A reflection on the daily readings, for Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.
+Mary Poppins was quite good at giving advice to help things along, as in the song, “A Spoonful of Sugar.”
Good advice makes life better and often a little easier.
The letter of Hebrews comes to a close in this 13th chapter with good advice to help this Christian community live a good, wholesome, and holy life.
Not only advice, but the hope of blessings and goodness and pleasing oneness with the Lord Jesus, and a sharing in the glory of God.
This advice was itself a blessing, and offered hope and promise through the living out in faith all that the Gospel of Jesus the Christ calls us to.
+ Jesus himself noted how much need there was to share in a special call to follow — to hear — to discover Gospel life.
He noted how people sometimes get lost and wander around like “sheep without a shepherd”; they were drawn to Jesus, they sought after his teaching.
But faith, unlike Mary Poppins’ advice, has got to go deeper.
Faith requires a deep listening with the heart and soul. Faith assumes that we are hearing someone’s voice and following. Faith requires openness to change and transformation, a willingness to be surprised and enlightened and made new.
This word today is rather simple and straightforward.
Does it call us? Does it offer new life?
Does it open the ears of our hearts and move us to praise our God and seek to share in his glory?
Do we hear his voice and truly know that he knows us, and do we follow?
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.
