Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 132

Reading 1 Ex 32:7-11, 13-14

The LORD said to Moses,
"Go down at once to your people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt,
for they have become depraved.
They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them,
making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it,
sacrificing to it and crying out,
'This is your God, O Israel,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt!'
"I see how stiff-necked this people is, " continued the LORD to Moses.
Let me alone, then,
that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them.
Then I will make of you a great nation."

But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying,
"Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt
with such great power and with so strong a hand?
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,
'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky;
and all this land that I promised,
I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'"
So the LORD relented in the punishment
he had threatened to inflict on his people.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19

R. (Lk 15:18)  I will rise and go to my father.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. I will rise and go to my father.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. I will rise and go to my father.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. I will rise and go to my father.

Reading 2 1 Tm 1:12-17

Beloved:
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
because he considered me trustworthy
in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant,
but I have been mercifully treated
because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Alleluia 2 Cor 5:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 15:1-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he addressed this parable.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”

Then he said,
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him,
and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns,
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”

 MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

When we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ it should be with the understanding that the benefits are all for us and He gets nothing in return. He is perfect while we are imperfect. We are undeserving of everything that is being offered while He is deserving of everything that we give to Him. Approaching Jesus this way puts us all on equal footing with Him. No one is better and no one is less in the eyes of Jesus. We are all loved the same and have all of the same opportunities through Him. There is no reward system where His love is earned or someone receives greater gifts because they are doing what is expected of themselves in relation to Him. In fact, the opposite holds true. Those who are hurting or struggling will actually receive the greater attention and will have the greater opportunity to experience Christ more fully then those who are possessors of a greater knowledge of their relationship with Him. This isn’t because the ones who are hurting are loved more. It is just because more attention is required because they are sick and are in need of healing.

Being recognized for the good that we do is a human trait. It is nice to receive praise and recognition for a job well done but it should never be expected. Knowing that we are loved by God should be enough and being in the presence of His love should also be reward enough. It is our pride that demands that we receive accolades but, as Christians,  this expectation can actually become an obstacle between us and God. Those who are struggling with their relationship with God need treatment and are in greater need of more attention than us who are possessors of a higher truth. Jesus told us that from those who know more, more will be expected. Part of this expectation is the understanding that there will be an intent focus on individuals who are in need of healing or have not entered fully into a relationship with God. It is our responsibility to bring the love of God to them and let God work through us. We are His instruments and He is the principle who utilizes us to build up His kingdom here on this earth. We do not work for accolades. Instead, we work for God. The good works that are completed through us is congratulations enough and serves as validation for our faith and way of life. When these works are done we stay healed and have the ability to heal others. When this happens we then celebrate the healing and God’s love is further realized collectively and not individually.

Those who have found joy in Jesus Christ and who are experiencing a relationship with Him are open to a new way of seeing and experiencing things. Their eyes are open and a higher truth can be witnessed. This leads to a completely new life that has as its foundation the love of God. There is a natural reaction to invite all others into this experience where each person is welcomed as a guest and invited to enjoy the continuous celebration that results. When those people respond they are welcomed as newly arrived guests would be welcomed to any great celebration and they then become the center of attention for a brief moment until other newcomers arrive. There is no need to concentrate on those who are already partaking for they are already comfortable and in the throes of jubilation. The task is to greet the newcomer and insure that they too will have the full experience. Everyone will then celebrate experiencing the joy of each other and each other’s company surrounded completely by God.

In the Parable of the Lost Son it is good to sometimes meditate on the relationship between the father and his eldest son. The attention can easily be drawn to how the younger son took his father’s inheritance, squandered it, and then returned home humiliated and humbled only to be welcomed with overflowing love and forgiveness by his father. The relationship and interaction between the eldest son and the father can sometimes become lost in the story but has great worth nonetheless. In this relationship we see a son who has worked hard all of his life and has obeyed all of the rules. He always did what his father had told him and never complained when he didn’t receive accolades for his good work. Apparently it never bothered him until the day that his brother returned and how his father treated his brother’s arrival. The older son became angry and upset. His father reminded his son that he has and always will love him; telling him that whatever he had was his but that his brother returning to them to become a part of them again was cause for celebration. The love that comes forth from this celebration becomes a healing remedy for the entire family because they all became partakers in it. The only time a celebration such as this causes division is when human emotion takes precedent over that which is Godly and there is a refusal to what is being given.

Because no one deserves God’s love in the first place there should be no jealousy when someone becomes a receiver of that love regardless of who is receiving it. There is no competition in the Christian Way of Life and there is no competition with God. We have already won by being His children and receiving all of the benefits thereof. Every one of us is special and is loved. It is together that God is realized and His Kingdom is built up on this earth: through Him, by Him, and through us. In the end, all of it is done for us because He loves us.

Deacon Tom

XXIV Domingo Ordinario
Leccionario: 132

Primera lectura

Ex 32, 7-11. 13-14

En aquellos días, dijo el Señor a Moisés: "Anda, baja del monte, porque tu pueblo, el que sacaste de Egipto, se ha pervertido. No tardaron en desviarse del camino que yo les había señalado. Se han hecho un becerro de metal, se han postrado ante él y le han ofrecido sacrificios y le han dicho: 'Éste es tu Dios, Israel; es el que te sacó de Egipto' ".

El Señor le dijo también a Moisés: "Veo que éste es un pueblo de cabeza dura. Deja que mi ira se encienda contra ellos hasta consumirlos. De ti, en cambio, haré un gran pueblo".

Moisés trató de aplacar al Señor, su Dios, diciéndole: "¿Por qué ha de encenderse tu ira, Señor, contra este pueblo que tú sacaste de Egipto con gran poder y vigorosa mano? Acuérdate de Abraham, de Isaac y de Jacob, siervos tuyos, a quienes juraste por ti mismo, diciendo: 'Multiplicaré su descendencia como las estrellas del cielo y les daré en posesión perpetua toda la tierra que les he prometido' ".

Y el Señor renunció al castigo con que había amenazado a su pueblo.

Salmo Responsorial

Salmo 50, 3-4. 12-13. 17 y 19

R. (Lc 15, 18) Me levantaré y volveré a mi padre.
Por tu inmensa compasión y misericordia,
Señor, apiádate de mí olvida mis ofensas.
Lávame bien de todos mis delitos
y purifícame de mis pecados.
R. Me levantaré y volveré a mi padre.
Crea en mí, Señor, un corazón puro,
un espíritu nuevo para cumplir tus mandamientos.
No me arrojes, Señor, lejos de ti,
ni retires de mí tu santo espíritu..
R. Me levantaré y volveré a mi padre.
Señor, abre mis labios
y cantará mi boca tu alabanza.
Un corazón contrito te presento
y a un corazón contrito, tú nunca lo desprecias.
R. Me levantaré y volveré a mi padre.

Segunda lectura

1 Tm 1, 12-17

Querido hermano: Doy gracias a aquel que me ha fortalecido, a nuestro Señor Jesucristo, por haberme considerado digno de confianza al ponerme a su servicio, a mí, que antes fui blasfemo y perseguí a la Iglesia con violencia; pero Dios tuvo misericordia de mí, porque en mi incredulidad obré por ignorancia y la gracia de nuestro Señor se desbordó sobre mí al darme la fe y el amor que provienen de Cristo Jesús.

Puedes fiarte de lo que voy a decirte y aceptarlo sin reservas: que Cristo Jesús vino a este mundo a salvar a los pecadores, de los cuales yo soy el primero. Pero Cristo Jesús me perdonó, para que fuera yo el primero en quien él manifestara toda su generosidad y sirviera yo de ejemplo a los que habrían de creer en él, para obtener la vida eterna.

Al rey eterno, inmortal, invisible, único Dios, honor y gloria por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.

Aclamación antes del Evangelio

2 Cor 5, 19

R. Aleluya, aleluya.
Dios ha reconciliado consigo al mundo, por medio de Cristo,
y nos ha encomendado a nosotros el mensaje de la reconciliación.
R. Aleluya.

Evangelio

Lc 15, 1-32

En aquel tiempo, se acercaban a Jesús los publicanos y los pecadores a escucharlo; por lo cual los fariseos y los escribas murmuraban entre sí: "Éste recibe a los pecadores y come con ellos".

Jesús les dijo entonces esta parábola: "¿Quién de ustedes, si tiene cien ovejas y se le pierde una, no deja las noventa y nueve en el campo y va en busca de la que se le perdió hasta encontrarla? Y una vez que la encuentra, la carga sobre sus hombros, lleno de alegría, y al llegar a su casa, reúne a los amigos y vecinos y les dice: 'Alégrense conmigo, porque ya encontré la oveja que se me había perdido'. Yo les aseguro que también en el cielo habrá más alegría por un pecador que se arrepiente, que por noventa y nueve justos, que no necesitan arrepentirse.

¿Y qué mujer hay, que si tiene diez monedas de plata y pierde una, no enciende luego una lámpara y barre la casa y la busca con cuidado hasta encontrarla? Y cuando la encuentra, reúne a sus amigas y vecinas y les dice: 'Alégrense conmigo, porque ya encontré la moneda que se me había perdido'. Yo les aseguro que así también se alegran los ángeles de Dios por un solo pecador que se arrepiente".

También les dijo esta parábola: "Un hombre tenía dos hijos, y el menor de ellos le dijo a su padre: 'Padre, dame la parte que me toca de la herencia'. Y él les repartió los bienes.

No muchos días después, el hijo menor, juntando todo lo suyo, se fue a un país lejano y allá derrochó su fortuna, viviendo de una manera disoluta. Después de malgastarlo todo, sobrevino en aquella región una gran hambre y él empezó a pasar necesidad. Entonces fue a pedirle trabajo a un habitante de aquel país, el cual lo mandó a sus campos a cuidar cerdos. Tenía ganas de hartarse con las bellotas que comían los cerdos, pero no lo dejaban que se las comiera.

Se puso entonces a reflexionar y se dijo: '¡Cuántos trabajadores en casa de mi padre tienen pan de sobra, y yo, aquí, me estoy muriendo de hambre! Me levantaré, volveré a mi padre y le diré: Padre, he pecado contra el cielo y contra ti; ya no merezco llamarme hijo tuyo. Recíbeme como a uno de tus trabajadores'.

Enseguida se puso en camino hacia la casa de su padre. Estaba todavía lejos, cuando su padre lo vio y se enterneció profundamente. Corrió hacia él, y echándole los brazos al cuello, lo cubrió de besos. El muchacho le dijo: 'Padre, he pecado contra el cielo y contra ti; ya no merezco llamarme hijo tuyo'.

Pero el padre les dijo a sus criados: '¡Pronto!, traigan la túnica más rica y vístansela; pónganle un anillo en el dedo y sandalias en los pies; traigan el becerro gordo y mátenlo. Comamos y hagamos una fiesta, porque este hijo mío estaba muerto y ha vuelto a la vida, estaba perdido y lo hemos encontrado'. Y empezó el banquete.

El hijo mayor estaba en el campo, y al volver, cuando se acercó a la casa, oyó la música y los cantos. Entonces llamó a uno de los criados y le preguntó qué pasaba. Éste le contestó: 'Tu hermano ha regresado, y tu padre mandó matar el becerro gordo, por haberlo recobrado sano y salvo'. El hermano mayor se enojó y no quería entrar.

Salió entonces el padre y le rogó que entrara; pero él replicó: '¡Hace tanto tiempo que te sirvo, sin desobedecer jamás una orden tuya, y tú no me has dado nunca ni un cabrito para comérmelo con mis amigos! Pero eso sí, viene ese hijo tuyo, que despilfarró tus bienes con malas mujeres, y tú mandas matar el becerro gordo'.

El padre repuso: 'Hijo, tú siempre estás conmigo y todo lo mío es tuyo. Pero era necesario hacer fiesta y regocijarnos, porque este hermano tuyo estaba muerto y ha vuelto a la vida, estaba perdido y lo hemos encontrado' ".

MIS HERMANOS Y HERMANAS,

Cuando entramos en una relación con Jesucristo, debemos entender que los beneficios son todos para nosotros y que Él no recibe nada a cambio. Él es perfecto mientras nosotros somos imperfectos. No merecemos todo lo que se nos ofrece, mientras que Él merece todo lo que le damos. Acercarse a Jesús de esta manera nos pone a todos en pie de igualdad con él. Nadie es mejor y nadie es menos a los ojos de Jesús. Todos somos amados igual y tenemos todas las mismas oportunidades a través de Él. No hay un sistema de recompensa donde se gane su amor o alguien reciba mayores dones porque están haciendo lo que se espera de sí mismos en relación con él. De hecho, lo contrario es cierto. Aquellos que están sufriendo o sufriendo realmente recibirán mayor atención y tendrán la mayor oportunidad de experimentar a Cristo más plenamente que aquellos que poseen un mayor conocimiento de su relación con Él. Esto no se debe a que los que están sufriendo son más amados. Es solo porque se requiere más atención porque están enfermos y necesitan curación.

Ser reconocido por el bien que hacemos es un rasgo humano. Es bueno recibir elogios y reconocimiento por un trabajo bien hecho, pero nunca debería esperarse. Saber que somos amados por Dios debería ser suficiente y estar en presencia de su amor también debería ser suficiente recompensa. Es nuestro orgullo el que exige que recibamos elogios pero, como cristianos, esta expectativa puede convertirse en un obstáculo entre nosotros y Dios. Aquellos que están luchando con su relación con Dios necesitan tratamiento y necesitan más atención que nosotros, que poseemos una verdad más elevada. Jesús nos dijo que de aquellos que saben más, se esperará más. Parte de esta expectativa es la comprensión de que habrá un enfoque intencional en las personas que necesitan curación o que no han entrado completamente en una relación con Dios. Es nuestra responsabilidad llevarles el amor de Dios y dejar que Dios trabaje a través de nosotros. Somos sus instrumentos y Él es el principio que nos utiliza para construir su reino aquí en esta tierra. No trabajamos para elogios. En cambio, trabajamos para Dios. Las buenas obras que se realizan a través de nosotros son suficientes felicitaciones y sirven como validación de nuestra fe y forma de vida. Cuando se realizan estos trabajos, nos mantenemos curados y tenemos la capacidad de curar a los demás. Cuando esto sucede, celebramos la curación y el amor de Dios se realiza más colectivamente y no individualmente.

Aquellos que han encontrado gozo en Jesucristo y que están experimentando una relación con Él están abiertos a una nueva forma de ver y experimentar las cosas. Sus ojos están abiertos y se puede presenciar una verdad más elevada. Esto lleva a una vida completamente nueva que tiene como fundamento el amor de Dios. Hay una reacción natural al invitar a todos los demás a esta experiencia donde cada persona es bienvenida como invitada e invitada a disfrutar de la celebración continua que resulta. Cuando esas personas responden, son bienvenidas ya que los invitados recién llegados serían bienvenidos a cualquier gran celebración y luego se convertirán en el centro de atención por un breve momento hasta que lleguen otros recién llegados. No hay necesidad de concentrarse en aquellos que ya están participando porque ya están cómodos y en plena agonía. La tarea es saludar al recién llegado y asegurarse de que ellos también tengan la experiencia completa. Todos celebrarán experimentar la alegría de cada uno y la compañía del otro rodeados completamente por Dios.

En la Parábola del Hijo Perdido, a veces es bueno meditar en la relación entre el padre y su hijo mayor. Se puede llamar la atención fácilmente sobre cómo el hijo menor tomó la herencia de su padre, la despilfarró y luego regresó a casa humillado y humillado solo para ser recibido con un amor y perdón desbordantes por parte de su padre. La relación e interacción entre el hijo mayor y el padre a veces puede perderse en la historia, pero de todos modos tiene un gran valor. En esta relación vemos a un hijo que ha trabajado duro toda su vida y ha obedecido todas las reglas. Siempre hizo lo que su padre le había dicho y nunca se quejó cuando no recibió elogios por su buen trabajo. Aparentemente, nunca le molestó hasta el día en que su hermano regresó y cómo su padre trató la llegada de su hermano. El hijo mayor se enojó y se enojó. Su padre le recordó a su hijo que lo tiene y siempre lo amará; diciéndole que lo que tenía era suyo, pero que su hermano regresar a ellos para volver a ser parte de ellos era motivo de celebración. El amor que surge de esta celebración se convierte en un remedio curativo para toda la familia porque todos se convirtieron en participantes. El único momento en que una celebración como esta causa división es cuando la emoción humana tiene prioridad sobre lo que es piadoso y hay un rechazo a lo que se está dando.

Porque nadie merece el amor de Dios en primer lugar, no debería haber celos cuando alguien se convierte en un receptor de ese amor independientemente de quién lo esté recibiendo. No hay competencia en el estilo de vida cristiano y no hay competencia con Dios. Ya hemos ganado siendo sus hijos y recibiendo todos los beneficios de los mismos. Cada uno de nosotros es especial y es amado. Es en conjunto que Dios se realiza y Su Reino se edifica en esta tierra: a través de Él, por Él y a través de nosotros. Al final, todo se hace por nosotros porque Él nos ama.

Diácono Tom

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 129

Reading 1 Wis 9:13-18b

 Who can know God’s counsel,
 or who can conceive what the LORD intends?
 For the deliberations of mortals are timid,
 and unsure are our plans.
 For the corruptible body burdens the soul
 and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.
 And scarce do we guess the things on earth,
 and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty;
 but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?
 Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom
 and sent your holy spirit from on high?
 And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
 are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
 the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
 but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
 that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
 that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
 prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Reading 2 Phmn 9-10, 12-17

I, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment;
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.

Alleluia Ps 119:135

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
and teach me your laws.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”

My Brothers and Sisters,

 The Scripture Reading from the Book of Wisdom today reminds us that the corruption of our body seeps into our soul so that what we think and how we conduct ourselves is ultimately formulated on a cracked foundation. Our thoughts and contemplations cannot be trusted. It is through a relationship with Jesus Christ that these defects can be repaired and it is through constant maintenance of our condition that we can then remain recovered. Trusting in Jesus and living a life with Him at the forefront of our thoughts will bring us into a new way of thinking. This thought process will be in line with what Jesus wants for us instead of our wants which are grounded in selfishness and the desires of the flesh. The path of Jesus leads to perfection because He is perfect and is the perfect good. From perfection comes perfection. From the perfect good comes good.

There are times when we might find ourselves struggling with the daily challenges presented to us in this life. It is very easy to be overcome with what we experience and can be disheartened as a result. When we make the effort to prioritize our thinking and include spirituality, grounded in the Christ Experience, into our lives there is a fundamental change that occurs. Subconscious barriers that we ourselves have erected are eliminated and the presence of God’s love can be felt. This love promises to heal all things and make everything better. Ultimately we have that choice to experience all things with God or all things without Him. The difference is obvious and it is only us preventing ourselves from making the proper choice. Our pride oftentimes blurs our thinking into believing that God is not necessary or that a relationship with Him produces no benefits. This, again, is a result of our corrupted thinking influenced by the belief that we have the ability to control and change all things. Admitting that we are not in control and need God’s help provide us a pathway to freedom from these thoughts. We are not God and should not think we are.

Jesus challenges all of us by reminding us that in order to follow Him He must be first and foremost in our lives. There can be no other way than by prioritizing him first above all other things. When Jesus is placed first above all things then all of our thoughts and actions will be automatically influenced by Him. Even the way we love one another will be done  with the influence of Jesus who is the greatest source of love. That is why all of our relationships, thoughts, and actions need to be influenced by Him. It is through Jesus that everything is made better. No other person or thing has the capability of accomplishing this. This takes a genuine commitment with a realization that what we will be doing is going to lead to a transformative experience. It is for the betterment of ourselves and the world around us. All those whom we will interact with will be affected by our relationship with Jesus even if they might not know it or believe it at the time, for Jesus will be working through us. When we become followers of Jesus we become His instruments and our lives are no longer our own.

In Paul’s Letter to Philemon we are witness to this new way of thinking and a way of approaching things through Jesus Christ. Philemon is a Christian who is an owner of a Christian slave who ran away and stole from him in the process. Paul is writing on behalf of the slave who Paul is sending back to Philemon. The slave returns out of Christian obedience while Paul asks Philemon to forgive the slave out of Christian obedience and mercy. Paul further asks that the slave be welcomed as a brother instead of just a slave.  It is through the presence of Jesus Christ that there is forgiveness and mercy from all sides pertaining to this matter. More than that there is also the overwhelming presence of love. This love shatters all expectations and perceived outcomes of what should have happened. A bad situation was made better and all involved became sharers in the love of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ presence in our own lives offers us the opportunity to have our expectations and perceptions shattered in favor of greater ones. There is no limit to what we can do and experience through Jesus Christ. What was thought to be impossible becomes possible. Through our experiences without Jesus we have been taught to have limited expectations dictated to us by a broken society and a broken way of thinking. Jesus repairs this brokenness and lifts us up to the highest of heights. Just as He is eternal we too become eternal in our thoughts, our spirituality, and our state of being, for we become merged with Him forever.

Deacon Tom