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Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Meditation
Luke 8:19-21

May we be so dedicated to the service of others that the whole human family may become a pleasing sacrifice in your honor.

So reads a prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. In a way, this prayer also reflects today’s Scripture reading, when Jesus expresses very dramatically the absolute importance of building the family of God. Natural families are important, but Jesus also told his hearers, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:21).

Jesus no more intended disregard for his mother when he said this than he intended for us to literally pluck out our eyes if they cause us to sin. Rather, he wanted us to know that while it is always a good thing to build up our family life, we are also called to build up the larger family of God.

In theory, this calling makes sense. After all, we have all been baptized into one body. We have all been made into brothers and sisters of each other and share a responsibility for one another. We sense how we can experience a sense of unity and kinship when we see their needs as our needs and their joys as our joys.

That’s the theory, but what about the practice? We don’t have to go far to put this teaching into action. One great place to start would be to consider how we look at the people next to us at Mass. What goes through our minds during Communion as we watch fellow parishioners receive the Body and Blood of Christ? Is it love? Compassion? Gratitude for their faith? Maybe even forgiveness and mercy for ways this or that person may have hurt us? When we add these kinds of thoughts to the “theory” behind Jesus’ words, we end up with a church that is a living, breathing body witnessing to the glory and power of God.

As our worldwide family honors our heavenly Father, God’s blessings will flow to our natural family as well. Then we will find ourselves intricately united with all those “who hear the word of God and do it.”

“As we hear your word calling us to serve others, Lord, instill in us your vision of the church as your family. May we all come to live as brothers and sisters in your name.”

Ezra 6:7-8,12,14-20; Psalm 122:1-5

One Bread, One Body

All Issues > Volume 21, Number 5

<< Tuesday, September 20, 2005 >>

Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon,
Paul Chong Hasang
& the Korean Martyrs

Ezra 6:7-8, 12, 14-20

Psalm 122

Luke 8:19-21

View Readings

CROWDED

"His mother and brothers came to be with Him, but they could not reach Him because of the crowd." —Luke 8:19

How many of us are crowded? Our lives, minds, and schedules are crowded. We have so many demands pressing in on us. We can hardly breathe. We feel crowded out from Jesus. We can't seem to reach Him. We feel on the outside looking in (Lk 8:20).

What can we do before we're crushed by the crowd? We can obey Jesus, hear God's word, act upon it (Lk 8:21), and give our lives, minds, and schedules to the Lord. Jesus never gives us more than we have time for. He never overextends us, although sometimes we know this only by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). "There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens" (Eccl 3:1). Jesus gives us sufficient strength (Phil 4:13) for what He has called us to do.

Jesus promises: "Come to Me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon your shoulders and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest" (Mt 11:28-29). Rather than the crowd keeping us from Jesus, He keeps us from the crowd of worldly confusion.

Prayer: Jesus, may my personal relationship with You keep me from being crowded.

Promise: "The elders of the Jews continued to make progress in the building, supported by the message of the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah." —Ezr 6:14

Praise: The Korean Martyrs set themselves apart not only by how they died but also how they lived for Life. They have borne fruit in millions of conversions to Jesus (see Jn 12:24).