Friends,
in today’s Gospel Jesus identifies his disciples as his family. I want
to say something about our becoming disciples in his family. Once we
make the decision to follow Jesus then every other claimant to supremacy
must fall away. As I’ve argued many times before, every one of us has
something or some set of values that we consider
greatest.
Perhaps
it is money, material things, power, or the esteem of others. Perhaps
it is your family, your kids, your wife, your husband.
None
of this is false, and none of these things are bad. But when you place
any of them in the
absolute center of gravity, things go awry. When you make any of them
your ultimate or final good, your spiritual life goes haywire. When you
attach yourself to any of them with an absolute tenacity, you will fall
apart.
Only
when we make Christ the cornerstone of our lives are we truly ready for
mission. Keep in mind that every encounter with God in the Bible
conduces to mission, to being sent to do the work of the Lord. If we try
to do this work while we are stuck to any number of attachments, we
will fail. Period.
Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 450
Like a stream is the king's heart in the hand of the LORD;
wherever it pleases him, he directs it.
All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,
but it is the LORD who proves hearts.
To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart–
the tillage of the wicked is sin.
The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,
but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.
Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue
is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.
The soul of the wicked man desires evil;
his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes.
When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser;
when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
The just man appraises the house of the wicked:
there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin.
He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself also call and not be heard.
The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you."
He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it."
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment