Fr. Louis Brioni sx
3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time - Cycle B
3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time - Cycle B
When I take personal time to pray, I need total silence around and within me to hear and listen only to God, who speaks at all times, in all creation and salvation. Usually in that silence I can either hear His voice clearly or, at times, I just enjoy the beat of His heart next to mine. And I feel that He is all for me. He is really there with me; He really speaks to me. He truly does. However, more often than not, I feel the temptation to interrupt Him with my words, to talk to Him, to bargain with His message, to treat his as an equal. And more.
But I don’t think I am alone in this. Most of us are in the same boat to tell God what to do or what to give us. Isn’t God at our service? Are we not sharing the same table of conversation with God? For we take God’s words as like anyone else’s, not final and supreme as they should be, but just placebos when we are sick or a pat on the back when we are well or of the same value with those of the next speaker!
In this daily temptation for equal relationship with God, we welcome the recent decision of our Pope Francis to devote this third Sunday of ordinary time to the celebration, knowledge, and dissemination of the Word of God.
The Pope reminds us forcefully that we, all Christians, are very blessed with the Word of God, which becomes in faith the necessary term of reference for everything we are, do, and hope for.
We also remember the first reading of last Sunday when we heard the trusting words of the boy Samuel, “Speak, Lord, I am listening.”
“I am listening!” What a beautiful and prayerful example also for all of us! I want to listen, Lord. I want to obey … unto death, as your Son did on the Calvary. I cannot close my ears and pretend you have not spoken clearly, like in the garden of Eden.
In today’s gospel Jesus addresses Simon and Andrew straight with simple words, “Follow me … and at once they followed Him.” At once, totally, without second words, no bargaining with Him.
In our time of Covid-19 crisis and world political unrest I wonder for myself and the many, why we don’t make God’s Word more “alive and active”? (Heb 4:12). Why do we believe more in charlatans and liars and false prophets than in Jesus Christ? Is He not the Word, the only one, through whom everything was made (Jo 1) and who stands as the very truth itself? Why don’t we listen to him, first and above all other speakers in this world? Are we afraid He would tell us lies? From Him who became our flesh and died for the sake of our true life?
Those of you, who followed the international news of these last few months, must have sorrowfully experienced the fragility of human words by politicians, scientists, and wealthy people alike, making no reference to God whatsoever in their messages and deliberations. At their best, they referred to Him and His Word as just one of the crowds.
I am personally astonished to see millions of people these days fully identifying themselves with senseless messages without a wink, without questioning or doublechecking them, just for the sake of their political interests, national sovereignty, private property, etc. History teaches us that we have often gone to war for the wrong words, we imprisoned and killed those who thought otherwise, we made our opinions absolute and disastrously evil.
Where is now the Word of God in the midst of our humanity?
Lord, as I know you keep speaking to me and the whole mankind, help me not so much to point my accusing fingers to people who do not listen to you, but to help me and each one of us to sincerely and perseveringly fall in love with your Word, your Will, your Way, always, and to put it into joyful practice every day of my life.
Personal reflection by Fr. Louis Brioni sx
When I take personal time to pray, I need total silence around and within me to hear and listen only to God, who speaks at all times, in all creation and salvation. Usually in that silence I can either hear His voice clearly or, at times, I just enjoy the beat of His heart next to mine. And I feel that He is all for me. He is really there with me; He really speaks to me. He truly does. However, more often than not, I feel the temptation to interrupt Him with my words, to talk to Him, to bargain with His message, to treat his as an equal. And more.
But I don’t think I am alone in this. Most of us are in the same boat to tell God what to do or what to give us. Isn’t God at our service? Are we not sharing the same table of conversation with God? For we take God’s words as like anyone else’s, not final and supreme as they should be, but just placebos when we are sick or a pat on the back when we are well or of the same value with those of the next speaker!
In this daily temptation for equal relationship with God, we welcome the recent decision of our Pope Francis to devote this third Sunday of ordinary time to the celebration, knowledge, and dissemination of the Word of God.
The Pope reminds us forcefully that we, all Christians, are very blessed with the Word of God, which becomes in faith the necessary term of reference for everything we are, do, and hope for.
We also remember the first reading of last Sunday when we heard the trusting words of the boy Samuel, “Speak, Lord, I am listening.”
“I am listening!” What a beautiful and prayerful example also for all of us! I want to listen, Lord. I want to obey … unto death, as your Son did on the Calvary. I cannot close my ears and pretend you have not spoken clearly, like in the garden of Eden.
In today’s gospel Jesus addresses Simon and Andrew straight with simple words, “Follow me … and at once they followed Him.” At once, totally, without second words, no bargaining with Him.
In our time of Covid-19 crisis and world political unrest I wonder for myself and the many, why we don’t make God’s Word more “alive and active”? (Heb 4:12). Why do we believe more in charlatans and liars and false prophets than in Jesus Christ? Is He not the Word, the only one, through whom everything was made (Jo 1) and who stands as the very truth itself? Why don’t we listen to him, first and above all other speakers in this world? Are we afraid He would tell us lies? From Him who became our flesh and died for the sake of our true life?
Those of you, who followed the international news of these last few months, must have sorrowfully experienced the fragility of human words by politicians, scientists, and wealthy people alike, making no reference to God whatsoever in their messages and deliberations. At their best, they referred to Him and His Word as just one of the crowds.
I am personally astonished to see millions of people these days fully identifying themselves with senseless messages without a wink, without questioning or doublechecking them, just for the sake of their political interests, national sovereignty, private property, etc. History teaches us that we have often gone to war for the wrong words, we imprisoned and killed those who thought otherwise, we made our opinions absolute and disastrously evil.
Where is now the Word of God in the midst of our humanity?
Lord, as I know you keep speaking to me and the whole mankind, help me not so much to point my accusing fingers to people who do not listen to you, but to help me and each one of us to sincerely and perseveringly fall in love with your Word, your Will, your Way, always, and to put it into joyful practice every day of my life.
Personal reflection by Fr. Louis Brioni sx