Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s readings remind us that having a community of believers is essential to growing in faith and building the Kingdom of God. Through prayer, encouragement, and communal liturgies, we accompany one another as we seek to find God in all things.
In the gospel reading, Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him “catching men.” Jesus brings together a community of followers to learn from Him and support one another on this journey. In the first reading, St. Paul tells his listeners “we do not cease in praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.” St. Paul is reminding the people from Colossae that they are supported by the larger church, and through their prayer and example, this growing community hopefully will be able to do “good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God.” St. Paul is following Jesus’ lead as he gathers people together to accompany one another as fellow disciples of Jesus. Jesus and St. Paul knew from the beginning the importance of gathering people together to spread the Gospel message.
I am fortunate to be a member of small discipleship group at our parish. One of the activities that we have found to be very enriching is the practice of sharing where we have seen God in our lives. We sometimes call these God winks. When we share our individual experience, it encourages us to look back over time and identify the various occasions where God has been present to us. This recollection makes us more mindful of the many moments that God has been with us, even if we were not completely aware at that time. When we listen to the stories of those in our group and their experience of God, we are further reminded of God’s presence throughout our world through the eyes of fellow disciples. These discussions strengthen the bonds of our small group, provide encouragement as we come to know God’s presence and love more deeply, and embolden our lives of faith
Today, spend some time looking back and seeing the many experiences where God has been visible to you in your daily routine. Be grateful for God’s love and pray to grow in the awareness of God’s presence every day. Finally, find ways to share your God encounters with others, and encourage them to share where they have found God. May this exchange strengthen our community of faith and help us to go forth sharing the Good News.
—Marylynn Herchline