OBSERVING JESUS - 8/28/22 (Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Luke 14:1

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082822.cfm

Blessed Sunday! Before Jesus Christ said a parable about the invited guests, it's written in the gospel reading that people were observing Him carefully. In other scenarios when people witnessed Jesus, they would come to Him, worship Him and listen to His words. We do not see this in the example of the scribes and Pharisees. This "observation" represents the times that we are merely looking at the life of Christ, the Scriptures or the teachings of the Catholic Church, without having the commitment to serve our Lord. And yet, due to God's goodness, He is still drawing our attention to Him, and He is patient with our conversion. One famous example is seen in the life of St. Augustine. 

St. Augustine was the son of St. Monica, whose memorial was yesterday. St. Augustine was one of the greatest saints, and he was an eloquent defender of truth. But, prior to becoming a model of holiness, he was one of the worst sinners. He was already gifted, though he had a worldly wisdom, because he was so knowledgeable on different philosophies, even to the extent of embracing heretical beliefs and being against the Catholic Church. He had some knowledge of Jesus and the Bible, but he was not yet open to God's truth. At the same time, he was struggling with many sins, including the sin of lust. This is one of the cases when a person is full of pride such as when the person is content with worldly knowledge and is unable to humble before God. But, God's ways are beyond our ways. St. Augustine was just beginning his journey with God. 

When St. Augustine was still searching for truth, he had the opportunity to look at the Bible, and he was drawn by God to read a random page out of it. From it, he read about different sins, including the sins of the flesh. This was a strong experience for St. Augustine, and when he humbled himself before our Merciful Savior, his heart found peace in Christ. We may have the similar examples like St. Augustine. We may be looking for meaning and purpose, but when we reject the wisdom of Christ and the Church, we may be surprised to see that we are falling to many sins. The sin of lust is a sin that many people may struggle with. Below this reflection, there is a link to a YouTube video that shows some of the necessary and practical ways to be open tl God's graces and reject this sin. 

Even though we may recognize our sinfulness, there is no reason to lose hope. God is always drawing us back to Him. The more He sees our faults, the more He desires for us to find rest and happiness in Him. We should not be afraid to admit to God that we were blind to our sins and that we were unable to walk with God by our own strength. We should not be afraid to come to God's Mercy in the sacrament of confession where we will be cleansed of all our sins, including grave sins. The truth is that heaven is the home for the people who are poor in spirit. Heaven is the destination where humble people are exalted. Let's not just observe Jesus, but let's also come to Him with confidence in His mercy. He will fill our hearts with love, and He will increase our faith because He cares for us. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Lust and Freedom:

https://youtu.be/c2JL_Yw_wLE

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls