Twenty First Sunday Ordinary Time. Cycle A
08/18/2020
In the first reading, Isaiah introduces us to King Hezekiah's servant,
Shebna, who had lost his position as second in command because he had
let his power go to his head. He decided that power and wealth were the
most important things, not God, and he had decided to overthrow King Hezekiah.
We too can find our place in this reading. Sometimes, don't we think like Shebna, that if we just had more
money, more power, more health, more youth, etc, life would be better?
We may think that we place God first in our lives, but if we take a hard look at ourselves, we may discover
that at times we do place the things of this world first.
Isaiah tells Shebna that he will loose everything and God will select someone else to take his place.
King Hezekiah remained faithful to God, and trusted all the events that were taking place.
We know that at our baptism God has called us by name and chosen us to be a part of his Church,
the Body of Christ. Sometimes it may seem that He has made some sort of mistake in choosing us.
I suspect that Peter must have also had those same
feelings at times in his life.
But he came to know that he was called
by Christ to head God's Church,
and just as surely God has called
each of us to be a part of the Body of Christ, the Church.
It is amazing to see how God works.
He never seems to select the most powerful, the wealthiest, the smartest, etc.
He selects the least.
He selects each of us in our poverty. If and when we put wealth and materials
things first, we become like Shebna in the first reading.
We may think that Peter was a good choice, but wait a minute.
Peter was a fisherman, a bit high strung, not educated, poor, etc.
Judas was the most educated.
But Peter, with all that he lacked, was selected to lead the church that was to make Christ present in the world.
God has selected each of us at our baptism to make Christ present in the world. Knowing that we have
been called, let us continue to pray that we, in those moments when we may think like Shebna in the first
reading, may convert and see that the things of this world are not the most important thing.
Each day in this coming week, let us pray to be faithful to God, and in those moments when we fail, let us pray that we may return to Him, even if that is again and again. We will never give up on our call to make Christ present in the world today.
St. Paul understands that God has chosen him and that God does not
always work as we think He should.
Paul had experienced that in his life.
If we look back into our history, we too will discover the same thing.
What Paul wrote in this part of his letter became a early Christian hymn expressing this same idea that God works in ways that we would not work.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given the Lord anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things
.
To him be glory forever. Amen.
As unqualified as we may feel about ourselves, we are sent this week to go out to the unexpected...
...to the homeless and the poor
...to the one who bothers us
...to the one who needs someone to just listen to
...to forgive the one who was wrong and hurt us.
...to the one who just needs our patience
By your very Baptism you are...
and
Be alert for God, in these following days, to ask you to make Him present to others more by our actions
more than by our words.
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