"Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"

Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.
- Matthew 8

The Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time

On the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus invites us to love him and to receive him. He makes his message to us so clear: "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Monday is the Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul. Friday is the feast of Saint Thomas, apostle. Saturday many churches in the United States celebrate Independence Day.

The first readings this week are from the Book of the Prophet Amos. Amos was a shepherd who was called to deliver God's word to the northern kingdom, Israel.

Matthew's Gospel takes us through several stories about Jesus' ministry. When a man wants to follow but only after he buries his father, Jesus answered him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead." Jesus calms the storm at sea. Then he drives demons out of two men living among the tombs. When Jesus calls Matthew to leave his customs post and to follow him, many tax collectors and sinners came to have dinner with Jesus and his disciples, again causing a controversy with the religious leaders. Jesus confronts them: "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." When Jesus' disciples are criticized for not fasting, Jesus talks about the difficulty of combining the old and the new. He is calling for something radically new. Not a patch, but new wine in new wineskins.

The Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time begins with a Sunday that offers pastoral comfort to us all. In the Zechariah reading, the Lord promises Israel, and us, a savior who “shall proclaim peace to the nations.” Matthew’s gospel points to Jesus as the source of that peace, as he affirms his identity as the Son of God. Jesus offers himself as a relief from the burdens of our days, promising “you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Daily Prayer This Week

One of the blessings of reading passages that describe Jesus' ministry is that they can help us become more and more attracted to him. We can become fascinated by his pastoral care for those on the margins of Society or his courage in the face of opposition. The more we watch Jesus, the easier it is for us to fall in love with him. Being drawn to Jesus with growing affection will ultimately lead us to want to be with him and like him.

So each morning this week we can begin our day with a very brief prayer. "Lord, let me see you, love you and desire to follow you more closely today." We might say, "Drive away the demons that tempt my spirit today" on one day and repeat that prayer at various times, especially when we are tempted to look good, or to escape into over-indulgence with food or drink or fantasies, or when we are tempted to let anger get the better of us. On another day, we might pray, "Dear Lord, I get paralyzed sometimes - just stuck and unable to move. Free me today, by reminding me of your love and mercy." Still another day, we might ask, "Dear Lord, let me respond to your call with the freedom Matthew had." We might turn to the Lord someday and simply say, "Lord, I know you desire mercy and not sacrifice, please free me from the judgments I will be tempted to make today." Finally, I might pray, "Lord, pour your new wine into me. Let me be a new wineskin to receive it. Give me the freedom I need today to let your word transform how I act and how I choose today."

The key to finding intimacy with our God in the midst of our busy lives is to let God's Word interact with the real events and people who are there. No matter what our responsibilities are today, no matter how unrelated they seem to be to faith or devotion, and no matter how busy we might be, we can all let God's Word into the background, in brief moments of connection, conversation and intimacy. All it takes is desire and focus.

As we practice using the background moments of our days, we will grow in experiencing that this intimacy is possible. And, when we sense it and enjoy it, and see what a difference it makes, let's not forget to give thanks each evening for the gifts we have received.