Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
I have the wonderful blessing of having a husband who tells me often how much he loves me. But it is in the everyday things that he does for me that he truly shows his love. It seems like a small thing, but every morning before he leaves for work, he goes out to the driveway and brings in the paper and leaves it on the counter for me to read. He doesn’t have to do this, but he does it and in this small way he lets me know that he is thinking about me and wants to do something to show me his love. In our readings today, God reminds us that the way that we live our lives, even in the small everyday things we do- this is how we best show Him the greatest praise and love. God also reminds us that He does not want just the bits and pieces of our lives, but every part of us.
In the first reading, God speaks to the Israelites and tells them, “What care I for the number of your sacrifices? In the blood of lambs, and goats I find no pleasure.” (Isaiah 1:11) God was not dismissing the people’s worship, but He was disturbed that they were not living out lives of faith by following the commandments that He had given to them. For their sacrifices to be genuine, these offerings need to be a reflection of lives that are lived serving and loving others. God tells them, “Make justice your aim, redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17) God tells the people “Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good.”(Isaiah 1:16) Through the prophet Isaiah, God is calling His people to a total transformation. It is in the everyday kindness to neighbor or giving justice to those in need that God receives the greatest glory. God desires people who live upright and follow His ways, and it is to these people that He says, “I will show the salvation of God.” (Ps 50)
In the Gospel reading, Jesus challenges His disciples when he tells them that following Him requires a total commitment. He says, “Whoever loves father or mother, son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37) Living out this faith requires one to “lose his life” in order to find life with Christ. Jesus even recognizes that this complete surrender to Him and His ways may be the source of division and conflict in our lives. “I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother.” (Matthew 10: 35) Jesus is not calling us to hate one another, but He understands that many people will not be able to follow His call and live as He commands, and this may cause others to resent those who strive to do so. This can be a reason for friction even between family members and friends. As in the first reading, Jesus calls us to the small daily things in living out our faith. ‘”And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple, amen I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42)
I find both of these readings very challenging, and they bring up questions for reflection and prayer. When we attend Mass, are our prayers worthy offerings of praise and worship that are based upon our daily lives where we do God’s will? Do we give God all of our lives, or just bits and pieces of ourselves? How can we live lives where we “lose ourselves” for Him 24 hours a day, seven days a week? I think we must first start with an awareness of God’s call for us to be His completely. Then I think that it is in daily small things that we do, where we can live out our response to Him in the people and situations we encounter. A small act of service may be a kind word to the clerk at the grocery. Living the justice He calls us to may be done by making the right and honest decision at work, even though it may mean derision or retribution. Showing love may even be a phone call to someone who is lonely. Even the ways we choose to use our time- the books we read, the shows we watch, the activities that we do, can be ways that we allow God’s will to be done in our lives. How we care for our bodies- what we eat, drink and do to be healthy are more choices that can reflect righteous living and therefore can be offerings to God. There are many ways that we can live that will give God praise, and He wants all of us-who we are, what we do and who we are becoming. Although I know that living this total surrender to God is not humanly possible, I take comfort in the fact that Jesus promises us He is with us and He reminds us “with God all things are possible.”(Matthew 19:26)
Heavenly Father, we bring our lives to you- all we are. We offer them to you in worship and praise. With Jesus as our guide and support, help us to live out our every day lives in service and love to others. May your Spirit fill us completely, so we can be transformed and become your presence to the world. May we lose ourselves to you every minute of every day, so we can gain eternal joy with you forever, we pray in Christ’s name. AMEN
Marylynn Herchline