MONDAY OF THE FIFTEENTH DAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Cris made it home from fire camp on Thursday. Friday, we spent the day on the motorcycle, Saturday we all painted the kitchen and Sunday, Papa, Cris and I went fishing. The ride was beautiful, the kitchen looks fantastic, and we checked another trout off our Cutt Slam Challenge.
All weekend I was thinking about the verse from Thursday's Gospel,
"As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet." (Matthew 10:12-14)
A house is where we share the ordinary movements of life: resting, sharing meals, laughing, playing, crying, dancing in the kitchen, cooking, doing laundry, making the bed, brushing our teeth. These things that make up the everyday moments are the essence of life. They are the moments when we encounter Christ. These moments are where we find peace, and they are where we can lose our life for His sake.
Today's Gospel is a continuation of Matthew chapter 10. Jesus tells us that if we are to be disciples, there are a few conditions.
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:37-39)
It is easy to get caught up in the everyday moments of life and to forget the Lord. In today's first reading, God tells the Israelites he is tired of their sacrifices because they no longer remember the reason they are making sacrifices. Here's where this all comes together, my friends. The little sacrifices we make each day, the time spent serving the ones we love cannot be done solely out of love for them. We must do these little services out of love for Christ, first. That is how we take up our cross, that is how we find our true self and live out our authentic life. When our hearts wander to the things of this world, even to those we love, we lose our peace, and our cross feels like a burden.
Let us build worthy houses. We will have peace in our homes, and we will have peace in our relationships as long as our hearts are focused on Christ.
#peace #heart #worthyhouse #Christ #sacrifice #chores #love #lovewins #unconditionallove #blessing #blessed #Catholic #bestlife #notalone #Catholiclife #belief #faith #breadoflife #sacrament #abundantlife #ordinarylife #prayer #unansweredprayers #goodGod #virtue #gratitude #thankful