By: Laura Worhacz

By: Ivonne J. Hernandez

I think this was the first meeting of the TCA (Tax Collectors Anonymous) support group. Matthew’s behavior after his encounter with Jesus must have changed radically. I think perhaps these other sinners, who had known Matthew for a long time, could not recognize him now and decided to come to his house and see who this Jesus person was. Maybe some of those men were there to satisfy their curiosity, but I am sure that those who were there seeking the medicine that healed Matthew, received it, and went home a different way. When we allow God’s mercy to transform us, our story of redemption brings others to Christ; it shows the world that “nothing will be impossible for God” (Lk 1:37).

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt 9:13). The Bible does not tell us what Matthew was thinking right before his encounter with Jesus, but he must have been looking for something. Maybe he was struggling with the consequences of his choices, wondering if there was a better way to live, when he heard the words, “Follow me”. Matthew responded to the call. He rose up from the depth of his misery; he left his past behind and followed Jesus. And as he followed, he pointed the way for others.

As Christians, or followers of The Way, we have a responsibility to bring others to Christ. I wonder what would have happened if Matthew thought he was “fine” and that he could figure a way out of whatever was bothering him. Would he have even looked up from his ledger to notice Jesus passing by? Would their eyes have had the opportunity to meet? Whatever is going on in our lives, we are called to rise above our misery, lift up our eyes, and encounter Mercy himself. And then, as we experience God’s mercy and allow it to transform us, we must let the way we live our lives point the way and bring others to Christ.

By: Laura Worhacz

​Dearest Eucharistic Family,

The Triumph of the Cross of Jesus Christ, our victory over sin and death. Take a moment to think of the darkest time of your life. In this memory imagine yourself crawling to the Cross of Christ. Look up, see what God has absorbed for the love of the world. We see Jesus who loved us more than life on earth. It is at the foot of the Cross where we are sanctified, transformed, redeemed. We know many of those darkest hours have worked for the good in our lives. They seem to condition us for the greater crosses that will come and to teach us to love and shed off our old selves; this is a lifelong process.  

In the First Reading of today’s Scriptures, Moses has a bronze serpent high on a pole, “and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.” (Num 21:4b-9). We are so blessed to have the foot of the Cross to place our hearts and the inner recesses of our being.
    
Quiet time allows us to encounter reality. God longs for our silent union with Him to identify with all He has allowed to happen in our lives. We invite it in… coming face to face, heart to heart with our life, child to father. In the quiet we see our gifts and graces. In the silence we see the faults, failures and the dark times. We look up at the serpent, the bronze serpent, we let go, and let God live and move and have His being in us.

“…so must the Son of man be lifted up” (Jn 3:14).  The Triumph of the Cross of Christ continues to bless the children of God. The Monstrance is too lifted, in the Benediction the utterance of Our Father’s love is found. “For God so loved the world” (Jn 3:13-17).
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By: Ivonne J. Hernandez

​“God our Father, …Sustain all those who hunger and thirst for you without knowing it, through the same Christ our Lord, Amen.”

As I prayed the Liturgy of the Hours with the Church this morning, the words above seemed to echo through time and space. I often think of how the prayers of those who came before me (parents, grandparents, godparents) have sustained me and helped me get to the place I am today. But this prayer expanded my awareness to see that I must be grateful for the whole Church who, from the moment of my Baptism nurtured me with her prayers and motherly care.

As we care for a limb suffering from poor circulation, so the Church cares for all the members of the body, especially those who are in danger of falling away. Every day, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered, and echoing through time and space we hear the words: “May the Lord accept this sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.”
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We are truly One Body in Christ. Just as what is good for us is good for the whole Body, what is bad for us is also bad for the whole Body. Sin is never individual; when we sin, we hurt ourselves, and when we hurt ourselves, we hurt the whole body. Our sin slows the flow of grace (or cuts it off completely in the case of mortal sin) to the whole section of the body that we are directly connected to and does not allow it to function properly. These dysfunctional relationships affect us all in one way or another. If we want to effect change in the world, we must act within our circle of influence, and that circle begins with our own hearts.

As I sit here today and see all the work left to do to make my heart a true vessel of grace, I take comfort that the same Church that nourished me and brought me to where I am today, will continue to sustain me and bring me to my true home one day. May the Lord give me the grace and joy of seeing there with me all those He gave me here, that in the midst of the mess that all of our dysfunction and sin bring, we may bear our crosses together and glorify His name…”for our good and the good of all his holy Church”.
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