The Crowds Will Be Amazed!

Today's Readings

"Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself is banished from their speech." - Jeremiah 7:28

I promise not to go on and on about the evils of the world, and its inability to allow God to coexist with its "reasoned" thoughts, but I am very entertained by a connection made in today's readings. If you're new to the GregBlog, I have made it my goal to begin each day with Morning Prayer and some reflection on the day's Mass readings as outlined by the Lectionary of the Church.

Today's connection begins with the Prophet Jeremiah dealing with the very same reality that I believe is prevalent in our society today. We have relegated God to stay within the four walls of Churches, not allowing Him to be part of the collective dialogue of life. We're very uncomfortable when someone tries to sneak Him into a conversation. Many would prefer to have "the word itself banished from their speech" (Jer. 7:28) The Psalm celebrated today, is what some would call common for the season of Lent, "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." (cf. Psalm 95: 8-9) This, of course, is built on the assumption that God is always speaking to us, and that when He does speak, we should try to listen.  Now for the fun part... Today's Gospel reading begins with the verse, "Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed." (Luke 11:14)  It's another one of Jesus' healings, and it offers us some motivation.  The best way to ensure that God is part of our world, is to talk about it!  The Prophet predicted the dilemma well, and God continues to be removed from the day to day discussion of life, but the Psalmist offers the no-brainer solution:  Allow God to be God, as He will speak when He darn well pleases.  Our task is to simply listen, and then share!

Yesterday, I offered four areas that relate to our role as disciples: Proclamation, Witness, Dialogue, and Liberation.  (These come from a DVD lecture entitled Discipleship from NowYouKnowMedia.com, presented by Fr. Anthony Gittins, C.S.Sp., M.A., Ph.D.)  Notice that three of the four could involve speaking, with the fourth (liberation) serving as a positive outcome to allowing the "speech" to be made.  I would like to offer that in light of today's readings, we commit ourselves (believers or not) to allowing God to BE, and be part of the discussion of life... That's all.  Just let Him be a part of the conversation.  If you're a believer in God's Mission, and in Jesus' ability to evangelize the Good News, then you know that all shall be well.  God's plan is one of patience and persistence.  When it is part of the dialogue, "the crowds [will be] amazed." (LK 11:14)  If God threatens your comfort zone, just by the mere presence of His name, try and relax... There's no hidden agenda; in fact, it's actually quite public!  

One final note:  At the risk of trying to sound like a mini-prophet, woe to you who use God, and His holy name to justify sin, or make people feel uncomfortable about their place in this world.  In your proclamation, witness and dialogue, give them peace, faith, hope, and love.  Allow God to do the liberating!

On or Off... Sharing God Right Here, Right Now!

It's been a while... Actually it's been just too long since I've taken a real opportunity to share and reflect on what it means to be "Greg" on this little planet of ours. That's what these Blogs are for, right? Share yourself with a world that pops in to see what's what about the people who offer a piece of themselves and their lives as a witness of what it is that makes them tick... I've been blessed today to participate in the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) as a workshop presenter. I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Anne Marie Cribbin, Parish Youth Minister in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.. She also serves the Church as a motivational speaker and story-teller... It was a joy serving today with her. Back to my opening thought... My purpose and the purpose I'd like to suggest for all those that do this digital stuff, is to use this opportunity to continue sharing all that is you, so as to further the Kingdom of God! We'll talk more later as to what that can mean, especially those "popping in" that aren't interested in God these days. We are called to be prophets of hope, and not doom. We need to be instruments of change, and peace, not evil. This is our challenge and this is our opportunity. This was the subject of our workshops today, and this was our privaledge. We shared the challenge to our young Church that, as disciples of Jesus Christ, every tool, every gadget, and every moment can be one of simply sharing the love of God. It's never been a complex principle to me, just a tough thing to start. Everything we do on blogs, or FB, or over on Twitter can simply be the continuation of the Word of God, and Truth of the Gospel. Anyway, thanks for the rumblings. Peace!

Return to Sender

We have seen for ourselves, and can testify, that the Father has sent the Son as savior of the world. When anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God. 1 John 4:14-15

What does this passage say to you?
Does it give YOU the exclusive "Get Out of Jail Free" card?
Is Jesus the "Way, the Truth and the life"?
What message do you think I am really trying to share by simply offering this quote?

In an attempt to continue the preparation for the project I am working on, I am illustrating the simple concept of Sender -> Message -> Receiver. I am also challenging the implied intent of both sender and receiver as compared with the intended meaning of the original message. In other words, what was the intended message of the writer of 1 John 4: 14-15 as compared to the way I want to use that message as it's "sender"? Also, how do YOU, the receiver, perceive the intent of ME the sender, and that of the writer of 1 John 4: 14-15?

So, this is the reason why we converse with one another, and not just tell one another absolute facts to be trusted. It is extremely important that you allow people to process information, and reply with attempts to understanding that information. The give and take of conversation and time always reveals the truth and "The Truth". Sharing a reading from Scripture like this is designed to be a "door opener" for people, and not just a statement of fact. It invites folks to consider The Way to understanding God's place in their lives, especially as exemplified in the life of the "sender".

So let it be...

Sender -> Message -> Receiver
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