Jesus shares with his friends what is
ahead on their journey. He shares what he is going to go through and for this
sharing he get a response that doesn’t concern him but those who are supposed
to be listening. James and John think
only about their future not that of Jesus or others. Jesus has come to serve.
Jesus has come to carry the cross. Jesus has come to be a saving gift for
others.
There has been a lot of discussion, or
what I like to call chatter, about Pope Francis’ homily last week concerning who
is redeemed. The chatter has now turned to who is an expert that can speak or
clarify to what Pope Francis meant. Or who is an official spokesperson of the
Vatican who knows what Pope Francis meant.
Is the point of Pope Francis’ homily
that someone should respond and tell us what he means or is the point of his
homily that we should listen and think? Do we know the mind of God? Do we know
the mind of Pope Francis? What if God wants to welcome an atheist into heaven
is that wrong? Is God making a mistake? What if Jesus’ presence in the world
was to redeem everyone is that so bad?
Through the Gospel today Jesus reminds
us that in order to be a part of the Kingdom our life must be a life dedicated
to the care and service of others. If we make this the focus of our life then
the possibilities are endless because as Monday’s Gospel told us all things are
possible with God.
Are we listening or are we talking?
Daily Prayer: Loving God, you
are always willing to teach us how to listen. May we be willing to have our
ears open and ready to listen to the many ways you teach us today. Help us to listen to those who enter our life
today, and give us the desire to serve and not be served. Help us move toward a
greater wholeness in life that does not look to exclude but gifts us with the
joy and hope of inclusion because all things are possible with God. Amen!
Runner’s Thought: Despite the
fact that we love to run, there are days when we simply do not feel like
running. Running takes discipline but if our discipline is too rigid we can
take the joy and fun out of our experience. So let’s run in a way that allows
us to find pleasure, fun and joy in the experience.
Who could be happier than a camel on a
Wednesday? Happy Hump Day everyone! I hope your day has started well, if not
may it become better as the day continues! We have begun with clouds and a few
sprinkles of rain here in Pelham. We await the warmth and sun that is to arrive
at some point today.
If the week so far has not been good may
this truly be a hump day to get you over to the good side. If it has been a
good week so far may this truly be a hump day to get you over to the downhill
side of the week. Blessings on your work, your encounters, your experiences and
all you meet today! Blessings upon you and those you love! Peace in Christ’s
Passion…Fr. Paul
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