Gus Lloyd's Reflections

Trinity Sunday

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity; three Persons, one God. The readings today reflect that. The first reading from Proverbs we see an inkling of the Trinity: “When the Lord established the heavens I was there…” And our Gospel reading is from John 16, where Jesus talks about the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Did you know that the word “Trinity” is found nowhere in the Scriptures? It took the Church many years to begin to sort this all out; to come to a greater understanding of the Trinity. Even now, it remains part of the mystery of our faith. Three Persons, One God. How can this be? Though we many never fully understand it, still we believe. But how can we explain this concept to those who question it? Let me share with you one of the best explanations I have ever heard.

Pope John Paul II said that God is not LIKE a family, God IS a family. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Let’s take my earthly family as an example. My wife and children and I all share many things. We share a name. We share the same DNA. We are one. The Lloyd family. Yet, we are also unique and separate individuals. We each have our own unique gifts and ministries. And so it is with God. Three Persons, One God. One “Family.”

We give you all praise and glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Help us to fulfill the Great Commission. Make us better disciples that we may make disciples. Amen.

Today’s Readings

Children and Jesus

In the first reading today from Sirach 17, we get kind of a short history of man. We see that God “put the fear of himself upon their hearts.” In essence, God has set into our DNA the knowledge that there is a God, and that we ain’t Him. Unfortunately, that message seems to get lost all too often, huh?

In the Gospel reading from Mark 10, Jesus says, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Children are like little sponges. They soak up everything they see and hear. Too often we forget about the “see” part. We tell our kids how important it is to be good, polite and treat people with respect. The trouble is, they watch us live our lives a lot more than they hear the platitudes that we spout.

Our children generally tend to turn out a lot like us. We lead by example. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” Do our kids WANT to go to Jesus? Have they seen US going to Jesus? Are we praying with our children? Do they see us with our nose in the Bible occasionally? Jesus wants the children to come to him. But they learn to go to Him through us.

Father, help us to be better parents to our children. Help us to lead by example, showing them the way to Jesus. Amen.

Today’s Readings

True Friendship

In the Gospel reading today from Mark 10, Jesus teaches about marriage. The Catholic Church has always held fast to these teachings. Sure, they are difficult. But they come from Christ Jesus Himself. I hope that you will join me in praying for marriages daily. Marriage is under attack on so many fronts. Pray that God will strengthen husbands and wives and help them grow together in love and holiness.

In the first reading today from Sirach 6, we read about friendship. Not the kind of friendship that most of us have with our neighbors. You know, the kind where you wave hello every now and again but it goes no deeper. I’m very guilty of that. In fact, with some of my neighbors, I know the names of their dogs, but not their names. Sad, but true. And I’m sure I’m not alone. But Sirach tells us, “Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant.”

The we read, “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price…A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy.” Have you ever heard the old saying, “If you want to make a friend, be a friend?” It’s so true. Most of us can probably count on one hand the number of true, faithful friends we have. Let us thank God today for the gift of friendship, for our true friends, and for the opportunities He gives us to be a friend to someone.

Father, thank you for putting true friends into our lives. May we cherish them always, and generously return their friendship. Amen.

Today’s Readings

Friendliness is one of the attributes of a Magnetic Christian. In Magnetic Christianity, I reference this passage from Sirach and many others. Get your copy today at www.GusLloyd.com.

Today’s Conversion

In the Gospel reading today from Mark 9, Jesus lets us know how dangerous it is to lead others into sin. “It would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” While we must strive for our own holiness, it is also incumbent upon us to help lead others to holiness.

My radio show is called “Seize the Day.” One of the Scripture passages that I used as inspiration for that title is in today’s first reading from Sirach 5. Sirach warns not to take God’s mercy for granted. “Of forgiveness be not overconfident, adding sin upon sin. Say not, ‘Great is his mercy; my many sins he will forgive.’ ” If we sin with impunity, never repenting, we are in for a sordid end. But that’s not the verse that helped inspire my show.

“Delay not your conversion to the Lord, put it not off from day to day.” You see, conversion is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. And even if we have had a “conversion experience” at some point in our life, we need to have another. And another. And another. Today. I suppose we could roll the dice and hope that we can remember to have a conversion on our death bed. But I have found that life is much more interesting converting every day and seeing what God has in store. So how about it? Shall we convert today?

Father, help us to be in a constant state of conversion. Help us never to take your great mercy for granted, but to come to you often seeking it. Amen.

Today’s Readings

Wisdom

Wisdom is an interesting concept. In our first reading today from Sirach 4 we get a brief primer on Wisdom. (Note the capital letter. The sacred author speaks of Wisdom as a personal pronoun, “her.”) In the Gospel reading from Mark 9, John tells Jesus that the disciples tried to prevent someone from driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus tells him not to stop him. He says, “Whoever  is not against us is for us.”

Wisdom is one of those things that can be hard to define. Is it smarts? No. I’m sure we all know some folks who may be plenty smart but lack wisdom. Is it knowledge? No. Is it simply common sense? Not entirely. Wisdom encompasses all of those things and more. Here is the definition from dictionary.com: the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity,discernment, or insight. These are all fine and good, but I believe they are missing the key component.

Wisdom comes from God. Being wise means being in tune with the ways of God, with the very mind of God. The closer we grow to God, the more wise we become. Conversely, the further we drift from God, the more elusive wisdom becomes. As it says in Sirach 4:19 – “But if he fails her (Wisdom), she will abandon him and deliver him into the hands of despoilers.”

Father, help us turn to you, to seek to draw ever closer to you, that we might attain wisdom. Amen.

Today’s Readings

Trust is Rewarded

In the Gospel reading today from Mark 9, Jesus’ disciples were arguing about who was the greatest. When Jesus asks them what they are arguing about, they go silent. No doubt they were embarrassed to admit to Jesus that they were probably stating their cases as to why they were the greatest. Jesus clears up any confusion for them. He says, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

In our first reading today from Sirach 2, we are told to trust God. Three times the sacred author reiterates this. “Trust God and God will help you; trust in him, and he will direct your way…trust him and your reward will not be lost.” This idea of trusting God seems like a no-brainer. But I believe that there are levels of trust. It’s easy enough to trust a little, or selectively. But it is much more difficult to trust completely. To trust God enough to hand over every aspect of our lives. When we do, our trust will be rewarded. How?

Sirach says, “Your reward will not be lost.” What are those rewards? He alludes to them right after – “…lasting joy and mercy…your hearts will be enlightened.” I’ve found in my own life that the fruit of trust is peace. When we truly trust that God is taking care of us, our hearts are enlightened, and we are rewarded with his peace.

Lord, we put our trust in you. Enlighten our hearts, show us your joy and mercy, and give us your peace. Amen.

Today’s Readings

The Power of Prayer

Welcome back to Ordinary Time! Lent is a distant memory and the Easter season is done. For the next couple of weeks, we’re going to be going through the Book of Sirach for our first readings. This is a book that you won’t find in a Protestant bible unless it contains the Apochrypha, or deuterocanonical books. If you have never read through the Book of Sirach, you’re in for a treat! It is one of my favorite books in Scripture, filled with God’s wisdom. Let’s enjoy!

In our Gospel reading today from Mark 9, Jesus casts out a spirit from a young boy. The father comes to Jesus and Jesus tells him, “Everything is possible to the one who has faith.” At that the man cries out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Words that we should echo every day. After Jesus casts the spirit out of the boy, His disciples ask, “Why could we not drive the spirit out?” Jesus replies, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

We see two very important spiritual ingredients that are intrinsically intertwined, faith and prayer. As people of faith, we MUST be people of prayer. And when we pray, we MUST have faith. I imagine that the disciples tried everything they could to drive out that demon. Yelling, screaming, cajoling. But the demon would not budge. Only prayer would do the job. This, I believe, is true in our lives as well. When we come to God in prayer, with complete faith, watch how God’s power is unleashed!

Father, we believe. Help our unbelief. We bring you all of our prayers in faith. Amen.

Today’s Readings

Life in the Spirit

Happy Pentecost! It has been fifty days since Easter. On this day we commemorate the sending of the Holy Spirit into the world. Today is considered the birthday of the Church. Praise God!

There are two options for a second reading today, one from 1 Corinthians 12 and one from Romans. In each of them, St. Paul talks about different aspects of life in the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12, St. Paul writes, “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” In other words, God has given you a special gift of the Spirit that you need to use to bring about His Kingdom. And in Romans 8, St. Paul writes, “But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” The Spirit gives us the ability to cast off sin.

I often talk about how God pours out the Holy Spirit in abundance at all times. Our problem is that we only accept a pittance of God’s Spirit. As we grow in faith and knowledge, let’s pray that we will also grow in our openness to the gifts of the Spirit. When we open ourselves more and more to the Spirit, we will change, and become greater agents of change in the world. So what do you say? Come, Holy Spirit!

Father, we desire a greater outpouring of your Spirit in our lives today. Help us to be open more and more. Amen.

Today’s Readings

Following Jesus

In Acts 28 today, we see Paul continuing in his ministry, even while in custody. Oh, that we could all have the evangelistic spirit of St. Paul! In the Gospel reading from John 21, Peter sees John coming toward him and Jesus and asks Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus’ reply is interesting.

Jesus tells Peter, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” It’s human nature to be interested in other people’s business. The gossip magazines have always known this, and have made a fortune off of it. Peter wanted to know what Jesus had in store for John. In essence, Jesus said, “None of your business.”

We can be so quick to make comparisons with others. It starts when we’re little kids. We want to make sure someone doesn’t get more than us. And if they do, the whining starts. “It’s not fair!” Does this carry over into our spiritual lives? If someone has been blessed, do we get jealous? Do we feel like God is giving us the short straw? How about if we just follow Jesus with gratitude for all He has given us, and not worry about whether someone else “has more.” After all, you never know what their cross looks like.

Father, help us to follow Jesus in the way that you have set our for us. Help us to be joyful for our gifts, and the gifts of others. Amen.

Today’s Readings

Jesus’ Question to You

In the first reading today from Acts 25, Paul is in Caesarea awaiting trial. He is asked if he wants to go to Jerusalem to have his case heard. Paul declines, knowing that God is sending him to Rome. So Paul appeals his case to the Emperor. Our Gospel reading is from John 21, one of the most moving stories in all of Scripture.

Jesus had just finished having breakfast with the disciples on the beach, after His resurrection. He then turns his attention to Peter. “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” This happens two more times, three total. Of course, we know that Jesus was giving Peter a chance to recant his threefold denial of Christ. And Catholics believe that Jesus’ threefold admonition to “Feed my sheep,” cemented Peter’s position of primacy among the Apostles.

“Do you love me?” Can you imagine if Jesus had to ask that question every time you denied Him? Let’s just say that in my case, it would perpetually be on His lips. But what if we pictured Jesus asking us that question every time we are about to sin? Do you think that would give us pause, perhaps even reconsider our ways? Why wait until after we deny Him?

Father, you know that we love Jesus. Give us the grace to stop denying Him in our own lives. Amen.

Today’s Readings