Weekly Readings Reflections: 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

Teilhard de Cardin was an extraordinary Jesuit priest, scientist, paleontologist, philosopher, theologian, and teacher. In a letter of his to one of many who sought his advice, he counsels patience with the gradual unfolding of God's creation in each of us. His advice/prayer to this person can be found here.
Think of some of the really big changes in your life. Maybe getting married, that first job, your first child, losing your parents, ... were you ready for those experiences?
How would you know if you are ever truly ready for a change in your life?
In those cases that you were just thinking about, what would you have done differently to be more prepared?
How long would that have taken?
How do you usually tell when it's time to step into the promise that God has set before you?
In general, do you see yourself as a victim of circumstances, riding the chaos wave, or resolutely forging your future for yourself?
Which of those do you think God wants for you?

I believe that all of us want to make our parents proud. Those of us who are lucky have parents who unabashedly want what's best for us, regardless of where that might take us, no matter how different that might be from the expected path for our lives.
Do you think that God is proud of you?
Imagine yourself the last time that you blew it big time. Maybe you said something that you should not have, maybe you said something that was perfectly true, but somehow it came out hurtful or blaming, maybe you had a crisis of courage and took the easy way out rather than do what you knew was right. Imagine that right after you do that, you look up, and there's Jesus, just standing and watching.
What do you see in Jesus's eyes? Is it sorrow, disappointment, anger, judgment, ...?
He begins speaking to you. What does He have to say?
How does His touch in your life at that moment change you?

I think it's common to somehow feel that we are of no account because we were formed from the dust. Consider this. That dust that God gathered in the garden of Eden was from the Earth, which cosmologists think started out as a fragment from our sun, which is but one tiny star in a vast galaxy, part of a much vaster universe. We are, all of us, made of stardust, lovingly gathered, bearing God's breath gifted us individually, so that we might take our place in and through the cosmos. We are dust indeed. All of us.
Where/what/who are you from? If you were to describe your most important parts and features to someone that you had just met, what would you say?
How much of that origin has been helpful to you, how much of it has made you the person that you are today?
How much of that origin do you think that God can transform into something that can heal others, transform those around you, show God's glory?
Where can you start?

St. Ignatius of Loyola had a manifesto that you can read here. It's very simple, yet profoundly challenging. Everything in this life is just a means to an end.
Where are you giving yourself away these days?
Is it possible to be generous in your career? After all, you're getting paid for that, so where is there any room for generosity on your part?
Do you think that it's better to die with plenty of "gas left in your tank", or go to your grave, completely "used up"?
What would you like to give away during the rest of your life?
Do you think you have the time?

Shalom!

Weekly Readings Reflections