Dear Family,
As I looked over the scriptures for this weekend, these three thoughts emerged:
- I come for everyone.
- I will shape them up.
- Don’t presume anything about anyone – including yourself. It’s the Lord’s work and the Lord’s call.
A footnote on today’s gospel (Lk 13:22-30) from the New American Bible Revised Edition – NAMBRE to its friends, says the following:
“These sayings of Jesus (in today’s gospel choice) follow in Luke upon the parables of the kingdom (Lk 13:18–21) and stress that great effort is required for entrance into the kingdom and that there is an urgency to accept the present opportunity to enter because the narrow door will not remain open indefinitely. Lying behind the sayings is the rejection of Jesus and his message by his Jewish contemporaries whose places at table in the kingdom will be taken by Gentiles from the four corners of the world. Those called last (the Gentiles) will precede those to whom the invitation to enter was first extended (the Jews).”
We couldn’t have asked for a better Old Testament reading (the Hebrew scriptures) than today’s reading from Isaiah to really highlight the gospel.
In Creighton U,’s online page, Andy Alexander. S.J., says: “ Jesus is saying to us that we can all be saved. He is telling us that it is not something we can take for granted. It is not a guarantee that can seduce us into thinking we don’t have to do anything, that we are not called to a special life, to a special role in this world. He’s alerting us to the fact that our journey is counter-cultural. It is not a journey that looks like a path of world values. It isn’t about ‘blending in with the crowd.’”
The letter to the Hebrews explains what kind of challenge we face. “God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline?” Once again, we get a vision of God’s love AND the requirement for us to choose to say “Yes.” Amen.
I’m still hoping that someone comes up with some ideas about how we can celebrate in Luminous Mysteries in some form of art in the Main Sanctuary. I’ve had some fun looking at things like tapestries since windows might be hard.
I’ve shown some of you a wonderful book that was published to display the wonderful tapestries that were done by John Nava for Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles. The cathedral building and the tapestries are amazing. I thought maybe five tapestries hung on the front of the choir loft might work. They would come right where they belong between the Joyful windows on the north wall and the Sorrowful windows on the south wall.
Alas, such weighty problems to have while the rest of the world seem hellbent on skating itself to... where else if you’re hell bent?
We are making outreach through Catholic Relief Services to both the eastern Kentucky flooding AND the relief efforts for the Ukraine. Maybe my art preoccupations are avoidance. Before I worry about Luminous art, I’m making sure to PRAY the Luminous mysteries.
And last but not least, once again, thanks to the many of you who sent birthday cards, some of which rolled in this week. Sort of makes the party go on...
Be blessed and in peace amid the spats and quarrels and wars. It is Jesus Himself who said, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life...”
We pray to be on His path.
In Him,
