Inspirations at your Fingertips!

Friday of week 19 in Ordinary Time Matthew 19:3-12 So then, what God has united, man must not divide. Think of what happened to Israel and how they received bountiful blessings and miracles.  Are these all consequential? Or was there a  great Someone who gathered them for himself?  And what does he want of them?  He wants that they and we be united with him. In the gospel, Jesus reminds us of the unitive aspect of marriage:  what God has joined, no man can separate.  Furthermore, he expanded this to people of every calling; we may have different calling, but we all have one mission. Do we think about the unitive aspect of being church?  What are the benefits of unity? First, it is a reflection of God himself who is One in Three Divine Persons.   There is no 'to each his own' in the Church.  God calls us as one. Second, God called a people, a race, and chose them as his own.   Religion is a personal experience of commu...

Unity in diversity Luke 7:11-17 St. Paul oriented the Church of Corinth as having different parts but consisting of one body of Christ. In the gospel, Jesus gave back the son to the widow Nain. Our lack is always filled with others.  Know that our lives are always meant for others and not ourselves.  For through us, others live. And how do we live?  Through unity and diversity. We all need one another.  That is unity.  We are all important in God's eyes. In diversity, we contribute our share so others may live. We all have a role to do in the work of salvation.  Our mission in this world is to fulfill what God wishes us to do in this world. How do we know our mission?  This needs discernment. Discernment is being open to the Holy Spirit.  It means reorienting our lives to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and to respond appropriately to the Holy Spirit.  This is the particularity of who we are.  This is our co...

Unity and division  John 15:9-11 The Church has always found itself in conflict - with principles, personalities and beliefs. But it also has its way of uniting peoples, especially for God. The reading from the Acts of the Apostles reflects a resolution; there would not be any circumcision, but there would not be eating of food from animals offered to idols.  Christianity now focuses on internal dispositions and not outward expressions. The gospel emphasizes the result of unity and a united heart - love.  Love comes from the Father and the son.  Love enables us to follow Jesus.  True joy comes in loving rightfully the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We should stop looking for things that divide us.  Instead, look for things that unite us in love.