Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me.

Welcome as we continue our journey of study and re-commit ourselves to the work of following, witnessing to, and sharing Jesus.

We have been spending our time these weeks focused on God’s great generosity. In each of those lessons we are reminded to be generous like our God. Indeed, that is our call as followers of our Lord and Savior, to be like Him in how we live and interact.

As we grow closer to the end of the Church year, it is a good time to reflect on how well we have followed Jesus and lived the life He laid out for us. Are we doing well, are we working diligently at that, or has our work been placed on hold, have other things gotten in the way?

It is so amazing – the amount of love our God pours out for us. If we even stopped to contemplate it for a few minutes we would be overcome by His tremendous love and care for us. So often I pray and desire that all of us could see it clearly, freed from all concern and throwing ourselves into His life completely.

The imagery in today’s psalm is so reassuring and comforting. At its start the psalmist reminds us to place our focus on the Lord, not on things that are passing, fleeting. 

Isn’t that the point, to dedicate ourselves to the Lord, to leave fear behind. If we might do that, if we might just release our human minds and hearts and take up the heart and mind of God our lives would be truly reformed. Wow, that would be incredible. We would be all-in for Jesus and His Holy Church, the family that surrounds us.

I am too shy would become I am bold. I can’t make it would become I must be there. I am too tired would become I am filled with vigor.

If we unify ourselves with Jesus having stilled and quiet hearts, we will find ourselves enfolded in God’s arms, cared for in ways the world cannot offer.

Today’s first reading from Malachi and the gospel both set forth warnings. The example of the priests and Pharisees is used because they would not still and quiet themselves. They did not place their focus on God. Their agendas came first and for that they became contemptible and base in God’s eyes and in the eyes of others.

Let us hear and follow Jesus in humility and solely focus ourselves on living His way.

Strength of Faith

So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

Over the months of Ordinary Time, a time dedicated to growth, we focus on how we live out the Christian faith, how we walk in Strength of Faith. Remember, we are focusing on our Strength of Faith.

We have heard various examples of strength of faith among those whom Jesus encountered, and in Jesus Himself. I cannot stress strongly enough that our call is to walk the gospel way, to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, to encounter Him over and over because in living His way we receive ever greater grace to do so.

Grace is this, an encounter in the eternal and heavenly doorway where Jesus stands opposite us and hands over all we need to be powerfully successful in our mission and ministry.

As we experience today, this encounter begins at baptism. We meet Jesus in that doorway for the first time and He says, you are now a member of my body, the Church. You now have access to this doorway anytime and every time you approach. Come back a lot.

The catch, we must show up, certainly in church every Sunday for the particularly strong encounter we have for Jesus said: I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever. That is the bread we need, the sharing in the heavenly bread that gives us the victorious eternal life Jesus won for us and that renews us for the work we need to show up for every day.

The catch, we who are called by the Father must return to the doorway again and again, each day, asking Jesus to meet us there is prayer so we become better and better outfitted for walking in strength of faith, for living the gospel way, walking the gospel path. Then speaking, proclaiming, and sharing Jesus.

Living Jesus’ way is not easy. This week Renee and I were up in Maine for Carly and Dom’s wedding – a truly beautiful event. We walked the streets of York and visited the Kittery Trading Post on our way back. We encountered people totally dedicated to readiness, spending the time needed. They were ready for the sea. They were ready to hike the highways and byways. They were prepared against dehydration and hunger. Their lesson to us – be ready. Like they do, let us be dedicated to readiness by strengthening our faith in the doorway every day.

Like anyone dedicated, we must spend the time needed to encounter the deep sea of grace, to walk the highways and byways proclaiming the Word of God and partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus so that we may never hunger or thirst. 

We the baptized, and today, Cameron, pledge to be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love by strengthening our faith and living it out in strong active witness to Jesus.