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God Doesn't Have Voicemail

24/7/2019

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 28th, 2019:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalm 138

R. On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the Angels I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness.

R. On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.

For you have exalted your name and your word above everything. On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.

R. On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.

For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies.

R. On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.

You stretch out your hand and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

R. On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.

Hi! You’ve reached the voicemail of Aurea Sadi. Sorry I missed your call. If you’d like to leave me a message I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. BEEP!

This is the sort of message you’ll hear when you call me at work and I can’t get to the phone. I do my best to answer all my calls but sometimes a) I’m not physically at my desk or b) I’m working to a deadline and need to focus or c) I’m in the midst of a conversation with someone physically in front of me. Despite these legitimate reasons, sometimes when I return the call, the person on the other end asks, “Why didn’t you answer my call?!?”

It is the image of literally calling God on the phone that came to mind as I reflected on Psalm 138. God doesn’t use voicemail. While I may miss phone calls, God never misses my call. God is always available for my call. That’s a mind boggling concept given how many people may be “calling” Him at any given time of day. And more importantly, God answers: “On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.” What often gets missed for me is the fact that God answers me. I miss that because either I’m too distracted to wait for the answer or I already have a preconceived notion of what God’s answer should be. When I don’t “hear” what I think I should, then God hasn’t answered.

But God does. And when God answers, as the psalmist points out, a whole host of goodness results: increased strength of soul, perseverance from the wrath of enemies, fulfillment of purpose. Yet, do I take the time hear Him? Do I take the time to respond? Calling, be it by phone or through prayer, is about entering into a conversation. In our world of text messages, FB and Instagram dms, SnapChat, and a whole host of social media that I am too uncool to know about, it is rare for some people to actually have a good ole fashion conversation; voice to voice. Having an IRL conversation on the phone gives you the opportunity to hear tone, inflection, pauses, and other subtleties in the other person’s voice that can give a clarity and depth of understanding to what they are trying to tell you… and insight into who they are.

In having “ole fashion” conversations I am also making a commitment of time and an investment in building some level of relationship with the person or persons with whom I am conversing. I think is this is why God always answers; He is constantly wanting to be in relationship with me and all His creation. I can only recognize the goodness that God willingly and generously shows me when I take the time to respond to His response to me. After all, I called Him. He answered. So it would only be in my best interest to actually listen!

Aurea Sadi

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Speak For The Good

23/7/2019

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A Reflection on the First Reading for July 28th, 2019:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Genesis 18.20-32

The Lord said: “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.”

So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham answered, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

Again Abraham spoke to the Lord, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.”

Then Abraham said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” The Lord answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

Abraham said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” The Lord answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.”

Then Abraham said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” The Lord answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

Abraham could not seem to believe that God, who is just, would include the righteous in His punishment of the sinners in Sodom. Being a good father to all nations that he was, he was concerned for the good people in Sodom and asked the Lord if He was indeed going to punish the good together with the bad. The Lord said that He was not going to punish Sodom if there were fifty good people living there. I marvelled at Abraham’s determination and at the same time, at his respect for God as he ‘bargained’ with Him for the Sodomites’ lives.

How good are we at speaking up for others, especially in the face of strong and powerful authority or public opinion? Most of us would probably just keep quiet because we do not want to go against someone powerful.

My realization from this reading is that we need to speak up for others, especially for those who are weak or for those who are disadvantaged. If we are to be good leaders, loving parents, and caring siblings, our help would be most appreciated, especially for those who are not in a position to defend themselves. Just like Abraham did for the people of Sodom.

"[W]e need to speak up for others, especially for those who are weak or for those who are disadvantaged."

There was some gossip going around in our workplace about the reason for a person’s resignation. Someone confronted me one day, demanding why I did not tell her about this ‘news’ that was making the rounds. I said because everything that I knew about the matter was hearsay and that I had no business spreading that around. I knew that she did not like my answer. I said I could verify it if I went to the person directly. I however saw no reason to do that and would rather respect that person’s privacy. I told the person who confronted me that I did not think the gossip was true and that the person who resigned was offered a job which was too good to pass up. This was what the one resigning told us, so it was not gossip.

Just as Abraham spoke and mediated for the people of Sodom, we can do the same in the milieu we are in by using our influence for the greater good.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, help us to speak out in defence of others. Allow us to overcome the fear of being unpopular, of being judged and of being criticized as we go about doing what we know is for the common good. We offer up these unpleasant consequences to You in atonement for our sins and for the souls in purgatory. Amen.

Liz Venezuela

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The Better Part

19/7/2019

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A Reflection on the Gospel for July 21st, 2019:
Sixtenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 10.38-42

Now as Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.

But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Some people love to cook. Not me. In my opinion, food always tastes better when someone else prepares it. That said, I do plan and produce multi-course meals on a regular basis. Why? Because I love to have people over, and offering to feed them is just an excuse to get them in.

Few things give me as much pleasure as relaxing on the couch, my feet tucked up and a mug of tea in my hand, talking with company. For me, shopping for the groceries, cleaning the house and preparing the meal are just the means to this delightful end.

I wasn’t always this way, however. I recall years ago receiving an unexpected visit from a member of my family. After welcoming her in and getting her settled on the couch, I set about fetching water, tea, fruit and cushions. Mesmerized by this flurry of activity, my guest finally said, “Donna, just sit down and talk to me!” I had been so wrapped up in making her comfortable that I lost sight of why she was there, which was to visit me. In Biblical terms, I was much more a Martha than a Mary.

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus, who has been travelling the countryside, arrives at Martha’s home where He is warmly welcomed. While her sister Mary becomes engaged by what Jesus is saying, Martha enters “hostess mode,” her attention and energy quickly focussing on honouring Jesus by providing for His every comfort. Jesus, noticing this, observes, “You are worried and distracted by many things.”

I have encountered interpretations of this passage suggesting that Martha’s motivation is to impress her guests and keep up appearances, so Jesus scolds her for it. I am unconvinced. Martha loves Jesus. She wants to do whatever she can to ensure His comfort. Similarly, Jesus loves both Mary and Martha, which is why He has come to visit them. Moreover, He loves Martha for her acts of service, which is why He does not chastise her but instead says, with gentleness, “Martha, Martha.”

"We need to spend time in the Lord’s presence because it refuels and enriches us."

It is notable that, in comparing Martha’s actions with those of Mary, Jesus says, “Mary has chosen the better part,” but He never says Martha has chosen the wrong part. Jesus is saying just what my own guest said: “Donna, sit down and talk to me!” This week’s Gospel reminds us of what is most important, that being with Jesus is the better part. We need to spend time in the Lord’s presence because it refuels and enriches us. Yes, we are His hands and feet, but prayer will teach us what to do and where to go.

However, this is not just passively killing time with Jesus, either. Jesus wants us to talk with Him and also to listen. We get our instruction by listening to the Lord, who will reveal to us His plan for us. In His presence is where we love Him and rest in His love for us.

Donna Davis

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The Glory of This Mystery

18/7/2019

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A Reflection on the Second Reading for July 21st, 2019:
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Colossians 1:24-28

Brothers and sisters: I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church.

I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints.

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is Christ whom we proclaim, warning every person and teaching every person in all wisdom, so that we may present every person mature in Christ.

Mother Teresa once said: “God doesn’t require us to succeed, He only requires that you try.”

Although evangelization can be a difficult task, it is extremely rewarding. By doing this, we fulfill our purpose that God has placed on us. He only wants for us to try, with no pressuring expectation of “success”.

The act of evangelizing has not always been the easiest thing for me. Thankfully I can say that through witnessing others evangelize, I have been inspired to do the same. People like my mother and brother are extremely gifted in this area of faith. I often find my younger brother talking to others on his gaming system about his faith or about an experience he just had. It absolutely blows me away how open he is to talk to others this way at this stage in his life. When I was his age, I wasn’t as open. Although I would not shy away from my beliefs, I would often be riddled with “umm”s and “uhh”s when I would try to answer a question that one of my friends had about Catholicism and my experience as a Catholic. I found it hard to get past the idea of having to have the perfect answer, rather than just sharing those real experiences from my heart and relying on God to show up in those moments.

However, the most impactful experience of evangelization that I have witnessed has been through my Dad. When my parents got married over 20 years ago, they did not have the same religious outlook. My Mom often prayed for my Dad to come to faith and would encourage him to join us for mass on Sundays. However, my Dad and I would often be sitting together at church, counting down the minutes until mass would be over so we could go for brunch. It seemed as though he and I were there, but we were not truly present.

"I found it hard to get past the idea of having to have the perfect answer, rather than just sharing those real experiences from my heart and relying on God to show up in those moments."

But, shortly after my family started attending Saint Benedict Parish, my Dad’s attitude about church seemed to change. My Mom had felt it was important that he attend Alpha, and he reluctantly attended for a while, but then ended up actually having an encounter with God for the first time. Through her patience and care in trying to bring my Dad to experience Jesus, he was finally on a faith journey. He became a Christian. Although she may have felt like she wasn’t “successful” in her efforts at times, she ultimately relied on the Holy Spirit for His guidance.

I am so thankful for this experience, but not just for my Dad and his new relationship with Jesus. My Mom’s efforts at evangelizing him really impacted my faith as well. I believe that evangelization has a sort of domino effect. Seeing my Dad come to faith and know the love of God made me want to pursue that relationship with Jesus even more. I saw a transformation in him that made me want to be closer to the Lord. Even though I had always thought he was a great Dad, I saw him become more loving, trusting, and open, which was such a great inspiration to me. Through witnessing the evangelization of others, I am motivated to try to do the same. I pray that I may have the courage to step outside of my insecurities and fears, and to proclaim the Gospel as Jesus intended for me to do. Amen.

Megan Noye

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God Doesn't Have Voicemail

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 28th, 2019:Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Speak For The Good

A Reflection on the First Reading for July 28th, 2019:​Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Better Part

A Reflection on the Gospel for July 21st, 2019:​Sixtenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Glory of This Mystery

A Reflection on the Second Reading for July 21st, 2019:Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Archives

A Reflection on the Psalm for July 28th, 2019:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Reflection on the First Reading for July 28th, 2019:
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Reflection on the Gospel for July 21st, 2019:
Sixtenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Reflection on the Second Reading for July 21st, 2019:
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time