Daily Reflection for Thursday January 28, 2021
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners
We encourage you to reflect on Thursday’s readings at this link: CLICK HERE
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Hebrews 10:19-25
Responsorial: Psalm 24: 1-6
Gospel: Mark 4: 21-25
Our reflection on Thursday’s readings:
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy. We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works. Hebrews 10: 23-24
When I first began coming to St. Monica’s nearly 20 years ago, one of the things that really drew me in was the emphasis on social justice and service to the community. It was a community that seemed to try to live out the Christian mission to love your neighbor and sincerely try to make this world a better place. I was inspired by the words of Fr. Paul Koetter and Fr. Pat Beidelman and the actions of Jean Galanti and others in the RCIA program to seek out my role in that Christian mission and get more involved in the work of the parish. My wife and I joined a small church community along with my RCIA sponsor and her husband where I met others who demonstrated still more ways to serve their community—counseling the addicted, reaching out to those in prison, volunteering in local schools and even dressing up as Santa at Christmas time.
Up to that point in time, I had always seen my faith as something for me. It was about putting my soul at ease and seeking my salvation. So many of my fellow parishioners made clear to me that this Christian life is about more than that. It took their actions, and a whole lot of Holy Spirit, for the words of St. Paul and Jesus to sink in. The love of God is something to be shared, not secreted away for my benefit. I was moved to look outside of myself by the actions of my fellow parishioners and it floored me. I was, and still am, humbled by the selflessness, humility, and love that I see all around me in this faith community.
In a world that needs hope and love more than ever, take a minute to think about those individuals that help keep the hope of Christ alive in you and have roused you to love and good works. Give thanks to God for their example and think about how you can be that example for someone else.
Peace and blessings,
Pete Kuester