Ordinary Time Cycle A

Eighteenth Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle C

 

 July 31, 2022

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If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

 

 

 This Sunday, at the responsorial Psalm, we will repeat the words,

If today you hear his voice,

harden not your hearts.

 

It is, once again, a good reminder that every day the Lord wants to speak to us through his Word and the events, both wonderful and difficult, that  happen to us.

Are we willing to listen?

 

Or will we harden our hearts because we want things to go our way  so that  they make more sense to us?

What is the Lord trying to say to us in these readings today?

 

The Jews of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, lived in a time when not a lot was understood about life after death.  At most it was believed to be  a kind of shadowy existence.

They believed that the power, the possessions, etc. they had here on earth were an indication of the love God had for them.

 

 

 

They were also aware that they could take none of their possessions, wealth, or fame with them when they died.  

As we think about the first reading, we come to understand why the author is saying that everything that we have here on earth is nothing but vanities.

 

 

In the Gospel reading, Jesus gives us a parable, showing  us how useless it is to put all of our hopes and joys into the possessions that  we gather up here on earth; we often think that they will give us the ultimate peace and happiness we all long for.

It is so easy to fall into the way today's world thinks that possessions, wealth, and fame are something we need to gather up and hang on to because they will bring us ultimate joy.  

What a lie!

 

 

 

St. Paul in his letter, reiterates the uselessness of finding lasting joy in earthly possessions.

He reminds them and us, that in baptism the old person died and has been raised up with Jesus Christ into eternal life with Him.  

Remember, these early Christians were a minority, surrounded by pagans, who knew only the joy they could experience from power, wealth, possessions, passions, etc. here in this lifetime. 

 

 

It is so easy to listen to the influences of the world today, like in Paul's time among the pagans, which said that  possessions, material wealth, fame, power, etc. are the ways to find some sort of joy and happiness, but we know deep down that they cannot bring any kind of  the lasting peace and that only God has for us when we die.

 

 

We all need to continually wake up to the fact that none of  our earthly treasures  can lead us to the joy of eternal life.

What are you storing up here on earth?

 

What are the treasures we get get here on earth, the things we do today, that are the rich treasures that will lead us to the peace of eternal life with God?

 

 

Here is one possible check list of treasures that will last...

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

 

 

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Seventeenth Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle C

 

July 24, 2022

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Remembering what happened to... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God sees the evil that is going on in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and Abraham becomes an intercessor to God for the two great cities. 

 

We see how patience and merciful God is as He dialogs with Abraham. Imagine the patience God has with us.

We can even see a little humor as Abraham never gives up but keeps asking again and again if God will save the cities if just a few innocent people are found. God patiently responds to each question.

Abraham is a prediction of the great intercessor to come for us,  Jesus Christ.  Like Abraham, Jesus never gives up on any of us.  He has made intercession to His Father for each of us in his Passion, Suffering and death.  There is always hope for each of us.. We can always be given another chance.

 

Saint Paul writes his letter reminding the community that they have been called and forgiven through the intercessor, Jesus Christ, the son of God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray.   Notice that the way they are taught to pray is not just for themselves, but to include others. It is not an individual prayer for ones self, but is always inclusive of others.

 

It is similar to what Abraham was doing in his questioning, his interceding with God for the evil cities in the first reading. "If you only find a few good people...etc"

 

Our call, like that of Abraham and the disciples of Jesus, is to pray and intercede for others, not just for ourselves.

 

In the week ahead inclusive prayer might be a good practice, so that when we pray for ourselves, to also be inclusive of others  who might be in the same situation.

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Sixteenth Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle C

 

July 17, 2022

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How many times do we miss the passing or the presence of God in our lives?

Do we think that He only passes in our lives when all is going well?

 

 

The first reading deals with Abraham and Sarah. 
 We  remember the story about them when God promised Abraham eternal life and  for the ancients  that meant having descendants.

No descendants, no eternal life! 

 

 

 

 

 

However having descendants seemed impossible for Abraham and Sarah since they were both very old and Sarah had always been barren and could not give birth to children.

 Abraham is called our father in faith;

but Why???

 

He was willing to make a journey through the desert with his wife Sarah without much to go on other than the promise of eternal life (descendants) from God.  Abraham had FAITH.  He was willing to make the journey into the wilderness with no map, no directions just waiting and watching for the passing of the Lord.

Then Abraham  recognizes the presence of God in the three messengers that come to tell him that within a year Sarah will have a child even in her old age.

 

Amazing how God works when often things seem so difficult and impossible.   But that seems to be the way He also often works in our lives.  It is seems so easier to experience God when all is going well, no problems, no anxiety, etc.

 

 
In the second reading Paul says that he rejoices in his sufferings, his difficulties.  He understood that everything that happened somehow it was a part of  his journey of FAITH that led him to eternal life.

In some Strange Way, Paul was able to recognize the passing of God, not only his successes, but also in his struggles.

 

 

We have all heard the gospel story about Martha and Mary.  When Jesus comes to their house, Mary's first thought was to learn all that she could from the lips of Jesus.  Martha's first concern was hospitality.

 

 

The lesson that we can all learn is that... everyday God passes.

Are we willing to find him  each new day in...  the events and struggles,  or are we too busy in our daily activities to stop and see God's presence?

Do we see Him passing in our moments of joy?

Do we even see Him acting in our failures and struggles where we can discover more about loving the other even the person that is difficult, the enemy. 

 

 

 

It is the Lord calling us to conversion.

What a gift.

 

Perhaps  the messages for each of us this week is...to pray for ourselves so we can receive the gift of watching for the Lord everyday; to watch for his passing; to have the strength and courage to sometimes drop other things we might be doing to a later time and listen to what is being taught to us.

 

In this unwanted situation do I  have the Faith of Abraham and Sarah

to take the  this seemingly difficult journey into the unknown?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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