THE WEEKLY DIGEST
OF REGNUM CHRISTI
DAILY MEDITATIONS

January 19, 2025 - Use What Little I Have

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 2:1-11

 

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from—although the servers who had drawn the water knew—, the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

 

Opening Prayer: Lord, I come before you as one of the participants in this wedding feast, along with Mary, putting myself beside her at the table as she approaches you with this problem. Like her, I renew my faith that you have the power to do great things in my life, in the world around me, and in my soul in prayer.

 

Encountering Christ:

 

  1. They Have No Wine: The hosts of this wedding had run out of the most important ingredient for their celebration. Wine is a symbol of joy and adds to the warmth of celebration. We can experience this kind of want, spiritually speaking, when we lack inspiration, fervor, zeal, or joy—when we find ourselves dry and unmotivated. Mary is the one to go to. She brings our problems to Jesus. She is our mother and the first one to notice when we are down and in need of her Son. When we want to renew the source of our life and joy we can always turn to her, confident that she will intercede most powerfully for us with her Son.

  2. Fill the Jars with Water: In many places in the Gospels, Jesus began his miracles by working with ordinary things, like loaves and the fishes in the feeding of the five thousand, or like his bread and wine in the Eucharist. Here, to give these people the wine (joy, inspiration, fervor) that they need, he first asked them to give him what they had. In our moments of need and emptiness, it can seem we have absolutely nothing to give or that what we have to give is useless. Jesus wants us to give him what we have anyway. Then he uses it to do extraordinary miracles. This is what happens in every sacrament; in Holy Orders God makes an ordinary man into another Christ; in every Baptism he makes a human person the dwelling place of the Holy Trinity. He often shows his power and glory by giving us great gifts using ordinary means, so let’s not hesitate to surrender everything to him.                       
  3. Kept the Good Wine Until Now: The result of Jesus’ action surprised the wine expert. The wine he made was better than what they had before and was more abundant than they needed. No matter where we are on our spiritual path, we can always be open to deeper transformation, knowing that when we run out of what we think we need, he will take us by surprise. He will change our emptiness, our need, the little we have to offer, into something beautiful, superabundant, and everlasting.

 

Conversing with Christ: Lord, here is my little effort, the little bit I have to offer you. I give you my prayer this morning, knowing you draw good out of my effort. I give you my vocation and my work. These are also “jars of water” that you can turn into wine. I count on you to make the things I do bear fruit beyond my imagination.

 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I offer you an area of my life where I am running out of what I need. I ask you to fill up what is lacking, in trust that you will.

 

For Further Reflection: “How often we say: ‘I must change, I can’t go on like this … My life, on this path, will not bear fruit, it will be a useless life and I will not be happy.’ How often these thoughts come to us. … And Jesus by our side, with his hand outstretched, says to us, ‘Come, come to me. I will do the work: I will change your heart, I will change your life, I will make you happy.’ … Jesus is with us and invites us to change our life. It is he, with the Holy Spirit, who sows in us this restlessness, to change our life and to become a little better” (Pope Francis, General Audience, June 18, 2016).

 

Fr. Adam Zettel, LC, was ordained in 2017 and worked for three years as a high school chaplain in Dallas, Texas. Now he resides in Oakville, Ontario, serving youth and young adults.

January 20, 2025 - Corresponding to the Grace of God

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 2:18-22

 

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

 

Opening Prayer: Lord, open my heart to understand this passage of your Word. Since I know you are present here, I can count on you to inspire me. Let me be open to your Word; change me and mold me according to your will.

 

Encountering Christ:

 

  1. They Cannot Fast While the Bridegroom Is with Them: This is one of those passages where Jesus talks in short parables, which can almost seem like riddles. From the rest of the Gospels, we can glean what some of the images mean. Here Jesus is deflecting the criticism that his disciples should fast by referring to himself in a sort of veiled, humble way. Jesus is the bridegroom; in John’s Gospel, John the Baptist calls himself the friend of the bridegroom. The reason his disciples didn’t fast was because being with the Master of the Universe gave them reason to celebrate and rejoice. They were privileged members of the wedding party! When we are with Jesus, our spirit should be full of rejoicing, too.                                                                                   
  2. The Bridegroom Will Be Taken Away: Jesus was certainly speaking about his Passion, and in these words we find a key to why the Church encourages fasting. When we fast, we acknowledge that our bridegroom suffered and died, and we unite ourselves to his suffering as an act of devotion. Also, Jesus isn’t with us as he was in the holy time of his living on earth, and we are not with him in the way he wants us to be at the eternal wedding banquet, so we can fast as reparation to prepare for that perfect fulfillment. Fasting “ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepares us for the liturgical feasts and helps us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart (CCC 2043).                                                                                                     
  3. The Cloth and the Wineskins: The Gospel gives us two other images to complete this teaching. Jesus is stressing that he is the fulfillment of the old law, the bridegroom, the King who “makes all things new” (cf. Rev 21:5). To sew an unshrunken cloth on an old coat or pour new wine in an old wineskin is to insist on our own limited understanding of truth, and it can result in spiritual ruin. However, to accept Our Lord’s teaching in its totality, to recognize his omnipotence, is to be included in the wedding party and invited to the eternal banquet.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, you are calling me to let you take the lead in my spiritual life. Help me to take a step back today and look at what I have been trying to do for you and for myself in my life. Let your word penetrate my heart and be the decisive factor. Let everything I do be more a response to you than my own initiative. Help me to respond in the right way to what you have initiated in my life, celebrating and rejoicing that you are present and active there.

 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will examine my conscience regarding my spiritual life and ask myself if I am truly corresponding to your will in my life.

 

For Further Reflection: What’s the Point of Fasting, Anyway?

 

Fr. Adam Zettel, LC, was ordained in 2017 and worked for three years as a high school chaplain in Dallas, Texas. Now he resides in Oakville, Ontario, serving youth and young adults.

January 21, 2025 - Eyes Fixed on My King

Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

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.”

 

Opening Prayer: Lord, every day I come to you and every day you have something new to show me. I know that I need your word today so I can be strengthened for the mission you have for me. Help me be penetrated and transformed by your word.

 

Encountering Christ:

 

  1. David Ate the Bread of the Offering: As often happens in the Gospels, Jesus was challenged because he didn’t observe the Sabbath as strictly as the Pharisees thought he ought to. In this case, his response had a special twist to it. Instead of encouraging the Pharisees to be more humble or have more faith, Jesus compared himself to David, who made an exception to the law for himself and his companions by virtue of his kingship. We can imagine that this comparison was shocking to the Pharisees. But Jesus didn’t say this by accident. He wanted to reveal to them, his disciples, and to me that he is greater than David. He is the fulfillment that David was only meant to point to as a prophet. David was a preparation for the true King who would surpass him infinitely in power and authority.                                                                                                                                                                                                    
  2. The Sabbath Was Made for Man: Jesus was teaching us about the meaning of the Sabbath. If we were made for the Sabbath, we are meant to serve it, respect it, and honor it. But Jesus tells us that the Sabbath was made for us. Our Sunday observances—Mass attendance, time with family, rest and refreshment—are supposed to help us grow in holiness, in our relationship with God. How well do we observe the Sabbath?                                                        
  3. The Son of Man Is Lord of the Sabbath: Jesus was using this occasion to reveal his Kingship, to reveal his authority, and to reveal himself also as Lord of the Sabbath. He clearly and unequivocally wants to be King of our lives. When is Our Lord not our King?—when we harbor false idols. The Pharisees had made idols of their religious practices, requiring the people to follow hundreds of dos and don’ts. The letter of the law was more important to them than the spirit of the law. We can make idols of almost anything, including our own religious practices. Perhaps Jesus is asking us here to purify our intentions with every action we take and every word we speak. May our hearts always be oriented toward him!

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me your friendship! Thank you for teaching me not to get lost in the many little practices that make up my devotion to you, so much so that I could lose sight of you and your friendship. Help me to observe Sundays in a way that glorifies you and truly refreshes me.

 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a conscientious effort to focus my eyes on you as my King and my friend, and not have an attitude of accomplishing my prayer for the sake of fulfilling a commitment.

 

For Further Reflection: In Introduction to a Devout Life, chapter II, St. Francis de Sales exhorts us to use the imagination in prayer: https://ccel.org/ccel/desales/devout_life/devout_life.iv.ii.html.

 

Fr. Adam Zettel, LC, was ordained in 2017 and worked for three years as a high school chaplain in Dallas, Texas. Now he resides in Oakville, Ontario, serving youth and young adults.

January 22, 2025 - Simply to Do What Is Good

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

Mark 3:1-6

 

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

 

Opening Prayer: Lord, help me to be more perceptive of your action in my life, of your action in my soul today. I need so much to be healed and saved by you. I also need to overcome my own pharisaical attitudes and embrace humility. Speak to me through the Gospel today.

 

Encountering Christ:

 

  1. Do Good Rather Than Evil?: Mark’s Gospel continues a sort of “series” on how Jesus was causing increasing unrest among the Pharisees. Jesus knew they were watching him closely, and he didn’t shy away from the inevitable conflict. He called forward the man with the withered hand so that the miracle could be performed in front of everyone. When he had the crowd’s attention, he asked the question, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Knowing the hardness of their hearts, Jesus was certainly publicly calling out the Pharisees, but he was also highlighting the meaning behind his own mission. He came to give life and to give life to the extreme—all the way, to the point of giving up his own life for those who do evil!                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
  2. Stretch Out Your Hand: The man with the withered hand was just one of many who assembled that day at the synagogue to listen to Jesus. He might not have had any idea that he would be called forward to stand before the Pharisees as Jesus gave his teaching. What a precarious position he was in. The political tensions were obviously high since Scripture tells us that the Pharisees immediately took counsel with the Herodians to put Jesus to death. This man must have wondered how he became the center of attention and what would come next. Jesus merely asked him to stretch out his hand. Once he obeyed, his hand was restored. What surprise and joy the man must have felt! Jesus sometimes calls us out of our comfort zone to express our love for him in difficult circumstances, to stick by our principles when we feel all alone, or to take on a task that seems overwhelming. When we follow Jesus’ instructions, doing what he asks, we can be sure that we will be abundantly blessed.                                                                                                                                
  3. Grieved at Their Hardness of Heart: Jesus was fully aware that the Pharisees and others like them throughout history would be too hardened to grasp the beauty and greatness of his mercy, of the “doing good” that he intended to accomplish by his Passion. Although he was angry and grieved, Jesus did not for one minute allow himself to be diverted from his journey to Jerusalem. He wants nothing more than for his love to be received. Now is the time to turn our hearts fully to Jesus, to soften them and purify them from all pharisaical attitudes.

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, the Pharisees watched you closely to accuse you, and missed seeing what you were really doing. Open my eyes to see all the love you show me in my life, the many ways you do good and save life, but especially how you redeemed me. Let me never be hardened by a judgmental attitude. Let me never miss seeing your love because I think too highly of myself.

 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will perceive some ways you are doing good in my life today, take note of them, and thank you at the end of the day.

 

For Further Reflection: A meditation on the work Jesus did on the Sabbath after his death: https://www.vatican.va/spirit/documents/spirit_20010414_omelia-sabato-santo_en.html.

 

Fr. Adam Zettel, LC, was ordained in 2017 and worked for three years as a high school chaplain in Dallas, Texas. Now he resides in Oakville, Ontario, serving youth and young adults.

January 23, 2025 - Reaching Out for Christ!

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 3:7-12

 

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known.

 

Opening Prayer: Lord, you are the only one who can do great things in my life if I only let you, if I only come into contact with you and touch you through prayer. I believe that some of the greatest things you want to do for me right now are spiritual things—giving me more virtue, more holiness, more of your presence in my life. This is the time that you want and choose to do that work in me. I believe and trust that you have called me here for this time of prayer, that it is not by chance that I am here now, and that you have plans for this time beyond what I could imagine. Help me to be really open to those plans.

 

Encountering Christ:

 

  1. They Came from Everywhere: The Gospel today gives us a glimpse into the life of Christ, into his fame, which was spreading everywhere. The people of all these small towns had to come to know Christ little by little, and had only a glimpse of his person and his divinity through the miracles, through “hearing what he was doing,” and through his teaching. The people were drawn out of their homes. They were drawn from far away regions. They went where he went, and left things behind in order to be near him. May we discover Christ more deeply, and let his words and actions speak to us and draw us to him as these people were drawn. Is there an interior movement toward Christ that we need to make today, in this moment of prayer?                            
  2. They Pressed Upon Him to Touch Him: The miracles of Jesus were effective not only when Jesus stopped, gave someone his attention, and spoke to that person. The fact that people were being healed only by pressing up to Jesus paints a new picture of his goodness: It flows out of him abundantly. We can picture the crowd climbing over each other in a narrow street and frantically trying to touch him. We don’t need an appointment with Jesus, or need to get his attention somehow in order to be transformed by him. He is constantly and eternally present to us. How “frantically” are we seeking Christ? Do we have a strong desire and need for contact with him?                                                                                                                                                               
  3. Not to Make Him Known: When Jesus cured people of unclean spirits, he commanded the demons not to make him known. Perhaps Jesus was making a distinction between those who would speak of him to others as instruments of the Holy Spirit with hearts full of love, thus effecting the spread of the Kingdom, and those, like demons, who could have no good motive for sharing what Jesus was trying to do. May all of our actions give glory to God, never to ourselves.

 

Conversing with Christ: Lord, you are a mystery to me! You have healing power that I long for and flows out of you abundantly, that doesn’t hold back. And yet, I can never expect to grasp you totally. I grow in understanding you little by little. Help me to increase my longing and thirst for you. I want to be close to you.

 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will seek a moment to pause and reach out for contact with you.


For Further Reflection: Compare with Mark 5:24-34, the woman with the hemorrhage.

 

Fr. Adam Zettel, LC, was ordained in 2017 and worked for three years as a high school chaplain in Dallas, Texas. Now he resides in Oakville, Ontario, serving youth and young adults.

January 24, 2025 - The Honor to Represent Christ

Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Mark 3:13-19

 

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons: He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

 

Opening Prayer: Lord, you appointed people to be with you, and to be sent out to preach. As I spend time with you today, listening to your Word, help me to hear your call to me. Open my ears that I may listen as each of the Twelve Apostles did, that I may be ready to hear you and respond.

 

Encountering Christ:

 

  1. Appointed to Be with Him: For what purpose did Jesus call the Apostles? What was the principal reason he chose them? First and foremost, they were called to simply be with Christ. The most important thing for the heart of Christ was not what they would accomplish or how effective their work would be—yes, he did want them to bear fruit—but his first concern was the relationship they would have with him. We often tend to want to be apostles first, to get things done, rather than putting our emphasis on the simple joy of being with him. Jesus calls us primarily to be still and know that he is God (cf. Ps 46:10).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
  2. Appointed to Be Sent Forth: The Apostles were chosen by Jesus to be his emissaries. They were being given a task, one that probably none of them felt prepared for. Perhaps they felt afraid in these moments and had to grow in trust, as we do! Jesus didn’t decide to do all of the work of saving humankind on his own back then, and he doesn’t do it alone now. He still appoints emissaries. In fact, he has decided to involve us in his work, which is the greatest project ever carried out on earth: the salvation of souls. The work that we do for Christ should always be a source of great joy, since he has invited us by name and given us unique talents with which to take part in this amazing mission, unworthy as we are!                                                                    
  3. Given Authority: Jesus has a special authority. He can expel evil spirits, and they obey him without the freedom to dissent. When he commands someone to be healed, it happens. He even rules over nature, as he did with the sea and waves during a storm. Here, Jesus shared this authority with the men he had chosen to represent him. What a gift it is to be called to work with him, to work beside him, and to represent him! If we don’t see the power of miracles in our life, we can ask for that grace. Our Lord invites us to be his hands and feet to demonstrate his power and might as we spread the Good News and expand the Kingdom of God in our ordinary everyday lives.

 

Conversing with Christ: Lord, you have chosen me. You want me to be a close collaborator. I see myself in a world that is threatening and contrary to your Gospel, yet you want to send me out with authority and power. Give me your courage. Let my heart be so on fire that I can spread your love and your word with confidence. I am working alongside you, the one to whom all power and dominion belong.

 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will overcome any fear of representing you and make a point of speaking about you as the opportunity presents itself.

 

For Further Reflection: Acts 5:40-41, the Apostles rejoicing at suffering for the sake of the Name.

 

Fr. Adam Zettel, LC, was ordained in 2017 and worked for three years as a high school chaplain in Dallas, Texas. Now he resides in Oakville, Ontario, serving youth and young adults.

January 25, 2025 - Into the Whole World

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Mark 16:15-18

 

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

 

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to be your disciple, and to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit with sincere gratitude. Enable your words to spur me to be courageous in sharing the Good News to those you place in my path.

 

Encountering Christ:

 

  1. Saul, My Brother: In the first reading on this Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, a seemingly minor figure appeared. We hear in the Acts of the Apostles that Ananias was a devout disciple, and respected by many, but he merited only a brief mention in two separate chapters—both related to an encounter with the Lord, and then with Saul. What are we to take from these encounters? By virtue of his reputation for persecuting those of “The Way,” Saul had rightly aroused great suspicion and fear in Ananias. However, Ananias greeted him as “Saul, my brother.” God’s love, accepted freely and channeled to others, can make even our enemies our brothers.                                                                                                                                                                      
  2. Effective Apostleship: The path taken by Ananias (interestingly leading to a street called Straight) was straightforward. He was attentive to the Lord, praying and obeying. He put aside his fear and spent “quality time” with Saul, obediently recounting to him what he heard the Lord say. It was the Lord’s will that Saul would be a witness of all that Jesus had said and done to the whole world. Saul was then “sent,” sent to be baptized and then to proclaim the Good News. Praying and obeying made Ananias an effective apostle to Saul, building perfectly upon the seeds planted by St. Stephen during his martyrdom. St. Augustine has declared that had Saul not heard the prayer of St. Stephen as he was being stoned to death, we would never have had the Apostle Paul. Those seeds planted by the first martyr were supernaturally activated through the blinding light and voice of Our Lord and ultimately sprouted through the effective witness of Ananias. The combination of prayer and obedience remains essential to our effectiveness as apostles.                    
  3. Heaven Sent: As Catholic Christians, we are “sent” out at the end of each and every Mass (the Latin word for Mass, after all, means “to send”). To whom are we sent? In today’s Gospel, the Risen Christ clearly desired that every creature in the whole world hear the Good News. How do we begin such a daunting task? Why not with ourselves? Sponsors of adult converts to the faith (those who have accompanied a spouse, friend, or even a stranger, through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, or RCIA) often comment that their own faith and understanding has been greatly renewed through the process. Beyond programs in our churches, each of us has a myriad of resources available that allow us to go deeper in our own understanding of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, and each of us can call on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit available through our Baptism and Confirmation; gifts like wisdom, understanding, and counsel. Nourished in this way, and aided by the Holy Spirit, we may find ourselves sharing portions of the Good News with others long before we consider ourselves experts.

 

Conversing with Christ: Lord, let me rightly praise and adore you for your power and your glory and your merciful hand, which calls us sinners back to you. Guide me along your paths and allow me, like St. Paul at the end of his earthly journey, to proclaim, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7).

 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will investigate what my parish provides for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and prayerfully discern whether I am being called to contribute in some way.


For Further Reflection: The Conversion of St. Paul on Catholic Exchange.

 

Andrew Rawicki and his wife JoAnna live in Irving, Texas, near seven of their nine grandchildren. A convert from Judaism, Andrew entered the Church in 1991 and has been a member of the Regnum Christi spiritual family since 2001. He has served as the Regnum Christi Local Director for Dallas since July 2020.

January 26, 2025 - Fulfilled in Our Hearing

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

 

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to be your disciple, faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and courageous in sharing your glad tidings.

 

Encountering Christ:

 

  1. We Are All Theophilus: Luke “investigated everything accurately anew,” speaking with eyewitnesses, in order to provide his friend a chronicle of the greatest story in history. Luke, presuming that Theophilus (in Latin, Lover of God) wanted to discover the richness of the life and teachings of Jesus, wanted to guard him from error. Thanks to this singular focus on this particular “Lover of God,” the Church has been gifted with a masterpiece of storytelling. Without Luke, we wouldn’t have knowledge of the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Prodigal Son, or the appearance of Our Lord in the breaking of the bread on the road to Emmaus. We wouldn’t have the corroboration of the miracles and the Passion account told to us by the other synoptic Gospel writers, and the added depth of understanding Christ’s sweating blood or the banter of the two thieves. The riches of the Catholic faith, provided to one Lover of God, are blessedly available to all, so we too can know and love God.

 

  1. From Daybreak to Midday: The Jewish people knew their laws, they knew their customs, and they understood from where they came. A morning occupied by listening to the Torah proclaimed was time very well spent. We, on the other hand, are looking at our watches if an hour has gone by and our priests haven’t gotten at least to the announcements, if not the final blessing. Back then, before God’s word was available at the touch of a button, and even long before it could be carried around in book form, the Chosen People knew in their hearts that they needed to be instructed. They, like us, though, needed also to be reminded that what they were hearing was more than an instruction manual; it was truly Good News—that the Lord God, creator of Heaven and earth, had chosen man to be his supreme creation, and had laid out his plans for us to live in harmony with him. Ezra the prophet implored his listeners, and us, to revel in this understanding, to celebrate God’s infinite goodness and his abundant mercy.

 

  1. Anointed with the Lord: “Well did Isaiah prophesy.” Indeed, the One who was to come is here, and he fulfills this prophecy. We who are poor have abundance; the Eucharist sustains us always and everywhere. We who are captives to our brokenness are free; he draws us to himself in the sacrament of Reconciliation. We who are spiritually blind have been given our sight; anointed in Baptism, we live as one body in the light of Christ. And we who are oppressed by the evil one have certainty that he has been defeated, and we have been delivered, through the supreme act of love, love from the cross. Roll up that scroll, Lord, in this acceptable time, and send me out to do your will!

 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of your word, which is spirit and life. Help me to welcome this gift daily and share it with others. Give me courage and wisdom to live out my baptismal promises and be a channel of your grace to others.


Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will be attentive to opportunities to share the Good News with others through my words, deeds, and silent prayers.


For Further Reflection: Scripture Is All About Connections by Dr. Jeff Mirus.

 

Andrew Rawicki and his wife JoAnna live in Irving, Texas, near seven of their nine grandchildren. A convert from Judaism, Andrew entered the Church in 1991 and has been a member of the Regnum Christi spiritual family since 2001. He has served as the Regnum Christi Local Director for Dallas since July 2020.

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!