taken last saturday

 

nov 16 2006

Plmn 7-20 Beloved: I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother. Therefore, although I have the full right in Christ to order you to do what is proper, I rather urge you out of love, being as I am, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus. I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,whose father I have become in my imprisonment,who was once useless to you but is now useful to both you and me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the Gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord. So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me. And if he has done you any injustice or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, write this in my own hand: I will pay. May I not tell you that you owe me your very self. Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

Ps 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10R. (5a) Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
The LORD secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free.
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those who were bowed down; the LORD loves the just. The LORD protects strangers.
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. The LORD shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.

Lk 17:20-25 Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply,“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” Then he said to his disciples,“The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you,‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

I think that in the gospel, Jesus is saying that for the disciples life will not be clear and sure as a believer there will be times with no signs and there will be times of great longings for the coming of the Son of Man. Before the Kingdom comes, Jesus must suffer and be rejected, then he will light up the sky as lightening does. I think perhaps it is a message that I as a disciple will experience this too, the suffering and rejection by my generation or people of my time before the Kingdom comes and yet the Kingdom is in my midst right now. I think the willingness to endure for the sake of the kingdom as Jesus did is a part of the faith. Somehow there is always one type of a cross or another that has to be carried in life.

I do not believe that I was born only to suffer and I do not think that God wants to see me suffer. I do believe that it is part of having a strong faith to be ready and willing to make sacrifices and accept what life has brought me in the course of my living out my faith with an open, loving and willing heart. I believe I am called to love in all times and situations.

Jesus taught "forgive them for they know not what they do." I believe that the forgiving heart is the healing heart and that it frees my body heart and mind as a forgiver to let go of all past pain or suffering. God calls me to love all people not just friends and those who are kind to me. As a Christian there is a call to always love and act and live in that love as a child of God.

I find tremendous strength, joy and renewal in this call to love all and as a consecrated Religious Woman feel that my consecration frees me personally further to love all without exception in Christ whoever they are and whatever they may have done in their lives. The words come easily but living the life takes a constant daily turning to God each morning and a renewal of the commitment to love God and love all people.

Of course there are times when I pray and ask God "is this what you want of me" and "am I supposed to be here doing this now." I pray for the knowledge of God's will for me and discernment in what I do. I have been fortunate to have definite guidance and affirmations on the path of my life as I ask for God's way and not my own. I feel there is no greater joy or call in my life than being a Religious Sister and rejoice that this is what God has lead me to in my life. God speaks to me in every flower, butterfly, rain cloud, gust of wind, friend, family member, Sister and more. God speaks to me in every breath of the day and each day and I am blessed to feel fully alive and vibrant with the light of the love of God to share with all each day.