Articulating Hope
  • Home
  • Deacon Vernon's Blog
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Book Discussion Guide

Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time--Let's Go!

8/1/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Last week began a five week journey through chapter 6 of John's Gospel.  This chapter contains the "Bread of Life" discourse and contains much of the Eucharistic Theology that guides our faith as Catholics.  This week's Gospel reading picks up where we left off last week at the culmination of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.  Jesus goes to the other side of the sea and the people follow him there.  Jesus said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled."

Jesus challenged their motivation for following Him and invited them to a deeper faith.  Likewise, Jesus invites us to a deeper faith.  But why do so many choose not to follow Him?  Even among people who claim Catholicism as their religion, only about 30% attend Mass on a weekly basis.  In places like New York City this number has dropped to about 11 or 12%.  In parts of Europe it is down to 5%.  Why do so many choose to ignore Christ and His Church?

For those who are sitting in the pews, why are you present?  What motivates you to participate on a weekly basis?  Is it a good way to network with others to increase potential business for your company?  Is it to establish certain political connections that may prove to be beneficial?  Is it to heighten your social status among your peers because it looks good to be a practicing member of a church community.  Or is it because of your desire to have a deeper relationship with God?  Are you motivated by love?

It is important for us to reflect upon our motivations for doing things. Socrates is credited with saying, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Why is it relevant for us to examine our interior dispositions?  Quite simply, if we do not examine our lives we can be swayed by every wind that blows.  If our conscience is not formed correctly we can easily go astray and fall into sin. If we allow the secular media to be the main thrust of our moral formation we are in for a world of hurt.

What did the mainstream media outlets tell us this week in regard to the important issues of the day?  According to Media Research the three national channels of ABC, CBS, and NBC chose to cover the death of Cecil the Lion for over 30 minutes while Planned Parenthood's dissection of babies and the negotiation of prices for selling the body parts only received 11 minutes of coverage.  This could easily give us the impression that the death of Cecil the Lion was more important than the 56 million babies killed by abortion.  Cecil's death was more important than the marketing and selling of the viable parts of human babies.  Please note--these parts were intentionally preserved during the murderous procedure to procure those parts.  How can we as a civilized society condone such behavior?

Do you want to take the coverage away from death--either human or animal? Okay, how important is a deflated football in the big scheme of life? Obviously, it is HUGE!  Look at the media coverage.  


Thus, if our interior life is formed by what we watch on the major TV News networks, we are going to be ill-equipped for the spiritual warfare that confronts us on a daily basis.  Make no mistake.  We are engaged in spiritual warfare.  You will be persecuted for your beliefs if you are a faithful witness to Jesus Christ.  That is okay. Remember, they persecuted Christ first.

John's Gospel reminds us that we are nourished for the battle as we receive the Bread of Life.  We enter into the Eucharistic Liturgy and are nurtured by the proclamation of God's Sacred Word.  We encounter Eternal Truth in the Sacred Scriptures!  Then we are fed and nourished with the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.  We are fully equipped for mission because of God's grace, mercy, and power!

                                                                       Let's Go!  

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    Author

    This is my personal blog.  The opinions expressed are those of Deacon Vernon and the blog's readers.  This site operates independently and is not affiliated with any other entity. The information I provide is on an "as-is" basis. I make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information on this blog. I will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information. Furthermore, I will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its use.

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.