, where his disciples came to him and said, 'Explain to us the parable of the darnel in the field' "

Life is filled with opportunities for communication. Each day brings moments for us to experience the richness and complexity of the universe, of our fellow human beings and of our own hearts. Listening to each of these "communications" may be very challenging in a world filled with distracting influ­ences. At times it is not easy to understand either others or ourselves. At times, and perhaps most of the time, understanding demands exceptional attention. Jesus is aware that the disciples do not fully grasp his message, his parable. He invites them apart. He creates an opportunity to listen to their question and speak di­rectly to them. He gives priority to this communication with these friends who have become the significant people in his life. 

At La Salette, Mary, attentive to the non-verbal communication of the two chil­dren, becomes aware that their understanding of her words is limited. She then begins to speak in the local patois. She reaches out to communicate in a way that respects the needs of her listeners. She honors clear communication as central to this relationship that she is establishing with these two peasant adolescents. She takes the necessary time to be sure that there is some understanding of the mes­sage that she about to share. 

What is the quality of our communication with the significant people in our lives? Are we attentive to the words, questions, gestures and non-verbal messages spo­ken to us? Are we patient and flexible in our efforts to respond to these?

WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR                    

Matthew 13:44-46

'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like this: pearls found one of very special value: so he and bought it,”

We live in a world of abundance. The abundance, however, is not equally distributed. Some experience abundance as clutter, overwhelming lives. Others experience abundant needs. We are all merchants in the marketplace of material goods. All Mat we humanly need to be comfortable may be available to us, yet we may not be at peace. The desire for more may leave us living in an unsatisfied manner. Today's scripture invites us to look at the choices we make and to examine our priorities.

Mary invited the two children to consider what was important in their lives. Al­though they lived in a harsh peasant world, their daily lives were filled with simple but profound choices. Did they understand the importance of each choice? Were they able to pay attention to the God who loved them? Did they appreciate the actions of their parents?

THURSDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 13:47-53

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea where it caught fish of every kind. When it was full, it was hauled ashore. The men sat down and collected the good fish into baskets and threw the worthless away."

Each day brings opportunities to choose. Usually, we attend first to our survival needs. Then, other demands and expectations for the use of our time enter the fabric of our days. What choices will I make for quality relationships, for respon­sible work, for acting with integrity within the community of human beings where find myself this day? How clear are my intentions? Am I able to sort out that which strangles and limits creativity, responsiveness to the good, holy and sa­cred? Jesus invites, by way of parable, his disciples to daily be attentive to their choices. 

At La Salette, Mary calls attention to Maximin's experience of dried wheat in the fields. Starkly, she notes the difference between that which gives life and nour­ishment and what is unable to sustain life. In this, she invites her young hearers to be attentive to the choices they make. "Choose lift that you and your descendants may live." (Deut, 30: 19) 

Life is a plethora of choices. Can I be attentive today to sorting through the op­tions? Do I continually ask myself: "is this a life giving choice?"

FRIDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 13:54-58

"A prophet never lacks honor except in his own home town and in his own family."

Jesus is in the midst of men and women who consider themselves learned – be it from their studies or from their experience of human nature. They arc quick to judge, analyze, speculate and evaluate. Perhaps an overbearing self-confidence fills their hearts and being. The head may control the feelings of the heart. It is then difficult to believe their eyes. It is difficult to trust their hearts. It is uncomfortable to hear others' words of wisdom. The consequence: wisdom present in their midst goes unrecognized and unacknowledged. 

Mary arrives at La Salette to choose the simple, unlettered, peasant children. Her appearance, words and gestures and her choice of witnesses have nothing in com­mon with what the world considers sensational. Simple dress, humble shepherds, an unadorned grassy knoll and clear commonsense scripture words create the scene of her intervention in human history. She is able to recognize what so often our prejudiced eyes are unable to see – the sacred in the midst of the ordinary. 

What is the attitude we bring towards the down and out or estranged in our soci­ety – the poor, the unkempt, the street people, the less than civil in our midst?

SATURDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR

Matthew 14:1-12

"Prompted by her mother ..."

This Gospel may be an opportunity for us to reflect on the influence our own mothers and other significant people have had in our lives. Herodias suggested to her daughter that she ask for the head of John the Baptist on a dish. Salome, perhaps not yet her own person or out of filial devotion, obliges. An evil act is initiated. Herod does not have the will power to follow his own inner instincts. He succumbs. A chain reaction begins, unstopped because neither Herodias nor Herod is able to break the chain of negative influence. 

At La Salette, Mary acknowledges the love and compassion that her Son bears for humankind. She acknowledges the pain of her Son who sees the faithless living of those who call themselves Christian. She has always urged disciples to "do what he tells you." Here, as mother, she seeks to prompt and influence these two shepherds. She invites them to pray more attentively. She encourages them to be attentive to the gestures of their parents. She urges them to make the mes­sage known. The task she gives to the children is simple: within their sphere of influence, their small world, they are to be in communion with God and announce what has happened to them. 

MONDAY OF THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR    Matthew 14:22-36

“It is I.  Take heart. Do not be afraid."

Jesus takes time alone in prayer. He nourishes his spirit. He is strength ened in these moments, confident in himself and in his own message. He is ready to share that confidence in word and in deed. Again and again in his life, his whole being will say, "Take heart!" "Do not be afraid!" Is this not a reflection of one of the most profound psychological insights of Jesus? Men and women de­velop, mature, become whole slowly. There is a profound insecurity in ourselves, a hesitancy to believe in our own goodness, a lack of trust in our capability as a human being. Jesus speaks directly to this corner of our inner souls when he speaks to the disciples, when he offers a hand to Peter. 

Mary is conscious of this very same human limitation, or perhaps better put, of this process that continues in our lives. The scene at La Salette begins with Maxi-min and Melanie coming in touch with their own fears. Mary immediately ad-dresses this: "Do not be afraid!" She speaks in then local patois for the children to understand. She uses images from their lives and from the experience of Maxi-min with his father in the fields. Mary seeks to be a reassuring presence to the children. She then expresses her confidence in them, inviting them to go out and announce their experience to others.

TUESDAY OF THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR   Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14

"He called the crowd and said to them, 'Listen and understand.

No one is defiled by what goes into his mouth; only by what conies out of it.”

Jesus invites his listeners to be attentive to the sentiments and values of their hearts. He wants to be clear in his teaching. The core values that influ­ence how a person lives, makes decisions and acts are the very values with which Jesus invites us to be concerned. We are not to be distracted by the superficial_, the external, the secondary. Jesus challenges us to be clearly focused on what is re-ally important in our lives.

At La Salette, Mary raises the question of language Sacred language is being used carelessly, betraying an underlying attitude of disrespect. Speech is one way to express the sentiments of the heart It is a distinct way to reveal who we are, what is important to us and how we shape our lives. Attentive to our speech, we may become more attentive to the core values that govern our lives, motivate as and influence the way we live.

WEDNESDAY OF THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR Matthew 15:21-28

"The woman came and fell at his feet and cried, 'Help me Sir'
Jesus replied, It is not right to lake the children^'s bread and thane
it to the dogs. True sir; she answered, 'and yet the dogs eat the
scraps that fall from their master's table."

It is a humble, peasant, gentile woman who challenges Jesus to extend his compassion beyond the house of Israel, beyond the boundaries of family and tribal clan  with  whom Jesus had become initially identified. Jesus boldly responds to someone, who might be considered an outcast in the eyes of his society , with compassion and love and healing.

Is it possible to imagine that Mary could have chosen others to be the witnesses at La Salette. In the eyes and opinions of the residents of the hamlets located around La Salette, the response would be a resounding yes. The credibility of the wit­nesses challenges the credibility of the message. The fact is that these two illiter­ate, unknown and little appreciated adolescents were chosen and entrusted with a profound message. The good news is not restricted to the well to do nor to any exclusive club founded on ethnic origin, skin color or cultural tradition.

THURSDAY OF THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR     Matthew 16:13-23

'Then Jesus turned and said to Peter; 'Out of my sight, Satan: you are a
stumbling block to me. You think as men think, not as God thinks'"

What a challenge! To think as God thinks and not in the terms of hu­man perspective and vision. Paul urges us "to put on the mind of Christ," Jesus lets it be known that following him will stretch us to look at life in a new way. There is no such thing as a "heart grace Thⁱs is a Savior willing to pay the  p^rice himself first. This is a Savior willing to love us first. And as beloved eons and daughters. we are called to follow in his footsteps, to understand the transi­tory nature of human life in this world and to share in paying the price of humankind's redemption.

At La Salette, Mary clearly states that a business-as-usual, a lax attitude towards the sacred, is unacceptable behavior for the disciples of Jesus. Whether it is one's language, prayer, attendance at Mass or respect for Lenten regulations, these matters are serious because they reflect what is in the heart. Mary's communion with her Son is so profound that she longs for each of "her people" to share that intimacy with the Holy One, Our words and deeds are valued not because of the prevailing fad or custom but because of their intrinsic worth and merit.

What control do the opinions of others have upon the decisions I may make this day? Do listen most attentively to the prompting of my heart or the whispers of my friends?

FRIDAY OF THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK OF THE YEAR      Matthew 16:24-28

"Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses           life
for my sake will find it What will anyone gain by winning the whole world
at the cost of his life?"

All of Scripture speaks the Word of God and the message of Jesus in proclaiming the reign of God. Some passages, however, cut to he heart of the matter, to the quick of the subject. Here Jesus touches what is central to his whole message and preaching. Life exists beyond the observable that we encoun­ter daily. Life indeed has many layers of meaning. External success, achieve­ment, honor, prestige, wealth, and all that might accompany these, ultimately will pass. In fact, they may stifle real life. Winning and gaining, accomplishing and achieving for itself alone is really losing and costing one's life. What a paradox!

Mary's intervention at La Salette speaks the same message. Life is a precious gift, not to be taken for granted. Our lives are sacred. Creation is sacred. We honor the sacredness of our lives and of creation by a deep inner connection with the divine presence made manifest in Jesus, in other human beings and in creation. This is an invitation to go beneath the surface of life and to live deeply. It is an invitation to see life as much more than a series of social interactions. It is an invitation to read the events of our lives with a respectful heart.

Do I take time each day to examine the motives of my choices? I low important k the good opinion of other in my decision making? Am I willing to take unpopular positions?

SATURDAY OF THE EIGHTEENTH WEEK OE THE YEAR Matthew 17:14-20

"Your faith is too small nothing will be impossible for you."

Life is filled with unpredictable events. It is filled with joys and tragedies. A human life usually knows praise and undeserved hurt. Life brings with it many hopes and aspirations as well as disappointments. The disciple is one who often responds wit_h prayer to these various moments of life. We rejoice when events seem to go our way and we anguish when our expectations are unfulfilled. We hope that our prayer will be met with answers that respond to our desires. Jesus suggests a richer, more complex and pro found faith. We are invited to bring who we are in prayer and entrust that to our God. Such prayer will give us an new appreciation of God's presence and lead us to new ways of living, loving and being healed.

Mary helps Maximin recall the spoiled wheat that he and his father saw at Coin. She connects the breakdown of human relationships and the rupture of our rela­tionship with God to the agricultural disaster of spoiled wheat, rotted potatoes and worm-eaten walnuts. She suggests that when our hearts have turned to our God then "rocks and stones will turn into heaps of wheat and the potatoes will be self-sown in the fields." Once true faith burns within our hearts, life takes on another perspective_. Our human relationships will know wholeness when we are in a right relationship with God. Inner strength will sustain us. We will have an inner force to face the future with hope.

Am I able to acknowledge a desire for God's strength to sustain, empower and guide me this day? Do I have the courage to hear God's call for me in the desired as well as in the unwelcome experiences of each day?