The Holy Spirit inspired our blog.
Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Extraordinary Time
Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”
Emphasis mine Lk 13:22-30
I must confess I never really understood this Gospel reading until today, which is why I love writing these Blogs.
What I had failed to realize, satan, that was Jesus was talking to the Jewish people and leaders at that time when he said:
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
Emphasis mine
Go back and reread it as I have just done. They ate and drank in His company, and Jesus taught in their streets, BUT they refused to change.
We can refuse to change by not reading the Bible or going to Church to give Honor and Glory to God for all They have given us, and that’s why I believe Jesus said on His Cross, “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do.”Lk 23:34
Going to church is important because by attending Mass, you are showing up and maybe, without knowing it, making a change in someone else’s life. Think I am kidding?
Forty-four years ago, I was thinking about what I would do for lent. I love Lent because if I do what I say I will do and continue for a week longer, I will have a new habit. Forty-four years ago, I was driving to work and noticed a very good friend, Jim Kelly, walking out of Holy Cross Church early in the morning, so I thought he had gone to daily Mass. The idea hit me: The Holy Spirit, whom I didn’t know at the time, why not go to daily Mass? It’s only forty days, and then you can STOP. Yes, I didn’t intend to continue to go to Morning Mass; only forty days.
We had just started a business and worked our buts off, but we had received no income from our efforts. I was stressed!
I went to Mass and felt Peace!
The Peace was the HOOK God used to get me.
The Peace lasted only ten seconds, but I was in Peace for ten seconds.
I asked myself. How do I grow in Peace?
God pointed out to me that after ten seconds, satan came back into my life and reminded me of all our financial problems.
I didn’t know the “Nine,” and I didn’t know the prayer, “Get behind me, satan, come Holy Spirit,” nor did I know I could thank God for the DIFFICULTY of a total loss of income and have faith God would take care of me. I just started praying the Stations of the Cross, which is good but less effective than what we now pray.
I decided to attend Mass one more week and haven’t stopped for the last forty-four years.
The interesting part of the story is that when I thanked Jim for changing my life by attending daily Mass, he asked me what I was talking about. He hadn’t attended daily Mass. I thought about this for years and finally concluded that Jim was coming out of church that morning because of a heating problem the church was having. He was in that business and was leaving the Church after he had completed the work in the Church, and I just happened (?) to drive by when he walked out.
If this isn’t God working in my, now our life, I don’t know how else to explain it. The timing had to be perfect: Jim walks out, I drive by, and Jim never sees me. Wow! My life changed forever.
My story is a small example of just showing up, and by showing up, you will never know what effect you might have on someone else’s life.
Sidebar:
I am reading Bread for the Journey, a Daybook of Wisdom and Faith by Henri J. M. Nouwen. Every day is one chapter of one or two pages. I have found it very interesting.
On October 21, Henri wrote: Would we have recognized Jesus as the Christ if we had met him many years ago? Are we able to recognize Him today in His Body, the Church? We are asked to make a leap of Faith. If we dare to do it, our eyes will be opened, and we will see the glory of God. Emphasis mine
I stopped reading and thought about this a lot today.
Yes, I have seen a change within me, and I love it. This statement by Henri helped me realize all that has changed in my life.
Don’t think for one moment I’m saying I’m nothing but a sinner. But I, by the grace of God, have changed, and I love it. Much of my change came about because of our work in the jail. Men who I didn’t want to associate with are now men I enJoy being with.
Go figure.
The most significant change is trying to see every person from the perspective that God my Father wanted that person to be here in this world at this time, from before creation.
I, yes, I was very judgmental before I started working on changing my attitude. Life for me now is different, and it is different enough that I will do everything in my power to move forward and not return to where I was.
Why?
Love, Joy, and Peace, living a Fantastic life!
I am Loved, and I know it. God HAS taken care of me, and I have Faith that God IS taking care of me, and I have Faith that God WILL take care of me.
What Henri did was help me realize that my eyes will be opened, and I will see the glory of God in all of the people I meet and all of the beauty that surrounds us, as shown in our pictures.
Picture:
I have so many beautiful pictures from our recent visit to Glacier National Park, one of which is of Saint Mary Lake. Picture by Claire Hauge
Please keep Snapping!
Email me if you want a copy of the prayers we discussed or the three hiking pictures we showed.
fprince101@gmail.com
Remember, if you want to submit a picture, please do not include people. We have to get permission from that person to use their photograph.
