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But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50

The sinful woman at the Pharisee’s house really had her pistons of faith combusting on fire for Jesus. I say that because the Greek root word for faith here is ”pistis.” Pistis might be an important word to know since Jesus said it was the sinful woman’s faith that saved her soul from eternal destruction.

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Matthew 10:28

I think back years ago I was assisting a caretaker of a large parcel of property with the handling of dynamite. Well, I wasn’t actually anywhere around the dynamite, but he, Donald, was right in the middle of it. Donald was in the process of working to blow up a wooded dam that was creating ecological issues in a nearby field. A few of us had driven down to where Donald was working to watch. I suppose we were also on standby in case something went wrong. After all, it was dynamite.

God rescues us from dangers beyond all human expectation.  – St. Basil

I remember asking him while he was crouched down nervously humming to himself, working with the dynamite,

“Donald, did you take a course or get some kind of certification in using dynamite?”

There was a slight pause. And Donald, who was somewhat submerged in a slough, briefly stopped working and looked up at us with a reply in his deep, Southern drawl,

“Yeah, yeah, I did.”

Then, as I recall, he stopped splicing wires or whatever he was doing just for a second, and he looked up again and said to us rather quickly but effectively,

“…It’s best to know all there is to know about it.”

I think we all laughed, but only slightly. We didn’t want him to lose focus. He immediately went right back to work and began nervously humming to himself again.

Hold fast to instruction, never let it go; keep it, for it is your life. Proverbs 4:13

The dam eventually blew. The explosion was incredibly powerful, much more powerful than I had anticipated. The ground shook. Shards of wood and debris went flying up in the air, and I think all of us that were there skipped a heartbeat that day.

If men knew what eternity is, they would do everything to change their lives. – Our Lady of Fatima to Blessed Jacinta Marto

If that’s was what a stick of dynamite can do to a waterlogged field, I really don’t want to stick around for the day of God’s wrath. That day will inevitably come down upon the earth and make the earth tremble to its very core. I feel pretty certain there will be more than enough trembling to go around for everyone on that day.

Be humble in this life, that God may raise you up in the next. – St. Stephen of Hungary

It’s much better to be humble for Jesus and raised on the last day, than to be puffed up with pride and blown out with the chaff in the wind. 

His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. Matthew 3:12

I don’t know for certain if Donald was a man of God, but I knew him to be a rather humble and soft spoken man, and he was hospitable, much more so than the typical arrogant Pharisee in the Gospels. Despite the age gap, he always was respectful to me. He passed away from cancer years ago. May his soul rest in peace. I would like to think Donald is up in heaven playing a steel guitar for a harp. I’d like to think he is looking down at all of us saying rather wittingly in his red-blooded southern accent,

“…Yeah, it’s best to know all there is to know about it.”

We’re not playing with dynamite here. We’re taking about eternity!  And what I am saying is that Donald is looking down at us telling us we need to know the scriptures.

Blessed is the man who does not walk

in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the way of sinners,

nor sit in company with scoffers.

Rather, the law of the LORD is his joy;

and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalms 1:1-2

Can our lives flow the course with the peaceful Psalms? What happened to that sinful woman? Only God knows. We’re not told what she did, or what she didn’t do. What we do know is she had learned about Jesus, and it changed the course of her life forever.

Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he (Jesus) was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Luke 7:37

We can follow her lead right there. She learned. She learned about Jesus. And when she did, she abandoned her old sinful ways of the world, and she followed Him.

The world hates Christians, so why give your love to it instead of following Christ, who loves you and has redeemed you? – St. Cyprian

Let it be no surprise, she had the courage to go in there and stand not in the company of the self-righteous Pharisees, but rather, with Jesus himself.

she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. Luke 7:38

Standing close to Jesus, a cleansing from her past sins began with weeping and repentant tears. Despite her sinful past, she was willing to learn about Jesus. And the scriptures confirm this woman accepted Jesus in her heart. What a blessing that is.

In turn, her repentance flowed forth with charitable acts of love.

So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. Luke 7:47

Forgiveness! The many sins of her previous life were forgiven by Jesus the Lord. It was the woman’s faith in Jesus that showed she had turned away from the sins of her past, and she was now experiencing Jesus’s mercy in her life firsthand.

The woman in Luke’s Gospel gives us an example to follow. When we turn to Jesus in our life with acts of love from our faith, Jesus will turn to us with his mercy just as he did to the repentant woman who accepted Him in her heart.

Then he turned to the woman… Luke 7:44

On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, “Let us cross to the other side.”  Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”

The wind ceased and there was great calm.

Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

They were filled with great awe and said to one another,

“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” Mark 4:35-41

The first thing Jesus did after he rebuked the storms was ask the disciples about their faith. St. Mark’s Gospel reading is symbolic. The storm tossed boat occupied by the disciples with Jesus is an image of the Church. Jesus in the stern “asleep on the cushion” is the same Jesus with us in the tabernacles of our parishes today.

In peace I will lie down and fall asleep,

for you alone, LORD, make me secure. Psalms 4:9

It sometimes may seem like Jesus has abandoned us in the midst of the world’s trials and relentless waves pressing upon us, but with sanctuary lamp lit, we know in faith Jesus is with us in the holy tabernacle of the Church.

Christ dwelt for nine months in the tabernacle of Mary’s womb. He dwells until the end of the ages in the tabernacle of the Church’s faith. He will dwell forever in the knowledge and love of each faithful soul.” + Blessed Isaac of Stella

And sometimes Jesus gets up.

…Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. Matthew 8:26b

Whenever Jesus rises up in your life expect miracles to follow.

Christ is risen. His rising brings life to the dead, forgiveness to sinners, and glory to the saints.” + St. Maximus of Turin

We know Jesus in the boat is symbolic of the presence of Jesus in the Church.

Not in this life, it is true, but only in eternity will God be all in all, yet even now he dwells, whole and undivided, in his temple the Church. + St. Leo the Great

The stormy sea is symbolic of chaos and the mysterious evil forces that proliferate through the world wherever there is no faith found in Jesus the Lord.

When evil days are upon us and the worker of malice gains power, we must attend to our own souls and seek to know the ways of the Lord. + St. Barnabas

Be assured, these demonic powers have no power over the Lord Jesus.

By his wind the heavens were made clear,

his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. Job 26:13

The devil and his legions of minions are sent fleeing at the very name of Jesus.

By invoking the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, Satan is driven out of men. + St. Irenaeus

And what about those terrified disciples thrust about in the waves of the storm?  I looked up the root word “terrified.” The Greek word is deilos, and it means to be fearful and faithless.  It is also describes Christians who give way to the onslaught of evil by means of cowardice.  It would be like a soldier abandoning his foxhole during the onslaught of battle. Wherever we are in life, each of us has to courageously hold fast to our faith in Jesus under trials and persecution , for he is truly on board with us.

Don’t give up.

Fight the beautiful fight of faith.

Bear your share of hardship along with me like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:3

Like the genuine faith of Moses, you’ve got to keep pressing forward and moving ahead in the life God has given you, regardless of any obstacles you are facing.

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s fury, for he persevered as if seeing the one who is invisible. Hebrews 11:27

Can we see the invisible Jesus in the tabernacle of our church? Can we know it in our bones that only Jesus can calm the tempests and storms in our life?

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Can we stay strong for Jesus by living out our faith in Him?

I arise today through the mighty strength of the Lord of creation. + St. Patrick

In faith, we know Jesus is the Lord of authority. With eternal power beyond human understanding, Jesus has authority over creation, the cosmos,  nature, demons, disease and death (Mark 4:35 – 5:43).  Jesus’ authority is confirmed in scripture.

When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.  Matthew 7:28-29

We Christians have faith in Jesus’ divinity and supreme authority. The disciples were aboard the boat with Jesus, but they weren’t totally on board with Jesus’ divine authority. They did not yell fully comprehend Jesus as Lord, but they knew he was one special rabbi. The disciples knew Jesus was special beyond human understanding.

They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Some people have more faith in Jesus than others. We see this display of unwavering faith play out even during the days of Jesus’ ministry through all types of people.

The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed

For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. Matthew 8:8-10

Jesus is delighted with our faith in him. Generally, people are amazed at Jesus, but in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus was amazed with the faith of a Gentile centurion.  

What about us?

Where do we stand in the mystery of faith?

Do we believe with all of our being Jesus can calm the storms and chaos in our life? Are we present with Jesus in the boat? Do we have complete faith that Jesus is leading each of us across the seas of our life with him on board with us?

…He said to them, “Let us cross to the other side.” 

Our great calm, our truest joy in life will be found in Jesus and His Blessed Mother.

Do you know the surest way to learn the will of God? It is the way of prayer to our good Mother Mary! – St. John Vianney

Jesus’ joy is found in our faith and loyalty to him as Lord.

…‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ Matthew 25:21

All praise and glory be to Jesus. If you want to experience more calmness, more joy and amazement in the peace of Christ, invite his Blessed Mother into your life.

Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.”

And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. John 19:27

Mary, Mother of God, we salute you.  +  St. Cyril of Alexandria

Our Blessed Mother’s rosary is a meditative prayer on the Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous and Glorious Mysteries of her divine son Jesus the Gospels.

The rosary is also the Blessed Mother’s favorite prayer.

The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God…and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.  + St. Pius X

It is interesting to note, the Blessed Mother is present in every Joyful Mystery.

The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) Spiritual Fruit: Humility

The Visitation (Luke 1:39-53) Spiritual Fruit: Love of Neighbor

The Nativity of Our Lord (Luke 2:6-19) Spiritual Fruit: Detachment

The Presentation (Luke 2:32-39) Spiritual Fruit: Obedience

Finding Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:42-52) Spiritual Fruit: Perseverance

If families give Our Lady fifteen minutes a day by reciting the Rosary, I assure them that their homes will become, by God’s grace, peaceful places. + Father Patrick Peyton

When he was going back to the city in the morning, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went over to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again.” And immediately the fig tree withered.

When the disciples saw this, they were amazed and said, “How was it that the fig tree withered immediately?”

Jesus said to them in reply, “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith and do not waver, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” Matthew 21:18-22

In Old Testament times, the fig tree depicted God’s people. The fruit was symbolic of the faithfulness of God’s people. And so it is with us today. Much faithfulness yields much fruit for God. No faith in Jesus yields no fruit, only thorns and thistles.

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. John 15:5

The Land Owner is hungry and checks on his fig tree for fruit. If the right ingredients are there, good soil, abundant sunshine and rain, we could see how the Land Owner would be delighted to find the fig trees in his orchard are producing good fruit.

Let it be no surprise that a lone fig tree outside the orchard isn’t producing good fruit.

Woe to the soul that does not have Christ to cultivate it with care to produce the good fruit of the Holy Spirit. Left to itself, it is choked with thorns and thistles; instead of fruit it produces only what is fit for burning.  – St. Macarius

If you thought of yourself as a fig tree planted somewhere in the orchard of the Land Owner, how much fruit do you feel you are producing? Are you planted on good soil? Yes you are. Are you getting abundant sunshine and rain in your life? Will the Land Owner walk up to you one day hungry for fruit? What will he find?

Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. Matthew 3:8

The cursing of the fig tree by Jesus is indirectly symbolic of God’s judgment on the temple and temple authorities for not producing good fruit. It is also symbolic of God’s judgment on Israel for failure to be faithful to God in loyalty and righteousness.

Thus, it is also indirectly symbolic of God’s judgment on the unfaithful.

And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,

he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. [So] cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ Luke 13:6-7

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Is living in sin among godless thorns and thistles the new norm for today’s culture? What happened to the unfruitful fig tree represents what will happen to an unfruitful nation and its temple.

I will send upon them sword, famine, and pestilence, until they have disappeared from the land which I gave them and their ancestors. Jeremiah 24:10

Sacrament of Confession anyone? Yes, please. May God’s sanctifying grace be restored in our penitent hearts through the holy sacrament give to us by God in his Church.

In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide you from myself, not myself from you. – St. Augustine

Confess sins. Do Penance. Amend Life. Repeat.

Those who conceal their sins do not prosper, but those who confess and forsake them obtain mercy. Proverbs 28:13

I recently watched a documentary on a devout priest, Father Aloysius Ellacuria, CMF. Well, I will confess to you here I have actually watched this documentary film (available on Formed.org) several times because the unwavering faith of this blessed priest inspires me. I told my Uncle that if St. Padre Pio was a bottle of Coke, Father Aloysius was bottle of Diet Coke.  Fr. Aloysius was truly a holy man.

Your gardens my dear brothers and sisters, your gardens are beautiful gardens of God. He is very pleased with you, and so, you are as good gardeners, of the garden of God that is your soul through the sanctifying grace, through all the virtues that are growing in this mystical garden of your soul. And, in order that our garden be well pleased to be the delight of Christ we must do our level best all these days. And, any fault that we notice in ourselves, to pluck it out without any compassion to ourselves. – Father Aloysius Ellacuria, CMF

Whoah! You have to be a saint just to think like that. But that is who Father Aloysius was. One thing that stood out to me while watching the documentary (which I thought was well made) was that Fr. Aloysius was always in prayer.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

You don’t have to necessarily be kneeling at the foot of your bed or in a church pew to be praying. You can be praying while standing, walking, driving etc.

That is what Fr. Aloysius did.

Prayer is nothing else but union with God.  – St. John Vianney

Not only did Fr. pray to God, but he also prayed much to the Blessed Mother, the saints and even the angels. In fact, Father prayed so much for the intercession of the angels and saints, the name of the film is titled, “The Angel of Biscay.”  Of course, the stories and accounts about Fr. Aloysius in the documentary are astounding. He was man of many miracles, but most importantly, he was a man of faith and a priest of God.

Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.

Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.

Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.

Holy and humble of heart, bless the Lord;

praise and exalt him above all forever.

Daniel 3:84-87

You see, we’re all in God’s garden together. He is the Creator. We are the created. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. And we are the fig trees in the garden of God.  Do we have faith in Jesus? Are we his delight with the way we choose to live our lives?

Lord, my God, teach me your ways

– Make me live by the light of your truth

We can learn a lesson from the holy priest, Fr. Aloysius. To be fruitful in Christ is to walk with him throughout our day and throughout our lives.

You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you:

Only to do justice

and to love goodness,

and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

To be fruitful in Christ is to be confident that our prayers are being heard in heaven.

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22

To be fruitful in Christ is to be faithful to the Lord with unyielding love for Jesus, for ourselves and love for one another, even those who hate us.

But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:44

Pluck away the vices. Prune out the deceitful weeds of selfishness. May our humility and good deeds find growth in God our Creator.  May our souls be the delight of Jesus, and may the Lord’s sanctifying grace shine through our hearts, shine through our Church, and shine forth ahead of us along our journey through this world.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path Psalms 119:105

A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. Matthew 9:20-22

I don’t know about you, but I take comfort in knowing that there are good people out there like the woman with the hemorrhage in Matthew’s Gospel who are determined to make things right in this world through their unwavering faith in God.

In the hemorrhaging culture we live in today, we need people like you and me to take a courageous step in our faith and reach out to Jesus with an open hand.

The power of the Spirit fills the whole universe, but he gives himself only to those who are worthy, acting in each according to the measure of his faith.  – St. Basil

Just yesterday, I heard that my high school English teacher had passed. Today, I heard that an old friend’s wife has succumbed to cancer.

May they both rest in peace.

To rest in the Lord and to see his joy is like a banquet, and full of gladness and tranquility. – St. Ambrose

Life is short.

Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty, if we are strong; Most of them are toil and sorrow; they pass quickly, and we are gone. Psalms 90:10

Life is fragile.

We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. 1 Thessalonians 5:14

Life is a gift from God.

You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know. Psalms 139:13-14

I looked up the Greek root word for “courage” in the aforementioned Gospel passage. The word is “tharseo,” which means to be of good courage and of good cheer.  Jesus does not want us to be afraid. He says that time and time again in the Gospels.

If Christ is with me, whom shall I fear?  – St. John Chrysostom

A great reversal plays out in the pages of the Gospels. Jesus takes what was wrong and broken and makes things right and new through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The one who sat on the throne said,

“Behold, I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5a

The reversal with the afflicted woman is this – by touching the tassels on Jesus’ cloak it should have made Jesus, a Jew, ritually unclean.  But Jesus’ divinity and mercy heals the woman of her impurity instead. What immense joy for the soul who reaches out to Jesus in prayer and touches the tassels of his cloak in faith.

Great is the mercy that Jesus Christ has shown us.  – From a homily written in the second century

Mercy is Jesus’ specialty. We should follow his lead and show mercy to others.

If you hope for mercy, show mercy. If you look for kindness, show kindness. If you want to receive, give. – St Peter Chrysologus

The great reversals of Jesus unfold in the Gospels. Shortly after Jesus was baptized he got up and rolling with his ministry for the Kingdom of God, systematically destroying the devil’s evil barriers and strongholds down here on earth.

Jesus said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:

the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” Matthew 11:4-6

In reference to John the Baptist, Jesus provides John’s disciples a status update for John concerning his reversals and achievements. The works of the Messiah cannot be underestimated. Jesus came down from heaven in order to save us.

God became man so that man might become God.  – St. Augustine

A great reconciliation has begun for you and me!  Like the woman with the hemorrhage we find ourselves purified in the peace of Christ through the divine power of his immeasurable love for us.

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

We should never underestimate the sacramental of holy water.

When we apply holy water on us making the Sign of the Cross we believe we are being purified and protected in Christ, as if we were touching the tassels on Jesus’ cloak like the woman suffering from hemorrhages did in Matthew’s Gospel.

Holy water is blessed. It is a sacramental gift given to the Church from God.

What is water without the cross of Christ? Only an ordinary element without sacramental effect. – St. Ambrose

Be of good cheer! That’s what the Lord said. Jesus purifies. Jesus reconciles. Jesus heals. In faith, we can find these great works of mercy in our baptism.

Through baptism, God freely forgives all our sins and fills us with his Holy Spirit, making us his children – a status we could not achieve through our own efforts (Catechism 1262, 1265).

Here is one more thought about the great reversals of God working in the Gospels and in our lives.  We are baptized in holy water to be purified in God’s peace. Jesus was baptized to make the water holy for you and me!  His mercy endures forever.

Someone might ask: ‘Why would a holy man desire baptism?’ Listen to the answer: Christ is baptized, not to be made holy by the water, but to make the water holy, and by his cleansing to purify the waters which he touched.  – St. Maximus of Turin