Sacrifice, Love, and Smiles

It was love that brought Mary and Joseph to present the infant Jesus at the Temple with a sacrifice of two doves.  A young family all smiles and full of love for each other and God.  Truly, Jesus, the Holy One of God, needed no consecration; but, still an infant in Mary’s arms, He is offered to God. The family did this through love.  It was through love, Jesus offered all to God: his entire life, work and sacrifice.  Through love, Christ sacrificed himself for our sins.  It should be through love that we come to the sacrifice of the Eucharist.

 

But why sacrifice?  According to the dictionary definition sacrifice is the surrender of something of value for the sake of something else.  This is the concept of sacrifice in scriptures.  Sacrifice is also a characteristic of love.   Love demands that we make many sacrifices. 

 

In love, all that is sacrificed is a gift of love.  A gift must be given freely to truly be a gift.  That is the ultimate truth of all sacrifice. It does not matter if it is parents sacrificing for their children or Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross.  Each of these the gifts of life and self are offered freely.

 

The sacrifice of the Eucharist is not just the sacrifice of Christ for us. It is what we bring through our relationship with Christ to God.  It is in the sacrifice of our self that we come freely and willingly, giving all that we are to God.

 

This is a giving that extends past the doors of the Church.  Giving the gift of life and self that we are blessed with to others freely and with love is a sacrifice we can share.  This is done in our works of charity, justice, and dignity.  It is done when young men and women in religious formation give the gift of their lives to God.

 

Do you see the smile of the Holy Family reflected in you?  Sharing our gifts makes our lives become considerably more enjoyable.  I think this is where we find the smile that Pope Francis believes is shared by all Christians as a joyful witness to our faith.

What Does it mean to Obey?

The Bishop spoke to the Deacon's formation class this past Sunday.  One of his topics was being obedient.  This was during our discussion of our assignments and ministries when we are ordained.  The Bishop said that the role of a Deacon is to be obedient.

He said the root word for "obey" means to listen for the truth and to follow that truth.  I was amazed at this. This is not what my parents told me being obedient meant.  It is not what I heard growing up in the Baptist Church about what obedient meant.  To obey was to what you were told without asking questions.

So I had to look the word up to make sure I heard him right. I looked up the Greek and Hebrew words for obey.  Believe it or not, the Bible was not originally written in English.

The internet can be a great thing. I googled my search for the meaning of obey.  

I found out that the Hebrew word for obey is shama.  According to some bible study tools I learned that shama means  “to hear” but other meanings including “to understand” and “to hear in a judicial way.”  One definition that I like stated the root word means ““to hear intelligently; to consider and consent with contentment; to diligently discern and perceive with the ear; to give ear.”

One of the Greek words often translated as obey is hupakouo.   In the the same study tools I had used before the definition of hupakouo is “to listen/to harken” as “one who on the knock at the door comes to listen who it is, (the duty of a porter)”.  This word for obey follows a sense of understanding and responding to what is asked of us.

We must obey God.  In the old testament the Hebrew word used would have been "shama."  The early follows of God were asked to hear and understand God.

We must obey Christ.  In the new testament, the writer using Greek would have used the word "hupakouo". Listen to his call.  Answer his knock, discern.

God asks us to obey the divine message.  The message we find in Christ is Love. We need to listen intelligently to God's message of love in Christ.  We need to diligently discern what we are called to be, to love, and to obey as Christ knocks.    

In Turmoil the Church Still Flows - WEGoss2

In Turmoil the Church Still Flows - WEGoss2

In turmoil

the Church still flows -

facing

Charybdis pulling

at safe waters.  

In turmoil

We right our ship -

facing

Scylla's rocks

with what is left. 

In turmoil

the Church still flows -

pulling

Together works

after the latest wreck.

In turmoil,

God

flowing

Christ to us

through the broken

God

Brings - glorifies

Christ through us,

Christ in us

all in all.

In turmoil

the Church 

is about Jesus.

is about Life.

is about People.

is the grace of God

in human lives

making us Human.

Epiphany Explained

Epiphany Explained – WEGoss2

wise men had no control

          of that made so clear

                    the light of a star

                              over human divinity

carrying gifts

          and traveling from far

                    in faith, begets unity

                              God comes near

clarity moments

          found tranquility

                    in a light that breaks fear

                              born in a stables bar

salvation has come

          and the wise revere

                    that all can acquire 

                              the promise of eternity