Dt 4:1-2,6-8; Ps 15 The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord; James 1:17-18,21-22,27; Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23
We encounter the word "Religion" in today's reading.
St James speaks about religion in today's second reading. The greek term is threskeia, which generally denotes religious acts of worship, which includes rituals and the like. However, James is reminding the people that the rituals and religious acts of worship are meant to change us and transform us. What we do in worship is meant to affect how we choose to live.
We cannot give proper worship to God unless we are willing to be led by God and be transformed by the worship we participate.
For James that transformation means that we are concerned with the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. We are obligated to seek them out and be attentive to their needs. For James this group included the widows and the orphans. As we worship God and God comes to fill our life then we are being empowered to reach out to those in need.
Thus our worship is no longer just something we do in the temple or church building but becomes a part of our daily life. In thus manner we are able to pray always without ceasing because our life has become that prayer to God as we serve and offer ourselves.
James also tells us that "if anyone thinks he is religious, an does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man's religion is in vain."
Not only are we ask to let our actions show our true devotion to God. But also our words must reveal a devoted heart as well. St Paul tells us that we should day only the good things men need to hear so that it may impart grace to those who hear it (Ephesians 4:29).
True worship must be seen both in the words we speak and the actions we live daily.
The external ritual of worship should transform us internally so that externally we reveal to the world the God of love.
How we live our religion is evidence to the world that God is alive as Moses points out in today's first reading. We can't free lance what we believe but rather hold firm to what God has revealed.
Why do so few people believe in Jesus and God our father? Perhaps it is because we has christians do not live as we should.
It is not God who is lacking in revealing himself but rather us who are lacking in giving evidence of what we believe.
Just as we are started to find life where we least expect it so people should be startle to discover that God is alive by the choices we make and the life we live.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Friday, August 28, 2015
JUST IN CASE
1 thessalonians 4:1-8; Ps 97 Rejoice in the Lord, you just; Matt 25:1-13
Today we celebrate the memorial of St Augustine, doctor of the church.
We hear the exhortation of St Paul in today's first reading, "This is the will of God, you holiness..."
What does it look like to be holy?
In the gospel we have the parable of the ten virgins awaiting the return of the bridegroom. Five brought extra oil just in case and the other five did not. Five were foolish and were left out of the banquet standing in the dark with no party to be had while the other five danced the night away.
First the gospel. God arrives in unexpected moments and in unexpected times and ways. Just when we think no one was watching, here he comes. Just when think we its too late here he arrives.
As christians we need the mentality of Just in case. That is we should be prepared and always attentive to our surroundings and to the people we meet along the way. Just in case God makes an appearance or showing. We need to be ready for the unexpected. Be prepared and alert.
This isn't so much about external preparations as it is about internal preparations. We need to be always anticipating the arrival of God who comes as guest. We need to be inwardly prepared.
St Paul invites us to be holy this is exactly what he is saying. Holiness is the obedience that puts us at God's disposal whenever he calls.
Holiness is about being the best version of ourselves as we were created to be not as secular society would invite us to be.
We can't understand holiness by watching TV sitcoms or looking toward hollywood. We can only be truly our best version by going to the source of life itself. We look to the bible and the teachings of the Church. They remain very relevant if we are going to be th best version of ourselves daily that is holiness.
Here are a few words form St Augustine, doctor of the church.
"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us."
"Since we can not do good to all, all at once; then we need to pay attention to the the one that represents the all that is nearest us at any given moment."
If we love one then we love all. If we neglect one then we neglect all. At least this is my take on these words.
"Pride changed angels into devils; humility makes men as angels."
"Since love grows with in you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul."
"There is not one who does not love something, but the question is, what to love. We must choose the object of our love. But how can we choose unless we are first chosen? We cannot love unless someone has loved us first. We love Him, because he has first loved us. The source of Man's love for God can only be found in the fact that God loved him first."
Today we celebrate the memorial of St Augustine, doctor of the church.
We hear the exhortation of St Paul in today's first reading, "This is the will of God, you holiness..."
What does it look like to be holy?
In the gospel we have the parable of the ten virgins awaiting the return of the bridegroom. Five brought extra oil just in case and the other five did not. Five were foolish and were left out of the banquet standing in the dark with no party to be had while the other five danced the night away.
First the gospel. God arrives in unexpected moments and in unexpected times and ways. Just when we think no one was watching, here he comes. Just when think we its too late here he arrives.
As christians we need the mentality of Just in case. That is we should be prepared and always attentive to our surroundings and to the people we meet along the way. Just in case God makes an appearance or showing. We need to be ready for the unexpected. Be prepared and alert.
This isn't so much about external preparations as it is about internal preparations. We need to be always anticipating the arrival of God who comes as guest. We need to be inwardly prepared.
St Paul invites us to be holy this is exactly what he is saying. Holiness is the obedience that puts us at God's disposal whenever he calls.
Holiness is about being the best version of ourselves as we were created to be not as secular society would invite us to be.
We can't understand holiness by watching TV sitcoms or looking toward hollywood. We can only be truly our best version by going to the source of life itself. We look to the bible and the teachings of the Church. They remain very relevant if we are going to be th best version of ourselves daily that is holiness.
Here are a few words form St Augustine, doctor of the church.
"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us."
"Since we can not do good to all, all at once; then we need to pay attention to the the one that represents the all that is nearest us at any given moment."
If we love one then we love all. If we neglect one then we neglect all. At least this is my take on these words.
"Pride changed angels into devils; humility makes men as angels."
"Since love grows with in you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul."
"There is not one who does not love something, but the question is, what to love. We must choose the object of our love. But how can we choose unless we are first chosen? We cannot love unless someone has loved us first. We love Him, because he has first loved us. The source of Man's love for God can only be found in the fact that God loved him first."
Thursday, August 27, 2015
SPIRITUAL AUDIT
1 Thessalonians 3:7-13; Ps 90 Fill us with your love O LOrd, and we will sing for joy; Matt 24:42-51
St Paul is inviting us to take on a spiritual audit in our life as we read his letter to the community of Thessalonians.
"Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith."
My experience is most people think they are just fine in the area of faith and faithfulness. We all think we are beyond reproach in this aspect of our life and we are all mistaken.
There is deficiencies in our life of faith. Do we know where they are? Have we investigated? Do we take a spiritual inventory of our life, an accounting of sorts to better know where we are lacking?
Unless we are aware of our deficiencies then we will be hard pressed to find the remedies.
Then St Paul acknowledges two areas of deficiencies that is common in all of our lives as disciples.
First, "may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all…"
Love can never be static. True charity either grows and deepens or it diminishes. We must spiritually mature daily and the first place or measure of that maturity is the love we offer for one another and for all.
Secondly, the coming of Christ will be the final measure of all human activity. Jesus will return as judge. The early christians community in the 1st century was losing their sense of urgency. They had lost sight of Jesus' return.
Even now centuries later, the coming of Jesus seems increasingly remote yet we must sustain a sense of urgency in this regard. The urgency of Christ' return must become a vital element of healthy spirituality of the disciple.
We must be alert. As Jesus tells us in the gospel, "stay awake." Vigilance and alertness should build a sense of Urgency that keeps the fire burning and keeps us moving forward in a dynamic away in regards to faith and love.
This urgency should help us be attentive to Jesus' presence daily in the quiet ways he comes in to our life. This urgency as pointed out in the gospel is meant to encourage us to share our time and talent in such way that we nourish other members of our community.
"Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so." We all have received gifts. We must distribute those gifts for the benefit of others.
Do a spiritual audit today.
St Paul is inviting us to take on a spiritual audit in our life as we read his letter to the community of Thessalonians.
"Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith."
My experience is most people think they are just fine in the area of faith and faithfulness. We all think we are beyond reproach in this aspect of our life and we are all mistaken.
There is deficiencies in our life of faith. Do we know where they are? Have we investigated? Do we take a spiritual inventory of our life, an accounting of sorts to better know where we are lacking?
Unless we are aware of our deficiencies then we will be hard pressed to find the remedies.
Then St Paul acknowledges two areas of deficiencies that is common in all of our lives as disciples.
First, "may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all…"
Love can never be static. True charity either grows and deepens or it diminishes. We must spiritually mature daily and the first place or measure of that maturity is the love we offer for one another and for all.
Secondly, the coming of Christ will be the final measure of all human activity. Jesus will return as judge. The early christians community in the 1st century was losing their sense of urgency. They had lost sight of Jesus' return.
Even now centuries later, the coming of Jesus seems increasingly remote yet we must sustain a sense of urgency in this regard. The urgency of Christ' return must become a vital element of healthy spirituality of the disciple.
We must be alert. As Jesus tells us in the gospel, "stay awake." Vigilance and alertness should build a sense of Urgency that keeps the fire burning and keeps us moving forward in a dynamic away in regards to faith and love.
This urgency should help us be attentive to Jesus' presence daily in the quiet ways he comes in to our life. This urgency as pointed out in the gospel is meant to encourage us to share our time and talent in such way that we nourish other members of our community.
"Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so." We all have received gifts. We must distribute those gifts for the benefit of others.
Do a spiritual audit today.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
DAILY EXAMEN
1 Thessalonains 2:9-13; Ps 139 You have searched me and you know me, Lord; Matthew 23:27-32
"Woe to you scribes and pharisees, you hypocrites..."
Hypocrisy is everywhere. We live it, breathe it, and build lives upon it.
Hypocrisy is when we say one thing and knowingly do something else in an attempt to deceive ourselves, our loved ones, our coworkers, our friends.
There must be a degree of knowledge if hypocrisy is what it is.
We all deal with on a small scale. Every time we profess our faith in Christ and yet find ourselves giving in to temptation or vice we find ourselves in the deep stuff. We find ourselves being hypocritical to some degree but that is only if we refuse to do something about it.
If we seek to make a change. If we seek repentance and God's mercy. IF we seek to make amends and hold ourselves accountable then we aren't being hypocritical rather weak and wounded men who know we are in need of Christ strength as we journey back to the Father.
Hypocrites are different. They know they are doing wrong and they refuse to hold themselves accountable or change. This latter version is what Jesus is referring us to be on the look out in our life.
How do we do that? How do we keep a finger on the pulse of that hypocrisy that he recognizes in the scribes and pharisees that could easily flare up in us?
This is where St Ignatius of Loyola daily examen comes in to play in our life.
The Daily Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us.
It consists of five steps:
1. Place yourself in God's presence. Give thanks for God's great love for you.
2.Pray for the grace to understand how God is acting in your life.
3.Review your day — recall specific moments and your feelings at the time.
4.Reflect on what you did, said, or thought in those instances. Were you drawing closer to God, or further away?
5. Look toward tomorrow — think of how you might collaborate more effectively with God's plan. Be specific, and conclude with the "Our Father."
We can keep our hypocritical nature in check as we allow God's grace to perfect us each step of the way.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
HARD SAYING
Joshua 24:1-2,15-17,18; Ps 34 Taste and see the goodness of the Lord; Ephesians 5:21-32; John 6:60-69
"Many disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it."
What is the saying that is so hard? Jesus said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just a the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me."
This is a hard saying; who can accept it.
"Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What f you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."
"as a result of this many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him."
Notice it is the disciples that walk away. These are folks who have been intimate with Jesus. They have followed him. They have witnessed the signs and the miracles. They have eaten with him and journeyed with him. These are not strangers. These are companions. Yet, they walk away.
From the beginning the Eucharist has been divisive. The Eucharist is the line in the sand. It has become that teaching that separates who we want God to be and how we want God to act from who God reveals himself to be and how he chooses to act.
These murmurs have run down from generation to generation down the centuries.
The bottom line is do we receive Jesus on his terms or do we keep wanting God to meet us on our terms!
The fact that many left Jesus reveals one of the saddest realities of all history. We want God to be great and far away; we want him to manifest himself according to our desires and our wishes. We do not want him so near as food. We do not want him small and humbling himself as he chooses to come to us in the Eucharist.
"Jesus then said to the twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Notice Jesus doesn't run after the disciples and say, hold on I think you misunderstood me. He didn't say that he was only speaking figuratively or metaphorically or symbolically as some would suggest. Jesus never softens his words but rather he intensifies them, "Do you also want to leave?"
At some point we have to accept that somethings we do not fully understand yet we hold onto them because Jesus is the one who gives them to us. As simon Peter points out below.
"Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. W have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
Jesus' words are transformative because his word is the divine word spoken to us. How often do we see the word of God in action through Jesus transforming reality!
He speaks to the little girl who has died and she rises. He speaks to Lazarus from the grave and the dead man walks out. He speaks to the lame and they walk, the blind and they see. He speaks to the hemorrhaging woman and her sickness is dried up. He speaks over the five loaves and two fish and 5000 are fed. With a word he calms the storm and the sea.
Jesus' word has transformative power. He speaks over bread and wine at the last supper and they become his real presence to us on our journey: his flesh is true food and his blood is true drink.
What is going on here. Two words come to mind: Tran-substantiation and Tran-signification
Tran-signification: is that in which something takes on a change in meaning or a change in use. For example a piece of cloth becomes a national flag. It is a symbol of a nation. Because of its new meaning and use it affects a change in the people: we take our hat off and we salute it and cover our hand over your hearts when it is raised. It will be put in a museum and it will carry with it all the history of that period and time. It remains a cloth though its meaning is changed because people agree to its change and significance. The power and significance depends on the agreement of the people and the governing body. It is the people's acceptance that give it meaning. We give cloth as flag meaning because of our yes to it. If we no longer give acceptance to its meaning then it goes back to being a cloth.
Tran-substantiation-This is different than the above. Transubstantiation is what we use to describe the reality of the Eucharist, the bread and wine be transformed in to the real presence of Jesus in our midst. The Lord takes possession of the bread and wine; He lifts them up out of their normal existence into a new order that is profoundly different; Where the lord lays his hand something new comes about; transformation is real and total. This is not a mere change in use or change in meaning but a change in reality itself. The cloth that becomes a flag depends on functionality. The Eucharist is not a function. It does not depend on convention or agreement by the people in which we choose to accept or reject it. Our acceptance of it does not change its reality.
The Eucharist is because of God's yes regardless of our yes or no to what he gives.
This is the Eucharist Jesus lays out for us in John chapter 6.
Does this shock Us? Do we also want to leave? Jesus has drawn the line in the sand. Belief must bow to him. Belief is always directed toward what is most real. We may not understand it fully. But we have an obligation to receive it because of him who gives it.
The Eucharist is the tipping point for all believers.
"Many disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it."
What is the saying that is so hard? Jesus said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just a the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me."
This is a hard saying; who can accept it.
"Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What f you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."
"as a result of this many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him."
Notice it is the disciples that walk away. These are folks who have been intimate with Jesus. They have followed him. They have witnessed the signs and the miracles. They have eaten with him and journeyed with him. These are not strangers. These are companions. Yet, they walk away.
From the beginning the Eucharist has been divisive. The Eucharist is the line in the sand. It has become that teaching that separates who we want God to be and how we want God to act from who God reveals himself to be and how he chooses to act.
These murmurs have run down from generation to generation down the centuries.
The bottom line is do we receive Jesus on his terms or do we keep wanting God to meet us on our terms!
The fact that many left Jesus reveals one of the saddest realities of all history. We want God to be great and far away; we want him to manifest himself according to our desires and our wishes. We do not want him so near as food. We do not want him small and humbling himself as he chooses to come to us in the Eucharist.
"Jesus then said to the twelve, "Do you also want to leave?"
Notice Jesus doesn't run after the disciples and say, hold on I think you misunderstood me. He didn't say that he was only speaking figuratively or metaphorically or symbolically as some would suggest. Jesus never softens his words but rather he intensifies them, "Do you also want to leave?"
At some point we have to accept that somethings we do not fully understand yet we hold onto them because Jesus is the one who gives them to us. As simon Peter points out below.
"Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. W have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
Jesus' words are transformative because his word is the divine word spoken to us. How often do we see the word of God in action through Jesus transforming reality!
He speaks to the little girl who has died and she rises. He speaks to Lazarus from the grave and the dead man walks out. He speaks to the lame and they walk, the blind and they see. He speaks to the hemorrhaging woman and her sickness is dried up. He speaks over the five loaves and two fish and 5000 are fed. With a word he calms the storm and the sea.
Jesus' word has transformative power. He speaks over bread and wine at the last supper and they become his real presence to us on our journey: his flesh is true food and his blood is true drink.
What is going on here. Two words come to mind: Tran-substantiation and Tran-signification
Tran-signification: is that in which something takes on a change in meaning or a change in use. For example a piece of cloth becomes a national flag. It is a symbol of a nation. Because of its new meaning and use it affects a change in the people: we take our hat off and we salute it and cover our hand over your hearts when it is raised. It will be put in a museum and it will carry with it all the history of that period and time. It remains a cloth though its meaning is changed because people agree to its change and significance. The power and significance depends on the agreement of the people and the governing body. It is the people's acceptance that give it meaning. We give cloth as flag meaning because of our yes to it. If we no longer give acceptance to its meaning then it goes back to being a cloth.
Tran-substantiation-This is different than the above. Transubstantiation is what we use to describe the reality of the Eucharist, the bread and wine be transformed in to the real presence of Jesus in our midst. The Lord takes possession of the bread and wine; He lifts them up out of their normal existence into a new order that is profoundly different; Where the lord lays his hand something new comes about; transformation is real and total. This is not a mere change in use or change in meaning but a change in reality itself. The cloth that becomes a flag depends on functionality. The Eucharist is not a function. It does not depend on convention or agreement by the people in which we choose to accept or reject it. Our acceptance of it does not change its reality.
The Eucharist is because of God's yes regardless of our yes or no to what he gives.
This is the Eucharist Jesus lays out for us in John chapter 6.
Does this shock Us? Do we also want to leave? Jesus has drawn the line in the sand. Belief must bow to him. Belief is always directed toward what is most real. We may not understand it fully. But we have an obligation to receive it because of him who gives it.
The Eucharist is the tipping point for all believers.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
BARGAIN SHOPPERS BEWARE
Matt 22:1-14; PS 40 Here I am Lord, I come to do your will; Judges 11:29-39
Toda is the feast day of St Bernard of Clairvaux
Here are a few words of insight from this doctor of the church
"There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is Curiosity.
There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is Vanity.
There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love."
"What we love we shall grow to resemble."
Just a few thoughts about our readings for today.
Our first reading is tragic. There is no way around it. We have a Father who makes an oath to the Lord that ultimately cost him his daughter's life.
It points to two realities in life. God can be served generously and badly. If it is badly then it should not be done at all. Morally bad promises are never pleasing to God.
Secondly, bargaining with God is unhealthy. It is not part of the healthy and vibrant relationship God wants to have with us. Many times these bargains, like the one in the story for today, is made out of pride. Pride is never a place from which we should seek answers to life's problems. Humility is the ground of all virtue.
The reading should be appalling. It should strike a chord in us.
Does God demand that we fulfill every promise? God demands that every promise we make should be tempered by humility and true charity. It is charity that covers a multitude of sins not pride.
Secondly we get to the gospel and what we discover is a truth about the human heart. There are fifty ways to say "no" to God. The human heart is skilled in finding ways to avoid the demands that force us to change in regards to our comfort and lifestyle.
Avoidance we are really good at.
What of the guest with out the proper garment? Many fathers of the church point to the fact it wasn't so much his outer garments but rather his inner garment of gratitude that was missing. Gratitude shows itself externally.
Others bible scholars suggest that the guest would have been given a garment to wear at the front door. The king wold have provided garments for every one, almost like those restaurants that demand a coat to be worn but provide them if a guest is without. It would have been the same in the first century. If someone invited you to a party then they would had provided the proper attire as well.
Thus, the guest's refusal to put on what was provided points to a certain stubbornness and pride of life that eventually got him kicked out of the celebration and bound and thrown into darkness.
But needless to say ungrateful guest are always on God's radar. Ingratitude always points to resistance to God's grace offered to us daily.
God gives. We are invited to cooperate. Both together equate to fullness of life and joy.
Toda is the feast day of St Bernard of Clairvaux
Here are a few words of insight from this doctor of the church
"There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is Curiosity.
There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is Vanity.
There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love."
"What we love we shall grow to resemble."
Just a few thoughts about our readings for today.
Our first reading is tragic. There is no way around it. We have a Father who makes an oath to the Lord that ultimately cost him his daughter's life.
It points to two realities in life. God can be served generously and badly. If it is badly then it should not be done at all. Morally bad promises are never pleasing to God.
Secondly, bargaining with God is unhealthy. It is not part of the healthy and vibrant relationship God wants to have with us. Many times these bargains, like the one in the story for today, is made out of pride. Pride is never a place from which we should seek answers to life's problems. Humility is the ground of all virtue.
The reading should be appalling. It should strike a chord in us.
Does God demand that we fulfill every promise? God demands that every promise we make should be tempered by humility and true charity. It is charity that covers a multitude of sins not pride.
Secondly we get to the gospel and what we discover is a truth about the human heart. There are fifty ways to say "no" to God. The human heart is skilled in finding ways to avoid the demands that force us to change in regards to our comfort and lifestyle.
Avoidance we are really good at.
What of the guest with out the proper garment? Many fathers of the church point to the fact it wasn't so much his outer garments but rather his inner garment of gratitude that was missing. Gratitude shows itself externally.
Others bible scholars suggest that the guest would have been given a garment to wear at the front door. The king wold have provided garments for every one, almost like those restaurants that demand a coat to be worn but provide them if a guest is without. It would have been the same in the first century. If someone invited you to a party then they would had provided the proper attire as well.
Thus, the guest's refusal to put on what was provided points to a certain stubbornness and pride of life that eventually got him kicked out of the celebration and bound and thrown into darkness.
But needless to say ungrateful guest are always on God's radar. Ingratitude always points to resistance to God's grace offered to us daily.
God gives. We are invited to cooperate. Both together equate to fullness of life and joy.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
JUST WAGE
Judges 9:6-15; Ps 21 Lord, in your strength the king is glad; Matt 20:1-16
Before we reflect on the readings here are a few words from St John Eudes
"Jesus belongs to you, but more than that, he longs to be in you, living and ruling in you, as the head lives and rules in the body. He desires that whatever is in him may live and rule in you: his breath, his heart in your heart, all the faculties of his soul in the faculties of your soul, so that these words may be fulfilled in you: Glorify God and bear him in your body, that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in you."
We look at story told of the tree looking for leader in today's first reading. It is worth mediating on. It offers a unique insight into what makes a good leader, in so far as, what is demanded of the leader who is chosen.
In each of the chosen trees, "olive, fig, grapevine" in order for them to be rulers of the other trees they would first have to give up their own identity, renounce themselves so that they might be completely dedicated to the care and concern of all the rest. None of the trees were willing to do so. None were willing to denounce themselves for the good of all the rest, but isn't this exactly what we expect in a true leader. Isn't this what we see in Christ himself!
But ultimate all human leadership is going to have its limitations. It is in the experience of this limitations that should ultimately direct our attention to our God that we might beg strength and wisdom from him.
The gospel we are asked to meditate on also illicit a variety of responses. Some love it and other are deeply bothered by it. The parable is that of the landowner who goes out hire laborers for his vineyard. He goes out and grabs workers throughout the day and upon hiring them he agrees to pay them a just wage.
In the end when it is time to get paid, those who were hired first begin to be angered over the fact that the last to be hired, those who worked only part of the day, get paid the same amount as those who began early in the morning.
Grumbling ensues and entitlement takes over. This sounds too familiar to our current state of affair.
The bottom line is that God is ultimately the one who determines what true justice is all about. Can we really legitimately complain about the justice of God? Who are we to demand our own sense of justice to met by him? After all, how often does our own sense of entitlement negatively affect our sense of justice as to what is owed to us?
God wants to save us from this false assumption that we know what is best for ourselves. The truth is we do not know what his best for ourselves. Original sin has colored our own sense of value and worth. We might error in this regard.
God cannot error. Should we not bow to his justice gladly.
"Are you envious because I am generous?"
In deed these are the words that should be ringing in out ears as we meditate on this passage. Time and time again we let our own sense of generosity lessen the generous nature of God.
Should we not rather pray that we are set free from our own notion of justice and truly surrender to His, a justice that is most perfectly manifested on the cross on calvary.
Before we reflect on the readings here are a few words from St John Eudes
"Jesus belongs to you, but more than that, he longs to be in you, living and ruling in you, as the head lives and rules in the body. He desires that whatever is in him may live and rule in you: his breath, his heart in your heart, all the faculties of his soul in the faculties of your soul, so that these words may be fulfilled in you: Glorify God and bear him in your body, that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in you."
We look at story told of the tree looking for leader in today's first reading. It is worth mediating on. It offers a unique insight into what makes a good leader, in so far as, what is demanded of the leader who is chosen.
In each of the chosen trees, "olive, fig, grapevine" in order for them to be rulers of the other trees they would first have to give up their own identity, renounce themselves so that they might be completely dedicated to the care and concern of all the rest. None of the trees were willing to do so. None were willing to denounce themselves for the good of all the rest, but isn't this exactly what we expect in a true leader. Isn't this what we see in Christ himself!
But ultimate all human leadership is going to have its limitations. It is in the experience of this limitations that should ultimately direct our attention to our God that we might beg strength and wisdom from him.
The gospel we are asked to meditate on also illicit a variety of responses. Some love it and other are deeply bothered by it. The parable is that of the landowner who goes out hire laborers for his vineyard. He goes out and grabs workers throughout the day and upon hiring them he agrees to pay them a just wage.
In the end when it is time to get paid, those who were hired first begin to be angered over the fact that the last to be hired, those who worked only part of the day, get paid the same amount as those who began early in the morning.
Grumbling ensues and entitlement takes over. This sounds too familiar to our current state of affair.
The bottom line is that God is ultimately the one who determines what true justice is all about. Can we really legitimately complain about the justice of God? Who are we to demand our own sense of justice to met by him? After all, how often does our own sense of entitlement negatively affect our sense of justice as to what is owed to us?
God wants to save us from this false assumption that we know what is best for ourselves. The truth is we do not know what his best for ourselves. Original sin has colored our own sense of value and worth. We might error in this regard.
God cannot error. Should we not bow to his justice gladly.
"Are you envious because I am generous?"
In deed these are the words that should be ringing in out ears as we meditate on this passage. Time and time again we let our own sense of generosity lessen the generous nature of God.
Should we not rather pray that we are set free from our own notion of justice and truly surrender to His, a justice that is most perfectly manifested on the cross on calvary.
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