https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070221.cfm
Today’s gospel brings to mind my 2 year old grandson’s prayer before meals. It is a prayer of wisdom. “God’s great, God’s good, thank you God. Amen (then he adds) Praise the Lord!” I know Jesus does come to dine at my house with such a great invitation as this.
Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners; so all would know God is great and God is good. Despite their sins, they came to Jesus because they knew God matters.
People seemed to have forgotten that God matters and that what matters to God - matters. A lot of things do not matter; because, they do not matter to God.
These things seem to be fixated upon because people think they matter. Like labels the world puts on us (tax collector or sinful person), labels we put on ourselves (race, gender, sexuality), or things we think important (wealth, power, or possessions).
God made us and we matter to God. God didn’t make the labels that has obsessed many; those don’t matter to God. To those who complain, Jesus says “Go and learn this, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”
Knowing the difference between what matters to God and what does not -- requires we know God.
Knowing God is not about intellect. God is not an idea, nor a thought. We cannot know God objectively – He is not the object of our knowledge.
God is known because He is. He is being made known to us as we know another person.
We come to know God as we come to know a person.. We come to know God in time, relationship, and prayerful conversations. And coming to know God is not some great achievement by us; it is a matter of grace and revelation. It is free gift, given in love.
Knowing God does not keep us from knowing other persons. Knowing others is not a distraction from knowing God. Knowing other persons is essential to knowing God because we can only know God to the extent that we love others.
It matters that we know God. God among us, walking with us, and dining with us.
God matters.
Because, to know God is life itself. “This is eternal life—to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one He sent.”
Christ Jesus comes to dine with us, sinners and saints alike.
What matters to God - matters.
God’s great, God’s good, thank you God. Amen -------- Praise the Lord!
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