vive la difference!
"When will the new moon be over?" —Amos 8:5
Like worshippers in Amos' time, many of today's worshippers think: "When will church be over? Then I can:
- watch the ball games,
- go see a movie,
- tell my neighbor how much I dislike my priest's homilies,
- get something to eat,
- do my own thing, or
- remind God what a sacrifice it is to be at church today."
After we heed the call of Jesus to "go and learn the meaning of the words: 'It is mercy I desire and not sacrifice' " (Mt 9:13), then our worship changes. During Mass, we think: "When church is over, I can:
- tell my family that I love them,
- share Jesus with my neighbors, even with the outcast (Mt 9:10),
- thank and encourage my priest (see Heb 13:17),
- follow Jesus (Mt 9:9),
- show mercy to someone who has hurt me (Mt 9:13), and
- let God know how grateful I am for His mercy to me."
Do you see what Jesus means when He points out the difference between heartfelt mercy and sacrifice?
Prayer: "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine."
Promise: "Happy are they who observe His decrees, who seek Him with all their heart." —Ps 119:2
Praise: St. Elizabeth didn't wait until her husband treated her well to love him. She loved him as he was with all his faults and sinfulness.
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 4, 2008
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