Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

Today’s gospel readings are about faith and trust. Jesus gets angry at the people in the temple who are treating the house of God like a Walmart, and he has every right to be! It shows a lack of faith of the people in the temple area. They care more about profit than worshiping the Lord.

I remember when my grandfather was sick and he thought he couldn’t make it to my first profession of vows he said to me, “I just don’t know if I will be able to make it!” I told him I would put his name on our prayer board and ask the monks to pray for him, he sort of scoffed and said, “Will that really work?” I told him that I had faith and that I would see him on that Saturday. The monks’ prayers, Our Lady’s prayers, since it was the feast of the Assumption, and St. Maximilian Kolbe’s prayers came through. I could see a change in him, and he said, “Well Brother Maximilian, you are right! That is the last time I question God.” And he didn’t question God again. At my grandmother’s memorial Mass, I leaned my head on my grandfather’s shoulder, and he said “I just don’t understand it buddy, but I don’t question it, I see it as God’s will!”

In the gospel today, we hear Jesus say “Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.” This is what my grandfather did. Remember to always have faith in what you do and God will reward you.

Reflection by Br. Maximilian Burkhart, OSB