In today's first reading, Joshua 24: 14-29, Joshua assembled the people and exhorts them: "Fear the Lord and serve him completely and sincerely." Not halfheartedly! Not only when it is convenient! Don't pretend to be serving Him when you really are serving other gods! "Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
"Decide today whom you will serve!" The same challenge is placed before us! Decide today! Stop procrastinating! Stop serving other gods because they please you or because your ego is your "king," your savior from all that distresses you! Stop serving other gods because others are doing so and you want their approval! Today, you are to make a decision to serve God, the Lord, or serve false gods, pseudo gods, God substitutes! What will your decision be?
Joshua reminds the people that they "may not be able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins, [Joshua warns]. If, after the good he has done for you, you forsake the Lord and serve strange gods, he will do evil to you and destroy you." Resolutely, the people respond:"We will serve the Lord!" What is your resolve?
Serving God will not be an easy journey. We will, like Jesus, face opposition; for some, even death for God's sake. The journey is an uphill climb, a climb up to Jerusalem with Jesus. We are not alone on this journey! Along the way, we will meet critics, persons who will challenge our resolve and tempt us to abandon our commitment to serve the Lord. We also will fail at times, abandon our resolution. However, we know from Jesus that God is a forgiving God, a God of compassion, slow to anger, a God who has pity on us, as modeled by His Son Jesus, the Christ!
May you and I, with Jesus, in good times and bad, remain steadfast in our resolve to serve the Lord, and not other gods. May we live by faith, a resolve of our wills, and not by our emotions! They are passing, like clouds by day or night! Like Mary, our mother, who said "Be it done to me according to your will," may we also surrender our wills to God's will!
Showing posts with label Choosing God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Choosing God. Show all posts
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
According God the Glory God Deserves
In today's first reading, Romans 1: 16-25, St. Paul gives testimony concerning the Gospel and its meaning in his life: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel," Paul proclaims. "It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for the Jew first, and then Greek. For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous by faith will live.'"
Further on in this Scripture passage, Paul states: "...what can be known about God is evident [to the wicked]. Ever since the creation of the world, [God's] invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, [the wicked] have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened."
We can be other "Pauls," not ashamed of the Gospel and realize that "it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes," or we can choose to court wickedness, that is, turning away from God and from all that is good in this life, disregarding the needs of others, engaging in bigotry, misogyny, greed, narcissistic pursuits, abusing power and acting out of pride and prejudice or
whatever separates/divides us from one another and from God. In our claims to be wise, Paul warns us, we actually become "fools and [exchange] the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man..." When we do so, God, in Paul's words, will hand us "over to impurity through the lusts of [our] hearts..." We will have "exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever."
Paul is talking to us right here in the U.S., I'm afraid! And, personally, each one of us needs to ask ourselves whether we have "exchanged the truth of God for a lie." In our heart of hearts, we know the truth! Also, I believe, we need to, reflect upon whether or not we are worshipping creatures rather than the Creator--that which we most treasure is where our hearts lie. On what, on whom, each day do I spent the majority of my time? How angry do I get when a loved one calls me to task, reminding me of my responsibilities to family, to my religious community, to the vows I pledged at the altar?
Further on in this Scripture passage, Paul states: "...what can be known about God is evident [to the wicked]. Ever since the creation of the world, [God's] invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, [the wicked] have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened."
We can be other "Pauls," not ashamed of the Gospel and realize that "it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes," or we can choose to court wickedness, that is, turning away from God and from all that is good in this life, disregarding the needs of others, engaging in bigotry, misogyny, greed, narcissistic pursuits, abusing power and acting out of pride and prejudice or
whatever separates/divides us from one another and from God. In our claims to be wise, Paul warns us, we actually become "fools and [exchange] the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man..." When we do so, God, in Paul's words, will hand us "over to impurity through the lusts of [our] hearts..." We will have "exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever."
Paul is talking to us right here in the U.S., I'm afraid! And, personally, each one of us needs to ask ourselves whether we have "exchanged the truth of God for a lie." In our heart of hearts, we know the truth! Also, I believe, we need to, reflect upon whether or not we are worshipping creatures rather than the Creator--that which we most treasure is where our hearts lie. On what, on whom, each day do I spent the majority of my time? How angry do I get when a loved one calls me to task, reminding me of my responsibilities to family, to my religious community, to the vows I pledged at the altar?
Sunday, October 15, 2017
The Eternal Wedding Feast
In today's Gospel, Matthew 22: 1-14, Jesus speaks to us through the parable of a king who gives a wedding feast for his son. Twice the king sent out servants to invite in wedding guests. The invitation was ignored by some. Others beat and even killed the servants. The king, enraged, sent out troops to destroy the murderers. When the feast was ready, the king sent other servants out to invite "whomever you find." Both the good and the bad were invited and the "wedding hall was filled with guests". One person entered "without a wedding garment" and was thrown out "into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth," as "many are invited, but few are chosen."
Obviously, Jesus is speaking about the banquet in heaven to which we are all invited. Will you and I 1) ignore the invitation, 2) beat the messengers physically and/or verbally with rebellious words and/or with words that ridicule, 3) kill the messengers, 4) attend the banquet without "a wedding garment" with which we are clothed by good needs, by love and forgiveness of others, by generosity and helpfulness to the poor and needy, by repentance, honest admission of wrong-doing and acceptance of God's mercy, by justice in relating to others?
What choices are you and I making by the way we live our lives?
Obviously, Jesus is speaking about the banquet in heaven to which we are all invited. Will you and I 1) ignore the invitation, 2) beat the messengers physically and/or verbally with rebellious words and/or with words that ridicule, 3) kill the messengers, 4) attend the banquet without "a wedding garment" with which we are clothed by good needs, by love and forgiveness of others, by generosity and helpfulness to the poor and needy, by repentance, honest admission of wrong-doing and acceptance of God's mercy, by justice in relating to others?
What choices are you and I making by the way we live our lives?
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