Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: September 5, 2010
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C
Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA:
For professionally published, printable copies of this reflection,
please go to Catholic Digital Resources:
http://catholicdr.com/calendar/September/23rdC.htm - Preview a sample
Next Sunday's Readings:
Wisdom 9:13-18b
Ps 90:(1) 3-6, 12-17
Philemon 9-10, 12-17
Luke 14:25-33
http://www.usccb.org/nab/090510.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_09_05.mp3
What in your life is a higher priority than your relationship with God? That's what Jesus wants us to look at in next Sunday's Gospel reading. What people? What work? What trial? What possessions? What friendships? What goals? What activities?
What crosses do you want to get rid of that, if you do escape from them, would require you to abandon Jesus on his cross? (Hint: What sacrifices of love are you unwilling to make?)
Jesus says that unless we are first and foremost committed to discipleship – learning from him and making every effort to become more like him – we are ill prepared for all the other tasks of life.
In other words, we can start building toward good goals, but if our relationship with Christ is not our highest priority, we'll be unable to reach the right finish, because we will get distracted by worldly interferences and sin. We become victims instead of victors in the battles we face. Anything good that we do achieve will be only temporary, because it falls short of the kingdom of God and has no eternal value.
A disciple is a student. We learn from Jesus how to love others, and sometimes this is a real cross to carry. He teaches us how to live a life of joyful love but also of unconditional, forgiveness-filled love. We also learn from Jesus how to put up boundaries against those who interfere with our spiritual growth, and this too can be a cross.
The strength to follow Christ and become more and more like him every day requires a conscious effort to grow stronger in our ability to carry our crosses while uniting ourselves to his cross and to his strength. When we lack this inner bond to Christ, we stumble and fall, crushed by the weight of our crosses. But if we are willing to make sacrifices out of love for others, like Jesus did, we embrace him more fully and intimately than we could with any other form of prayer or worship.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
Consider your daily activities: They give evidence of your top priorities. What do you value more than the time you spend with Jesus in prayer, scripture, and other faith-building activities? What are really your top priorities?
Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
What are some common ways that we move God down on our priority lists? In making him our highest priority, what are ways that we can lovingly show concern for others even while putting God ahead of them in our daily activities?
STARTING ON MONDAY, if you're a member of the "Emmaus Journey" e-group, share your answers by writing to EmmausJourney@gnm.org
* To join and become a member, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/GNMcommunities/EmmausJourney/
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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