21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Deacon Tim’s Column
August 23, 2009

All of us have options. In the first reading, Joshua asked the people to decide who they would serve, the false gods of their fathers or the one true God. In a similar manner, in the Gospel selection from John, Jesus’ disciples said that his teaching was hard, both about eating his body and drinking his blood but also his teaching in general. Because of this, many of his disciples turned away from him, they just couldn’t make that leap of faith. Peter though, when given the choice said “you have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the holy one of God.
Today we have the same options. We can accept Christ and his teachings or we can reject him. Occasionally we get caught up in the things of this world had lose sight of what path we should be on. In our hearts we know better, but sometimes we get bogged down and while not completely rejecting what Christ taught we kind of put it on hold. I guess that is part of our imperfect human nature.
In thinking about these things, I started to reminisce. Perhaps it’s because we’re getting to the end of the summer and school for many will be starting. I did a fast rewind to about 14 years ago. My oldest daughter left about mid-August to go to college. In my mind, I knew that she couldn’t be going to a better place. The academics were great, the location was incredible (Chicago) and the campus (right on Lake Michigan) couldn’t have been more beautiful. I knew she was doing what she wanted to do and was going to do it at a place that she really wanted to be at. I did fine until it came time to leave her at her dorm at Loyola. Despite the fact that I was thrilled that she was going there, that she was going to receive a great education and that it was truly the start of her adulthood, I had an extremely heavy heart. (Obviously a case of heart over mind.) In fact, after we dropped her off, I think I cried until we got back to Detroit…and then cried some more. After a while though, it started to sink in, talking to her and hearing how she was adapting was also helpful. Despite the fact that I knew I shouldn’t be sad, that I was extremely happy for her, it was hard to overcome those feelings of the first one leaving home.
I think it’s the same sometimes. There are so many times that I know what I should be doing, what I should be thinking but get side-tracked. It seems like the Spirit knows just when to give some not so subtle reminders of what I should be doing. All of us have choices. It’s up to us, though, to make the correct choices. We can’t do that in a vacuum. We need all the help that we can get through prayerful contemplation and by constantly reminding ourselves of what we should be doing, putting aside those personal feelings which conflict with the workings of the Spirit in our lives.
Grace and peace to you and your families.
Come Holy Spirit, grant us the Spirit of Counsel, that we may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining Heaven.
Deacon Tim 734-502-1818
deacontim@tds.net
http://shamrockdeacon/blogspot.com