• There is always an opportunity in life for forgiveness and redemption.
• No matter what one has done, Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is always available for forgiveness.
• There is always hope.
• When we turn to Jesus, He will run to greet us.
• We are truly important to Him and He will not let us down.
• Jesus is, indeed, out looking for us, calling to us.
• Can you hear Him?

• Jesus tells us that discipleship is not easy.
• Sometimes we will experience rifts in relationships.
• Frequently we must make sacrifices to live in accord with God’s will.
• Jesus tells us to think carefully of how we are conducting ourselves, lest we neglect to prepare for potential pitfalls ahead of us.
• We must not let anything get in the way of what Jesus wants us to do as His disciple.
• Not relatives who object, nor possessions which give us comfort should hinder our forward progress in discipleship.
• Are you looking forward?

• Everything we are and have comes from God.
• Let not social status or earthly possessions ever lead you to think otherwise.
• Humility, not pride, is what God asks of us.
• Be generous to others who cannot repay you.
• Be generous to those in need and those who are less able.
• You will be held in high esteem by your God and you will be rewarded mightily.
• What position at the banquet table will you take?

• The passion for mission Jesus noted in last week’s gospel is revisited today.
• Jesus tells us that we must work hard to join Him in heaven.
• We must be strong, persistent and dedicated to our mission.
• It is not enough to passively seek proximity to Jesus.
• Instead, he wants us to actively and passionately engage.
• We must seek the Father’s will and then live it, as He did.
• What is it that gets in your way of taking those daring steps?

• Jesus speaks with passion and intensity about His mission.
• His mission was not to smooth over or tolerate compromise between God’s will and the preference of individuals.
• Nor was it to accept indifference or a lukewarm attitude in His followers.
• His mission was to challenge complacency and creature comforts.
• People must make a choice between what they want and what God wants.
• Jesus offered his life for his mission in the baptism of fire that was His crucifixion.
• Are you willing to make the sacrifices to ignite a passion for your mission?

• Jesus encourages us to follow Him in faith and our relationship with others.
• It is so easy to get caught up in things that keep us from our obligations to our God and to each other.
• His promises must always be kept before us, so as to never forget that our salvation is at hand.
• We must live as if He is coming at any moment.
• We prepare for His coming by always being good stewards of all He has given us, in wealth and talent.
• What are we responsible for? Are we paying attention?

• God wants us to focus our lives on Him first.
• We often focus on worldly wealth.
• But in God’s eyes, wealth comes with grace, prayer and charity toward neighbor.
• Focus on self distracts us from our mission to care for and bring Jesus to others.
• This charity will store up heavenly treasure.
• And what could possibly be more valuable for our immortal souls?

· Jesus tells us that His Father wants us to ask for His help.
· He wants us to recognize His greatness, His love for us and His endless mercy.
· When we ask the Father for His help, we recognize our place – as His child.
· When we boldly ask for the Father’s help, we profess our faith in His benevolence.
· When we persist in our request we demonstrate our trust.
· Will you ask the Father?
· He is waiting for your petition.

• The worries of life must be kept in perspective.
• We must first attend to our relationship with Jesus.
• The peace of doing God’s will in your life will overshadow the tensions of worry.
• Tasks must be completed but only after we have set our mental house in order.
• Nothing must take the better part of our existence away from us.
• What in your life must be put in order?

• Jesus teaches us the meaning of mercy and love of neighbor.
• The life we now live is a prelude to eternal life.
• How we live it now is how we will live it in the future.
• Our love of God is demonstrated in our love of neighbor.
• Your neighbor is everyone around you.
• Jesus will tend to your wounds to help you better love and serve Him and your neighbor.

• Jesus prepares his disciples for their mission: Spreading the Gospel to the world.
• He prepares them for possible rejection and hostility.
• This guidance is for us as well.
• Our mission is imperative.
• But Jesus provides the grace to sustain us.
• Where?
• Here, in the celebration of the Eucharist.
• Will you seek the power that Mass can offer you?

• Jesus was about to go to Jerusalem for the completion of His mission.
• He said come follow me to those who wanted to participate with Him.
• He says to us your mission is to live and proclaim the good news in your world.
• Let nothing get in your way or distract you.
• Life must be about a focus on mission and the primacy of God in all things.
• Are you ready?

• Jesus tells His disciples that they must first be aware of their own interior motives and attitudes.
• For no matter how much we know, if we do not live the life we preach to others, our message is meaningless, or worse destructive.
• We live what is in our hearts be that good or evil.
• Can you be honest with yourself and with God about your actions and your motives?
• Can you allow humility to replace humanity’s greatest failing – pride?

• Jesus’ intent is to change the way the world works.
• Jesus’ message is to completely revise how we deal with our neighbor and, indeed, even our enemies.
• If love is to conquer evil it must start at a most basic level with each of us.
• Do not treat others in a way that expects a reward or something in return for your actions.
• Rather, let mercy and love guide you in every action.
• This is a radically different way compared to what the world teaches.
• Jesus expects a radically different change in the world as his teachings are implemented.
• Will you be part of this change?

• Jesus was the first to bring us this most common and most popular rule of life.
• Similarly, we are not to condemn, judge, or be reluctant to forgive.
• Jesus expects us to learn from him and live our lives accordingly.
• His mission was to further the building of the kingdom and our part is to help human beings live in a peaceful and reasonable way.
• Our actions can either help in the building of the kingdom or do things to tear it down.
• How can we just make things a little bit better?
• Can we apply what Jesus said to a part of our life today?

• Jesus challenged the apostles in the boat to take a risk.
• The apostles had explanations for why they had not been successful fishing based on their way of doing things.
• The apostles then trusted in what Jesus directed them to do and were astonished at the result.
• Jesus calls us to make changes in our lives and in how we follow his direction.
• We too will be astonished at what happens to us and those we encounter if we follow Jesus’ lead.
• Are we sometimes reluctant to trust in what Jesus says?

• Jesus knew what was in the hearts of the people who listened to Him speak in the Synagogue
• He emphasized that His healing grace and saving power were for any and all who believed, as both Elijah and Elisha demonstrated with their miracles.
• He could feel their sense of entitlement that they, as His chosen people, should be tended to
• He could also sense their bitterness, jealousy, anger and unbelief in His divinity.
• The comparison of self to Elijah and Elisha was the final straw for Jesus’ audience that day, resulting in rage so great that they wished to kill Him.
• What gets in the way of your belief in the ultimate power and transcendence of Jesus?
• What prevents you from hearing and fully accepting His words and His grace?

• Jesus performed many miracles as he began his formal ministry.
• He came to His home town and impressed all as He preached in the synagogue.
• He read from the prophet Isaiah and proclaimed: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”.
• Jesus clearly communicated who He was.
• He was rejected by his home community. He was Joseph’s son.  How could he be the Messiah?  They could not accept who He said He was.
• So many people knew and know who Jesus was, and is, but they cannot accept Him into their lives.
• What kept them and can keep us from accepting Jesus for who He is?

• We must always remember who we are and who God is. Humility must be a guide for our lives.
• Our position in life and our time, talents and treasure are always subordinate to Gods’ will for us.
• If you have much, much may be expected of you. If you only have less, less may be a lot for you to offer.
• Position, power and wealth will not protect you from life when it comes at you in ways you do not expect. But trust in God will get you through anything.
• The simple offering of a few coins from the widow, in today’s gospel, is a good example of both humility and trust in God. She gave much of what she had.
• Is it not a good opportunity to assess our assets and the risks of not using them wisely?

• Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem where He will complete his mission
• Can we, like the disciples, still not see what Jesus is doing?
• Cry out to Him in faith to cure your blindness
• Take courage! Jesus wants to heal you
• He asks: “What do you want?”
• What is it that we need to see better through Him?

· Approach life in the Kingdom with the openness to majesty, wonder and goodness that children have.
· Look at God’s gifts to us, especially one another, with gratitude and joy.
· God made us for Him and for one another. He made us to be happy.
· Let not human strife spoil our joy with one another, be they friend, relative, neighbor or husband and wife.
· Let us trust, like children do, that our heavenly Father wants what is best for us, and will make his plan known to us.
· Let us seek His plan for us and live to fulfill it – whatever that may be.
· Think about it.