Hope Belongs to Our Call - Reflection for 17th Sunday, OTA

It seems all that we see is bad news, violence, hatred, and bigotry. The news is full everything except hope.

Without hope, so many ask, “Where are you God?” Sadly it is the only way that many know how to pray.

All they ask is to see God.

This prayer from those who truly seek God, is pure. For earnest prayer, God tells us, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” But, most with only this prayer will have no idea what they are looking for, where to find it, or how to find it. 

Maybe they seek the same that Solomon asked; the wisdom of an understanding heart.

More people with the wisdom of an understanding heart can make the world a better place.

With all the unhappiness in the world, people are searching; but, most do not know where to find it or how to find it. They really don’t want to know God as God asks of us. Scripture tells us, to really know God you have to die to yourself.

That is not an easy thing; so, people tend not to look to have an understanding because it is not an easy thing. They look somewhere else. They cry out for an understanding heart to come to them.

So people shout, “Where are you God?” And, they do not recognize God’s answers. If the understanding heart  God sends does mimic their opinion, rhetoric, or world view they reject it.

God has given them the freedom to make that choice.

And there are those who say, “Where are you God?” as a mockery of God. They do not want an answer. And, in God’s greatness, he still answers their prayer by the freedom of their creation.

God answers each of our prayers through freedom. God created us with the freedom to know God or not. Each person has the freedom to pray or not. Each has the freedom to seek heaven or hell. Each has the freedom to love or not. Each of us has the freedom to accept the miracle of God’s healing or not.

Neither Governments nor humanity can chain the freedom given by our creator. Only we have the freedom to do that.

We can ask God to have the wisdom of an understanding heart by choosing to know God, pray, and seek heaven. These can allow us to forget our self imagined importance and grow closer to God. They open our hearts to love. It changes us. It makes us citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven exemplified by our lives here on earth.

That is a kingdom hidden within us. We find it coming to God in Jesus Christ with constant, earnest, living prayers.

It is not the easy way. It is a pearl of great price. It takes sacrificing the ego in this world to find the hidden treasure t there for us to find.

People pray “Where are you God?” because; giving up or self love to love others is trouble for the world. It is too great a price to relinquish the self-loving ego for the wisdom of an understanding heart of agape that comes from God.

Look at the world. There is hate, bigotry, racism, and injustice. It fills many hearts. Instead of the love we have for one another, these sins are the measures of humanity the world seeks out.

But, listen closely. Hear the voices of the ones blessed by God the Father to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. They speak regularly with God in prayer and the understanding of his Word. They know and live a life of love, peace, hope and justice.

They speak of it. They share it. By dying to the self, they live for God, know the hope of his kingdom, and share it.

When all are pulled to judgement those who have found the great treasure will be the good catch.

Those who did not open themselves to the Heavenly Father's answer when they asked “Where are you God?” At that time, all will know.  

All will know.

We are called to his purpose. That call is to the freedom of the agape wisdom of an understanding heart. It is freedom to exemplify the kingdom of Heaven despite the sinfulness the world gives us. It is the freedom of hope no matter how much the world despairs.

Hope belongs to our call.

Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another.

Amen.

The Parable about the Kingdom of Heaven - Reflection 16th Sunday OA

(Inspired by Bible Odyssey article by Jonathan T. Pennington)

Jesus tells us in parable that the Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a landowner who sows his fields with good seed. His enemy comes and sows weeds in the fields. When asked what to do, the landowner says to leave them. The bad will be sorted from the good at harvest time.

The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven is the unifying theme of the bible. The OT identifies God as the king over all the world and promising the coming of a great king. In the NT, Jesus teaches the kingdom is near and He is the heir to the king

Today, there are few kings and queens, most are only figureheads. In the few countries with a royal family having authority it’s based on inequity and oppression.  

In most societies, suspicion is usually on any leader who has great power.  

So to many, the notion of God as king over all of creation is abstract and spiritual ideas with little effect on modern life. That’s a weed the enemy has planted.

But the kingdom of Heaven is not abstract. It is not oppressive or irrelevant but is a promise of God’s liberating and life-giving reign from heaven to earth. God will not this by his anointed one who will be a conduit of God’s blessing, peace, and justice in the world.

That anointed one is tell us the parables in the Gospel today.

Through parables and teachings Jesus describes the kingdom as present already.  The kingdom is like a seed sown in people’s hearts; like a treasure found hidden in a field; or a pearl of great price.  

It is there for us to find, like the thief crucified next to Jesus who asked to be received into Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus responded that on that day he will enter into paradise.

And, when Jesus is asked when the kingdom of God will come - he states the kingdom is not something that can be directly observed because “the kingdom of God is among/within you.”

Friends, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are bring the kingdom of Heaven by caring for the poor and needy, offering forgiveness and reconciliation, and bringing life and light to all nations. We are to do this until the kingdom comes and there is no distinction or inequity between any persons. This is how the eternal kingdom of Heaven impacts lives today.

Jesus, also, indicates that the kingdom of Heaven is not yet present but will come when God finally sets right the world.  It will come with Jesus’ return from heaven to earth as the glorified Son of Man.

Jesus tells us that at that time those who have done the will of God will enter into the kingdom and eternal life. He will separate the good and the bad.

Jesus speaks of both of these realities because the reign of God may be described as both “already and not yet,” and “now with more to come.” And, not everyone can understand or accept his teachings about the kingdom

The difficulty of these teachings is why so many do not realize their truth in this modern world. There are some true believers, Christians who work to bring the kingdom of Heaven to earth. There are others who believe and they are the enemies of God.

The devil attacks the Kingdom that is in this world by attacking the Church, people of faith, and peace.

Now is the time for fight to realize and bring the kingdom of Heaven to earth. Fight with prayer for protection because the enemy will attack. Fight with peace because the enemy brings violence. Fight with a humble spirit against the arrogance of the world.

St Paul wrote that the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness . . . because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.

God’s kingdom is present now and forever because he rightly rules over his own creation. Be good, be holy, and preach the Gospel by the way you live your life and love one another, in prayer, peace, and humbleness of spirit. Amen.

Seeds Fall on Fertile Soil - reflection 13th Sunday OTA

I am self-quarantining today, someone in my immediate family was exposed to COVID 19; so, I may have been exposed. Speaking with Father, we decided I should self-quarantine. 

This possible exposure was revealed yesterday; the same day the governor of Louisiana mandated (with some exceptions) wearing masks in public places to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

With that mandate, people are grumbling and calling it an attack on freedom.

Interesting reaction – “know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even now…,” the words of St. Paul to the Romans and he continued.  “The sufferings of the present are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.”

In these pains and sufferings, listen to Jesus' parable of the sower.  “… some seeds fell beside the path, and the birds came and devoured them.  Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up; but when the sun rose, they were scorched and withered away. Some seeds fell among thorns, and were choked. But other seeds fell into good ground and produced grain.”

Jesus was speaking about his message. But, if you have a garden or potted plants, this is a familiar idea. For seeds to be bountiful, you want to plant them in good soil.

The devil understands the concept as well and has prepared this world for his seeds to be planted. He has prepared it since the beginning. When the opportunity arises, the devil sows his seed. The deceiver will disguise it as a good seed.

He sows everywhere - on the path, on rocky ground, in the thorns, and in fertile soil. The devil has sown his seed among the good and the bad. He throws it among believers and non-believers. It is planted to grow in the poor and oppressed, the rich and privileged, and those in the middle.  Because the devil has been preparing the world for so long, many are fertile soil.

Disguised as good seed, the devil brings his agenda.

The cry for social justice is not a bad seed. It is a seed of the Church. But evil can use the need for goodness to hide his seed. Look to see who is sowing the seed.

The equality and dignity of all people is good seed. It is the truth Jesus Christ preached. But the one who challenges God turns it to bring greater injustices by disregarding the equality and dignity of every human life: the unborn, the elderly, the disabled, and those different.

Evil can disguise the seed it sows as the purest of seed. Many do not understand this is happening.

Jesus told his disciples - they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. That is a message for the world today.  People hear the message of evil and do not understand it for what it is.

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For people’s heart have become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

All that the devil has put in this world will not be changed unless hearts are changed. The devil has prepared many hearts as a soil to grow his seed. Changing this requires a change of hearts found only by the opening of our hearts to Christ.

This reflection is not condemning the call for change; it is calling for true change through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Justice is not about the color of one's skin; it is about the color of the heart. Ending oppression and poverty is not about changing the economic system; it is about changing hearts.

Accepting the equality of persons and respect for each and every person’s life can never be forced in this world. True equality and respect of persons is found in the recognition that we are one people called to be children of God.

Before you plant any seed, look at the seed you are planting.

Whether a seed is good or bad has nothing to do with a certain phrase or wearing a mask. It has everything to do with what is in the fertile ground of our hearts and who made that heart ready to receive the seed.

Thus says the Lord: My word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

Be good, be holy, and preach the Gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. That is a seed to plant in this world. Amen.