Reflection from Friar Nicholas

SUNDAY, TWENTY SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Ezek 18:25-28; Ps 25:4-9; Phil 2:1-11; Mt 21:28-32 Doing the Will of the Father Our sins and sinful habits cause us to dwell in darkness. They make us remain ignorant of the will of God, our Father. To begin our journey toward the light, we must think deeply and understand what sin is. Sin is basically the abandonment of God’s holy will to do our own will. From the moment of the fall of Adam and Eve, the will of God that was clear to them became obscure, for they chose to do their own will at the instigation of the devil. Since the doing of our own will is always at the instigation of the devil, we not only sin against God by doing what we want instead of what God wants of us, but we become evil and share in the communion of evil doers. On this understanding, we see that God did not totally abandon us at the fall; he gave us his word about a future redemption of our race in the promise of the woman and her Offspring. That was a prophetic...

SATURDAY, TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Eccles 11:9-12:8; Ps 90:3-6,12-14,17; Lk 9:43-45 The Death of the Son of Man Growing up, none of us gave a thought to death. This is understandable, given that youth is a time when life is at its fullest and most ripe. All human senses and faculties are at their best and fully functional in youths. It is rare for a youth to think of death or the end of life, when life is at its fullest. To overcome the temptations of prime, the preacher bids youths to think of God and the requirement of judgment. “Rejoice in your youth, you who are young; let your heart give you joy in your young days. Follow the promptings of your heart and the desires of your eyes. But this you must know: for all these things God will bring you to judgement.” The excess energy of young age should not be wasted on useless amusements and pastimes but directed to disciplining of our passions and acquiring knowledge, which is a rigorous enterprise. The overflowing ener...

FRIDAY, TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Eccles 3:1-11; Ps 144:1-4; Lk 9:18-22 Knowing the Christ of God We have a very short time to live on earth. But the shortness of our mortal life is not the original plan of God but a consequence of the original fall of our first parents and our sins. The Scriptures testify that death is a consequence of sin. God made us to be like him; to share his communion in eternity. God's original intention for us was not abrogated but is now a matter of choice. Our temporal life is a time given to us to choose to be with God and work for its realisation with the grace he provides for us in Jesus Christ. Though death is a consequence of our sins, God offers us eternal life in his Son, Jesus Christ. The grace to understand the opportunity our mortal life offers us and use it is not a common grace from God. The difficulty surrounding our coming to wisdom and salvation is not God’s doing, but due to the multiplication of sins and darkness. Both in ...

THURSDAY, TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Eccles 1:2-11; Ps 90:3-6,12-14,17; Lk 9:7-9 The Vanity of Life outside the Vineyard Many of us are familiar with the frustration of not having the right instrument or equipment for a particular task. Consider, for example, attempting to loosen a nut without the right spanner. One can injure oneself or destroy the bolt and nut in the attempt. The same applies when we live to pursue earthly things and passing amusements and pleasure. These engagements may provide momentary pleasures or amusement, but these do not last because our lives are not made for creatures. The life we have received is a mystery and something beyond our comprehension. But to sound its depth, we must acquire the right key or access code to unlock the door of life and its meaning. As we have noted previously in our reflections, we are the vineyard of God, the inheritance of his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can unlock the meaning of our lives and give us ...

SAINT PIUS OF PIETRELCINA (PADRE PIO), PRIEST Prov 30:5-9; Ps 119:28,72,89,101,104,163; Lk 9:1-6 The Vineyard of the Son of God The vineyard of the God of the hosts is the Son’s inheritance. The Son is one with the Father and knows the Father’s will. Thus, he cultivates the vineyard to the Father’s taste. The vineyard is his inheritance, for all that the Father has belongs to the Son. The Son is the Word, and the Word was with God from the beginning; through him all things were made. Since all things were made through him, all things will be restored to the Father through him. John tells us that the Word enlightens all men who come into the world. Therefore, the Son calls and instructs all who are employed to work in the vineyard. We are the vineyard of the Lord; the work to be done in us must be carried out with the Son’s specification. To be unwilling to work in the vineyard is to attempt to usurp what is not ours, but the Son’s inheritance. To put it simply, our temporal lives...

TUESDAY, TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Prov 21:1-67,10-13; Ps 119:1,27,30,34-35,44; Lk 8:19-21 Our Employment in the Vineyard We are the vineyard of the God of Hosts. God seeks out all who are willing and eager to earn the day’s wage and employs them in the divine vineyard. God employs all who are employable and willing to work in his vineyard. Being part of God's vineyard implies that our primary work is within us, cooperating with God's grace to become members of Jesus Christ, the true vine. God employs us, as cooperators, to do his work within us and to work with us round and about us. Hence, God requires all who enter his service to die to self ritually and intentionally through the sacrament of baptism. Without this sacramental initiation, we cannot gain access to the Lord’s vineyard and take part in the work therein. This is the initial contract God agrees with us. We give ourselves in his vineyard, and God remunerates us with a denarius, the wage for a day’s l...