Gospel Reflections – Page 2

Where to Look – Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023

Published on September 22, 2023September 21, 2023 by KateLeave a comment

No matter what time period in history we are considering, humans have a tendency to look around first before looking up to God. With today’s incredible amount of connectivity, it has never been easier to see what others are doing, where they are traveling, and how they are generally living their lives. But even with this intense level of connection, the phenomenon remains the same as in Jesus’ time – we are a species very concerned with what others of our same species are doing. To be blunt, we are a bunch of busybodies.

Look at how nosey the workers are in Jesus’ parable. The wages of the workers should be between them and the landowner. And yet the first round of workers to come to the vineyard, knowing full well what they had arranged with the land owner, still expect some kind of shift in situation because they had been eavesdropping on the first to be paid.

In the video for this week, I talk about how we are meant to live in community and some of the ways that we are supposed to look out for one another. Looking out for someone is different than looking at someone in comparison. It is very difficult to live in a fruitful, healthy community if so much of our time is spent worrying about what others are doing from a position of judgment or envy. Our time would be much better spent looking for opportunities to to help one another, assisting from a place of love and care for the other individuals in our community.

It is also interesting to consider that just as the workers in the parable didn’t get to choose what they were owed at the end of the day, as workers in God’s vineyard, we don’t get to either. There is no accounting from our end when we die. We don’t get to come to God with a list of receipts in order to receive payback for the times we felt were unfair. We have already received salvation. If we are baptized, we have already received admittance to the Church and membership in God’s family as sons and daughters. If you are reading this, you have received the gift of life. These gifts are beyond compare when weighed against life’s imbalances.

Life isn’t fair. Jesus’ parable pretty much spells that out for us. Not all people who are in heaven today did exactly the same amount of work, suffered the same amount of loss and pain, or achieved the same level of holiness here on earth. Everyone has their own struggles and triumphs. No one is repeated or repeatable. We are unique individuals on a unique journey to heaven. We can help one another along on our collective journey by looking out for one another. We encourage, rather than compare. We support, rather than strive to pass by. We forgive, rather than holding onto anger. Above all, we trust that at the end of our days, we will meet our Creator who loves us beyond all forms of measuring and it is His esteem we only need to be concerned about.

Habits – Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Published on September 15, 2023September 14, 2023 by KateLeave a comment

On this week’s video, I talk about how Jesus is teaching His disciples that forgiveness is more than an action, it is a habit. If you were to do something 77 times, you would be well on your way to forming a habit. Jesus’ use of the the double 7 in 77 is symbolic as well as practical. 7 is a perfect number in the biblical sense (think the 7 days of creation) and the repetitive use here can indicate a certain abundance of the ideal. The commentary given by the USCCB website offers this beautiful phase, “limitless forgiveness.” What a world we could create if we each had a habit of limitless forgiveness.

In raising my children and getting to know each of them as unique individuals, I’ve come to discover that everyone comes into their habits differently. What works for one kid doesn’t always work for another. I have always known our oldest tends to learn one thing at a time well. He was like that even as a baby, I may have even shared this here before so excuse the repetitive story. It felt like it took John forever to walk, he actually didn’t let go of furniture until after his sister was born. He got everywhere he wanted to go by holding hands, cruising along the couches and chairs, or by pushing a laundry basket. But, once he decided he was ready to let go, he could run across the room without falling. The same story goes for talking. Hardly any words and then full sentences in a matter of weeks.

John is 12 now and we are working on building good habits that he can carry into adulthood. There are so many things I would like to teach him, to help him understand that life would be so much easier if just remembered his chores instead of me pestering him about them. There are even a few habits I thought we had down already, only to discover this new pre-teen lackadaisical attitude toward things like brushed teeth and listening skills really need to be recalled ASAP. I’m sure I’m not the only parent with these kinds of feelings.

As I think back on how John has grown, it should not be surprising to me that when I try to force a number of new habits on him at once, it isn’t going to go well. However, encouraging him to focus on one thing at a time, here we make some real progress. As his mom, I then have the opportunity to praise him for those efforts in this one specific area and really build him up in his ability to grow and mature while transitioning to the next good habit he needs in order to thrive as a teen and adult. Small success, small steps in the overall direction forward. It is also encouraging him to learn more about himself and how he best learns and grows which will ultimately help him in his relationships throughout life.

Turning the tables, I have been pondering how I best instill a new habit in myself. I’ve come up with a few criteria that need to be in place before a new habit can be formed. Perhaps my list will inspire you as well.

Empty space – if I’m trying to squeeze in a new habit, you can bet it’s going to be squeezed right out of my life. I need time and space to dedicate to the new habit.
Consistency – if it’s not scheduled, it’s probably not going to happen. A habit doesn’t need to be a daily thing, but each person has some kind of limit for how far between occurrences the practice needs to happen (perhaps there’s science on this out there). If I’m not practicing my new habit at least once weekly, it’s probably not going to stick. Even then, I’ll need to be careful because I’ll forget one week and then by the 4th I’ll recall I had a habit I was trying to cultivate and have since left behind.
Has a home or place – In bible study today (hooray, Walking With Purpose is at our new parish!), a participant shared about how if she doesn’t leave her meditation books out by her coffee cup in the evening she will forget to read them with her coffee in the morning. This is so me. Out of sight, out of mind completely describes how habits can get lost, whether on purpose or not.

What about habits like Jesus is talking about, the inner, intangible habits. Things like forgiveness, patience, empathy, silence, joy. These are a harder, as they happen at random, aren’t usually tied to physical objects, and can take any number of minutes or hours to fully process. Here are some suggestions:

Pray for the grace to grow in your habit. But be careful, as most older grandmas will tell you, if you pray for patience you will be gifted a whole host of opportunities to practice the virtue.
Ask the Holy Spirit to inspire the habit in you during specific situations. We can’t always anticipate when we will need empathy or courage. But, there are definitely situations in your life where you have an inkling ahead of time what type of inner habit you will need. Take the time before embarking into that situation to ask the Holy Spirit to pour His eternal gifts out on you that you need for that specific moment.
Keep a gratitude journal. Cultivating a spirit of gratitude is an excellent way to grow in thankfulness. It also encourages you to review your day, which then draws your attention to the times things went well and when they didn’t. This survey of the day or week can highlight the times you practiced one of these inner habits well, or where you need to grow.

Go Alone – Twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time

Published on September 8, 2023September 7, 2023 by KateLeave a comment

We have the amazing ability to be able to share our thoughts and opinions with the world via the internet. While not all of us have a million followers on Instagram or whatever Twitter is called these days, the things we share on the internet last. Time and again we are seeing how mistakes in the past are coming back to haunt politicians of all flavors, celebrities, and other more famous individuals. Post a picture, it’s there for ever. Say something overly negative about a particular person you have a problem with, it can be found at a later, likely very inconvenient, time.

Jesus’ advice in today’s Gospel is so important, and not because we are concerned about who is going to uncover what. There are, of course, many wonderful things about the interconnectivity of the internet, the ability to dialogue with people in other places beyond even your own country, and the way knowledge can be shared across a massive number of people. It’s amazing to fathom the positive possibilities the internet can bring.

However, there are downsides. One of the big struggles I have with the internet is the impersonal way it allows us to relate to one another. I can’t see a person’s hurt expression if I make an unkind comment. I can’t read facial expressions to understand what is sarcasm and what is a misunderstanding. I don’t see tears welling in someone’s eyes at hurtful comments made by others. These social cues are nonexistent in the online atmosphere.

Jesus’ approach is so different from how disagreements get handled online. Jesus says to go to the person in private and have a conversation with them. Find out if there is a misunderstanding, apologize if needed. Take the time to seek that person out and make them feel valued and heard so that the disagreement can peacefully be reconciled. If this doesn’t work, then include others into the conversation.

This one-on-one approach is vital for the building up of families and communities. How many of us have been doubly hurt when a situation got aired out in front of others instead of remaining between the two people who it pertained to? How often have you seen a group turn on a person who they know nothing about, but because the grievance got posted online now that person is being hit from all sides?

The next time you have an issue with someone, consider Jesus’ words. Are you seeking healing and reconciliation by sharing about the struggle in a public space, or just looking to vent and possibly due harm to that person’s reputation? Is the issue important enough for you to take time out of your own schedule to meet with that person, or share a phone call? If you were on the other end of this event, how would you want it handled?