-Last Sunday's homily is available by email
-This Sunday's Scriptures can be found at www.usccb.org
-check out this week's LinC Letter at www.parishlincletter.blogspot.com
-I will be celebrating mass at 4pm on Sat and 9:30am on Sunday
Are You Changing Direction or Just Talking About it?
Repentance is the call to change the direction you are looking for happiness. Throughout this advent time we will hear this repeated call but nowhere as strongly as from John the Baptist in today's Gospel. Repent, he says. Change the direction you were looking for happiness. And I don't mean just talk about it.
John's admonition to the Pharisees gives us some insight into how we might telegraph to others that we are changing our direction, it is not with words. St. Francis is quoted often as saying " preach the gospel always and when necessary use words." When we have identified the cause of our unhappiness we can identify a new direction in which we are looking for happiness. However that change cannot be simply in our hearts in prayer, in our words to loved ones who are offended, but it must be in the actions, the choices, the decisions, and our reactions to the difficulty of daily life.
Are you changing the direction you were looking for happiness? Don't tell me about it-show me-show me with your happiness.
4 comments:
Blessed be God!!! 😀☺️🙂
I like a phrase I just read by Tom Hanks when he was recounting events in his career that eventually became successful. He said "the things that I didn't get led to the things that I did get." While that sounds obvious enough, I think it does remind us to experience life with hope.
It connects to the thinking that "When we have identified the cause of our unhappiness we can identify a new direction in which we are looking for happiness." Both statements help us remember that disappointment need never be the last word - we only need to remain open to what is possible NEXT!
I'm getting from the Matador's reflection that helping the possibility of happiness to develop is within our grasp by making the choices and taking action that match those aims of happiness. If we stay in the rut of disappointment and allow that rut to fuel our reactions to daily life we can be stuck without hope!
I'm getting it ... oh my ... I think I'm getting a glimmer ... when I first read the blog (yes, I am freely confessing this!, I thought 'oh, okay, sure sure.' I'm filled with happiness & joy. I've heard these words before, I know what they mean. I was taking for granted that I GOT IT ... as if ANYONE can get the FULLNESS of life and love in the Word, EVER, hahaha!!! Silly girl that I am, hahaha!
Then I looked back to the WORDS of each of the readings ... first reading ... parched ...exult...rejoice...bloom ...glory...splendor... strengthen ...firm.. weak... these are words and things that have NO LIMIT!!! Second reading ... patient ... coming ... waits ... firm ... coming ... same thing ... these verbs are words that are NEVER, EVER complete in our life with the Lord .... God makes all things new ... the same can be proved with the Words of the Gospel ... there is no same-old, same-old in joy & happiness ... it is ever-lovely, ever growing, EVER new!!!
Keep preaching it, Priest, until our parched hearts take it in more and more fully!
What I find so ticklish is I read the wrong readings & your words STILL apply, haha!
Post a Comment