Wednesday, September 14, 2017

Philippians 2: 6-11

Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus emptied himself and took the form of a slave to serve all of humanity. As a Christian, a “little Christ”, I am called to do the same. We are called to empty ourselves of our selfish desires and to put others first. This is sacrificial love. This is agape.

Jesus humbled himself and was obedient to the Father. The Father likes obedience more than sacrifice and Christ was both. He was the obedient sacrifice. And for this the Father raised him to the highest position there is. Jesus is exalted. Jesus is Lord. How much do we please the Father when we follow this example and are obedient to his command?

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

1 Corinthians 12: 12 – 14, 27-31A

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.

Now you are Christ’s Body, and individually parts of it.
Some people God has designated in the Church
to be, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all Apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

Head, heart, hand, and foot. Each a part of the body. Each with a different function. The foot does not function well as a head; the hand doesn’t work as a heart. Each body part knows its place and function within the body as a whole.

Jesus created his Church in the same fashion. He gave us our Holy Father – the Pope, bishops, priests, deacons, those in consecrated life, and laity, and each with an abundant array of talent. We all have our proper place within the body of the Church. The laity are not priests offering sacrifice; deacons are not the head of the Church. The Church works best when all parts of it do their part.

Yet, we live in an age where people do not like the roles assigned to them. Instead of doing the part for which they are called they take on a role of their choosing. They demand the right to a position they can’t have. They take that which God has not given. When this happens the Church, the Body of Christ, cannot function as it was designed to.

When a hand tries to function as a head it no longer thinks for the body. It concentrates on grabbing things. When a foot tries to function as a heart it is no longer content with love and wishes to wander. For the body to work as the body was designed each part must be content in doing the job it has been called to do. Let the hand be content with being a hand and do the best job a hand can do. The same for the heart, the foot, and even the head. The head is not a hand, nor is it a foot. The head shouldn’t have to grasp things or walk. The head should lead the body and allow the other parts to do what they were designed to do.

Parts cannot function as a body on their own. If the hand does not like where the foot is taking him he cannot leave the body and go where he will. If the heart, hand, and foot do not like what the head says they cannot leave the head and go their own way.

The devil does not want the body to function. He gets the foot to be jealous of the hand, the hand jealous of the heart. “You’re nothing but a lowly foot,” he says to the foot. “You are nothing unless you can do the hand’s job.” “You’re smarter than the head,” he says to the hand. “You don’t need to listen to him. He’s a bad head.” The devil gets every part to think it is the most important part of the body and then he gets them to think they no longer need the body.

As the hymn goes, we are many parts but we are all one body. For the body to work properly each part must do the best job of being that part as it can. Let each of us know our roles, do them with fervor, and not worry how the other parts are operating.

Monday, September 12, 2016

Luke 7: 1-10

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
“He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.”
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
“Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.

A mother baked an apple pie and placed it in her window. The aroma of the pie wafted over to a neighbor’s house. With a watering mouth the neighbor came and took the pie from the window.

“What are you doing with that pie?” the mother asked the neighbor.

“It smelled so good I just had to have a piece.” He replied.

“You did not bake that pie. It is not yours to do with what you wish.” The mother responded.

Can any among us say that they have created themselves? If I did not create myself then my body must not belong to me but to the one who created me. I do not have ultimate dominion over this body. I am nothing more than a steward of it. Like the centurion, I am a person subject to authority. I do not have the authority to abuse my body. If I were a woman I do not have the authority to destroy a life growing within me, a life that I did not create on my own.

I am not worthy to have Christ enter into my life and heal me of the things that are killing me. Yet, the Father is the author of all life and the only one with the right to give and take life. He made me and not me myself. I am his creation. He can choose to do with me what he wills. At his word my life is healed.

A good steward relinquishes control when the King returns. Am I a good steward doing right by the King or have I exalted myself to king?

Sunday, September 11, 2016

1 Timothy 1: 12-17

Beloved:
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
because he considered me trustworthy
in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant,
but I have been mercifully treated
because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the foremost.
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

I am a man who has walked in the shadow of darkness. I am friends with the murderer, the prostitute, the adulterer, the lair, the thief, and the cheat. I, myself, have done many of these things and more. I am not worthy nor deserving of the mercy I have received. If God were solely a just God I would be cast into the abyss for all eternity to rot for the things I have done.

And yet the Lord has called me out of darkness. He has washed me clean of my iniquities. He has put me on a righteous path and guides my steps. I have renounced the man I used to be and have committed myself to his service.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost.

Lord, guide my steps, that they always follow the narrow way. Guide my thoughts that they only be of you. Guide my words that they always be soft and full of love. And guide my deeds that they always reflect your love for all mankind. Make of me a lantern to carry the light of your love to all those still in darkness. My life is yours to wield as you will.

To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.