Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time_A - Good Ground for Hope_072323

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Good Ground for Hope”

 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

 In today’s First Reading the author of the Book of Wisdom in speaking of God says, “You gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.” Suppose you were asked to make a list of those things in your life that make you hopeful, what would you write down? You may have a litany of things that give you hope. You may answer that a loving and understanding family is the cause for your hope. You may say the bright promise that the future holds in store for you and those you love fuels your hopeful attitude. Or, you may draw your hope from seeing the bright optimism on the faces of the young people in your life. There are many sources of hope in our lives but unfortunately, we don’t often think about them. I wonder if we did take the time to list them, would any of us have the least inkling that being reconciled to God is the source of our hopefulness or that our hope lies in God’s willingness to forgive (and forget!!!) our sins?

Reflecting on this thought, we are able to see that there are two amazing powerful spiritual dynamics at work here. Not only does God in his goodness give us the grace to allow us to seek his forgiveness, but he is also eager to grant us forgiveness. Our Lord is indeed “…good and forgiving.”

Our sinfulness stunts our growth, just as the weeds take away from the wheat growing in the field and reduces the bounty of the harvest. God does not want our lives to be diminished by sin. God does not want us to be stifled by the burden of our sins or be overcome by our sinfulness. He has called us to an “abundant life,” and God wants us to “live life to the fullest.” And, he has given us a way to do this.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the good ground for our hope. It is for our own good, our mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Reconciliation is the way we respond to God’s good graces that sustain and nourish us on our earthly journey and which leads us to the source of all of our hope, God himself. Let us spend some time this week taking an inventory of ways we need to be reconciled to God and perhaps each other and then seek the grace of the Sacrament itself. With our hope revitalized in this Sacrament of Reconciliation we will be better able to share not only that expanding hope but also the increased joy we experience in live with everyone around us.


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: 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. 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time_C - Hospitality Plus_071722

 

Image Credit: The Hospitality of Abraham - basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy on revsshaffer. Com

Deacon Tom Writes,“Hospitality Plus”

 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Abraham certainly knew how to entertain. He extended a humble greeting and generous hospitality to the three travelers who passed his tent in the heat of the day. He provided them with water – a vital necessity in the heat of the midday sun. Then he instructed Sarah to bake some bread while he had a choice steer prepared for a meal. What a great host Abraham was! This is the sort of treatment we reserve for our closest friends. In a real way, God wants us to know this is the way God treats us, his children.

This reading from the book of Genesis gives us insight into the hospitality of Jesus. In grounding the Eucharistic celebration in the context of a public banquet to which everyone is invited, Christ offers us hospitality not only for this life, but also for the life to come. Christ is our nourishment in the Eucharistic banquet shared as though we are one big family invited to center our thoughts and actions on him and not be “anxious and worried about many things” as Martha was so disposed in today’s gospel. We all know how difficult it is at times not to be overwhelmed when it comes to preparing Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner for a large number of guests. This can happen not just on festive occasions but all on any “ordinary” day. Our minds are constantly full of the needs of the day… the bills to pay, the stress at work and at home, sick parents or children, conflicting schedules… there are so many things to do and so many concerns weighing heavily on our minds that it is difficult to be aware of the spiritual realities taking place before us. This is true even when we are at Mass, when we are privileged to witness the miracle taking place before our eyes. And yet, being present at the Eucharistic celebration in the midst of our community of faith is the best possible way and place for us to find some relief from the worries and anxieties that are so much a part of our lives.

When we respond to the hospitality Jesus offers us, we gain new insight into the spiritual realities around us. This is why I believe that Paul can say, “rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.” Paul was able to connect with, “the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past” because he had experienced Jesus’ bountiful hospitality that eventually led him into an intimate relationship with Christ that enabled him to see beyond his physical pain and suffering.

As we gather for picnics and celebrations this summer, as we extend hospitality to our family, friends and neighbors, let us be mindful of the open invitation we have to break bread together with our friends and neighbors every time we go to Mass where Jesus has set a place for us at his Table and waits for us to share our fears, worries, and struggles with him.

Enjoy the Day!
Deacon Tom

Visit my Blog at: www.deacontomwrites.blogspot.com

And tune into the www.deaconspod.com to hear a contemporary Catholic conversation exploring the treasures our faith has to offer.

Recommended Reading: When God Winks at You by Squire Rushnell helps us see those little events in our lives and how they happen for a reason.

Recommended Podcast: The Diary of Jesus Christ by Fr. Bill Cain, S.J. Fr Bill combines his skills as a screenwriter and his Ignatian practice of placing himself in the gospel narrative to crate this imaginative story of Jesus' Life.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time_C - Hospitality Plus_072119

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Hospitality Plus”

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Abraham certainly knew how to entertain. He extended a humble greeting and generous hospitality to the three travelers who passed his tent in the heat of the day. He provided them with water – a vital necessity in the heat of the midday sun. Then he instructed Sarah to bake some bread while he had a choice steer prepared for a meal. What a great host Abraham was! This is the sort of treatment we reserve for our closest friends. In a real way, God wants us to know this is the way God treats us, his children.

This reading from the book of Genesis gives us insight into the hospitality of Jesus. In grounding the Eucharistic celebration in the context of a public banquet to which everyone is invited, Christ offers us hospitality not only for this life, but also for the life to come. Christ is our nourishment in the Eucharistic banquet shared as though we are one big family invited to center our thoughts and actions on him and not be “anxious and worried about many things” as Martha was so disposed in today’s gospel. We all know how difficult it is at times not to be overwhelmed when it comes to preparing Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner for a large number of guests. This can happen not just on festive occasions but all on any “ordinary” day. Our minds are constantly full of the needs of the day… the bills to pay, the stress at work and at home, sick parents or children, conflicting schedules… there are so many things to do and so many concerns weighing heavily on our minds that it is difficult to be aware of the spiritual realities taking place before us, especially at Mass when we are privileged to witness the miracle taking place before our eyes. And yet, this is the best possible way and place for us to find some relief from the worries and anxieties that are so much a part of our lives.

When we respond to the hospitality Jesus offers us, we gain new insight into the spiritual realities around us. This is why I believe that Paul can say, “rejoice in my sufferings for your sake”. Paul was able to connect with, “the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past” because he had experienced Jesus’ bountiful hospitality that eventually led him into an intimate relationship with Christ that enabled him to see beyond his physical pain and suffering.

As we gather for picnics and celebrations this summer, as we extend hospitality to our family, friends and neighbors, let us be mindful of the open invitation we have to break bread together with our friends and neighbors every time we go to Mass where Jesus has set a place for us at his Table and waits for us to share our fears, worries, and struggles with him.

Enjoy the Day!

Deacon Tom

Image Credit: The Hospitality of Abraham  - basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy on revsshaffer. com

Come Away and Rest

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Deacon Tom writes ©

“Come Away… and Rest”

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Who doesn’t like to get away once in a while and trade in the ordinary and routine for the new and exciting? I find myself looking forward to “vacation time” even though I am retired! And then, when I finally do get away, I jam pack the day with things to do, places to go, people to see. In a couple of days I feel exhausted and wonder why I didn’t leave some down time to just sit back and relax, to rest in the moment, and reflect on what I am experiencing, to find God in the events and the people around me.     

I don’t think this is my own unique experience, and judging from today’s gospel reading, I get the sense that this is an ancient problem.  Jesus recognized that he and his Apostles needed to get away from it all and just “rest for a while”. Jesus recognized his own need to break away from the hectic and demanding nature of his work and take a breather. His need for solitude show’s his total and complete humanity and is a reminder for us that we need to break away on occasion and find a “deserted place” where we can “rest a while”.

Our spiritual lives require a balance between “being” and “doing”. We engage in ministry, in helping “transform the world” as we are called to do as followers of Christ. But, what transformation can we ever hope to bring about if we don’t stop from time to time and tap into the power source who fuels us?  Seeking out quiet and solitude are essential requisites for spiritual growth. It is only logical that we can’t give what we haven’t got. If we don’t stop and quiet our own restlessness, how can we ever bring peace to those we love?  If we don’t develop an inner stillness, how can we ever bring a spirit of tranquility to our workplaces, or show some gentleness to calm those filled with tensions and aggravations that we encounter all day long?  If there is to be any peace in our homes, in our schools and communities, in our world, it has to begin with us.

As we take in the beauty and warmth of these sun-filled summer days, perhaps we can arrange to break away for just a few precious moments to our own little “deserted” place, “and rest”, so that we might experience the wonders God has in store for us.  Then, we too may be able to join our voices with those of the psalmist and say, “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want”.  

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom