Making a Joyful Noise through Lent 03/12/2014

Making a Joyful Noise through Lent – 03/12/2014

“The Church which “goes forth” is a community of missionary disciples who take the first step, who are involved and supportive, who bear fruit and rejoice. An evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, he has loved us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19), and therefore we can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast.” (Pope Francis – Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel)

Once again we might say that Pope Francis’ words echo the thoughts and challenges of our readings today. In each reading we are reminded of the task of those who have a relationship with God, that task is to share that relationship joyfully. It took Jonah a little while to understand this and as Jesus points out not everyone will accept it and sometimes it will be those you least expect. However we are to still joyfully share our friendship with God!

In our readings today recognizing and responding to God seems to be the tread that connects them. In the first reading from the Book of Jonah, (Jonah 3: 1-10) Jonah is finally convinced by God to go to Nineveh and preach his message. Before Jonah gets half way through the city the people begin to repent. They proclaim a fast and put on sackcloth. As the word of God's message gets to the king, he puts on sackcloth and sits in ashes. In other words, much to Jonah's surprise the people hear God's word and respond to it right away. There is no debate, no bargaining, no resistance, the people hear the word of God and repent!

In the Gospel (Luke 11: 29-32) Jesus uses the example of Jonah to make his point to the people he is preaching to. His point is that God is in their midst but they are missing this gift. Other people, people you would not expect, people outside the faith community hear the word of God and respond but people in the faith community do not. They want signs and yet God in right in their midst.

Recognizing and responding to God, that is always the challenge. It is certainly the challenge for us today. How many times is God present in our lives and we fail to recognize him? How many times does God speak to us and we fail to hear or listen?

God is profoundly compassionate and forgiving but we have to recognize him, we have to hear and respond. This was the biggest problem for the religious leaders of Jesus' time, God was right in their midst and they did not recognize him they did not hear and respond to him. Let us not make the same mistake. Today let us be open and aware to the many ways God enters into our lives and invites us into his mercy and love! And when we encounter God in our live let us make a joyful noise!

Have a blessed Wednesday everyone!

Daily Prayer: O God, look kindly on us today. Help us to recognize you in the many ways you will be part of our life today. Enable us to hear your word and respond to it with energy, enthusiasm and joy. Grace us with humble and contrite hearts open to your presence and word. Fill us with your hope so that we may live always in your love and make a joyful noise for you! Amen!

Runner's Thought: Life like running contains elements of challenge, difficulty, and pain...life like running hurts, it wounds, it calls on us to rise above conditions that seem beyond what we are capable of doing...life like running is a thing worth living and doing not just because of the future rewards, but because of how it feeds our bodies and minds and souls in the present and makes us aware of God's presence.

Daily Blessing: Blessings upon your journey through Wednesday everyone! We have been graced the last few days with warmth and a bit of sun at least we have here in Rockville, however by the end of this day it looks like winter will return at least for a short period of time. I guess it is just another reminder that we should always live in the moment and enjoy blessings when they come!

I hope you will all have a great day where ever you are and whatever you will be doing. We will be bringing the mission to a close here at St. Elizabeth’s here in Rockville, MD today. It has been a spirit filled three days. Yesterday was a busy day but a faith filled day as many people shared their faith and struggles with me and even sought God’s forgiveness. I was very tired at the end of yesterday but it was a good tired! Again I ask your prayers for this final day of mission, for the faith community and the preacher.

I pray that God will bless us with the richness of his grace so that we can navigate through and of the Hump Day of our week. May we all be blessed with the gift of God’s loving presence, a presence we will find in our encounters with out, in our travels and journeys, in our moments of quite and within ourselves! Blessings upon all today. Have a great day everyone and know you are in my prayers! Peace in Christ's Passion...Fr. Paul