Reflections
Psalm 123: 1-2, 2, 3-4
“As the eyes of servants
are on the hands of their master,
... so are our eyes on the Lord our God.”
We are called to serve God
and to do His will, as Jesus did.
And so our eyes must be on God,
that we may know His will for us,
and that we may serve Him
and our neighbor as well.
Where else would we turn?
To be measured by men?
To get direction from anyone else?
Like Ezekiel (1st reading),
our success is measured
by doing God’s will and
following His direction in our lives.
Our psalmist says,
“We have our fill of contempt,
we have our fill of insult from the proud.”
For it is the arrogant ones
who rely only on themselves,
giving little thought to God.
Today’s Gospel tells us that
Jesus was not respected in his home town;
he was rejected
by his townspeople and neighbors.
Is that what we face from family or friends,
when we do the Lord’s work
or proclaim His Gospel?
If so, then we are united with Christ,
and like St. Paul (2nd reading),
“We can be content with insults,
hardships, persecutions and constraints …
His grace is sufficient for us.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist calls for us to fix our eyes on the Lord.
Describe how you focus on the Lord in your faith journey.
Tell how you are able to discern God's will for your life.
2. Our psalmist says he is fed up, having been
the object of contempt and mockery
from the arrogant ones around him.
Even Jesus was mocked in his native village.
Tell of how you deal with insult and persecution
when you proclaim the Gospel.
There are many people who don't follow God in today's society. As Catholics, it is our job to help them follow God and Jesus.
ReplyDelete1. When I think of my faith journey, I envision myself as a small rowboat being tossed about by the stormy waters of life. The only way that I do not get lost at sea is by being tethered by prayer to the heavenly Father, who is like the strong and stable mooring post. If I fix my eyes on Jesus, then the return to calm waters is an easy, straight shot when trials come. If I seek the counsel of my friends first, instead of quiet time with the Lord, the return to safer waters can be choppy and I can easily be led off-course. For example, when I learn of an acquaintance who has said negative comments about me, I can ask the Lord for the heart to overcome and forgive. Then, there is no more issue. How easy it is though to turn to other people first. I could stir the pot with friends in pursuit of what was said, how it was said, and to whom, and end up feeling more anger and resentment than is even warranted. I might also be tempted to gossip about the person in question, further aggravating the situation. Discernment involves stepping out in peace. When you take a step in the right direction, the Lord will wash over you with God-confidence and peace. If you lose your peace, the Spirit is helping you discern what is not the Lord's desired will or course-of-action for your life.
ReplyDelete2. I once gave a new neighbor a greeting card with a Bible verse quoted on the front. I also included my contact #s and some quiche and cookies for her family to enjoy. I did not know anything about the faith walk of this new family on the block. I did know that I wanted it to be known that WE were a Christian family and WE would be open to getting to know them better. Strangely, since making my welcome gesture, the ties between our families felt strained. The coldness across the cul-de-sac became downright icy. I came to learn that the mom was a Muslim and found my card too aggressive. My intent was to reach out in neighborly love. Nothing else. Given my pure motive, I decided not to care how I may be viewed. To this day, I continue to say "hello", wave, and stop to talk to the children of this family. Come Christmas, I will display our big lighted cross for all to see. As a believer in Jesus, I am commissioned to share the Truth with all, in all ways possible. I am not trying to convert every person I meet, but merely model what I believe.