-Last Sunday's homily is available
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org/readings
-check out this weeks LinC letter at www.parishLinCLetter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass this weekend at 4:00pm on Saturday, 9:30 & 11:00 on Sunday
What's My Line?
This game show back in the 60s and 70s was fun and interesting. People who had "weird" or "unexpected" careers and occupations came on the show and the panelists tried to figure out what they did for a living. "What's my line" has to be considered a colloquialism to say "what is my line of work".
I'm thinking of "lines" today after Jesus' use of and the instruction about parables in the Gospel. I'm thinking "what is your line" as meaning what is your story. You know in a book or movie the central message is the "storyline".
In our parish vision "Every One Adds One by 2016" the byline is Renew, Reflect, and Reach Out. It was thought that every worshiper would become an inviter of another. That kind of reaching out can only happen if our faith is renewed and alive and that we reflect upon the meaning of our faith in our life. That's my line.
So what's your line? If you had to tell a loved one what your faith means to you and why it is essential for your happiness in life, what would you say? That's your line. What is the parable of your faith, your storyline, as Jesus has shown us? If you don't have a parable or a story, or a line it might be because you have not reflected upon your faith.
Let's use this important time in our parish life to renew our faith in the holy Communion of the church, reflect on its meaning and importance in our life, and then let's prepare to reach out by sharing our story with a loved one whose away from church.
What's your line?
4 comments:
I like your direction, and it made me think. I even went to YouTube and watched an episode. What a riot! I forgot that it would be revealed to the entire audience what the person's occupation was, but the panel had to ask questions to discover the occupation. Made me think does the audience in my life (the people I encounter each day at home, at work, at Giant Eagle, CVS, church, etc.) know that I love the Lord and I'm all about the Lord by how I act and live? OR do I leave them as clueless as the Panel???
Agree, wonderful faith self evaluating question. How do others view me, do they know my beliefs, what would they say about my Christianity and if I invite them to Mass would they have an understanding of the benefits and beauty of Christ's love and the communion of believers based on my representation of faith. As I act, & think more about the depth of God's love, I feel more unworthy yet so much more joyful at the beauty of redemption by the atonement of the Lamb of God for my sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Is this what all my speech, acts, & thoughts convey? How can I continue to purify these aspects of my life on earth?
In fact, I've had this very conversation with someone. I was trying to explain to my son "what my faith means to me and why it is essential to my happiness in life". I was trying to explain to him that it was only because of my faith that I could find happiness in life - without it, the pleasures in life are passing and empty. And my faith includes not only the God in my life, but the Church, too. Because without the Body of Christ being a part of my faith, I am alone and isolated - the "other" is difficult to find. It's through the Church, through my serving others, my telling others of my beliefs, and my regular worship in community and "unceasing prayer", that life - and emptying myself - has meaning. I don't know that I explained it well in words - and hopefully my actions speak to him - but part of my unceasing prayer is that one day he gets it and seeks it for himself.
Yes, believing parent. Yes!
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