Today's Gospel - Thank You Lord

1st READING It is only the arrogant who claim to completely comprehend the mind and will of God. Those of us who are a little more sensible and with a degree of humility will say that we are seeking to be obedient to His will for our lives; trying to understand what He asks of us and putting that understanding into practice. The Book of Wisdom reminds us that humility is a key when seeking God’s will. Let us remember that we can never fully understand the ways of God, but let this not stop us from humbly seeking His will for our lives. Wisdom 9:13-18b 13 Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what our LORD intends? 14 For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. 15 For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. 16 And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? 17 Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given Wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? 18 And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight. P S A L M Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17 R: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge. 3 You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R) 5 You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass,  6 which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades. (R) 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. 13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! (R) 14 Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. 17 And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands! (R) 2nd READING It may have taken the Christian Churches too long to put their full weight behind the move to abolish slavery, but perhaps a bigger scandal is the degree to which slavery still exists today. It exists whenever anyone is put into forced labor or not properly remunerated for their work. It exists when people are trafficked by others or when they are given false impressions concerning the work they are signing up for, particularly when in a foreign land.  Philemon 9-10, 12-17 9 I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus. 10 I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment, 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13 I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. 15 Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord. 17 So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me. G O S P E L To follow Jesus as a disciple involves paying a price of allegiance. Jesus is not saying that we must hate anyone – that would be a sin. Jesus is merely reminding us that to commit our lives to a task or goal, even that of the Kingdom of God, involves prioritizing the Gospel and its proclamation. Family is important, but sometime in our lives we separate ourselves (to greater and lesser degrees according to the individual situations) from even our immediate families, as we seek to make our way in the world and to give our lives meaning through the choices we make. Luke 14:25-33 25 Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, 26 “If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? 29 Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him 30 and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ 31 Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? 32 But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. 33 In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” my reflections t h i n k : Jesus reminds us that to commit our lives to a task or goal, even that of the Kingdom of God, involves prioritizing the Gospel and its proclamation. God’s special verse/thought for me today: Faith & Allegiance to God Carry my cross & turn away from sin. Renounce all of my possessions. I was created good and beautiful, in His own image and likeness. T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: The gift of your Word, Life and Love. For my family. For the gifts of enlightenment and discernment. For the reminder that life is fleeting and we should spend more time proclaiming the Gospel instead. For reminding me that Your Kingdom is more important than anything this world could ever offer. For answered prayers. For the blessings that You continue to pour down upon me and my loved ones. It's reassuring to know that no matter what we do You will always be the Great Provider. Thank you, Lord. Amen. READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR  Psalm 56-60