Week 52 Daily Dose of Love
#358 (12/24)
Jesus Appears
on the Way to Emmaus
Mark 16:12-13
After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.
And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
Luke 24:13-35
Now on that same day two of them
were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things
that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,
but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with
each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was
Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there
in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus
of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders
handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem
Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some
women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they
came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of
those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.”
Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then
enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the
things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which
they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay
with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then
their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
They
said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening
the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven
and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has
appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known
to them in the breaking of the bread.
It is implied that Cleopas and
his companion were disciples of Jesus who had spent time with him and knew him. Yet upon hearing about
the resurrection, they walked away.Jesus calls them “foolish”
and “slow of heart” but he does not give up on them. He opens their minds to scripture so they
are able understand God’s message about Jesus. Still they do not recognize him. Knowing Jesus
involves more than spending time with him, more than understanding what is written about him. The disciples
on the road to Emmaus do not recognize Jesus until he breaks the bread and shares it with them as he did at the last supper. At the last
supper, as he broke the bread, Jesus said, “This is my body.” The body of Jesus is the temple
of his love for us. He does not want to stay locked up in the temple but desires to be taken in, to join
with us in our hearts. Jesus sacrificed his body out of profound love for
us. His body was broken and all of his love given to us. His companions on the road
to Emmaus recognize who Jesus really is when they experience his love through the act of breaking and sharing the bread.
Reflection/Discussion:
What might keep us from recognizing Jesus?
Principles
of Love:
Opening;
Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
#359 (12/25)
Peace Be With You
Luke 24:36-43
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood
among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought
that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise
in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does
not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands
and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have
you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their
presence.
John 20:19-23
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples
had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When
he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive
the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
The first words that Jesus says to his apostles are much more than a simple greeting. Peace
implies a sense of safety and security, but also calm, ease, acceptance, and openness. We see more clearly
when there is peace. The Peace of Christ comes from knowing that we are fully and deeply loved to the core
of our being, in spite of doubt and fear. Coming from Jesus, “Peace be with you” is “a statement of fact, not a wish,”
a gift, not a greeting. In John’s gospel, Jesus says, “As
the father has sent me, so I send you.” God sent Jesus into our world with his love and Jesus sends us with his love.
“Just as the Father was present in the Son during the Son’s mission (‘Whoever sees me is seeing him who
sent me’), so now must the disciples in their mission manifest the presence of Jesus to the point that whoever sees
the disciples sees Jesus who sent them. That is an enormous challenge!” Maybe that’s why the first thing Jesus said was “Peace be with you.”
Without the Peace of Christ, we are unable to fully experience and share the love of Christ.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we allow the peace of Christ to remain with us throughout the day?
Principles of Love:
Opening; Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
#360
(12/26)
Thomas Believes
John 20:24-31
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.” Now
Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these
are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may
have life in his name.
How can we believe without seeing?
How can we know for sure without clear evidence that can be analyzed and confirmed? Jesus provides a simple answer:
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” We know Jesus because he
has blessed us. We can only be blessed if we are open to the blessing. Just as we can’t
walk through a door that has not been opened, we cannot fully experience the blessing of Jesus unless we open our hearts to
his love. What matters is not that Thomas doubted Jesus, but that he eventually opened his heart to him.
“The disciple who doubted the most gives expression to the highest evaluation of Jesus uttered in any gospel:
‘My Lord and my God.’” Reflection/Discussion:
What can we learn from Thomas?
Principles of Love:
Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
#361 (12/27)
Jesus Appears to the Eleven at the Table
Mark 16:14-18
Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack
of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said
to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes
and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will
accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up
snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and
they will recover.”
Doubt and a lack of faith were common themes
among the disciples after the resurrection. Just as he consistently confronted and criticized the certainty
and righteousness of the religious leaders, Jesus consistently forgives and reaches out to those who doubt him.
He sends forth his disciples in spite of their doubt, in spite of their lack of faith. When we doubt, we are unsure. Doubt creates discomfort. But
it also implies openness. Doubt pulls and tugs on us, calling us to look again and explore more deeply.
While certainty and rigidity close off the possibility of deepening love, doubt creates a thirst that sends roots deeper
in search of nourishment. When we search for God’s love, we deepen our capacity to receive it.
If our goal is to get rid of discomfort, we quickly cover up doubt with certainty and righteousness putting
a floor under the potential to deepen our understanding and capacity for love. If we bring our doubt to
Jesus and are receptive to his love and direction, we join with him in sharing the eternal love that God has for all of his
creation.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we become more accepting of doubt in ourselves and others?
Principles of Love:
Opening; Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
#362
(12/28)
Jesus Appears on the Shore
John 21:1-14
After
these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.
Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee,
and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said
to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.”
He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it,
and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved
said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was
naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish,
for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
When they had gone ashore, they saw
a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that
you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish,
a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them,
“Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they
knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.
This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
“The last time Jesus was in Galilee at this sea with his disciples was on the occasion
of the multiplication of the loaves (John 6). ...(This passage) has the effect of warning the readers that
a move from belief in the risen Jesus to action based on that belief cannot be taken for granted. Disciples
who came to believe in Jesus ... are now engaged in ordinary activity without a sign of transformation.” There is a big difference between doing something on our own and doing it with Jesus - a difference both in how we
act and in the effects of our actions. When we ask Jesus to join us in an activity, he opens our hearts,
expands our vision, and calms our soul. Uncertainty becomes acceptance; hurry dissolves into clarity.
Love dissipates both insecurity and overconfidence. When Jesus joins us, we join in the natural evolution of creation as God intended it
to be. God created us from his love. Love is our true nature. Our
fallen nature likes to take charge, be in control, and move forward. Our created nature is patient, kind,
and open to the needs and concerns of others. St. Jerome, who compiled the first bible, believed that the number 153 was the total
number of species of fish known to Greek zoologists at that time. It is a symbol that the mission of the
disciples extends to the entire world, and yet the net does not break. Just
as there was enough bread and fish for all when Jesus first performed a miracle at this site, there is enough love for all
when we do our part by inviting Jesus to join us in our daily activities.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we remember to ask Jesus to join us in our daily activities?
Principles of Love:
Opening; Unity
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
#363
(12/29)
Do You Love Me
John 21:15-25
When
they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He
said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you
know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time,
“Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love
me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed
my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever
you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take
you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify
God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Peter turned and saw the disciple whom
Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is
it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”
So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not
die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.
But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world
itself could not contain the books that would be written.
“The catching of fish is an apt image for an evangelizing mission; but to picture the ongoing care
of those brought in by that mission one has to change the image.”
Peter is no longer boastful and impulsive. Jesus asks if he loves him “more
than these,” and “he does not compare his love with that of the other disciples but confines himself to a simple,
personal affirmation of love. Even in that affirmation Peter trusts himself to Jesus’ knowledge.
Previously, when Simon Peter boasted about his willingness to follow Jesus even unto death, Jesus showed that he knew
Peter better than Peter knew himself by predicting three denials before the cockcrow. Now although Simon
Peter believes with all his heart that he loves Jesus in total fidelity, all that he is willing to claim is: ‘You know
that I love you.’”
Jesus clearly
spells out the requirements for leadership in his church. First and foremost is the commitment to love.
Love requires humility and contrition. “Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices
in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.”
Reflection/Discussion:
How can help our leaders be humble and loving?
Principles of Love:
Commitment
Pray Through the Day:
Help us to love
When our will is weak
#364 (12/30)
The Great Commission
Matthew 28:16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When
they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded
you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
There were some disciples who doubted Jesus, even after the resurrection, right up to the end of his time
on earth. But “Jesus is not repelled by doubt, for he now comes close to his disciples to speak.
Doubting or not, they have worshiped him, and he responds to them.”
Jesus sends his disciples, not just to those who have been chosen, but also “to all
nations.” Discrimination is a human invention. God’s love is open to everyone
and our assignment is to help everyone we meet to experience it through our actions.
In his last words to his disciples Jesus makes it
clear that we don’t need certainty or absolute clarity. Love, which comes from God the Father,
was manifested on earth by the Son, and lives on through the Holy Spirit. It is all we need.
St. Francis of Assisi encouraged us to “Preach the Gospel always and, if you must, use words.”
John the Baptist said that Jesus “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” To baptize means to cleanse and purify. We
cleanse and purify others by bringing God’s love to them. “If we love God and give ourselves
to Him, we must give ourselves to the whole world. Otherwise we would divide off our personal experience
of God from His Greatness and Infinite Presence and turn what ought to be dedication into private enjoyment. One
of the holy miracles of love is that once it is really started on its path, it cannot stop: it spreads and spreads in ever-widening
circles till it embraces the whole world in God. We begin by loving those nearest to us, end by loving
those who seem farthest. As our love expands, so our whole personality will grow, slowly but truly.
Every fresh soul we touch with love is going to teach us something about God.” “The solemn last words of Jesus in Matthew, “Behold I am with you all days to
the end of time,” echo the first words ever spoken about him in the beginning of the Gospel (1:23). “Behold
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they will name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us.’” May we be with him by learning to be with each
other through his love.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we preach the gospel through our
actions?
Principles of Love:
Unity
Pray Through the Day:
Bring us together
In your love
#365
(12/31)
The Ascension
Mark 16:19-20
So
then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message
by the signs that accompanied it.
Luke 24:44-53
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke
to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms
must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them,
“Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and
forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses
of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until
you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Then
he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them,
he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem
with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
This is Jesus’
graduation address to his disciples and to us. Our minds have been opened to the message of love that was
his life and now it is time for the next step. “The last Greek words in the Gospel tell us what the Eleven do in the Temple: They bless
God. No Gospel ends its account of the good news on a more beautiful note or on one that is more challenging
for the Christians of all times as they come together in their own communities.” We bless God when we love each other. We honor his presence when we recognize
it in each other. This is the good news. This is our challenge and our destiny.
This is the meaning and purpose of our lives.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we bless God in our daily lives?
Principles of Love:
Unity
Pray Through the Day:
Bring us together
In your love
