Last Sunday's homily is in the library>>>
This Sunday's readings are at the USCCB.org>>>
I am preaching and presiding at 4:00pm Mass on June 26 and 11:00am Mass on June 27th. See you there!
Free for what?
I had an old friend who, when asked, "are you free" would always say, "I'm cheap, but not free." Rather risque for this blog on preaching, but it always comes to my mind when I think or preach about freedom.
Fr. Robert Barron has a great reflection on today's readings and he reminds us that freedom is about vocation - doing God's will. And freedom, in the biblical sense, is the freedom from attachments and a freedom for doing God's will - vocation!
I think people in today's world cannot hear this call realistically. They hear "leave everything and follow me" and they think they have to either become a hermit or a monk or they're doomed to deny Jesus. As if "having stuff" is the opposite to following Jesus.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. The truth is that having stuff, having relationships, having responsibilities in the world is not a lack of freedom. When your stuff, your relationships or your responsibilities HAVE you - that's a lack of freedom to follow Jesus.
How can we be in the world but not of it. How can you raise your family, love your spouse, do your job, take your vacation, and enjoy your life in a way that it doesn't keep you from loving your neighbor as yourself - Jesus' will for you?
Good question. No easy answer. What do you think?
19 comments:
Father -- another question for you along those lines...how are we supposed to enjoy anything, like vacations, dining out, etc. when Jesus says so many times that we are to be penitent and to make sacrifices for sinners, Holy Souls in Purgatory, etc. Thanks for listening lr
Father, another question along those lines...how are we supposed to enjoy life, like vacations, dining out, movies, etc. when Jesus says we are to atone for our sins and practice acts of penance, especially for conversion of sinners, and for the Holy Souls in Purgatory?
sorry i accidentally posted twice!
I am thinking about Fr. Estok’s reflection on freedom, vocation, and doing God’s will and I think if I were to title my response I would call it, “Everybody has One – Everyday.” I say this because I am reflecting on my own thoughts and understanding of the term “vocation” over my lifetime – and it has changed considerably. As a young person (teenager/young adult), when I thought of the term “vocation” I thought only of vowed religious life. In my later adult years, my understanding (and it seems to me the Church’s efforts at explaining the term) changed, and I came to think of it as the specific path, or the status, any of us baptized chose – believing it was the general direction given to us by God. So, not only was it the vowed religious life, but it also included married life and single life. When I check with Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, this resonates with their definition, too.
But now as I’m considering the Matador’s reflection, and as I read the Scriptures, I am thinking that it also includes a daily choice – not only the once in a lifetime choice. So being a priest, or a nun, or married, or single is a choice – but that’s not the end of what our vocation looks like. Every day we get up and there is a fresh call before us and how we respond to that call also becomes part of our vocation – it’s a serious thing. In fact, it can be confusing as to what is the right decision – what is the right thing to do – what is God’s will – every time we have a choice before us. I like Fr. Estok’s final point – there’s no easy answer. But I think a good guideline is to consider whether we are using all of the gifts God has given us to the best of our ability – for the sake of God and neighbor. Or - are we burying our gifts; are we hoarding our gifts; are we simply not even considering what our gifts are and not seeking the best way to use them? Maybe that’s at least part of the answer.
Jesus, our guide, invites us to follow Him on his journey, "leave everything and follow me."
This is a daily invitation that only the good listeners can hear.
It is a challange, it is very difficult at times. Following Jesus is not a part-time job, it is a full time commitment, it will require many sacrifices in our part, it will require to die to our old unnecessary attachments and rise to a new life, a life of freedom, a little ray of light in other people's life... Following Jesus daily is the greatest vocation.P.
Jesus, our guide, invites us to follow him on his journey, "Leave everything and follow me."
This is a daily invitation that only the good listeners can hear.
It is a challange, it is very difficult at times. Following Jesus is a full time commitment, no a part time job. It will require many sacrifices in our part, it will require to die to our old unnecessary attachments and rise to a new life, a life of freedom, we will be a little ray of light for other around us.
Following Jesus daily is the greatest vocation. P.
How smart of you bloggers! The church recognizes our universal vocation belonging to all: holiness, communion with Christ. We also have our particular vocation, state, mode of being saved. I like your thoughts. -the matador.
I like the comment about our things "having" us and how that is not true freedom. This is so relevant to me. There is such a real sense of freedom when we feel we aren't ruled by material things, that we don't need them to be happy. How many times are we unsettled bc of wanting something we do not have. We allow the thing we do not have to dominate our thoughts instead of Jesus.
At the risk of oversimplifying this topic, one way I find peace is the hope that God will judge us based on our hearts, and what our motivations and intentions are, and how we used what He gave us. What good is it to help our neighbor if our hearts are not truly in it and we are not truly loving? If we love, it is evident in our eyes, our demeanors, our respect for others. lr
What did I hear most in Father's homily? We are supposed to become like God Himself. God!!! By the way we love! Radical freedom! It means loving God above all others and above all things to be able to love others as ourselves . . . better yet, to love others MORE than ourselves. THAT's RADICAL! But it's what Jesus did!
Imagine not getting an upgraded phone so you can give more money to a worthy cause... imagine giving up pop so that you can taste how good God's Gift of water is... imagine NOT accepting a promotion so that your family time is not infringed upon . . . imagine not surfing the web so that you can have more time to pray or read an uplifting book . . . Scriptures says that God's will for us (1 Thes 5:17) is rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all things. Radical... how many people do that???
Then there's the other question of Father's . . . what do we have to leave behind??? It's not only the stuff, it's easy to learn to give up stuff once you realize it does not lead to freedom, that a lot of stuff is a dead end. Harder to give up are hurt feelings, rejection, "my way" versus your way, blame, teaching "lessons" when life already brings enough of those, judgments, criticisms, giving up always having to say something (oneupsmanship), figuring things out. Freedom also entails allowing indecision, allowing confusion, allowing uncertainty or discomfort or mixed feelings ... not knowing what to think, not knowing exactly where God is at or what is in mind, walking with that, perhaps barely making it through a day, KNOWING, with absolute CERTAINTY, God stands with us, within us . . . all of the other stuff doesn't really matter that much . . .
It's easy to love family and friends when all is well. Harder to love the stranger who flips you off in the parking lot or freeway... harder to love the co-worker who takes credit for your work, harder to love the spouse who helps others out but doesn't do enough at home, harder to love the grown kids who can't seem to find time to help out, harder to love the parishioner whose kids always seem to get all the glory. Hmmm.
Radical love . . . like God, WOW!!! In good old North Royalton, in our very own homes and families and neighborhoods! Imagine God wants us to be like Himself!!!
They feel that they have failed those around them, especially if they eat too much or put on some form of weight generic lumigan If we don't get enough of these fatty acids, and indeed most of us don't as our consumption of fish has dramatically declined in recent years, then inevitably there is a greater risk of health problems associated with a lack of Omega 3 in the diet
Keep in mind that these are just general figures that may differ from product to product buy cymbalta cost We sell revolutionary depression treatment at half price! Hurry up to buy while sales is on!
You can try these effective heartburn home remedies and you will most likely find acid reflux relief without the expense and side effects of medication Viagra for women pills There is pink foam wedged between your toes and your back is being massaged by a trained masseuse
Whether you're religious or not, the concept of a sabbath makes perfect sense iressa They are very effective moisturizers that will not clog your pores
A number of medical conditions may require testing for coenzyme Q10 deficiency Avapro Vasa, et, al (2001) discovered that people with poor cardiovascular health have less endothelial progenitor cells (EPC's) in the blood stream than those with good cardiovascular health
Daily exercise is must for every age group buy lumigan uk Children with ADHD always seems, on the go
However, when your child is bottle-fed and carries a filled bottle in his mouth during the day and sleeps with one in his mouth at night, then there is a higher likelihood for inviting tooth decay and the strep bacteria into his mouth cymbalta Quitting the prescribed medication too soon makes it more likely depression symptoms will return.
There are also various procedures for hale and hearty diet, conniver, and other work out pattern that will compose your body leaner and hearty female Viagra uk Ion exchange makes sure that the water tastes good and that the essential minerals are retained
During the process, people should keep their spine straight and arms loose for any posture iressa online The proportion of acai berry is however more than the other ingredients
It is easy, and it works Geodon What causes bloating, cramping and irregular bowel movements? Age, stress, travel and some medications may affect our digestive system and its natural functions
What about those of you who are not currently engaged in a healthy diet and exercise program? There is hope for you as well lumigan That's it; a full rundown of the ingredients found in Bowtrol
With desire, support, taking full responsibility for however your body is showing up and allowing, I'll say it again, ALLOWING happiness into your thoughts, you will experience a major shift in your condition, naturally buy cymbalta cost What is good mood for you? A myth that doesn’t exist? You're not right!
Have you been looking for a quick fat loss workout to help you get rid of those stubborn love handles? It can be very difficult getting rid of love handles female Viagra uk in results published in the International Journal of Obesity
The best way to go about this is to pick up the supplements gefitinib Even with the increased awareness of the military leadership over alcohol-related issues, enrollment in treatment programs between 2003 and the present have only risen by half a percent
And as soon as you start thinking about the food that you're eating, you are taking the right steps to get your children to eat healthy Buy Arjuna Women should develop their own exercise plan that allows them to start small and work their way up
Each input has discrete picture settings which is often a plus, but keep in mind to utilize our calibration settings for each input you want to use. dd wrt vpn server. You may have already had some tests done, or you may just be wondering why nature is not taking the normal course. download cisco vpn client osx
I believe it's important to educate yourself about what is contained in the water that comes out of your faucets at home so you can protect you and your family from potential harmful and invisible toxins viagra uk This causes the body to start losing weight 5 cialis The process can be reversed
This enables it to carry out its operation efficiently in comparison to other companies., l3 vpn tutorial. You can stop spyware from entering your system by installing an antispyware program. Most women only have a few days a month when they are actually fertile. openvpn problema installazione winxp. Highquality bedding sets are found in malls and online. vpn router overview
However, there are certain aspects to be kept in mind when these products are being employed especially when you are using the same regularly. virtual orchestra studio games
Or perhaps a forced air unit heater blowing warm air from one corner of a room or shop space in an attempt to heat up air molecules to warm the surrounding air., dhcp dominio. Sometimes it can be as simple as having too many blankets on during the night or the heat has been set too high. For complete specifications, please click around the specification tab and link located above and below this review. using transactions in sql server. Over the years they have helped thousands of clients from across the globe and hence they are very familiar with terms like success and dedication. cobertura adsl
The benefits of valid code include faster loading time, better display and search engine indexing, as well as improved accessibility for platforms, browsers and screen readers. virtual calc98. The really pack more bang per buck in most respects that is why it is still being used today, even with advent of digital promotions and other types of technology. softcam server 1 2
The application of one technique more efficiently than the other depends on a specific organizations structure as well as the industry, it involves its operations., network 192.168 0.1. Many people who suffer from other painful illnesses, like arthritis, also choose to include cherries in their diets, and for good reasons. For more knowledge have a look at www. ax ethernet driver. Once you have the correct answers to all the above questions you are sure to select the best concrete batching plant for your company. windows 2000 server event viewer
Post a Comment