The readings call us to get to work--the work of growing closer to God. That is what gives meaning to everything in life, when we see it as an opportunity to be present to God and glorify Him.
Part of this is having an attentiveness to our circumstances that makes us aware of God's presence in them. This kind of awareness is what makes Abraham act immediately when three visitors arrive. Aware of their Divine nature, he offers Them gracious hospitality.
Martha keeps busy in waiting upon the Lord Jesus when He comes as a guest, but loses sight of how meaningful it is to be in His presence because she's so busy in the act of waiting on Him. When she openly expresses her frustration with her sister, who should have been helping her, Jesus draws her attention to what is most important--that which Mary keeps aware of as she remains at His feet, being present to Him and the gracious words He offers. (The commentary in the lector workbook I use notes that in that society it was not a woman's place to be at the feet of a rabbi, and a woman was expected to be serving in the kitchen. Truly Jesus is bringing about a new social order.)
Father Hurlbert put it well in his homily at Mass, saying that any work we do for God should keep us busy like Martha, but we should come out of it like Mary, with a greater awareness of God's presence. In so entering His presence, we are more aware of the Mystery that God has drawn us into, that we, made righteousness, may abide in His presence.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
July 10, 2016: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
God speaks His Word to us, now in Jesus Christ who speaks from within our hearts, that we might respond to His invitation of love: His Word ultimately calls us to turn outward to show love to other people. Regardless of who they are, they are all the same in that by showing them mercy, and loving them from the heart, they become our neighbor. Indeed, there is much room for us to expand our horizons in embracing so many others as "neighbor" in the exchanging of mercy.
This love comes as God, the Creator, has reconciled all through the redemptive blood of His Son Jesus Christ. By the Paschal Mystery, God shows us love, and so we love Him back, and then turn to love others in showing them mercy in action.
This love comes as God, the Creator, has reconciled all through the redemptive blood of His Son Jesus Christ. By the Paschal Mystery, God shows us love, and so we love Him back, and then turn to love others in showing them mercy in action.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
July 3, 2016: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
God gives us comfort and assurance that He will come to us and lavish us with His abundant care. We can trust in Him and rejoice because He is bringing us a Kingdom. We who are His disciples now have our lives directed by working to bring forth this Kingdom in our world, and one day, we will enter it.
It is a Kingdom that is ours when we commit our lives to the Cross, by which we have been made new. At this time of year when we the people of the United States celebrate our freedom, we Christians recall, as Paul writes in stirring words in Galatians 6, the glorious freedom won for us in the Cross of Christ.
It is a Kingdom that is ours when we commit our lives to the Cross, by which we have been made new. At this time of year when we the people of the United States celebrate our freedom, we Christians recall, as Paul writes in stirring words in Galatians 6, the glorious freedom won for us in the Cross of Christ.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
June 26, 2016: 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
We heard in last weekend's Gospel what it means to follow in the way of Christ, our Lord. Today, the conditions for discipleship are spelled out in greater specifics. We must be willing to forgo whatever distracts us as we follow Him. In so following, we receive an inheritance that leads to Eternal Life. It is at work in us even now as we are set free from sin that we may live in His way of Love, in service to others.
The reading from Galatians presents some meaningful principles as we in the United States approach the Independence Day holiday. While we cherish freedom, it ultimately finds its meaning when we use it for the purposes of building a better society, a better world for all people.
This is a commitment that the Founding Fathers made. I couldn't help but think about this idea of commitment while watching 1776, a musical about the independence of the United States. Abigail Adams reminds John Adams about the importance of commitment, and then shortly thereafter in the movie, John signs about making a commitment, going forward and not looking back, burning the bridges behind him, even in the face of naysayers.
Commitment was on my mind when I attended Mass at St. Teresa's this past Sunday. I was called anew to a commitment to faith when I first came to St. Teresa's on the threshold of my freshman year at ValpU, entering a community that committed itself to serving God by supporting us students. Father Kevin celebrated his final weekend of Masses there today, with all the various unique marks of his sense of ministry. It was touching in his final remarks when we recognized and thanked the students and alumni present, because we are the driving force behind the ministry. I indeed remembering receiving such support, which spurred me on to be the best version of myself while committing myself to living this great gift of faith I had received.
Father Kevin demonstrates his commitment to his vocation, even in the sadness of leaving a wonderful community. He faces the demands of discipleship, that he may faithfully serve our God, as we are all called to do.
The reading from Galatians presents some meaningful principles as we in the United States approach the Independence Day holiday. While we cherish freedom, it ultimately finds its meaning when we use it for the purposes of building a better society, a better world for all people.
This is a commitment that the Founding Fathers made. I couldn't help but think about this idea of commitment while watching 1776, a musical about the independence of the United States. Abigail Adams reminds John Adams about the importance of commitment, and then shortly thereafter in the movie, John signs about making a commitment, going forward and not looking back, burning the bridges behind him, even in the face of naysayers.
Commitment was on my mind when I attended Mass at St. Teresa's this past Sunday. I was called anew to a commitment to faith when I first came to St. Teresa's on the threshold of my freshman year at ValpU, entering a community that committed itself to serving God by supporting us students. Father Kevin celebrated his final weekend of Masses there today, with all the various unique marks of his sense of ministry. It was touching in his final remarks when we recognized and thanked the students and alumni present, because we are the driving force behind the ministry. I indeed remembering receiving such support, which spurred me on to be the best version of myself while committing myself to living this great gift of faith I had received.
Father Kevin demonstrates his commitment to his vocation, even in the sadness of leaving a wonderful community. He faces the demands of discipleship, that he may faithfully serve our God, as we are all called to do.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
June 19, 2016: 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
On this Fathers' Day, we are given the opportunity to ponder what it means to be children of God.
By His death and resurrection, Christ has adopted us into God's family, cleansing us who are in sin, and giving us a share in His identity as the Son of God.
But sharing in this identity means that we share also in His sufferings, taking up our Cross to follow Him. We don't merely bear His identity through belief, but furthermore through actions of mercy, giving of ourselves as Christ has done. We live out this relationship, seeking after Him Who alone satisfies us because His identity is upon us.
By His death and resurrection, Christ has adopted us into God's family, cleansing us who are in sin, and giving us a share in His identity as the Son of God.
But sharing in this identity means that we share also in His sufferings, taking up our Cross to follow Him. We don't merely bear His identity through belief, but furthermore through actions of mercy, giving of ourselves as Christ has done. We live out this relationship, seeking after Him Who alone satisfies us because His identity is upon us.
Monday, June 13, 2016
June 12, 2016: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Our God is a God who lavishes us with forgiveness, perhaps even beyond what we can comprehend.
It is a gift that is ours when we acknowledge our sins, realizing we have done wrong, so that we may receive such a sweet gift. It is not something we earn, but comes only through the merits of the Cross.
And then, as the priest said in his homily at the Philadelphia Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, as forgiven people, we have to extend the forgiveness, not continuing in condemning others. Indeed, this is a gift that overflows to all who will humbly acknowledge their sins and God's power to forgive them.
These readings make me think of something John Newton said as he neared the end of his life: "Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior." Truly, we are all sinners, all in need of God's mercy, which we can all receive freely and abundantly. No matter what we've done, God can work His mercy in us as we come to Him in repentance.
It is a gift that is ours when we acknowledge our sins, realizing we have done wrong, so that we may receive such a sweet gift. It is not something we earn, but comes only through the merits of the Cross.
And then, as the priest said in his homily at the Philadelphia Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, as forgiven people, we have to extend the forgiveness, not continuing in condemning others. Indeed, this is a gift that overflows to all who will humbly acknowledge their sins and God's power to forgive them.
These readings make me think of something John Newton said as he neared the end of his life: "Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior." Truly, we are all sinners, all in need of God's mercy, which we can all receive freely and abundantly. No matter what we've done, God can work His mercy in us as we come to Him in repentance.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
June 5, 2016: 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
We've spent many of the past few weeks since Easter Sunday celebrating the real, living presence of our Risen Savior Jesus Christ.
And we continue to celebrate His Resurrection as we gather Sunday after Sunday, especially with the readings for this Sunday, in which we hear of God's power over death. There are two similar stories in about the dead being raised to life, sons of widowed mothers. God shows that He cares for His people by providing for them, in this case, bringing widows their sons back from the dead so they have their support system--beautifully, Elijah and Jesus both hand the revived sons back to their mothers.
Indeed, the newness of life is a sign of God having come to be with us. And so we cry out to God in faith to bring us newness of Life, and He responds to the faith we display before Him.
God constantly seeks to restore us to newness of life, we who were once dead in sin and alienated from God, like in the experience of St. Paul, which he in the 2nd reading. He revealed Himself to us, by His Very Word, calling us to abide in a new way of life, in which we proclaim the Gospel, even through extraordinary deeds of mercy and compassion.
And we continue to celebrate His Resurrection as we gather Sunday after Sunday, especially with the readings for this Sunday, in which we hear of God's power over death. There are two similar stories in about the dead being raised to life, sons of widowed mothers. God shows that He cares for His people by providing for them, in this case, bringing widows their sons back from the dead so they have their support system--beautifully, Elijah and Jesus both hand the revived sons back to their mothers.
Indeed, the newness of life is a sign of God having come to be with us. And so we cry out to God in faith to bring us newness of Life, and He responds to the faith we display before Him.
God constantly seeks to restore us to newness of life, we who were once dead in sin and alienated from God, like in the experience of St. Paul, which he in the 2nd reading. He revealed Himself to us, by His Very Word, calling us to abide in a new way of life, in which we proclaim the Gospel, even through extraordinary deeds of mercy and compassion.
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