Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, saying: the scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but with a finger of their own they will not move them. And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes. And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues, and salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi. But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master; and all you are brethren. And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters; for one is you master, Christ. He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Matthew 23:1-12 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father we are like this at times too. We go to places and expect to be waited on hand and foot, not having to lift a finger to do a thing. Is that pretty much why there are many dinning places today for many to sit and be waited upon. Without the drudgery of having to do the work themselves. Yet this is about the scribes and Pharisees and their part of not lifting a finger to help those in need. Where all they do is look important, but are they really? To Jesus, it seems all they do is lip service without actually doing the work. Or being greeted with no warmth and the next one as if they were the very King. Aren't we all the same? Made in the image and likeness of God. The love for God is not there, not when we segregate who is worthy of our love. Such elevation on the importance of ourselves is lost and we are no longer humble, nor is our service of others. The scribes and the Pharisees, placed themselves above and beyond the reach of others, look but do not touch. See how far above the mere people they place themselves. Thinking about this, do we do it also when we make more then our neighbor, or drive a better vehicle, or dress better. Our mentality is something else, but it changes when we think along the lines of how Jesus thought. And we place ourselves in His shoes for a change.

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given to you: good measure and pressed down and shaken together and running over shall they give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 6:36-38 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father you know our thoughts better than we do. Often without thinking what we are doing we judge by appearance those we come across. We judge by their actions, or their words. Often we condemn another without full knowledge about them but what we know so little of. How often do we go the extra mile for those we don't care for. But do it for those we love. Where is our love and non-judgement then. Do we truly give of ourselves by way of loving each person as if they are God themselves. They are made in His image and in need of love just as much as you or I do. If we withold the love for them, then it's our own fault when we do not receive love in return. Love will pour out in abundace in our life when we give it freely to others without expecting it in return. Spread the love, love your neighbor, see how much love will be coming back to you. Amen

And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: and he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him. And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them, Arise, and fear not. And they lifting up their eyes saw no one but only Jesus. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.
Matthew 17:1-9 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father I like how Jesus said, "fear not," to the disciples. For there is nothing to fear when we live in you. These men saw the purity of Jesus and how his features and garment became brilliant. Only through you do we shine as well. Even though they heard your voice, Jesus told them not to be afraid. The question for us, why are we afraid to come back to you? What stops us from listening to your Word. What stops us from making our garments just as brilliant as Jesus'? There is a beautiful sacrament that helps us to restore the luster of our garments, the sacrament of Penance. Imagine being purified and glowing as Jesus was transfigured when we recieve him in the Eucharist. How much we would glow ourselves from the joy that only being in union with you would give us. Now that is a wonderful transfiguration in itself to glow from receiving your Son in Communion.

You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust. For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? do not even the publicans this? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more? do not also the heathens this? Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father you ask us to love our neighbor, not only that, but to love our enemies. We who are imperfect have a difficult time with this particular task. Yet, when we really think about it we see that we tend to gravitate toward those who we love more and shy away from those we tend to dislike. It happens everywhere we go. But since we are not perfect it's understandable that we do this. We're not supposed to be perfect, or they say it's not normal. But Jesus tells us to be perfect because you are perfect. Now for the sake of argument without arguing, supposing we have striven to do this our whole life, to do everything as perfect as possible in order to be as perfect as you are. To be told by others, we are not God and we are not to be perfect. When confronted with this in the workforce, in our daily lives, and so forth. We lose the very concept of what is written by your Son. Now for the other point, when we live attempting to be as perfect as you are, loving our enemies becomes quite possible. Since we have the tendency to gravitate to those we love more, then it is up to us to make ourselves gravitate towards those whom we dislike and as we do this we find a gift in the process of love, the very act of loving our enemies as we love our neighbor. More or less we are trying to be perfect as you are. So dear Father may I imitate your love each day that I live and strive to be an instrument of love. Amen

For I tell you, that unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee; leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother: and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift. Be at agreement with thy adversary betimes, whilst thou art in the way with him: lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing.
Matthew 5:20-26 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father it's easy to understand that not reconciling and correcting causes us much harm. Jesus was very open with this one in regard to how we are to let go. Reconcile with those we hurt and those who hurt us, but most of all to seek it with you. Don't we offend you the most by our actions and thoughts. We have not only a means to go to each other and bring forgiveness and seek it, we also have the Sacrament of Penance that we as Catholics rarely use. We are afraid our friends will see us and be judged by them. Our offense then is going up to the Altar with a multitude of transgressions on our souls. Each offense we commit when we go and receive with unclean hearts and souls the very life of your Son. We aren't giving you the gift of clean hearts then when we go up. Especially if we have any ill will toward our neighbor, toward you dear Father. We would think we have lost the reverence of the Mass in how we gather together and treat each other by our uncharitable natures. God sees everything, so why not seek the very place we will find cleansing before we give the gift of ourselves at Mass, the confessional and restore the luster of our garments.