Sunday January 29th Reflection

Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD!

A Reflection for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
www.franciscansdivinemercy.org


Based On readings from; Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Psalm 111, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28






I have chosen to use the words from Psalm 111 for this week’s reflection’s theme because I feel strongly that in today’s world we need to give thanks to Almighty God and especially Praise God not only in our words but actively in our daily actions. Psalm 111 begins with these words; “Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.”


Notice the passage suggests that we offer our praise and thanksgiving, not in the private space of our home, but in the midst of the “upright in the congregation”. Clearly this would indicate that we should participate actively within a faith community and continue living and proclaiming it in public for everyone to observe and understand that we are not ashamed of our love of God.


So why should we want to give God praise and thanksgiving?


We need to praise and thank God because He sent us His beloved son to suffer and die the undignified and demeaning death on a cross so we could gain everlasting life.


Just as the psalm says in verse nine; “He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name”.


The psalm then continues in verse ten with what I believe to be very important words to ponder upon; “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.”


Let us not be confused by the wording here, “The fear of the lord” is not the kind of fear we associate with phobias or horror but it means to be in awe of the majesty, wonder and power of God. The Psalm tells us that when we begin to have that kind of wonder or fear of God we have begun to walk the road toward achieving wisdom. With wisdom comes responsibility, a responsibility to live our faith in not only word but in our deeds.


Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians expands on this idea of wisdom and what is important in our relationship with Almighty God. Paul writes "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.


Please notice that LOVE is the key or the one thing that strengthens us. “Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him”… “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge…. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. Paul then goes on to speak about how we who believe have to be careful not to lead others, who do not fully know or understand the truth we are privy to, astray because they see us doing something and assume it is OK. Paul uses the eating of food that was offered in the temple for one of the Roman or Greek Gods as his analogy; “For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols?”


I believe that Paul is suggesting that any actions a follower of Jesus Christ, especially one who is supposed to be God’s servant here on earth, might engage in like; molesting minors, having palatial homes and vacation resorts, designer clothes, bejeweled and elaborate vestments and churches while ignoring the plight of the poor and aged while seeking the approval of others is totally inconsistent with Christ’s teachings and therefore makes their claim to be a “Christian” of follower of Christ invalid.


Paul also reminds us that; “But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.”


Let us remember that, in actuality, every person on the face of the earth is a member of our family.


Every individual regardless of their race, nationality, creed, marital condition or sexuality is a child of God and therefore our brothers and sisters in Christ.


When we fail to care of those in need, wage war against any nation to gain power, when we allow genocide to occur in any place, deny anyone adequate and equal pay to any person because of their gender or nationality, when we promote greed and avarice for personal gain or exclude anyone from giving praise and thanksgiving to God in the “congregation” we are sinning against Christ.


When we Sin against Christ, we Sin against Almighty God and we most certainly are not giving God praise and thanksgiving no matter how many times we go to church or how often we say prayers if our actions do not back up those things.


Paul ends his letter with these words “Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall”.


Being a Christian or follower of Christ is not just a series of Rites and words but a total package.


To be a follower of Christ means that you live your life completely in the manner that Christ, the first Apostles and martyrs, St. Francis, St. Benedict, Blessed Damien of Molokai, Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Teresa of Calcutta and so many other saints did, not for you own self interests and personal gratification but by a total giving of your self for the betterment of all those around you.


That is how we “Praise the LORD! And give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” meaning in the face of the entire world for all to see by our actions and hear in our words. AMEN