Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent - April 8, 2022

-

Jeremiah20:10-13      John 10:31-42

In this era of politicizing everything, it can be difficult to find a comfortable setting where one can express one’s feelings and not be afraid of being labeled as an extremist of some sort. In these times of such sharp political divide, one side or the other fails to recognize the good that either performs. As a result, no one is provided “grace” and there is little attempt to understand the other’s thoughts and objectives.

Christ’s goal while He was on this earth was to love and be an example to us all as to how we live our lives for God the Father; and have everlasting life. Those who were afraid of what Christ was asking of them, to give up worldly ways and be children of God, wanted to stone Him for blasphemy for saying, “I am the Son of God.” They were trying to devalue the miracles He had performed and thereby deny His impact upon the world. Deeds have always exceeded words, and Christ proved to be the Son of God by His acts and by His ultimate sacrifice of dying on the cross for all of our sins.

Those who wielded great power during the time of Christ could not see beyond their own egos and self-centeredness and were unable to recognize the goodness of Christ.  Unlike them, we today are expected to do so much better. People today are exposed to more, know more, and are more capable than any preceding generation. As a result, we must continually pray for God’s strength and wisdom to see through and beyond the numerous facades we encounter in our contemporary lives.

Thus, through God’s love, kindness and grace, we should be open to any discussion in our time about anything in our daily lives. And we should ever seek God’s guidance for assurance that the ultimate good and truth will prevail.

Q: Jesus revealed himself as God’s son through his deeds. What image of God do my actions reveal to others? 

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