Ephesians 4:1-6

 
By our Baptism we are called to be prophets (proclaiming God’s Grace and Mercy), priests (living out steadfast faith, hope and love in the world), and ‘kings’ (living into our inheritance as beloved daughters and sons of God). But am I living worthy of this calling to which I am called? As baptized Christians, we are indeed accountable for the way we live our lives. And we have God-given agency to carry out our lives in a wholly holy manner, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. Not only are we to live our lives, but we are compelled to lead our lives, that is to direct them. We each direct our lives by the choices we make. We choose to guide our thoughts, words, and actions by self-centred passions, or by God-centred motives; by self-righteousness and strident power plays, or by humility and gentleness; with efficiency and judgement, or with patience and divine mercy.  The question implied by St. Paul is, Am I leading my life in a way that is worthy of being a prophet, priest and king after God’s own heart?  Holy Spirit of Jesus, help me lead a life worthy of the calling to which I am called.
  
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.     (Psalm 145:18)
 
Discernment is God's call to intercession, never to faultfinding.
Corrie Ten Boom
 
Soli ad gloriam Dei
Gospel Mystery of the Day on FaceBook & www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Mark 6:30-34

 
As the mother of four, grandmother of 11, a single householder and the center coordinator of an active arts and culture charity, I realize that my primary assignment, as it was for the disciples of Jesus, is to proclaim the love and mercy of God – by my actions, using words only when necessary (c.f. St. Francis of Assisi). Just as Jesus’ disciples, excited and fatigued as they were from their mission gathered around him to tell their Teacher all that they had done and taught, so I too need to turn to Christ Jesus, evening by evening, to celebrate the goods of my day’s activities and turn my weariness over to him. So often Jesus invites me to “come away to a deserted place with Him to rest a while” in heart, mind, body and soul. And more often than not, just as the disciples experienced on the Lake of Galilee, such a retreat will be interrupted by people in need of the Good News of the Mercy of God. But the gift of such a retreat is always the revelation of a new miracle of God’s provision. For the disciples in this passage of scripture, the disruption of their quiet time led to the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. For me, I witness smaller, but no less significant, miracles – the joy of a confidential chat with one of my grandchildren; a family meal that is free from ire and rancor and full of good food and family discussion; the timely provision of all that I need both physically and spiritually, brokered by forgiveness and compassion; and  the provision of strength and courage and joy to continue my life’s mission day by day. Will I insist on designing my own peace and tranquility, and ‘doing my own thing’, or will I turn to Christ Jesus when I am exhausted from life’s challenges and continue to proclaim God’s mercy with my life? Holy Spirit of Jesus, when I am weary, help me turn to you and do your will.
  
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want .. he restores my soul.     (Psalm 23:1-2)
 
You will know that Christ is all you need, when Christ is all you have.
Corrie Ten Boom
 
Soli ad gloriam Dei
Gospel Mystery of the Day on FaceBook & www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca
 
 
 
 
 

 
Hosea 10:1-12

 
Being a ‘friend of God’ through all of life’s challenges is not a passive pursuit; it takes deliberate and committed choices and actions that are true to our Father’s will. Just as the Israelites of Hosea’s day had fallen away from exercising their Jewish faith, had pursued foreign gods, and had fallen in love with their own plans, powers, and projects of the world, so it is for us today. As a result of godless and faithless living, news flashes seem to become increasingly bizarre, systems and institutions are being derailed by increasingly complex digitization, and even nature seems to be confronting human hubris. God’s remedy for these times? Like the Israelites in Hosea’s time, and Like Jesus in Roman times, as faithful children of God, we are called to sow righteousness, reap steadfast love, and break up fallow ground. To actively sow righteousness, I need to think through the ethical and moral intent and implications of my words and actions, always considering God’s laws of Truth in Love and Love in Truth (cf John Paul II).  Deliberately reaping steadfast love implies that I consciously look for ways to extend God’s mercy to others through all conversations, propositions, circumstances. And ‘breaking up fallow ground’ requires that I have the courage to ‘stir up’ social norms and behavior patterns that are darkening or freezing human hearts, with despondency and despair through my own sacrifices of joy and thanksgiving to the glory of God. Do I understand enough about my heritage as a child of God to actively practice the righteousness and steadfast love of God, and deliberately break up the wastelands of hard heartedness? Holy Spirit of God, help me sow righteousness, reap steadfast love, and break up fallow ground. 
  
Those who are wise understand these things; those who are discerning know the,. but transgressors stumble in them.    (Hosea 14:9)
 
Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
St. Mother Teresa of Kalcutta
 
Soli ad gloriam Dei
Gospel Mystery of the Day on FaceBook & www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca
 
 
 

 
2 Corinthians 12:7-10

 
Weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities (traumas) – that about sums up all the things that lure me into self-pity and even despair.  Later in this letter to the Corinthians (II Corinthians 11:23-27) Saint Paul listed off all the calamities he had endured – a list that is more than 100 words long in English. This man knew firsthand how challenging the world, the flesh and evil could be; but how much more is St. Paul remembered for his faith than for his traumas, for his churches than for his persecutors, and for his power-full, Grace-filled writings than for his weaknesses! This was because the hardships he endured became for him an opportunity to exercise and develop his faith, hope and love in God. Paul treasured his glory stories of God’s power and regarded the challenges of his life simply as a means to that end. Indeed, his life became so infused with the power and the glory of God that he could proclaim, with or without words, the redeeming Grace of Christ to all. Will I become consumed with meeting life’s challenges with vengeance, worldly securities, and powers of my own design, or will I assume the holy presence of Christ Jesus dwelling in me by Baptism, through the necessity of faithfulness to, and trust in, God’s mercy? Holy Spirit, help me recognize your Grace in and through life’s challenges.
   
We know that all things work together for good to those that love God, who are called according to his purposes… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us.    (Romans 8:28 & 38)
 
"You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have."
Corrie Ten Boom
 
Soli ad gloriam Dei
Gospel Mystery of the Day on FaceBook & www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca