Today at Holy Mass we hear in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah how God evaluates people and achievements very differently then humans do…What we think is a “big deal” means very little to God……”What care I for the number of your sacrifices? says the LORD. I have had enough of whole-burnt rams and fat of fatlings; In the blood of calves, lambs and goats I find no pleasure. When you come in to visit me, who asks these things of you? Trample my courts no more! Bring no more worthless offerings; your incense is loathsome to me”……..In this life it is very easy to “get caught up” in the trappings of materialism and secular achievements…..While we all must live in this world, meaning we all must work, provide for our families, etc…And all that costs money - Trust me - I “get it” - That is not the measure of a man’s worth nor does God evaluate our worth based upon those things….Again - This reality is easily forgotten….We cannot “buy” our way into heaven - God will not ask us for our resume - He will not ask us what university we attended……What he will ask us is - “When I was hungry - Did you feed me?”…..“When I was thirsty - Did you give me a drink?”………..”When I was naked - Did you cloth me?”…..These are the things God is concerned with and this is how we will be evaluated when we stand before him……The Prophet Isaiah goes on in the first reading….”Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow”….When Jesus returns again, the power structures of the world will flip!…Think about that for a moment - All that the world values will mean NOTHING!!!!……”Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last”
“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”
Before I was married I served with the Missionaries of Charity in India and Haiti….I have witnessed with my own two eyes the faith of the poorest of the poor…Men and women who work for little or no money - People who are disregarded by society - Who are in essence “invisible” - Who mean “nothing”…I have sat with them at Mass…I have seen their faith!!!!….I can recall one Mass I attended in Haiti….I sat among a group of young school children - These boys and girls were very poor…..When the Mass begun the children started to sing all in unison….As I heard their voices, I was overwhelmed - So much so I almost began to cry…..I thought to my self with absolute certainty - “These are God’s people” - There was no question about it!!!!!!!……..But the ironic thing about it - Society at large could care less about these poor children…..This is just one example of the “calculus of God”….And if we want to enter into God’s Kingdom - We must learn to “see” as God sees and “evaluate worth” as God does…..We do that by purifying our hearts…By going to frequent confession and receiving the Blessed Sacrament….We must allow God to sanctify us - Because if we do not give God permission to begin this process of growing in holiness - We will be blind! - And we will evaluate the world on the world’s terms - Not on God’s terms - And that will prove to be fatal…..”This I declare, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption”…….The day will arrive sooner then we think - When the “small” and child-like of the world will surpass the rich and the powerful….Let us hope we are on the “right side” of things when that day arrives.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword”
Today the Prophet Isaiah’s words calls us to repent and see the world as God does…..In order to live in this manner, one must live “differently”…As Catholics, we are called to live amongst the world but we CAN NOT be like the world…We were baptized to be a people “set apart”…To be a light….How can we be a light we when live like the pagan world around us?…..To live “differently” requires us to not “buy in” to materialism….To live humbly and simply - To share….This is the path to heaven and we MUST walk this path….And if we have been given much - Much will be expected!!!!……God is not concerned with our bank account - He is concerned with our heart…Is our heart pure?….Do we guard our soul from the trappings of the world?…..This is what God is concerned about - The question becomes then - Is this our priority?……”Your new moons and festivals I detest; they weigh me down, I tire of the load. When you spread out your hands, I close my eyes to you; Though you pray the more, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood! Wash yourselves clean!”……….The message is crystal clear - “Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last”………JMJ
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