Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
With the Pope's visit to the US this week, I can not help but get excited. The energy and the enthusiasm surrounding this visit is palpable, in both the religious world and the secular world. In this excitement, I have heard many people say, "what a gift to sit in the presence of such holiness!" While I do agree that the Pope is a man of tremendous holiness, I pray that each person who attends his visit keeps in mind the source of this goodness - Jesus!
Much like in our Gospel, when Herod wanted to know what was happening and who was taking so much attention, the source of the commotion was Jesus. When all else in the world fades away Christ is the root of our goodness and peace.
As we hear in our Gospel Acclimation, "I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me." Pope Francis espouses this truth about Christ - no comes to heaven and comes to know the Father except through knowing Jesus.
And often we find Jesus in one another - as many people see Jesus in Pope Francis. I pray that we also look at one another in the same way that we look at Pope Francis. In the same way that we are able to recognize the holiness and goodness in this man, may we also look at one another - those in our lives - family members, friends, co-workers, students, children, spouses - and see Christ's goodness in them. We can very easily see how God is using Pope Francis to bring hearts closer to His. May we be open to seeing how God is using those around us to bring our Hearts closer to His. And then let us look inward at ourselves and ask - how is Christ using me? Amen.
Amanda Grimm