<TW>Weekend of 18 and 19 July 2009
- From: "Fr. Pat Umberger" <frpat@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Fr. Pat Umberger" <frpat@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:31:44 -0500
.=: T H I S W E E K E N D :=.
from Father Pat Umberger
__________________________________________________
.=: V O L U M E 2 0 0 9 , Number 07-19 :=.
.=: T H I S W E E K E N D ' S S C R I P T U R E S :=.
The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B.
Weekend of 18 and 19 July 2009
.=: R E F L E C T I O N Q U E S T I O N S :-.
"I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need
no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing, says the LORD." When
have we been under the power of someone who caused us to fear and tremble?
Would we ever cause that reaction in another? How could we become better
"shepherds?"
"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want." If the Lord is
truly our shepherd is there anything we should want? How can we trust more
fully in the Lord's providence?
"Brothers and sisters: In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become
near by the blood of Christ." Is this true for us? Who might be the ones
who feel far off today, the ones we might bring nearer to the Lord?
"He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who
were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father."
How do all of us have access to the Father these days? How could we act as
"shepherds" to make the Spirit more accessible to those who are far off?
He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a
while." When do we need to get away and rest awhile? Can we truly be
effective in our work and ministry if we don't take time for rest, for
prayer and for communion with God?
"When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity
for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach
them many things." When have we felt overwhelmed by our responsibilities,
yet responsible for expending even more energy? Does it help us to know that
Jesus found himself in the same position? Where can we get more strength
when we find ourselves in that situation?
How are these Scriptures comforting? Challenging?
.=: S P I R I T U A L R E F L E C T I O N :=.
Jesus said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a
while." It's Summertime! Some of us will have the luxury of spending some
time away by ourselves. Perhaps we have scheduled a vacation. We might be
able to spend some time fishing. The weather is conducive to enjoying God's
gift of nature. We can relish this time away.
Our lives need to be balanced. We can't rest all the time any more than we
can work all the time. We need both, no doubt about it. We needn't feel
guilty about taking time for ourselves. Still, we have responsibilities. It
might seem that every time we think we'll have some time something comes up
and demands that time. That can be very frustrating. Families are
challenged by games, lessons and all kinds of things. Sometimes it can seem
like Summer is even busier than winter.
It helps to know we are being taken care of by God. We can remember that
when the "Lord is our shepherd, there is nothing we shall want." As we relax
in God's care we can receive all we need. On the other hand we need to be
good shepherds to others as well. Our first reading talks about shepherds
who engender fear and trembling. We may have been in the presence of
someone who brought about those feelings in us. Sometimes it's even those
closest to us. We need to be sure to be good shepherds, leading patiently
mostly by our example.
"Brothers and sisters: In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become
near by the blood of Christ." We need to be close to the Lord. We gain
this closeness through our times of prayer and thankfulness. When we feel
far off it's often because we're not devoting that kind of time to God. We
need to be on the lookout for others who are far from God as well. Summer
can be a good time to invite them closer again. We might invite them to
Church with us before a special brunch or picnic. We might be sure to pray
before the meals we share with them. We might share with them the strength
we receive through practicing our faith.
"When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity
for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach
them many things." Jesus found himself with more demands just as he and his
disciples were nearly overwhelmed with busyness and responsibility. Jesus
allowed his disciples to spend some time by himself while he himself
continued to lead those who were like sheep without a shepherd. God gave
him the grace and energy to continue. When we seem overwhelmed even as
others rest, God will provide the same for us.
This week we can consider those who might be far from the Lord and how we
might help them draw closer again. We can take a look at our lives and make
sure we're scheduling leisure and prayer as well as work. We can consider
too, how we are shepherds to those around us. We can resolve not to elicit
fear and trembling, but faith and safety. Have a good week!
(c)MMIX Fr. Pat Umberger. This Spiritual Reflection is found each week at
the Web Site www.frpat.com. Feel free to link to this page or reproduce them
for parish use as long as this credit remains.
__________________________________________________
<TW>This Weekend is free, and comes from:
Father Pat Umberger, a priest of the Diocese of La Crosse
in Wisconsin U.S.A.
Web Site: www.frpat.com
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