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Musings for Sun. August 4, the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time
As Roman Catholics, we often ask ourselves questions about God’s existence, about Jesus; did he really die and was he really raised from the dead; do we have to go to Church every Sunday and why? Do we really have to go to confession to have our sins forgiven? Do we have to baptize our children?
We come from a long tradition of questioning, of doubt, of wanting our questions answered. We don’t like to do things just because someone said we should or just because everyone else is doing them.
In the Gospel this weekend, Jesus and the disciples have gone looking for a place to rest. The crowds, wanting more after being fed with the bread and fish (remember the gospel last weekend), go in search of Jesus and the disciples. When they find Jesus, he challenges their motive for searching him out. He suggests that they are searching for him because they were fed bread. He encourages them to search for the food that will endure for eternal life, which they will receive from the Son of Man. They don’t know what to do with what Jesus tells them. So they ask Jesus a question and he responds.
28Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ 29Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’
When we believe in Jesus, we often respond by nurturing a relationship with him. We then search the scriptures to know more about him. We want to be like him. We want to do what he does. Jesus loves, forgives and heals. When we believe in Jesus we too will love, forgive and heal. It is not up to us to judge or condemn or exclude. Our work is to love, to forgive and to heal. God is the one who judges. As we get to know Jesus, we will perform the works of God!
Something from the Parish
Baptism – On Sunday, July 28, we celebrated the sacrament of Baptism with Pax Cyrenne, Scottie Mortensen and Avelyn Tuazon. We are delighted to welcome them into our community of faith. Please pray for them and their families as they grow in faith. |
