Entrusted To The Mercy Of God

On September 21 in 2000, my dad Glen Burke passed away. Five years later on the same day in 2005, my brother Bob Dofflow followed my dad. Twice a year, I honor my dad and my brother on this day and on their birthdays.

I was hoping today as I read the scripture readings that something would come to mind in a unique way to honor them. I did not grow up with my brother as he was born in my mother’s first marriage. I grew up an only child with my dad and mom, but had frequent interaction with my brother, sister-in-law, nephews and nieces.

Both of them were very hard working men. They set a very good example for me as to being responsible as husbands and fathers. I cannot remember God being spoken of with them until the end of their lives. My dad and mom took the approach with me to allow me to find God and religion when I was ready. We may not have talked about the Lord, but their examples of love and service exemplified our awesome and merciful God and I believe they both did the best that they could do.

So today on the Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle, whom Jesus called to follow Him and who was considered to be a great sinner by the Pharisees, I remember the words of Jesus. Jesus was criticized for eating with Matthew, a tax collector, and with other sinners and He told the Pharisees … “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Today, in the Spirit of Love and Thanksgiving, I again entrust my dad and brother to the mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I love you dad. I love you Bob. Amen.

Mike Burke; Wednesday, September 21, 2016

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Free Will???

Psalm 119:27 is worth pondering to me. It says … Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds. Many of my prayers are asking God for wisdom, understanding and knowledge. I also want God to force me to understand His will for my life. I have learned too often that I am not the best with the free will given to me from God. My will be done really stinks. When I meditate on all the amazing glory of God, I really want only His will to be done to prepare me for eternity.

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Mike Burke; Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Do What Is Right & Just

I do not know why, but after watching Sunday night’s football game, I changed the channel to the Emmys. I tend to take a more negative perception of award shows. I grew up seeking awards and the pats on the back for doing well. Pride was important to me and humility seemed to be lost. I now hope to do the best I can as an unprofitable servant but it is still a journey in overcoming pride. That is just me and my opinion and celebrating the accomplishments of greatness in one’s career can be good. How? I think by realizing that all the glory goes to God and being thankful for the gifts that God has given to achieve the award.

Watching only a few minutes, there was Hollywood, center stage with actors in the spotlight promoting their worldly viewpoint of sin. Here are some of the most talented people, with great influence on the young and the old, sharing what they believe is right and just in today’s society. The battle of the world versus God will continue and Hollywood, with all the applause, will seem to have the upper hand leading more and more people into darkness. Fortunately, we know who wins in the end.

All of today’s scripture readings, Proverbs 3:27-34; Psalm 15; Luke 8:16-18; have a theme of being in the light and doing what is right and just. Everything that we do in darkness will one day be revealed in the light. We are a very divided world. As a Christian, my views really clash with the popularity of what Hollywood and society accepts as the norm. As I grew up without Jesus, I was one of these children of darkness. I did not know any better and really had no spiritual guidance. Someone or many someones must have been praying for my conversion to come into the light of Jesus. My prayer tonight is for all of Hollywood and the world who have accepted evil as good and good as evil, to come to know the truth. Lord Jesus, have mercy on us all. Amen.

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Mike Burke; Monday, September 19, 2016

Supplications, Prayers, Petitions & Thanksgivings

Recently, I have been adding more time for prayer. I have had a prayer routine for a very long time, which I continue daily, but I was listening to a morning radio program that gave me an idea of how to increase my prayers, supplications, petitions and thanksgivings for people in my life. Starting at 6:15pm every night, I have my alarm set for prayer time for my wife. From that point, every half hour until 9:45pm, I have my alarm set for family, friends, church, social media friends, etc. I find it such a blessing to take just a short time to think about others and to ask God’s blessings upon them.

Saint Paul, in today’s second reading from 1 Timothy 2:1-8, asks that … “supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.” He tells us “this is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills that everyone be saved and come to the knowledge of truth.”

How awesome it would be that any of our prayers would help, by the grace of God, to bring others and ourselves into the light of truth. I conclude today with a prayer of thanksgiving for my mother, who was born on September 18 (Happy Birthday Mom!) and passed away in 1998. She was a most beautiful and loving mother who sacrificed much for me. Eternal Father, through the mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus, please bring my mom, Florence Burke, into the light of eternal life. Amen.

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Mike Burke; Sunday, September 18, 2016

How Is Every “Body” Doing?

This past week has been challenging for me. There is much going on at work with the renovation of my office and the busyness of my workday. I am up at 4:30am, on the road at 5:30am, in the office at 7am, work until 8pm, home around 9:30pm and in bed at 11:30pm. Doing this for all 5 days this week has left me very tired. I am back into the bad habits of eating late and eating a lot and my body is aching and feeling like I am carrying a ton of extra weight.

As I read today’s first reading from 1 Corinthians 15:35-49, St. Paul addresses what will be our resurrected body. The first words that caught my attention were … “What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.” I am not looking for an excuse as to how I have been treating my body but in reality, my body is going to die.

I thought what St. Paul continues talking about in regards to the resurrection of the dead was very interesting to reflect on. He says about our body … “It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible. It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It is sown weak; it is raised powerful. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.”

Yes, I am a sinful man, sown corruptible, dishonorable and weak. I continue the daily battle with the help of God’s grace, love and mercy. My hope is in Jesus who was raised glorious and powerful. Following Him with the cross of my natural body, with the help of His grace, should prepare me for eternity with my spiritual body. Lord knows, there is still much more work in me to be done.

Praise and glory to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

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Mike Burke; Saturday, September 17, 2016

Lord, When Your Glory Appears…

With the title of today’s reflection, my imagination runs and runs. I often see what I consider God’s Glory in my daily journey. The moon this morning was full and bright as it gave light to my early morning drive. I experience His Glory in my own life in my family and relationships with others. But today’s Responsorial from Psalm 17 gives meaning to what will happen when God’s Glory Appears …

MY JOY WILL BE COMPLETE 

Praise God! We have much to look forward to trusting in His promise to us.

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Mike Burke; Friday, September 16, 2016

Our Lady of Sorrows

There are two Gospel readings today. One from Luke 2:33-35 tells of Mary and Joseph entering the Temple to offer their son to God. Simeon had waited a very long time for the Presentation of the Lord. Simeon shared some prophetic words to Mary when he told her about her Son Jesus … “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” After more than 2000 years, we know that Simeon’s prophesy has been fulfilled.

The other Gospel reading is from John 19:25-27. Jesus was dying on the cross. Gathered around the cross were Mary His Mother, His disciple John, Mary, the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. Here, these few brave souls witnessed the son, the brother, the teacher, the healer and the Lord that they love, suffer and die on a cross, crucified unjustly. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

At that moment, Mary became our Spiritual Mother. Mary suffered greatly for her son. Like any mother or father that may have lost a son or daughter, the pain of suffering and sorrow is great. The Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. I think if we were able to look into the Immaculate Heart of Mary, her sorrow would overwhelm us. What makes everything so beautiful though, is that we know the end of the story.

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Mike Burke; Thursday, September 15, 2016

Exultation of the Holy Cross

Today in the Catholic Church, the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross is celebrated. The readings today are familiar and they speak to me, right where I am at, how much my Lord and Savior loves me.

John 3:13-17 … Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

And just how much does God love me? There is no question in my mind that Jesus gave everything for me! A most powerful God that could have wiped out any evil against Him but out of love for me, He suffered and died do the will of His Father. Philippians 2:6-11 … Brothers and sisters: Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Could my life get any better than this? Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I am blessed, we are blessed! Amen.

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Mike Burke; Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Faith or Fear

You are attending a funeral. There is weeping as a mother has lost her only son and she will now be alone. It is heartbreaking that she is suffering so much. You pray for her and the repose of her son’s soul. A man walks toward the casket. He looks at the grieving mother and says, “do not weep.” He then steps forward, touches the casket and says, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”

What would you think? Maybe something like, security, help please, there is a crazy man in the church? Or maybe it would be embarrassing and you would hope that someone would tell the man to sit down and shut up. All of a sudden, “the dead man sat up and began to speak.”

Now what do you think? In a similar way from today’s Gospel reading from Luke 7:11-17, Jesus did the above and gave a grieving mother her son back. It says that “fear seized them all and they glorified God.” Would you be afraid? Because of my lack of faith, I would be terrified. Do I believe God could do this today? I do believe He can do anything. I just do not think He would do it today and there is my weakness in faith.

Lord, I pray for an increase in faith throughout the entire world. Help us with your grace to believe completely in your power of healing, love and mercy. My Lord and my God, I believe; help my unbelief. Amen

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Mike Burke; Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Glorify The Lord

As I prepare this Monday for another week of service at work, I have been playing and singing praises and glory to God all weekend. I am thankful for the blessings of my weekend. With 9/11, I am reminded that our lives are very precious and we do not know the day or the hour that our lives here on earth will end. In the readings for today, I came upon Psalm 40:17, which I think is an awesome prayer for me as I reflect tonight…

May all who seek you exult and be glad in you. And may those who love your salvation say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”

I thank God for the gift of music that He has given me. My group plays and sings for the glory of God. We were blessed this past weekend to praise Him in song. And, there is another song I will be singing today to thank Him and praise Him for my daughter Andrea, who was born 38 years ago on this special day. She is one of the many unbelievable blessings in my life!

I love you Lord. Glory be to the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit! Amen.

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Mike Burke; Monday, September 12, 2016