Readings
I liked todays readings, although I am not often attracted to the "we are sinners" mentality I think the message surrounding humility is an important one. It is so easy to get into the rut of thinking that you are justified and everyone else is in the wrong. I think a lot of conflicts would be easily solved if both parties were willing to look at their role in the situation and take honest ownership of their own mistakes. We all want to be seen as the victim and yet no one want to be victimized. I think God's message or desire is that we be aware of the impact our actions and decisions make on this world and that we own up to our faults, but I think also our successes. I do not believe that God wishes we live a miserable existence, one in which we deny ourselves all of the gifts in which God's love and this world has to offer. Rather I think it is important that we keep a clear head and an open heart and tune in to each others needs.
The Gospel brings a big smile to my face! Fr. Bill is always calling us (collectively, all of us) "Sinners." He does so with immense affection, like "Sinners, let's get started," or "Sinners, focus!" This is his Gospel. This could be his 'feast day.'
ReplyDeleteThe Reflection in This Day was written on the gospel by a Theology student at BC. It is one of the best I have read. I will try to paraphrase. If we know our faults we are not often tempted to think we're perfect. The greater temptation is to see ourselves as imperfect, but not like so and so. He goes on to state that the cure for this is penitence, 'which is neither self-hatred nor self-glorification.' Penitence is acknowledging the truth about ourselves and the truth about our merciful God. The tax collector exemplifies this type of penitence. He does not know the moral status of the Pharisee, nor does he care. He knows that God is holy and he is not and even more importantly that God (and Bill Hill) loves him deeply. As Sinners, our first step is acknowledging our need for God and God's forgiveness.
Sin is a fact of life. And we need to leave the 'Joneses' out of it in order to really know ourselves and our faults. Then we can truly be penitent and ask for forgiveness. I think a third step needs to be accepting forgiveness, and moving on. Accepting God's grace and forgiveness important. If we weren't Sinners we couldn't bask in the bosom of His love and mercy. This grace gives us the courage to move forward, one step at a time. Onward Sinners!
So today mom showed me how to get the blog on my computer and now I'm playing catch up. As we talk about this issue of being a sinner, and some ability to acknowledge that fact I'm reminded of the old hymn; Amazing Grace. I started liking this song again about 1975 or 76 when I heard a concert recording of Willie Nelson singing a more country less gospel version of this song. know I started singing it like Willie and thought it to be hip. I had been initially evangelized and didn't even know it. Fast forward to 1979 Mom and I joined a parish with an older priest that loved this song and if their were no musicians for that Mass would lead an acapella version. I intuitively loved it ,mom thought it was too old fashioned and didn't like the line saved a wretch like me. Fast forward to 1986 at cottonwood in Denver Wed of that week I had an epiphany that my motives for saving Dan and "getting him into recovery" were misplaced. i needed to take the plank out of my eye instead of focusing on the plank in my brothers eye. I instantly realized I had come to cottonwood to pursue my own recovery. I was 2+ years sober but needed to understand my codependency. I was in a swimming pool at the Hotel with uncle Kevin and I just started crying. I was a hypocrite I was a wretch like me. I was crying and then started laughing and later sang like Willie when I could finally accept a wretch like me, my evangelization progressed and perhaps not until the next Feb on our first MEW did i really get it that God loves me and it changed my life forever.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I saw a story on All In with Chris Hayes about a man named Brent Brown. This man was an Obama hater and outspoken critic of Obamacare. He voted against Obama twice and railed about the evils of socialized medicine. However after Obama was elected he developed an auto immune disease and was dying. His insurance dumped him and he couldn't get insured because of this pre-exiting disease. He stopped seeking care and lost hope. When the ACA became law he did get insurance and then needed medical care and now has a new life and Hope. He also came to awareness that He is a wretch like me (my words). He spoke publicly at a rally about his gratitude for Obama and specifically Obama's vision and generosity to include all people in the health care system. Brent Brown was grateful for his life and for Mercy (his words, you can see a clip of this story on MSNBC Chris Hayes All In 3/4/16). At the end of the clip Obama comes on stage and thanks Brent for his testimony. Think back to last summer when Obama went to Charleston for the funeral of the slain pastor and toward the end of the "Homily" began leading the congregation in a soulful rendition of Amazing Grace. Watching Obama sing a wretch like me told me what I learned from Willie Nelson so many years ago that it is only after we unbind the shame from sin that we can acknowledge the reality of our sinfulness. It takes real humility to let others insult and smear your reputation and keep on doing the right thing Laura as you and president Obama and many unsung heroes do every day. It is God's grace that both allows us to see our own hypocrisy or other failings and to rise above them with a smile on our face knowing that God loves a wretch like me. ( sing it like Willy or any way that works for you) Dad