-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 on the back of the parish bulletin or at www.saint-albert.org/lincletter
-I will be celebrating mass at 5:30 on Saturday and 9:30 and 12:30 on Sunday.
Religious Leader Sunday
Last weekend we celebrated priesthood Sunday throughout the United States. In our parish a seminarian Joe Menkhaus came and spoke about his vocation at all the masses. This Sunday, the 31st Sunday of the year, presents us with some challenging scriptures that might make us think it's “religious identity Sunday“.
Jesus' instruction to his disciples about their role in the ministry and mission of the church is in contrast to the attitude of the scribes and Pharisees. Anyone who takes on religious leadership in order to promote him or herself would be guilty of exalting himself. In contrast, one who responds sincerely to the call of service in the kingdom (servant leadership) and does so with a sense of unworthiness and humility-that one will be raised up by God.
It seems that “what you call yourself“ is of importance to Jesus. What you insist that other people call you is a concern for Jesus. So, maybe the question of the day is "what do you call yourself", or "how do you conceive of yourself" in the midst of the community of faith? That might make all the difference in how Jesus sees you in relationship to himself.
2 comments:
Servant in doing All for the Glory of God.
I love this: "So, maybe the question of the day is "what do you call yourself", or "how do you conceive of yourself" in the midst of the community of faith? That might make all the difference in how Jesus sees you in relationship to himself." I hadn't thought of Jesus "seeing me in relationship to himself" as connected to the way I conceive of myself in the community. Your question posed that way has been a source of meditation for me since I read it.
The question helps me to take seriously and go deeper in my faith about my relationship with community being so totally integrated into my relationship with Jesus Christ.Even though I say that this has been part of my belief system for many years, I think I still get caught in the trap of a "me and Jesus" relationship. "Me and Jesus" is easier and it can be almost anything my imagination says it can be! But when I take seriously the notion of the Body of Christ and my communion with it - that the relationship with community is reflective of my relationship with Jesus - I am able to see my imperfections of relationship more clearly and the help that I need from the Holy Spirit to grow more Christ-like.
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