Wednesday July 12, 2023 Matthew 10:1-7, Ronald Raab, CSC

Dear Believers,

Jesus called the unwieldy twelve. Different sets of brothers, one tax collector, even a man who would later betray Jesus. Jesus called and they followed. Jesus sent them in mission to cure the sick and drive out demons. Jesus’ voice was compelling. The word apostle of course, means, “the one sent”. 

Jesus called them into a relationship with him that was truly eternal. Their call did not melt away in the sun or get washed into the sea. The call was not diminished by their sins, their doubt or even their betrayal. The Kingdom became the new ground upon which they found their identity. The call into the Kingdom of God became more valuable than gold or lofty ambition.   

Last March, I offered a retreat with our Holy Cross Brothers in Austin. I arrived from the airport during lunch. I sat across from a brother who is 95 years old. He immediately admitted to me that he lived his vocation in Brazil for 50 years. He whispered to me that he I left his heart there. Then he said to me that no one had asked him about his life and experiences in his new home in Austin. He breathed in and said that his vocation now is to find his heart in a new way. He told me over sipping his soup that he was afraid of such unknown wilderness.   

We, too, have the experience in our professed religious life of being sent. Now, in our lives God gives us a different mission. We are called more deeply into our souls.  Our hearts discover a new territory of love. Jesus who once called us into the world, calls us now to live with great intention and purpose and even a deeper love. In this place, we are to realize our call does not fade with time or age. The call of God in our lives does not expire or find its completion when we age out of our jobs.  No illness or disease, memory loss or body pain, can separate us from the call implanted in our hearts to follow Christ, to live as religious and priests.  

Our call did not end in the wars of Uganda or in the mountains of Peru. It was not finished when we taught our last college semester or when we left the parish. Our call does not end even though our hearing is impaired or our knees are artificial. Our call as baptized people may look different on the outside as we age, but remains intact in the threads of our souls.    

We can never forget our spiritual calling to follow Christ. We need to help one another. God is still calling us among lost sheep. Jesus is still challenging us to proclaim the presence of the Kingdom of God. Jesus still asks us to repent and to forgive. Jesus still desires us to heal the demons of our inner lives and to touch the mystery of God’s fidelity. Our hearts in Holy Cross House are the territory in which Jesus calls each of us. So, we pray this inner journey.  

As you go and as we age, make this proclamation: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.”

God give you peace.

July 16, 2023

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For the unity of our Universal Church. May the seeds of compassion grow richly among people who are cast aside, forgotten, and in need of the basics of life. May seeds of harmony spring up forever.

We pray to the Lord.

For farmers and all who tend the earth’s soil. May God plant hope upon our earth to provide food for the nations.  May the seed of peace spring up forever in our lives.

We pray to the Lord.

For the good fruits of our labors. May the actions of all believers bring renewed reconciliation and concord among families and nations of people.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who will vacation this summer. May we all find rest and harmony while the sun is high. May our lakes, oceans, and mountains be reminders of our need to care for ourselves and the planet we enjoy.

We pray to the Lord.

For the good seeds of love planted by Christ alone. May we receive in our daily prayer the richness of God’s fidelity toward us. May we live lightly upon the earth bearing the good fruit of justice and harmony.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who cannot care for themselves. May our ill be loved and the good seeds of God’s healing be manifest in our actions and concerns for the sick and marginalized.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who have been abused and life’s potential taken from them. May God plant hope deeply in the hearts of people who bear the pain of negligence and cruelty. May hope spring up in love.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who bear the sorrow of loss from mass shootings and hatred. May we all pause upon the earth. May we tread lightly so to see the value of all human life.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who have died in recent days. May the seeds of faith lead to the full harvest of God’s Kingdom. May they rest in eternal light and glory in the sight of Christ our Savior.

We pray to the Lord.

CLICK here to read today’s scriptures

CLICK HERE to listen to today’s reflection

July 9, 2023

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For Francis, our Pope, for _____, our Bishop. May their leadership move us into integrity of faith and action in our world. May they invite the weary to rest in love alone.

We pray to the Lord.

For the confusion within our hearts and the burdens upon our shoulders. May we rest in the heart of Christ and find our home in God’s mercy.

We pray to the Lord.

For our loved ones who live in the confusions and questions of ill health. May our panic be eased and our concerns find the heart of Christ. May our anxieties be quieted in Jesus’s presence with us.

We pray to the Lord.

For our children who have been abused. For our runaways and our youth who long for a secure home. For our little ones who have been scarred at an early age and who wait for a new day of freedom.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who live behind closed curtains and in the confines of a lack of mobility. May Christ carry our dreams into the promise of eternity.

We pray to the Lord.

For our children who live in the middle of split parenting. May their burdens of a lack of identity be housed in the heart of Jesus’s care and love for them.

We pray to the Lord.

For our world that is numb to hatred and violence across our globe. May our hearts be open to the voice of concern and love of people who carry the heaviest of burdens.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who have lost their taste and smell. May our physical senses be refreshed in the sweetness of the Eucharist. May our service provide genuine flavor and hope for the weary and the lost.  

We pray to the Lord.

For our loved ones who wait for Jesus to accept their last breath. May we grieve our relationships and find meaning in their stories of love. May grief lead us to wisdom.

We pray to the Lord.

For our friends and family members who have died. May our ties among people who have taught us love not be unraveled in death. May we be changed by loss and allow love to flourish for all eternity.

We pray to the Lord.

CLICK HERE to read today’s scriptures

CLICK HERE to listen to today’s reflection

July 2, 2023

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For the well-being of Francis, our Pope and ____, our Bishop. May God instill within our leaders a compassionate heart to welcome the weary and the lost.

We pray to the Lord.

For harmony and rest within our nation. May we work for the good of all people and toward a secure future for people who ache for sufficient housing and adequate food. May we know justice in dawn’s early light.

We pray to the Lord.

For foster parents and parents who have adopted children. May their homes and hearts become a place of genuine hospitality and welcome for children lost along the fray.

We pray to the Lord.

For the good of our earth, our fields of growth, and our refreshing waters. May we work toward the benefit of the planet upon which we live. May we enjoy and delight in farm fresh fruits and vegetables of summer.

We pray to the Lord.

For the well-being of our loved ones on this holiday weekend. May we enjoy the richness of family picnics or at the bedside of an ill loved one or on the beach or mountainside.

We pray to the Lord.

For hospitality workers and people who serve us every day. For window washers, caregivers, aides, waitstaff, personal assistants and cashiers. May we recognize the beauty of hospitality and the acceptance of all people.

We pray to the Lord.

For our abandoned poor and people longing for survival. May we take the gospel to heart and live with the assurance of God’s grace as we reach out to strangers in need.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who grieve in hot summer days. May our grief find sunlight and hope. May we be consoled by God’s forgiveness and comfort.

We pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead. May our loved ones find eternal rest in the glory of God’s presence. May they stand before the face of Christ Jesus.

We pray to the Lord.

CLICK here to read today’s scriptures

CLICK HERE to listen to today’s reflection

CLICK HERE to read my article in The Springs Echo, July 2023

The Springs Echo is a street newspaper from Colorado Springs, CO. The newspaper advocates for people in poverty and offers them a voice about social issues. Unfortunately, the paper will end production in August. It has been a pleasure to contribute to this newspaper for the past few years.

CLICK HERE to read my latest article in The Priest Magazine, July 2023

The Priest Magazine is published by Our Sunday Visitor, Fort Wayne, Indiana

June 25, 2023

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For people who lead our Church. May Francis, our Pope, ___, our Bishop, raise up people diminished by hopelessness and despair. May God, in great mercy, turn toward us.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who feel lost in society’s anguish and hatred. May we erase fear among people and calm the torment of their hearts.

We pray to the Lord.

For families who have lost children to gun violence. May we have the courage to work together toward the well-being of our next generation. May our children be worth more than many sparrows.

We pray to the Lord.

For resources and education toward climate awareness. May we grow in our efforts to work toward healing and rejuvenation of our planet. May God help us heal the earth upon which we live.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who do not feel worthy to stand upon the earth. May we embrace people who have been abused and shamed in life. May we all walk together with hope and integrity upon our land.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who are ill and who live with chronic pain and disease. May we tend to our loved ones who ache for consolation and love.

We pray to the Lord.

For immigrants and those who seek freedom and home. May our hearts welcome the stranger and help them discover their value worth more than many sparrows.

We pray to the Lord.

For our children who play in summer and who invest themselves in exploration and travel. May our young find delightful rest in the heat of summer. May they remain curious about their future and our common lives.

We pray to the Lord.

For our loved ones who have died. May they be welcomed into a homeland of abundant worth and forgiveness.

We pray to the Lord.