Wednesday – 25th Week in Ordinary  

Gospel – Luke 9:1-6

What to Wear, What to Wear

Downsizing!

 

Have you ever gone on a long trip, I mean a really long trip away from home?  I have been blessed to have visited the Holy Land 4 times over the past 15 years.  It is not the sort of trip where you just throw some clothes into a bag and run.  No, it takes a lot of planning and very methodical packing.  And that is something I have ‘graciously’ left to Ginger.  Lists are made, items bought and checked off!  What to bring, what not to bring.  And then the arranging and sorting of clothes for each day! And finally the actual packing, making sure everything fits!  It is a long carefully planned and executed process to ensure we have enough clothing, toiletries, meds, to last us the entire trip. 

And then we hear Jesus’ travel tips to the disciples in today’s Gospel.  Essentially what NOT to bring, what NOT to pack!  No walking stick, no sack, no food, no money, no extra clothing; in fact, don’t even pack a bag.  Just get moving on your way!  The disciples don’t even know how long a trip it will be!

The point is clear: focus on your mission; focus on spreading the Word!  God will provide everything else.  Let go of everything else, all those things you think you need. And just put your faith in the Lord; He will see to your needs for food and shelter; He will take care of you.  Don’t be so concerned about what you’re going to eat, where you will sleep or what you will wear. 

These past 2 years, Ginger and I have certainly spent countless hours/days ‘cleaning house’ in Chicago.  We sorted through 40 years of our possessions and simplify our lives.  We have packed up unused and unnecessary clothes and items and donated them to the needy.  In the process, hopefully we have had the chance to re-focus our hearts on what is truly important; our faith.  Even when we moved into our home here in Heiskell, even to this day, we continue to simplify our life and our possessions. 

Great Spirit, help me today to direct my thoughts and prayers to you.  Help me to not be distracted by the cares of the world or those ‘things’ that the world insists I need for happiness.  Guide me along a straight path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Feast of the Presentation Gospel – Luke 2:22-40 We Are Family Church of St. Joseph, Nazareth 5 extremely short stories to start the day! Once all the people in a village decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer, all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella. That is faith. When you throw babies in the air, they laugh because they know you will catch them. That is trust. Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but we still set the alarm to wake up. That is hope. We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That is confidence. We see the world suffering, but still, we get married and have children. That is love. Faith, hope, love, confidence and trust!   Sounds like a perfect list of values/virtues for a happy family! Today’s Gospel tells us of another family – the Holy Family going up to Jerusalem with the baby Jesus to present Him to the Lord in ...
Read more
Image
Sunday – Feast of Corpus Christi Gospel – Luke 9:11b-17 Loaves and Fishes Church at Tabgha Throughout those 2 years of isolation from Covid,   I really missed my St. Kateri community.   I missed my native brothers and sisters.   I miss crowding ourselves into the chapel on a Sunday morning for Mass.   And I miss our community potluck meal afterwards. I think that I missed that simple meal the most; it speaks volumes to me about the community and about the values that should define our lives.   I said a ‘simple’ meal but actually it’s more of a constant miracle.   Jody, our director, and/or Ginger provide the main course.   And that’s it!   All the rest – sides, salads, pasta, dessert, bread and drinks   - all of that is left to the community.   Bring something to share!   We never know how many people will come!   We never know what they will bring!   Ginger always calls it a “loaves and fishes” event! ...
Read more
Image
  Tuesday – St. Aloysius Gonzaga Gospel – Matthew 7:6, 12-14 Narrow Gate Old City, Jerusalem We celebrate today the Feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga.   He was raised in a wealthy and powerful noble family in northern Italy in the 16 th century.   As a youth, he served as a page for King Philip and afterwards trained to be a soldier.   However that career path was cut short by kidney disease.   After he recovered, he gave up all his wealth and title and entered the Jesuit order at the age of 19.   When the plague broke out in Rome, he volunteered to care for the sick.   Unfortunately he fell victim to the disease and died a scant 4 months later at the age of 22. He could have easily kept his title and wealth; he could have enjoyed a comfortable easy life.   But instead he chose a different path, a path that was not only uncomfortable but extremely difficult and   challenging. In terms of today’s Gospel, Aloysius chose the ‘narr...
Read more