17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
A single mother who has a child with special needs works two jobs and sacrifices much of
her own pleasures in order to be available for her son. Being the best mother possible is
important to her and brings her joy. We are willing to make great and often heroic sacrifices for
those people and things that matter most to us. Unless there is something of obvious importance to us in our immediate path, we can easily approach life in a more haphazard and chaotic way. We jump from one thing to another, responding to whatever it is that is competing for our attention at that moment. When everything is important, nothing is important.
If we do not wear the right pair of glasses, we can get all too easily caughtup in the superficial stuff and neglect paying attention to the things that really matter. The kingdom of God is like the pearl of great price that is worth selling everything for so that it can be obtained. Based on where I invest my time and energy each day, I really wonder whether I am serving God’s kingdom or my own. Have you ever considered tracking how you spend your time? You may be surprised! We allow our agendas to set the clock of our lives. We forget that joy and a true sense of purpose are not going to be found in following that timepiece.
Joy is the expression of the happiness that is discovered when living in the kingdom of God. When our agenda matches God, not only do we leap for joy but God leaps with delight as well. Our well-being is what matters most to God.
Can you imagine God delighting in you? It is easy to deaden our senses to the whole reality of God and the joy that living the Gospel can bring. The demandsof secular life and the agendas competing for our attention can quickly do that. We can get tired and spiritually apathetic. But if we can see our way through all
of the conflicting voices and hear the voice of God, we can rediscover our zeal and passion and redirect our efforts. When we begin to see as God sees, we can rise each day and notice what really needs our attention and embrace it with exuberance. Be careful, though. It may not be what we originally had on our list. Responding to it, however, will be worth putting everything else aside. ©LPi
This Week's Gospel Message
