Dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, King Saul pursued David into the desert of Ziph out of fear that David’s popularity had exceeded his own. He feared that his kingship was in danger if David grew more popular, more beloved of the people. He was relying on the peoples’ opinions to determine the strength of his kingship. This reveals the weakness of King Saul’s faith. His kingship was a gift from God—a responsibility placed upon his shoulders by divine anointing! In short, Saul was acting like an earthly king instead of a steward of God’s Kingdom. Our calling comes from God, not from men. At our baptism we are anointed with the Chrism that marks us as priests, prophets, and king
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, Our readings this Sunday all mention fruits—the fruits of our labors in God’s service. Each reading adds something to the analogy. The prophet Jerimiah emphasizes our need to be rooted in God in order to bear fruit: “the one who trusts in the LORD…is like a tree planted beside the waters…in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.” If we are going to bear fruit we need deep roots, and that means spending time immersing ourselves in the Word of God—the Bible. St. Paul adds that we are working for fruit in heaven, not here on earth. We are imitating Christ Jesus, Who is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” The
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, Our Gospel reading for this Sunday’s Mass is often used for Vocations talks because of the last line from Jesus: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” I find the build-up to this line very encouraging, and equally important for our young people as they contemplate their response to Jesus’ call. First, we see the scene laid out: the people are pressing upon Jesus. There is a great crowd who need to be cared for by Jesus and his disciples. The need is great; will you help meet this need? Next, we have Simon Peter’s doubt in himself but faith in Jesus: ”Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your co
