A Temple of the Holy Spirit

Posted by on
Daniel & Catherine ready for Confirmation I had the privilege of witnessing my son and daughter receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this past Tuesday at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Lancaster, OH. It was a wonderful Mass with a full choir, trumpets, and all the rest. During his remarks, Bishop Earl K. Fernandes mentioned that we too, like the Basilica, are temples of the Lord. It caused me to reflect on this idea. Although I've mostly seen only pictures of the great cathedrals and basilicas in the world, I have seen some amazing churches even in our own diocese. These structures are a testament to the Church's love for God (read the entire Church - Militant, Suffering, Triumphant). They represent great skill, sacrifice, and passion for Our Lord and often times His Mother.  Yet the words of Christ always echo in my mind when contemplating the beauty that surrounds me in those places; “ Do you see these great buildings? There will not be one stone left u
0

Let the dead bury the dead.

Posted by on
Matthew 8:18-22

I, like many, have always found this passage a bit hard to swallow. It seems so insensitive of Jesus. Doesn't He have a heart? If we compare this Gospel passage to the Old Testament reading for the day, it appears that we have two different gods. In fact, it looks a little twisted compared to the "God of the Old Testament" that we are accustomed to: wiping out whole nations, plagues, tribe swallowing earthquakes, etc. The Old Testament passage shows us the mercy and patience of God both with Abraham and with Sodom and Gomorrah. The Gospel passage shows us the urgency of the call to holiness. God's mercy and His justice are both manifestations of His love!

I often wonder what Jesus saw in the people whom He addressed. The reply about the foxes and birds seems a strange answer to a seemingly genuine statement, "teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus shows this person and us that to follow Him will mean that we will not belong to this world. In fact, we may not even have a place to call our own, a place to settle down, a place to rest. This answer may also be a challenge to this person specifically because he called Jesus "teacher" not yet fully understanding who Jesus is. How often have I said, "I love you Lord, I will do whatever You ask", only to turn away from Him like Peter when the pressure is on.

"Follow me, let the dead bury the dead." Of course Jesus is not saying that we should have no concern for those who have died. If we understand the passage this way, we are most foolish for how can the "dead bury the dead?" Jesus rather invites us to commit ourselves totally to Him without counting the cost. We should have no attachments to things or people but only to Him. Nothing, no matter how seemingly important, should separate us from our love and service to Christ. How often I have said, "Lord let me do this first and then I will follow you. Let me have my fun and then I will commit. Let me make some money then I will follow. Let me get some stuff accumulated and then I'm all yours. Let me do this, let me do that first, and then I'll follow you for the rest of my life." And how often have I heard Him say, "isn't that what you said yesterday. Jim, let those who are concerned with such things be concerned with such things but you need to follow me now. The moment of grace is now! Follow me!"

Comments

Post a Comment