St. Mary's Catholic Church of Tomahawk, WI

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We are in the twenty first ordinary Sunday of year C. The first reading is a universal call to worship God in Jerusalem. The two divine aspects that provide foundation for this universal call is the gathering of the nations where the foreign nations will worship the one, true God and the second is that God’s glory is revealed through his creative power and his supernatural knowledge of all people. What a privilege for us to gather every Sunday to worship God together with the universal Church. How do we consider it?

The second reading presents understanding times of trials as discipline. The interpretative keys for this understanding are trust in God and the value of wisdom. Discipline does not necessarily indicate that we are being punished but that we are being trained by it. It emphasizes the need to endure tribulations and trust in God’s way. In doing so, we will achieve joy, peace and healing. Do we try to engage in disciplining ourselves and help others to discipline, especially children?

In the Gospel Jesus’ words offer a warning against falling into one of the more subtle trails, that of complacency. It presents the difference between acquaintances and friends. Those who turn away from the Lord are those who know Him on a superficial and social level. On the other hand, those who are welcomed are those who mark a deeper commitment to the lasting relationship with Him. They are the ones who will be allowed to enter into the Kingdom of God. To which category do we wish to be?

Fr. Aloysius Royan Anthony