Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - Called To Be Worthy_072824

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Called To Be Worthy”

 

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

 

When the phone rings in the “bull-pen”, the relief pitcher knows exactly what he has to do. He has to go out to the mound, pitch like there’s no tomorrow. His career depends upon getting and the batter out. That’s not easy to do; to be warming up one moment and being on the mound the next, putting everything... your heart, your strength, your passion into every pitch. It's an essential part of being a major league relief pitcher. Today St. Paul reminds Christians of their primary responsibility to put ourselves entirely into the game of life...extolling Christ's disciples to, “…live in a manner worthy of the call we have received…” which he then expresses as living lives in a spirit of “…humility and gentleness and patience”. In our efforts to follow Christ’s teachings we must make a serious effort to, “bear with one another though love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit". Unlike relief pitchers though, conscientious disciples are always on the mound. We are always in the game of life and in everything we do, we must perform as best we can... in our thoughts, words and deeds. We who claim to be Christian must strive to live each day mindful of the calling we have received. It is no wonder St. Paul compares himself to the good athlete who has, “competed well, finished the race; kept the faith.” 2 Tim 4:7-8.

 

It’s so easy to say, “I’m not worthy” of this call (and that’s so very true). None of us are worthy! We know that we are damaged goods. We are fragile, broken, sinful people who often lack humility, gentleness, compassion, and patience. No argument there, right? What makes us worthy is the One who makes the call. Like the manager who picks up the phone and dials the “bull-pen”, Jesus has deemed us “worthy” to share in his love and mission for our world with us. 

A good relief picture doesn’t get to the Major League without a lot of practice. It is the same for being a Christian. We live in a world shatter and divided along so many lines while St. Paul reminds us today the truth that we are of "one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all". Like dedicated athletes Christians today need to be faithful witnesses to the teachings of Jesus; we need to practice humility; we need to practice gentleness and patience; we need to practice being generous, forgiving, long-suffering and --- here is a big one--- forgiving. There are many virtues that we need to practice. And the more we practice, the better we become at deepening our relationship with Christ and with one another to form “the one body and one spirit”, that seeks to live lives “worthy of the call” we have received.

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacons engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or walking away from the Church.

 

OTHER RESOURCE

 

Recommended Reading: Doing the Truth in Love: Conversations about God, Relationships and Service by Fr Michael Himes.  An engaging theology of God/human relationships and service to assist readers in reflecting more faithfully and more theologically on their own lives as they engage in pastoral ministry or service projects. †

 

 

Recommended YouTube Video: Finding God in All Things with Fr. Michael Himes. Fr. Himes was a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, New York and served as a theologian at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He served as professor and academic dean of the Seminary of Immaculate Conception on Long Island, New York, and as associate professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. He was a well-known author and lecturer.

 

 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - The Good Shepherd_071424

 

Deacon Tom Writes,

“The Good Shepherd” 

 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

 

God has a plan for our lives and it’s a good plan. And like any good plan, it’s designed to achieve the intended result. That is, of course, if you follow the plan! The trouble is that at some point along the way most of us get tired of following the plan. Any plan! And that goes for plan God has laid out for us. We get distracted, tired, board or, most of the time we just think that we have a better plan and we start doing things our way. We know what happens, don’t we? We all have our horror stories, our bumps and bruises, and many regrets, don’t we?

Jeremiah has to contend with some shepherds who have abandoned the plan God designed for them. As shepherds they were not protecting their flock. To the contrary, they were exposing them to the very dangers they should have been protecting them from. God sees this and will not stand for such an outrage. What does God do? He promises to send a real shepherd, to tend and care for his sheep, so that they no longer live in fear or be at risk, and to gather those who have strayed.

We know, of course, that Jesus is the promised Shepherd that Jeremiah foretold. Does Jesus live up to the standards that Jeremiah prophesied about him? Very much so! Even a cursory reading of the four gospels provides ample evidence that Jesus is the “Good Shepherd”. For so often we read where Jesus teaches his followers not to be afraid and that he cares for the people God has entrusted to him, curing them of their sickness, physical, spiritual, and mental; he feeds them physical and spiritual nourishment; he dispels the darkness by teaching them about the Kingdom of Heaven and about a life of virtue. And when things take a turn for the worse, he even dies for them, even those who did him wrong! Jesus fulfills Jeremiah’s prophesy beyond imagination!

Is Jesus our “Good Shepherd”? Does he calm our fears? Nourish us? Protect us? Provide for our needs? Did his death save us? Does our relationship with him change the course or events of our life?

In today’s gospel, the “Good Shepherd” that Jeremiah prophesied would one day appear, calls his followers “to come away by themselves to a deserted place for a while”. There, within our deepest fiber of our being, we can encounter the “Good Shepherd” and perhaps get to know him better and thank him for his guidance, protection and care. 

Enjoy the Day!
Deacon Tom 

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacons engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or walking away from the Church.

 

OTHER RESOURCE

 

Recommended Reading: New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy Paperback. With the incredible popularity of recent books championing agnosticism or atheism, many people might never know that such books almost completely ignore the considerable evidence for theism uncovered in both physics and philosophy over the past four decades. New Proofs for the Existence of God responds to these glaring omissions.

 

 

Recommended YouTube Video: How Science Supports Belief in the Spiritual World w/Fr. Robert Spitzer | Chris Stefanick Show. Fr. Spitzer is back, and he has even MORE ways that science supports belief in God. This time, he’s talking about scientific evidence for the supernatural world. 

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - Spread the Word_071424

Image credit: sunserveyouth.wordpress.com

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Spread the Word”

 

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

 

In today’s first reading, Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, is attempting to run Amos out of town because he doesn’t like what Amos is prophesying about the King and the royal temple. Amos tries to defend himself claiming that he is no prophet… “but just a shepherd and dresser of sycamores” whom the Lord instructed, “to go prophesy to my people Israel”.

 

We often think that God finds great people to do his work...like Mother Teresa or Desmond Tutu or Dr. King. That’s not generally the case. More often God chooses ordinary people and then brings about great results through them. No one knew who Mother Teresa was when she first ventured off to Calcutta to take care of the undesirables there that she saw as God’s little ones. And few dared to claim that they were friends of Nelson Mandela or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when they were wasting away in their prison cells for inciting people’s consciences. Their unrelenting witness of the gospel values that formed the fabric of their lives led them to dedicate their lives to the cause of justice and social equality for all peoples. They committed their lives to upholding the life and dignity of each person, especially those who were suffering from the social sins of their day: poverty, discrimination, and injustice to name but a few. Their efforts made their names household words and legends in the pursuit of justice.

 

Today’s gospel has Jesus sending his handpicked Apostles out into the world to spread the “Good News” i.e., the Gospel, to all who would listen. Jesus entrusts his message to ordinary people… and they delivered‼ And so did the many faithful souls who followed in their footsteps, some famous like the great saints and so many others who are “known but to God.” These are the giants upon whose shoulders our faith has been built and handed down through the ages. Like the original Twelve, they were successful in carrying out the instructions they received. Now, in our time, we gather together to hear the Word of God and share in the Sacred Banquet that unites us all into the Mystical Body of Christ, so that we too might have the courage to stand up and make our voices heard as people working to make this world more peaceful and just and who see the image of Christ in all our brothers and sisters.

 

Today let us recall the precious gift of faith that we have received and the sacrifices of all those who have passed it on to us. Let us be mindful too of our responsibility to share the faith that we have received, a faith that is grounded in Word and in Sacrament and that calls us to… “do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic 6:8). For, just as the Prophet Amos was sent to the people of his time, so too we are sent today to share with others the good news of God's love, mercy, and compassion.

 

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacs engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it.

 

OTHER RESOURCE

 

Recommended Reading: Here and Now by Henri J.M. Nouwen is not a faint memory, but happening right here and now, spiritual living takes place in the present; the Spirit meets us in the ordinary. These inspirational reflections by Henri Nouwen succeed in convincing us that God’s presence is reliable.

 

 

Recommended YouTube Video: Living in the Presence of God - part 1b with Fr. Thomas Keating who discusses the practice of Centering Prayer.

 

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - Obstinate of Heart_070724

drawneartogod.com – Heart of Africa, Gwen Meharg

Deacon Tom Writes,

Obstinate of Heart

 

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

 

In our first reading, Ezekiel has a profound experience that he describes, “As the Lord spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and set me on my feet”. Thus, the Lord has chosen Ezekiel to be his servant to deliver a message to the Israelites that they have become a “rebellious house”. They are a people who are “hard of face and obstinate of heart” because they have turned away from God and “rebelled against him”. This is a theme we hear time and time again in the Old Testament. It is like the ebb and flow of the tides, this turning to and then away from God. The one thing that is constant throughout the ages though, is that God never does the turning away. He always remains faithful to his people, always calling them to return to him. And so, God sends Ezekiel to deliver the message that a “prophet has been among them” urging them to change their ways and turn their hearts to the Lord.

 

In today’s gospel, we see another prophet at work among God’s people. The prophet is Jesus, chosen by God, indeed, God in human form! But, worker of miracles though he is, he is rejected by the people because they can’t get beyond their judging, skeptical hearts and minds that are closed to the truth; they are “obstinate of heart”! So, we read that Jesus, “was not able to perform any mighty deeds there” and “He was “amazed at their lack of faith”.

 

These scripture passages point out our tendency to resist the Holy. Indeed, God actually names the condition that plagues us. He refers to it as having an “obstinate heart”. An obstinate heart resists God’s invitation into the mystery of the divine presence. An obstinate heart is closed to the transformation that the divine presence is able to bring about in us and actually desires to bring about in us. We develop this condition when we refuse to be open to an alternative way of thinking or seeing the reality around us. This is very much a part of our human condition, inherited, perhaps, through “original sin”. We all have a large degree of obstinacy in us.

 

One remedy for overcoming an “obstinate heart” that impairs our spiritual growth is prayer, that time we spend opening our hearts and minds to Our Lord. This is the traditional way of letting God into our lives so we may be filed with his presence. Of course, the very desire for prayer comes from God who never abandons nor turns his back on us. Prayer will always turn the hardest and most obstinate of hearts to ones full of love and compassion.

 

Enjoy the day!

 

Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacs engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it.

 

OTHER RESOURCE

 

Recommended Reading: The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism has been one of the bestselling religious histories of the past two decades and a mainstay for scholars, students, and others looking for a definitive, accessible history of Catholicism. A good Summer Read!

 

Recommended YouTube Video: Authentic Happiness and Human Flourishing Series - Week Four - In this four-week series, Dean Steve Thomason draws on resources from Martin Seligman, Berne Brown and Richard Rohr, using scientific work to explore elements of human experience that lead to authentic happiness, flourishing and deep meaning, and set all that against a backdrop of the gospel as good news, inviting all people into the fullness of life.

Deacon Tom