30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Exodus 22:20-26
2. Psalms 18: 2-3, 3-4, 47, 51
3. 1 Thessalonians 1: 5c-10
4. Matthew 22: 34-40

• Remember who you are
• The friendless, the voiceless, the disenfranchised, the marginalized all share many things with all of us.  God calls us to empathy.  To really empathize, we first have to come to terms with the things that have happened in our lives.
• Have you ever been bullied, or had someone close to you bullied?
• How did you get through that?
• Who were the ones who helped you deal with that?
• Who are the ones in your life now who are pushed around, made to feel small and insignificant?
• What can you do about that treatment?

• Who are you calling strong?
• Strength comes in many forms.  Of course there is the physical strength of a suspension bridge, or a weight lifter.  There is the strength that comes from conviction.  Then there is a strength that comes of embracing your weakness, handing that weakness to God, and asking Him to transform that to strength in Him.
• Where does your strength come from to do difficult things, go outside your comfort zone to help a friend in need, be vulnerable to others?
• How do you see that changing as you grow older?
• Do you see your strength getting deeper with the passing years.

• I don't know who you are anymore
• The hard part about going through conversion is that we become uncomfortable with who we were, with who we were with before.  Freedom comes at a cost, and part of that cost is to leave behind a home that has grown too small for us, a neighborhood as it were that no longer gives us enough room to grow.
• How many conversions have you gone through?
• Let's define conversion as a turning point in life which draws you closer to God in new ways, changes your outlook on the familiar, and makes you far more aware of God's revelation in your life.
• How many conversions have you gone through?
• How have they (it) change you?

• Two sides of a coin
• How does a love of God find the deepest and most beautiful expression?
• How is it possible for us to love someone who is infirm, needy, depressed, and unable to give back?
• Jesus is looking for companions to be with Him on the way, now, today.  Without taking anything away from His divinity, He is asking for help, and company.  Where do you see that happening in your life?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Who in my life is God inviting me to stand up for?
2. Where is God calling me to a deeper source of strength?
3. Where is God calling me to walk away, that I can walk toward Him?
4. How can my love for God ignite my love for others, and vice versa?

God Wears Leather Gloves and a Straw Hat

My son and I got the privilege of working at a Habitat for Humanity build once.

There were a myriad of things that all needed to come together that day.

The professional builders had their hands full with all of us well-meaning volunteers.

And I had to wonder whether we were making the work go faster, or not.

Safety was a big concern from start to finish.

Inexperienced or careless ones among us could have ruined the day for everyone.

The contractors there that day had their hands full keeping us safe.

And I had to wonder whether we were making the work go faster, or not.

But then I realized that the build itself was just an opportunity for us

To be in solidarity with those who could never afford a home like this.

To declare, one hammer blow at a time, that we are here with them, right now

To show them the love of God for them in human form.

I never saw the family who eventually moved in.

Maybe I don't need to know, maybe its better this way.

Because now I can feel the connection to every family seeking shelter,

Leftover humanity seeking a home, a place to invest in.

Maybe I can identify with the homelessness of Jesus

On his way to Golgotha.

Maybe I can see the eyes of Jesus in Gethsemane

In the eyes of those totally alone in this world.

Shalom!