Fr. Burke Masters

Thought for Tuesday, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

frburke23 — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:00:21 +0000

Mark 2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

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“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” What does the sabbath mean to you? How do you observe the sabbath?

I remember when I was young, Sunday was just another day of the week. We didn’t go to church. We didn’t even think about God. It was another day to work, play or watch sports on TV.

As I grow older I realize what a gift the sabbath is to us. Even God rested on the 7^th day after creating the world. Do we take a day of rest for the Lord and to be with family and friends? Or do we use it as another day to work, to shop, to keep busy?

Try the following to make holy the sabbath day for the Lord:

1) Go to church with your family every Sunday (more often if possible)

2) Don’t do any work on Sunday.

3) Take time just to relax and enjoy the company of your family and friends.

4) Don’t shop. Think about the people who have to work at malls and gas stations because we are out shopping. If we all avoided shopping on Sunday, no one would have to work (the way it used to be).

God gave us the sabbath as a gift – a day of rest and renewal. What are you doing with this gift? Staying busy? Or truly are you being renewed in body and spirit?

I will be in Mexico from January 17-26 to talk to some possible seminarians to serve in the Diocese of Joliet. Please pray for safe travels and a blessed mission trip.

Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

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Thought for Wednesday, 1st Week of Ordinary Time

frburke23 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:00:50 +0000

1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20

During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli,
a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”

Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you,” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am,” he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am.
You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba
came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD.

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There are three important points that this reading brings out for me:

1) We need to spend time in quiet prayer with the Lord every day. Where did Samuel sleep? It was in the temple. He stayed close to the Lord and began hearing the Lord’s voice. Do I spend time daily in quiet prayer in the presence of our Lord?

2) Samuel didn’t recognize this voice at first. He needed practice. Prayer is an art. We need to practice. We need to spend time perfecting the art of listening for the voice of God. This does not happen overnight, but through a lifetime of spending time with the Lord. How often do I practice the art of prayer?

3) Samuel needed Eli to help him to know that the voice he was hearing was that of God. Eli was the spiritual director that Samuel needed. We too need someone with experience, like Eli, to guide us along the path toward Jesus. Do I have a spiritual director or guide in your life?

Have a blessed day!

Fr. Burke

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Thought for the Baptism of the Lord

frburke23 — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:00:33 +0000

Mark 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

__________________________________________________________

Yes this reading may sound familiar, as it was the Gospel for Friday. Today the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord.

Why would Jesus need to be baptized? We believe that baptism cleanses us from the stains of original sin and erases any of our personal sins committed until our baptism. This was a wonderful thing for me when I was baptized at the age of 18 – I was cleansed of original sin and all of my sins until that day were forgiven – without going to confession!

But we believe that Jesus was sinless. He was not born with original sin nor did He commit any sins. Then why did He need to be baptized by John?

He did not NEED to be baptized, but He CHOSE to be baptized in solidarity with us. God did not NEED to become man as a little child born of a virgin, but God CHOSE to become one of us to save us. The same is true about His baptism. Jesus CHOSE to be baptized in solidarity with us and to sanctify the waters of baptism forever.

Jesus’ baptism was also one of the great epiphanies (or manifestations) of His divinity. Those who witnessed the baptism saw the “Holy Spirit, like a dove descending upon” Jesus. They also heard the voice from heaven say, “You are my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased”. Wow! Imagine witnessing that scene!

What does this mean for us today? Jesus wants to be one with us. He took on everything that we take on, except sin. This should give us hope and confidence that our Lord walks this journey with us. We are never alone. Jesus understands everything we go through. Everything.

Take heart and have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

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Thought for January 6

frburke23 — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:00:16 +0000

Mark 1:7-11

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John’s whole life was meant to point us to Jesus. Everything he said and did was to point us to the Lamb of God. Many people wanted to follow John because of his powerful words. But John said, “I must decrease so that He may increase.” “I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of His sandals.” Humility was the key to John’s spirituality.

Does my life point to Jesus?

Do I seek the attention for myself?

Or does everything I say and do lead people to the Lamb of God?

Then I love the story of Jesus’ baptism! This was one of the manifestations of Jesus’ divinity. The heavens opened and a voice spoke saying, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” I imagine this voice every time I baptize a child. I can almost hear the voice of the Father saying, “You are my beloved son/daughter; with you I am well pleased.”

That is something I would recommend you take time to reflect upon today. In your prayer, imagine your own baptism. Imagine the heavens opening above you and the loving voice of the Father says to YOU, “You are my beloved son/daughter; with you I am well pleased.”

Can you receive this type of love from the Father?

Do you know in your heart how much He loves you?

Let the Father’s love soak into your heart. Then go out and share that love with the world, with John the Baptist’s humility.

God bless,

Fr. Burke

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Thought for January 5

frburke23 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:00:03 +0000

1 John 3:11-21

Beloved:
This is the message you have heard from the beginning:
we should love one another,
unlike Cain who belonged to the Evil One
and slaughtered his brother.
Why did he slaughter him?
Because his own works were evil,
and those of his brother righteous.
Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life
because we love our brothers.
Whoever does not love remains in death.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
The way we came to know love
was that he laid down his life for us;
so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means
sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion,
how can the love of God remain in him?
Children, let us love not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.

Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God.

____________________________________________

What is the distinctive characteristic of a Christian? We are called to love everyone – our brothers and sisters, our enemies – EVERYONE. And what is love? Love is not a feeling, but it is a decision to lay down one’s life for others. The beauty of this kind of love is that God made us to love sacrificially. We become who God meant us to be when we love until it hurts. Selfishness and hatred have no place in the Kingdom of God.

St. John challenges us greatly in this reading. If we see a brother in need and we refuse to help him, can we say that the love of God is in us? We cannot say that we love God and do nothing when someone right in front of us is in need. We have all been in situations that we wish we would have acted differently, right? The Spirit of God convicts us of our actions.

I have been in parish situations where we all profess to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ. We seem like a loving family at Mass on Sunday mornings. But then we walk out of the church and the gossip begins, the backbiting starts, the hatred spews.

Am I someone who truly loves God?

Do my actions toward others show my love of God?

Do I act differently in church than I do outside of church?

Is my heart pure?

Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

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Thought for January 4

frburke23 — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:00:50 +0000

John 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.

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We hear these words at every Mass – “Behold, the Lamb of God”. These words were first spoken by John the Baptist as Jesus walked by. Why was Jesus the Lamb of God?

1) Jesus was born in a manger where little lambs and other animals were born.

2) Lambs were sacrificed for the sins of the people. Of course we know that Jesus offered Himself as the one sacrifice for all time for the forgiveness of sins.

3) Those lambs that were sacrificed were eaten for the Passover. Jesus gave us His body and blood to consume at Mass.

The two disciples followed Jesus that day and their lives were never the same. And Andrew went to tell Peter, his brother, that they had “found the Messiah”, the anointed one.

When we truly encounter Christ our lives are never the same either. And when we do, we cannot contain the love and enthusiasm that fills our hearts. We, like Andrew, want to go and tell everyone we have found the Messiah.

Have you encountered the living Christ?

Are you filled with His love and joy?

Do you seek the Lamb of God every day?

Have a blessed day!

Fr. Burke

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Thought for January 3

frburke23 — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:00:01 +0000

1 John 2:29-3:6

If you consider that God is righteous,
you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness
is begotten by him.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness,
for sin is lawlessness.
You know that he was revealed to take away sins,
and in him there is no sin.
No one who remains in him sins;
no one who sins has seen him or known him.

_____________________________________________

A blessed new year to all of you! May God fill your hearts with His peace and love throughout 2012.

Do you consider yourself a righteous person? St. John tells us that “everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him.” What does this mean? John tells us that righteousness is being like Jesus. “We shall be like him” and we shall become “pure, as he is pure”.

Sin is lawlessness. Jesus came to take away our sins. He gave us the law, which was summarized by the law of love. We are called to love God with our whole being, and love our neighbor in the same respect that we love ourselves. Sin is not love God and/or our neighbor. So the way that we know that we are becoming more like Jesus is the measure by which we love God and neighbor.

John challenges us in the last line, “No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him.” This seems harsh. We are all sinners. So is John saying that we don’t know Jesus; that we do not remain in Him? That sounds like what John is saying. But we are called to grow in holiness each day. That is, we are called to become more like Jesus every day. We are called to be more righteous each day. When we sin, we should confess our sins. And then the Lord tells us that we are forgiven, but “go and sin no more”.

How am I living my life as a disciple of Jesus?

Is sin dominant in my life?

Where do I need conversion?

Would others know that I am a follower of Jesus by the way that I love?

God bless,

Fr. Burke

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Thought for December 29

frburke23 — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:00:14 +0000

Luke 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

“Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

___________________________________________

As we continue in the Christmas season, Mary and Joseph now bring Jesus to the temple to dedicate Him to the Lord, as is the custom for all of the male children. Being good Jews, Mary and Joseph follow all of the customs, even though they know that this child is special. They don’t see themselves as above the law, even though angels have been appearing to them telling them some amazing things about Jesus.

Then we have the character of Simeon, who was “righteous and devout” and had been promised that he would see the Christ (which means ‘anointed’) before he died. Simeon was inspired by the Holy Spirit to go to the Temple this day and he just knew when he saw Jesus that this was the One. He just knew. There must have been something special about this child.

We pray the canticle of Simeon that follows at Night Prayer each night. “Now let your servant go in peace….” Simeon knows he is holding the light of the world in his hands. Imagine what Mary and Joseph were thinking as they listened to him after they had already been told by the angel that this was God-with-us!

Then Simeon looks at Mary and Joseph and tells them that this child is going to shake up the world and that Mary’s heart would be pierced with sorrow. All of this came true. And Mary guarded all of these things in her heart, as did Joseph, I imagine.

Take time to prayerfully read this passage today. Put yourself into the story. Imagine you are in the temple that day as Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to be dedicated. You hear Simeon’s words. What else do you see? Do your eyes catch the eyes of Jesus? What is going on in your heart? Allow the Lord to speak deep within your heart. Let the light of the world in…

Peace,

Fr. Burke

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Thought for December 28 – Holy Innocents

frburke23 — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:00:28 +0000

Matthew 2:13-18

When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.

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We started our Men Seeking Holiness Retreat 2011 on Tuesday and will finish this Thursday. Please pray for the 29 of us who are seeking to grow in holiness, in the image and likeness of Christ.

Today the Church remembers the Holy Innocents, the children who were slaughtered by King Herod because he was trying to kill the child Jesus, whom Herod perceived to be a threat to his throne. We see how pride, envy and jealousy can lead to horrible results in life.

We also see in this Gospel how God sent an angel to Joseph to lead his family to Egypt to avoid Herod’s evil plan. Do you see how quickly Joseph responded to the angel? They left in the middle of the night. This speaks to Joseph’s contemplative heart. He listened attentively for the Lord and quickly responded. This is a great example for all of us to spend time each day in quiet prayer, listening for the voice of God. When we get to know God personally, we know and trust His voice speaking to us in many and varied ways – in dreams, in our heart, through other people, etc.

Am I cultivating a contemplative heart by praying each day, listening for the voice of God?

Am I ready to respond quickly to the Lord’s voice?

Is there pride, jealousy or envy in my life that is causing me to act unkindly or to use harsh words with others?

Do I trust the Lord’s plan for me?

May we also pray for the innocent children that are killed every day through abortion, starvation, abuse and neglect.

Have a blessed day!

Fr. Burke

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Thought for December 22

frburke23 — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:00:47 +0000

Luke 1:46-56

Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.

_______________________________________________

I want to apologize for my type from yesterday’s reflection. I meant to say, “John was to decrease so that Jesus could increase.”

Today we have Mary’s “Magnificat”, one of the most beautiful songs of praise to God in all of Scripture. Mary has been chosen by God to bear Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. She doesn’t call attention to herself, but she “proclaims the greatness of the Lord” and she “rejoices in God my Savior”. She recognizes that she will be called blessed forever, but her greatness lies in the fact that God “has done great things for me”. That is true humility – recognizing that she has been gifted, but that every gift comes from God.

Mary then talks about how God lifts up the lowly and scatters the proud in their conceit. God sends the rich away empty, but fills the hungry with good things. Mary is speaking a truth about God that is so comforting to all who are marginalized, cast aside, separated and forgotten. The Lord promised to never abandon anyone, especially the lowly and downtrodden.

What does this mean for the rich and the conceited? Will God forget you? Fortunately, God has a lot of patience. He asks us to us to humble ourselves and seek His mercy. It is never too late to turn things around and make the Lord the center of our lives.

Do I take time each day to praise God and rejoice in His goodness?

Are there areas of my life that need conversion?

Am I prideful or conceited?

Does my life proclaim the goodness of God?

Or do I draw attention to myself?

Have a blessed day!

Fr. Burke

To subscribe, go to http://frburke23.wordpress.com and go to the right hand column. Click on “Sign me up!” and start receiving these emails directly to your inbox.