Third Sunday of Lent - March 7, 2021

-

Exodus 20:1-17 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 John 2:13-25

Today’s Gospel feels particularly heavy as it shows Jesus in a rare and jarring state of anger. I imagine Jesus entering our church and observing the activities there. His reaction, I suspect, would be quite the opposite of anger. But being a person who leans introspective, I wonder what Jesus would observe if he looked inside my own heart and head as I attend Mass? What self-serving baggage do I bring into the church that would anger or anguish him?

I recall a moment last fall - a moment that sticks out as all moments do when the Holy Spirit places a sign along your path. I was driving down Wornall Road one afternoon on my way to pick up my son from school, when I caught myself scanning the cars around me...again. Over the course of the last year, I had developed this subconscious habit of searching for a particular face when out in the neighborhood and bracing myself for an unpleasant encounter. This face belonged to a very dear friend whose bond with me and my family was suddenly and painfully severed after the bitter end of a business partnership. This friend had recently moved two blocks from my home - such proximity for such a fresh wound. The habit of scanning the neighborhood took me down a slippery slope as I imagined how I would feel if this person‘s children attended Visitation school. My ultimate dread?...walking into Mass one day and seeing that face in a pew. 

It was at this moment, driving down Wornall Road that I noticed a new yard sign along my familiar daily route. It read, “Love Your Neighbor.” Shock. Shame. Wonder. Clarity. Acceptance. Forgiveness. Hope. Love. It took a fraction of a second for all of this to register. And in that instant the world flipped, my heart righted itself, and my whole perspective shifted. Visitation isn’t MY church. It is God’s church. It is a place that asks us to leave our baggage at the door, and to not pick it up on our way out. Message humbly and gratefully received.

Q: If Jesus looks inside my own heart and head as I attend mass, what would He observe? What baggage do I bring to Mass that would anger or anguish Him?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Passion of the Lord (Good Friday) - April 7, 2023

-
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1—19:42  Every morning when I go to Mass and the Priest asks for our intentions for the day, my response is for “wisdom, courage, comfort and trust.” Wisdom to fi gure out the answer, the courage to carry it out, and the comfort that it is the best solution and the trust to know God is guiding us in the best way. When I read the Psalms for today, I was taken back by David’s trust in the Lord to guide him and keep him safe. “In you, Lord, I take refuge”  A good friend coined this prayer when I was helping my parents navigate through my brother’s cancer. He passed away, but I continue to take comfort in those words and try daily to TRUST. Many people have commented on how they appreciate that petition so I continue to pray it.  There are big things and little things that come into our lives that require us to trust as David did. Some things are as small as smiling at the person at the traffic light or as big as standing up for another’s r
Read more

Monday of the First Week of Lent - March 11, 2019

-
Leviticus19:1-2, 11-18  Matthew 25:31-46 As I read my assignment for today, I felt relief. I knew these readings; I could relate to them. I had heard them multiple times and thought that I understood them well. The first reading from Leviticus tells me to love my neighbor as myself and to judge my neighbor justly. I know this! I believe this in my head! I often find it difficult to carry out, but I do believe it. Today’s gospel, Matthew 25, many of us know well through readings, songs, and social concerns committees, "Whatever you do for one of the least of …mine, you do to me." Feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; welcome the stranger; clothe the naked; comfort the sick; visit the prisoner. We try to do these things in our life. I decided to read our parish book, Stranger God by Richard Beck, to see how it could expand my understanding of Matthew 25 – and expand it did! After I read the book, I realized that I had been reading Matthew 25 literally.
Read more

Monday of Holy Week - April 3, 2023

-
Isaiah 42:1-7 John 12:1-11  One of my New Year’s resolutions is to be more mindful about how I spend my time. When we started having kids, everyone was always telling us, “enjoy it while it lasts because they grow up so fast!” I’d look at my tiny baby and think, yeah okay, we’ve got a long way to go. Fast forward 6 years, we have a kindergartener, and I am constantly asking myself, “where did the time go!?!?”  This Gospel is a reminder to me that I need to take advantage of every moment just as Mary decided to take advantage of that special moment with Jesus when she anointed his feet. It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of everyday life and fi nd ourselves just going through the motions without putting much thought into the importance of our actions. When I am at church, am I really present? I often fi nd that my focus is on how my children are behaving and if they are disturbing the people around us. When I am at home, am I making the most of my time with my family? Sadly,
Read more