God gives us a sense who we are to be, where we are to go

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

A reflection on the daily readings, for Saturday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

+ Be alert! Stay in readiness!

The day will come upon you!

Stay sober and keep your eyes and ears and hearts open!

+ The message is clear. Faith means not only believing in but also believing in something.

God, I think, is not looking for faithless faith. That is, God does not seek people of faith who are not understanding and most of all loving.

It is not about keeping laws and regulations for their own self.

No!

It is in living laws with the heart and soul and finding God’s guidance and protection and wholeness and love and purpose in the order and harmony that arise out of and from those laws and commands.

A group of people — any group of people — has got to have some order and sense of direction to keep them focused on the good and the possible.

Daniel points to despot societies that were all about power and control; and wealth and subjugation — and always, those societies eventually fell.

They are just like ugly and mean beasts, trying to devour everything in their pathway.

But as we “praise and exalt” the Holy One of God who is and always will be and seeks our hearts, souls, love, devotion, our compassion, and caring and justice — always justice — now we get a sense of who we are to be and where we are to go.

Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.