Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
There is a very wise saying that cautions, “Before you tell someone what you’re going to accomplish, tell them what you have already done”! In other words, it is experience that counts more than talk!
It’s no different on the spiritual plain. The essence of spiritual life is action. There must be growth in the form of a deeper understanding of self and God; of movement in the form of a change of heart that gradually leads one to becomes less self-absorbed and more concerned about the well-being of others; of activity in the form of service to the “least of my brothers and sisters” (Mt 25:45). St. Paul writes to the Romans that keeping the law means obedience to the commandments to do no harm by not murdering, not committing adultery, not stealing, etc. But these and “whatever other commandments there may be” (Rom 13:9) are all housed together within the framework of the great commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk 12:31) which is Jesus’ clear and concise summary of God’s commands for us people of weak minded and hard-hearted disciples.
If love is the ultimate sign of the depth of our faith and the fulfillment of the law, if love shows our willingness to put others before self, then one of the mantras of our contemporary society is appropriate for us…. more is better! We need more in the way of spiritual matters, i.e., spiritual truths, spiritual insight, spiritual growth and maturity and depth. The difference, between God’s way and the ways of the world, of course, is that there are no negative side effects to loving without limit, as in God’s way. Actually, it is our spiritual goal: to grow in love each and every day.
Love in action is what Christ demands of his disciples. We are expected not only to be the messengers of his words, but also doers of his works. This is what it means, to deny oneself and take up the cross daily and follow him (Lk 9:23). This is the difficult work of discipleship. Christian love demands that we love always, not just when we feel in the mood. These times call for an outpouring of self-sacrificing love, the love Jesus poured out on us; a kenosis or pouring out of our very selves in service to others. There are so many people in need due to the hardships we see all around: hunger, depression, worry and fear, grief due to the loss of a loved one, natural disasters, etc. We don’t have to look very far to see where we can reach out in love and compassion as faith in action dictates. The need is overwhelming, not just for financial assistance but for a spiritual response also, through our prayers and sacrifices. We are “One body in Christ” (Rom 12:5) St Paul reminds us. In the Spirit of that unity, may we reach out to our brothers and sisters in needs so that we too may, “Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer”. (Rom 12:12)
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
OTHER RESOURCE
Recommended Reading: Faith and Religion in a Secular Society by Cardinal Jozef De Kesel makes the case that, in the face of the phenomena of secularization, religious indifference, and institutional weakening, it is not by preaching about or idealizing a bygone past that Christianity can expect to regain in Europe, because it risks isolating and separating even more than it is from a culture that no longer waits. The salvation of the Church and the safeguarding of her universal mission depend rather on its ability to facilitate a culture of encounter with all those who want to humanize the modern, pluralist, and secular society, while also asserting its freedom of expression. It is this pastoral option that Joseph De Kesel is already experimenting with in deeply secularized Belgium, which, like France, was once a land of Christianity.
Recommended YouTube Video: The Heart of Centering Prayer: Part 1 of 4 by Rev Cynthia Bourgeault
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