As the children of Israel were not able to escape the house of slavery without Yahweh’s presence and power, as the paralytic was not able to overcome his own sickness and weakness without Jesus,  so we are not able to change our hearts or walk in God’s ways or please him without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Without the Lord and Giver of Life pulsating in our heart and soul, we are only able to stumble in darkness, misuse our bodies and mistreat each other; to waste our lives, and wreck the world with our wicked thoughts, words, and deeds. Sin paralyzes us and prevents us from pleasing God. 

“Thus, when Jesus asks who would not pull the ox or ass from the pit, He is, in type and figure, describing His own mission. The pit is sin and death; the Sabbath is the rest of salvation; and the pulling out is the redemption wrought by His Passion and Resurrection.”

Now, you may ask, how does this miracle connect to our lives? Doubtful, any of us has seen a dead man raised to life. But all of us have stood, or will stand, in the place of that widow, grieving, broken, and powerless before the reality of loss. And in such moments, we are tempted to despair. But here, we must remember that the same Christ who had compassion on the widow has compassion on us. The Compassionate Christ is in Our Midst, andHe has not changed.

Jesus says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." All things come of God and are good, but some things are better than others. Therefore, detachment often calls us to hold onto good things loosely so we can let them go and catch the greater good of God.

Jesus has come to save sinners like Matthew. Jesus has come to save sinners like you and me. There are no prerequisites for his pursuit. He's not demanding you clean up your act or give up unholy preoccupations. He's not demanding you find better friends and companions. You see, Divine grace moves first and interrupts; it breaks through the shadow of death, right into the midst of our depravity and shines the light of everlasting salvation: "Follow me." St. Matthew's calling shows Christ's willingness to be the first mover in salvation and to receive sinners. Jesus comes and calls them from darkness and into his glorious light. Jesus comes and calls us to push away and leave the table of sin. 

“Just as the sons of Jacob found life through one brother exalted in Egypt, so the world finds life only in Christ, the exalted Son of God. The law cannot feed us, our own strength cannot sustain us, our works cannot nourish us. Only Christ, the true Seed, gives life.”

“Friends, seek not the magicians or wise men of this age. Lean not on your own understanding. Rather, seek Jesus Christ, who alone saves your soul from sorrows and protects you through the storms. Brothers and sisters, let us set him over the house of our souls, He who is greater and wiser than any Pharaoh or a king, the only One who can save us from the famines to come.” 

“The game of compare and contrast leads to competition.  It has been played by all since the dawn of time. We see it in the story of the serpent and the first image-beaters. We see it again in the story of Cain and Abel. We see it in the Old Testament lesson from today: in Joseph and his brothers – and again in the story of Jesus and his Jewish  kinsmen.”:

"Lets be honest, our flesh finds obscurity and anonymity challenging to deal with. It whispers: "Your obscurity is an insult and an indignity to what you are really doing. You deserve the headlines just as much as others. And you certainly deserve praise for all the good you did to others!" My friends, such thoughts have to be confessed and abandoned. In other words, we need to embrace the ministry of anonymity, knowing that we serve almighty God, "unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid." He sees the good intent of your heart, and the good works you do in his name are ever before his eyes."

Those who have been Baptized into Christ Jesus have mounted the ladder, each time we participate in the Sacrament of the Covenant renewal, the Holy Eucharist, we are united with each other in Christ, and we climb the ladder. Remember the warning - confess your sins - and by faith in Christ come to the Blessed Sacrament and enter into the heavenly places with Christ, his saints, and his angels.

Those who have died with Christ and risen with Him in holy baptism have, as St. Paul puts it, been betrothed to One Husband, the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor 11:2). Beloved, we were like the Samaritan woman, yet He sought a bride—His Church—because He loved her and gave Himself up for her. Why did He do this? "That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the Church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish" (Eph 5:27). 

While the Divine command focused on offering Isaac as a sacrifice, the true test was Abraham's willingness to sacrifice himself. He had to relinquish his own will in favor of the Divine will, setting aside his dreams and desires to fulfill God's command. This meant prioritizing God's wisdom over his own and letting go of his deep love for his only son in favor of a greater love and fear of God. "Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

God chooses to visit us. Have you ever thought about that? Were you filled with great expectation and excitement, fixing your hair, getting dressed, finishing that last cup of coffee, excited that God was going to visit you today? Choosing to extend his hospitality by condescending to us, namely by stepping out of heaven and stooping down to our creatural realities of time and place? And this is the great distinction between human hospitality and Divine hospitality: that God chooses to condescend, to come down in ways that we can receive his hospitable presence. Look how he chose to appear to Abraham in the common form of a man.

“God commanded Abram to walk before Him and to be perfect. The covenant required Abram to make an effort, take action, and perform the works necessary for his relationship with the Lord. Notice that God's promise to renew his covenant promise of abundant blessing is in direct response to Abram's conduct, actions, and deeds; how the man chooses each day to "walk" out his life (the thoughts of his heart expressed through his actions) in the sight of Almighty God.”

The way of St. Benedict is the way of the Cross. The good Abbot desires for his monks to be faithful, trusting Christ for all things. He desires for good works to abound within the School of Christ, and for the monks to persevere in doing good. Why? For the salvation of their souls, and not merely theirs, but the salvation of the world. You see, in the final analysis, St. Benedict knows that the way of the Cross is the way of love.

We persevere in this life as we live a prayerfully: through ordered daily prayer, personal prayers, prayers of desperation, prayer in times of doubt, and even our feeble and imperfect prayers. Each of these embedding our lives in Christ. In Him, we not only persevere but also overcome. Yet, it is not by our own strength or volition that we fall to our knees in prayer, but again, by grace.

Our Collect thanks God, not man, for the liberties we enjoy. It reminds us that freedom is not self-made, nor finally sustained by arms or constitutions alone, but by the mighty power of God, working providentially through the virtues and courage of those who came before us. But the Collect also contains a warning: liberty must be maintained in righteousness and peace, not merely preserved.

Jesus said, "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me." In the midst of sorrow, the comforting words of our Shepherd come to our remembrance through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who speaks not of himself but of the Son.