News // Pray

Cure of the Daughter

2009-07-06T04:00:00-04:00

While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.”

Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.

But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district. Matthew 9:18-26

The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God Writes Straight with Crooked Lines

2009-07-06T04:00:00-04:00

Death was walking toward a city one morning and a man asked, “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to take 100 people,” Death replied.
“That’s horrible!” the man said.
“That’s the way it is,” Death said. “That’s what I do.”
The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death’s plan.
As evening fell, he met Death again. “You told me you were going to take 100 people,” the man said. “Why did 1,000 die?”
“I kept my word,” Death responded. “I only took 100 people. Worry took the others.” (source unknown)

Ask any parent if worry ever knocked upon the door of parenting. It seems inevitable, if you love then worry will be your aching companion. Jesus understands the love of parent for child. He also desperately wants to ease our worry by walking our path with us – not just a few days of the week, but every single day and every single minute.

If we look to the gospel, we meet a father who pleads for Jesus to save his daughter’s life. Hope appears short lived. For while this father waits for Jesus to leave the crowd, the horrific news arrives: ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ Hearing this announcement, Jesus says to the father, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ The man’s daughter is brought back to life – the ultimate agony for any parent has been avoided.

What exactly does it mean to “not fear, only believe”? Loss is an inevitable part of life. No matter how much one believes, jobs will be lost, people will break our hearts, disease will limit our lives, and death will steal away those we love. How then does one “not fear, only believe”?

Fear not that you are alone in your sadness; believe that our Lord cries with you and will walk you through the valley of grief and emptiness. And in the grand scheme of your life remember that “God writes straight with crooked lines.” Kathleen M. Sullivan ’82MA ’87PhD

Prayer - July 6

2009-07-06T04:00:00-04:00

Y’know, Jesus, I often wish I had the faith of the synagogue official and the woman with a hemorrhage. The man’s daughter was dead, yet he asked you to touch her and “she will live.” The woman thought “touch his cloak and I will be cured.” Both of them had supreme confidence: “Sure, it’s going to happen; I expect it to happen.” They took the plunge. Me, I tippy-toe. Please grant me the grace to expect as a matter of course that good things will happen when I ask you to touch my life. Rev. Herb Yost, CSC

Doubting Thomas

2009-07-03T00:00:00-04:00

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” John 20:24-29

Prayer - July 3

2009-07-03T00:00:00-04:00

Jesus, I so admire your patience with the disciples, and yet you also balanced it with truth. You understood where Thomas was coming from, but at the same time gave him a challenge. That’s what I love about you! You are merciful, compassionate, and fully understand our human weakness.

You know our fears, the things which hold us back from trusting you and from becoming fully ourselves. But you won’t let us use those things as an excuse. There is always a challenge to grow, and with the challenge comes the grace to meet it. Thank you for caring so much about me. Rev. Herbert Yost, CSC

Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen and Have Believed

2009-07-03T00:00:00-04:00

Guest Writer, Professor John Robinson, Associate Dean of the University of Notre Dame Law School

Lots of divisions wracked the early church. One was between Jews and Gentiles, another between slaves and free persons, and still another between rich and poor. But, of all the divisions, the one that we can most easily relate to was the one between those who had seen the risen Lord and those who had not. We can easily imagine the special status that those few who had seen Jesus after his resurrection enjoyed in the first generation of the Church’s existence. For them, faith in Jesus as Lord would have been so much easier than it was for everyone else—Jew or gentile, slave or free, rich or poor. For them, the resurrection was a known fact at the same time as it was the basis for their belief in the lordship of Jesus. For others, the resurrection itself usually had to be an object of belief, and believing that a dead man has come back to life was then, as it is now, no mean feat.

Early on, the common belief was that the risen Lord, now ascended into heaven, would return to bring human history to an end during the lifetime of those who had seen him after his resurrection. As the Gospels were being written, however, that belief was giving way to one that put the return of Jesus and the end of history at some indefinite time in the future. In that transition from an imminent return of Jesus to a distant return, those Christians who had not seen the resurrected Jesus began to play a different role in the life of the Church. From that point on, it would be the faith of those who had not seen but who, despite that fact, still believed in both the resurrection of Jesus and in his lordship over us that would be at the center of Christian life.

We, of course, are among those who have not seen but still believe. For some that belief is as easy as breathing. For others that belief is a life-long struggle. Those of us who find believing as easy as breathing should be grateful for the gift that they have been given, should be patient with those of us for whom belief is a daily struggle, and should strive to live in such a way that their faith shines through their every deed. Those of us who find belief to be a struggle should seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, should listen to their hearts as well as to their minds, and should, every now and then, act as if nothing were more clear to them than that the one who gave his life for his friends and thereby won his life back again is really the Lord of their own and all other life.

Prayer - July 2, 2009

2009-07-02T00:00:00-04:00

Dear Lord,

“Where will I find you this day? I’m looking for you. What words do you have for me? I’m open.”

“Follow me,” you say. “Where?” I ask.

“Where your joy is full; where your problems taunt you; where questions preoccupy you; where children need you. In the everyday moment – the exchange of a smile, the tough word you need to speak, the handshake you extend, the negative conversation you resist. In the promise you keep to follow-up through a get-together, a call, a card, a prayer.”

“Where else?” I ask.

“In my Spirit that speaks to you and through you. Be my eyes, my hands, my feet, my heart. Thanks for asking. I’m with you!”
Kathleen M. Sullivan, ‘82MA ‘87PhD

Victory at Second Base

2009-07-02T00:00:00-04:00

Jackie Robinson, who broke through baseball’s color barrier, faced jeering crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in Brooklyn, his home stadium, Robinson committed an error. The fans were merciless – the booing went on and on.

Robinson stood at second base devastated by the humiliation. Shortstop Pee Wee Reese left his position and stood next to Jackie. He put his arm around Jackie Robinson and stared at the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said the arm around his shoulder saved his career.

Perhaps Pee Wee Reese felt a moment of intimidation from the crowd. But his love for Jackie, his admiration for his talent and his person, inspired Pee Wee to bury self-concern and stand true for his friend.

Love for a friend is also evident in the gospel story of the paralytic. Totally dependent on his friends, the paralytic listens to their encouragement, accepts their generosity and allows himself to be carried to Jesus. Although the gospel focuses on the paralytic, his friends deserve the spotlight also – for it is “their faith” that Jesus responds to.

Sometimes we are the friend beseeching our Lord to help our loved one. But sometimes we are the paralytic, dependent on the compassion and courage of our friends who sacrifice much to help us. We must be receptive to both roles. Helper and receiver of spirit filled help.

Is there someone today who really needs your special effort to stand with them or to stand up for them? Be confident that our Lord will receive your act of love. And if you are the one who needs to be healed – spirit or body or both – embrace the outreach of your friends. And by all means place yourself before Jesus. No one desires your highest good more than the source of all goodness! Kathleen M. Sullivan ’82MA ’87PhD

Friends and the Paralytic Man

2009-07-02T00:00:00-04:00

And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” —he then said to the paralytic—’stand up, take your bed and go to your home.”

And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings. Matthew 9:1-8

Demoniacs of Gadarenes

2009-07-01T03:00:00-04:00

When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” And he said to them, “Go!” So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.

The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood. Matthew 8:28-34

Satan's Garage Sale

2009-07-01T03:00:00-04:00

Once upon a time, Satan was having a garage sale. He had tools that made it easy to tear others down; there were lenses for magnifying ones own importance and for diminishing others. Against the wall was the usual assortment of gardening implements guaranteed to help one’s pride grow – the rake of scorn, the shovel of jealousy for digging a pit for one’s neighbor and the tools of gossip, selfishness and apathy.

All the tools were attractively constructed and came complete with guarantees of prosperity. Prices, of course, were steep; but not to worry! Free credit was extended to one and all. “Take it home, use it and you won’t have to pay until later!” old Satan cried, as he hawked his wares.

A visitor would also notice two well worn, non-descript tools standing in one corner. People often questioned why these items were higher priced than the others. They certainly appeared older and even a bit tattered. Satan would just laugh and answer, “Well, that’s because I use them so much. If they weren’t so plain looking, people might see them for what they were.” Satan pointed to the two tools, saying, “You see, that one’s Doubt and that one’s Discouragement—and those will work when nothing else will.” (author unknown)

Doubt and Discouragement – indeed powerful tools to bury us in anxiety, to weigh us down with feelings of helplessness – to place us on the desert with only the blistering sun as our guide and nourishment. In the dramatic gospel account of the man tortured by a legion of demons, we are touched by the mercy of our Lord. For years this tortured man had lived in the putrid tombs—-small caves in the side of a hill. In his misery he had cried out day and night and ripped at his flesh with stones. With the authority of love, Jesus freed the man by sending his demons into the swine.

But this was not the desired outcome for the owners of the 2000 swine. In minutes their livelihood was brutally wiped out. “And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned in the lake.” Shocked, angered, and afraid these men “begged him to leave their neighborhood.”

Who wouldn’t be distraught with the bizarre destruction of one’s livelihood? Yet, like us, these men, lost all perspective. The moment’s tragedy precluded them from recalling God’s faithfulness in the past and his promise to love them into the future. Doubt and discouragement narrowed their memory; they forget God’s faithfulness and allowed the moment to become their despairing destiny.

Today pray for perspective. Our Lord who delivered you from previous difficulties is the same loving God who so desires your peace and fulfillment. Hold to this thought and walk step by step confident that good times will return. Kathleen M. Sullivan ’82MA ’87PhD

Prayer - July 1, 2009

2009-07-01T03:00:00-04:00

Dear Lord,
I ask for gratitude. I ask for hope. I ask for a deeper sense of your presence. I know you hear every one of my heart beats. Help me to give all for you.

Prayer - June 30

2009-06-30T01:00:00-04:00

There are times, O Lord, when daily realities frustrate us. Sometimes one thing after another happens, and we feel overwhelmed. These are the times when we most yearn for your presence and your support, yet we don’t feel it or sense it. Please…..tell us what we can do! We need your help so much at those times. Rev. Herbert Yost, CSC

Storm, Boat, Fear and Calm Restored

2009-06-30T01:00:00-04:00

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” Mt 8:23-27

The Big Sissies

2009-06-30T01:00:00-04:00

One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, “Mommy, will you stay with me all night?” Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, “I can’t dear. I have to sleep in Daddy’s room.” A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, “The big sissy!” (Source unknown)

How many of us feel a bit superior and critical when we imagine the disciples begging Jesus to awake and save them from the horrendous storm? Maybe we, too, think to ourselves “The big sissies.”

It’s the Monday morning quarterback syndrome that gives us our superior vantage point. We know the ending of the story. “Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm.”

Maybe we need to apply this privileged perspective to the torrential storms in our own lives. Think back to your toughest times. Did you wonder where the hand of God was in the loneliness, the loss, the injustice? Was he taking a snooze while you suffered day by day? It is only in hindsight that you realize that the Lord actually did calm those waters.

Hold on to that memory. Trust that the same will happen again. Expect the storm; don’t mistake his quietness for his absence. Remember the rainbow will have the final say! Kathleen M. Sullivan ’82MA ’87PhD

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

2009-06-29T01:00:00-04:00

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’

And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Mt 16:13-19

The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Video Tells All

2009-06-29T01:00:00-04:00

The great Trappist spiritual writer Thomas Merton once remarked that we should never underestimate our ability to deceive ourselves. Jesus’ question to his followers cuts through any hidden agendas and leaves them vulnerable to his transforming, presence. Before he asks the dangerous question, “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus begins with the safe question, “Who do others say that I am?” Safe because their answer requires no commitment and no risk. Their response simply calls forth a report on the pulse beat of the crowd.

Jesus’ question is an invitation for us not to hide behind the answers of others; we are asked, like Peter, to personally respond to our Lord’s inquiry. So who is Jesus to you? And as importantly, how do you approach adversity and opportunity, the everyday exchanges and the not so common happenings, through your understanding of Christ?

When Jesus quizzes Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter triumphs. "You are the Messiah.” Here’s the challenge for us. Suppose your day were videotaped – unknown to you. And the video were played back before an audience of familiar and unknown people. The attendees were then given a sheet of paper with one question. “Based on the action and thoughts of the person, who is Jesus to this individual?”

How do you want your video to look today? Kathleen M. Sullivan ’82MA ’87PhD
.

Prayer - June 29

2009-06-29T01:00:00-04:00

Dear Lord,
How I approach this day really depends on how I approach you. If I trust that you really do care about me; if I trust that your grace is enough for me, and if I trust that you call me to love as you have loved me then the day will be filled with unexpectant blessings. Increase my faith; deepren my appreciation; and let humor guide me over rough terrian. Amen. Kathleen M. Sullivan ’82MA ’87PhD

The Touch

2009-06-26T01:00:00-04:00

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four- year-old child, whose next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.”

A similar story of compassion weaves through the encounter of the leper and Jesus. Leprosy was not just a dreaded health problem; it was also a dreaded social disease. Tortured by years of suffering and disfigurement and confronted by an early death, lepers were also ostracized by Jewish law. The Jews believed that God himself had laid down the harsh conditions of a leper’s lot. They were all considered persistent sinners.

The Leper holds to a dream. Would Jesus value this man who had to cover his mouth with a hand and shout out a warning of his “unclean” condition? Would the Lord come close to him? “Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’” At that moment the leper returned from death – from hopeless isolation, bankrupt self-esteem, and devastating physical pain.

Today let’s remember who waits to touch us – regardless of our spiritual shortcomings and physical burdens. Our Lord walks next to us with his embracing compassion. Let us show our gratitude by receiving His mercy; let us be Christ to the disguised lepers who need us to draw close. Maybe there might even be someone who simply needs our permission to cry. Kathleen M. Sullivan ’82MA ’87PhD

Prayer - June 26

2009-06-26T01:00:00-04:00

The Gospel reading for today presents Jesus as one who freely gives healing and comfort to a man cursed with leprosy. Such a person could not live with his family, must leave his home, must wander and beg for food. He will ask the Savior not for money or food, but for healing: it is granted.

Let us pray:
We come before you, Lord, our hearts at times almost smothered with selfishness, unkindness, foolish arguments with loved ones, and much more of the same. But to learn that we can find forgiveness, find hope, that we can turn our lives around to sincere love, to courage in honesty with ourselves, and to live with trust in the Lord’s providence is a wonderful gift. “If you wish Lord, you can make me clean.” “I do wish it. Be made clean!” Rev. William Simmons, CSC