September 10, 2015
Col 3: 12-17
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved. http://www.usccb.org/bible/approved-translation With All My Heart
A contradiction with Ignatian discernment is that “indifference” is far different from its more common usage:
I am indifferent = I don’t care. In the Ignatian sense, to be indifferent is to care whole-heartedly towards something, with full desire and hope; but with equally full openness and freedom towards whatever the outcome. In other words, it would be with full hope but no expectation. Today’s first reading is tempting to gloss over as “well, that’s really nice and pretty” but out of reach to normal human persons. Easier said than done! A way to pray with this is to receive God’s indifference: that God hopes all of these things for us, but has no expectation of the results. Still, we must strive will all our heart, with all our mind and all our strength to accomplish these in our lives. Can I trust that these are enough for our God of heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience?
—Fr. Glen Chun, S.J. serves as the genial minister of the Loyola University Jesuit community, Chicago IL. Let the Word of Christ Dwell in You Richly
Late last Thursday night, I stumbled into an acquaintance. All alone, he appeared very pained. I asked how he was doing. After some hesitation, he started to cry and choked out the words, “I’ve never felt so alone in my life.” His suffering and sadness were palpable. I embraced him and reminded him that he was deeply, richly, profoundly loved. This encounter lasted less than a minute and we parted ways. The next morning, he thanked me and said what a difference those simple words made, how they somehow eased part of his burden. Christ desires to break into the story of our suffering and definitively transform it into a story of love, to bring comfort to our pain and His Presence to our loneliness. This unfolds when one responds to the invitation to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,” by being open and attentive to the Scriptures—inside and outside of Mass—and by reflecting on the meaning they bear for our lives. Through those practices, the Word of God came to life last Thursday, dwelt with us, spoke love to us. It left our faith enriched, our hope emboldened, and our love fuller of life.
—John Michael Hogue graduated from Creighton Prep in 2014 and is currently a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame. Prayer
Creation is a gift; it is a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all, always with great respect and gratitude."
—Pope Francis Please share the Good Word with your friends!
