Reading 1
Eph 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
through the bond of peace;
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
Responsorial PsalmR. (see 6)
Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Gospel
Lk 12:54-59
Jesus said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”
Meditation: Ephesians 4:1-6
“… one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.” (Ephesians 4:5-6)
Have you ever felt part of something larger than yourself? Perhaps you were in a crowded stadium, cheering on the home team. Perhaps you were volunteering for a charitable cause and sensed that your own contribution was part of a larger mission.
We might not think about our faith in the same context, but as Christians we are truly part of something greater than ourselves. In baptism we were made one in Christ. We retain our own individuality, and yet we are joined to Christ and to each other in a very real way. Here on earth we may still have times when we feel isolated and separated, but in heaven all divisions will fall away, and we will become “one body, one spirit in Christ” (Eucharistic Prayer 3).
But it doesn’t happen all at once when we die. We have countless opportunities here and now to experience and even deepen our unity. And nowhere is this potential more powerful than in the Eucharist. In this great sacrament, Jesus unites us to himself, and he unites us to everyone else in the church. As we come forward each week to receive Communion, we may be reflecting on our own individual relationship with Jesus. But we can also be asking the Lord to bring us together more deeply.
Do you want to make this prayer a reality in your daily life? Then follow St. Paul’s advice today. Do your best to treat people with humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance (Ephesians 4:2). These attitudes have godly power to turn around difficult relationships because they reflect the heart of Christ. He loves us in just this way—in a way that reconciles, heals, and unites.
The next time you receive Communion, ask Jesus to show you if there are any ways that you may be stifling unity. As we unite our own hearts with Jesus in the Eucharist, he will—in his own gentle way—show us where we may need to change.
“Jesus, I want to live in unity with all my brothers and sisters. Strengthen me through the Eucharist so that I can love members of your body as you do.”
No comments:
Post a Comment