26th Sunday Mission over "my" way
At the End of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples to GO and spread the Good New
At the End of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples GO spread the Good News
At the End of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that the Gospel is to be proclaimed to all the nations.
Our mission as Catholics, is to GO and spread the Good news of Jesus Christ, the Good News that we have experienced for ourselves.
It is wonderful. This our mission. If any of us want to have truly a lively faith, a faith that just energizes us, this is the way; live out the mission.
This is what St. Teresa of Calcutta did. This is what St. Francis of Assisi did This is the work of Fr. Greg Boyle with the gangs of Los Angeles. This is our work through Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada. There are many other ways.
Here’s the danger, it is what I also preached about last week: that darn ego of ours.
We wrap our own egos around the mission, and instead of the mission being about helping others, it becomes about us. We have to do it “my” way. “My” way is the correct and best way. This is “my” ministry.
This applies to lay persons, nuns, priests, deacons, bishops, Cardinals. It weakens us as Church, as diocese, as parish when we all get fixated on "MY" way of doing this is the one way and the correct way.
And people suffer for it. And we need to cut it off, pluck out those egotistical ways.
One of the best experiences I ever had was when we were building the new church at St. Robert Bellarmine in Fernley. Our building committee had around 8 persons. We met on a regular basis to discuss, plan and recommend during the building. I had heard horror stories from other parishes about fights, literally fights, during such meetings. So I was apprehensive when we first formed. However, our committee kept in front of us the larger goal. When we disagreed with others we kept it respectful, and in the end, a compromise was made that was brilliant. It was an awesome experience in the end.
Coming together as Catholics, being true to our mission and to our name, means that we check the egos at the door, we listen, we give and we take, all for the greater glory of God, through our work for others.
It means we may not personally agree with a means that serves our mission, it may not be our way of doing it, but we respect it in others. We look at the fruits, and if it truly helps others, then it is good.
This is what Jesus tells his disciples in the Gospel, get over yourself, this is not about you. This is about the mission. People are being helped, that is what matters.
There is so much to do for our world, there are so many people who are hurting, who are wounded, who are seeking, who are lost, who are hurting themselves, who are hurting others...
So how’s it going?
At the End of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples GO spread the Good News
At the End of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that the Gospel is to be proclaimed to all the nations.
Our mission as Catholics, is to GO and spread the Good news of Jesus Christ, the Good News that we have experienced for ourselves.
So how’s it going?
The name “Catholic” comes from a Greek word meaning “universal”. The meaning not necessarily that that Catholics are to be everywhere, but that Catholics are for everyone one. We Catholics naturally are to be inclusive.
How many of us know that there are actually different “flavors” of Catholics? We here in the Diocese of Reno, in this parish of Our Lady of the Snows are the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. That is our flavor, our Rite.
There are other Catholics who belong to different Rites, the Eastern Rites, and several of us serve here.
I am from the Ruthenian Rite of the Eastern Rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Our Indian priests who serve here are from Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankar Rites. I know of one parishioner who was raised in the Melkite Rite. There may be others hidden, because we can blend.
The name “Catholic” comes from a Greek word meaning “universal”. The meaning not necessarily that that Catholics are to be everywhere, but that Catholics are for everyone one. We Catholics naturally are to be inclusive.
How many of us know that there are actually different “flavors” of Catholics? We here in the Diocese of Reno, in this parish of Our Lady of the Snows are the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. That is our flavor, our Rite.
There are other Catholics who belong to different Rites, the Eastern Rites, and several of us serve here.
I am from the Ruthenian Rite of the Eastern Rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Our Indian priests who serve here are from Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankar Rites. I know of one parishioner who was raised in the Melkite Rite. There may be others hidden, because we can blend.
My point is that there is more than one way of being and living as Catholic.
Yet, our goal is the same, to experience the Father’s love in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and then to share that experience with others, so that all may have an experience of God’s love and by this our world is changed for the better. Our goal is to GO!
Even within our Latin Rite, there are so many different ways, different spiritualities, many different approaches.
All with the goal of GOING our and helping those who are hurting, those who are wounded, those who are in harm’s way; helping people to know that they are loved and we will walk with them. These are the little ones of the world
Yet, our goal is the same, to experience the Father’s love in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and then to share that experience with others, so that all may have an experience of God’s love and by this our world is changed for the better. Our goal is to GO!
Even within our Latin Rite, there are so many different ways, different spiritualities, many different approaches.
All with the goal of GOING our and helping those who are hurting, those who are wounded, those who are in harm’s way; helping people to know that they are loved and we will walk with them. These are the little ones of the world
It is wonderful. This our mission. If any of us want to have truly a lively faith, a faith that just energizes us, this is the way; live out the mission.
This is what St. Teresa of Calcutta did. This is what St. Francis of Assisi did This is the work of Fr. Greg Boyle with the gangs of Los Angeles. This is our work through Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada. There are many other ways.
Here’s the danger, it is what I also preached about last week: that darn ego of ours.
We wrap our own egos around the mission, and instead of the mission being about helping others, it becomes about us. We have to do it “my” way. “My” way is the correct and best way. This is “my” ministry.
This applies to lay persons, nuns, priests, deacons, bishops, Cardinals. It weakens us as Church, as diocese, as parish when we all get fixated on "MY" way of doing this is the one way and the correct way.
And people suffer for it. And we need to cut it off, pluck out those egotistical ways.
One of the best experiences I ever had was when we were building the new church at St. Robert Bellarmine in Fernley. Our building committee had around 8 persons. We met on a regular basis to discuss, plan and recommend during the building. I had heard horror stories from other parishes about fights, literally fights, during such meetings. So I was apprehensive when we first formed. However, our committee kept in front of us the larger goal. When we disagreed with others we kept it respectful, and in the end, a compromise was made that was brilliant. It was an awesome experience in the end.
Coming together as Catholics, being true to our mission and to our name, means that we check the egos at the door, we listen, we give and we take, all for the greater glory of God, through our work for others.
It means we may not personally agree with a means that serves our mission, it may not be our way of doing it, but we respect it in others. We look at the fruits, and if it truly helps others, then it is good.
This is what Jesus tells his disciples in the Gospel, get over yourself, this is not about you. This is about the mission. People are being helped, that is what matters.There is so much to do for our world, there are so many people who are hurting, who are wounded, who are seeking, who are lost, who are hurting themselves, who are hurting others...
There are many young persons looking for meaning, for truth, searching to know themselves.
The way of Christ heals. The way of Christ strengthens. It provides light, direction and meaning
In God we find our truest selves.
This is salvation. This is the gift we can offer.
There are so many ways we can do this. There is no ONE way, nor ONE special method.
For some, it means a more rigid discipline, others that more less structured.
Some it is lots of lively music, others need quiet contemplation.
We are in this together, and together, as a parish, as a diocese, as a worldwide church, we truly can be for everyone, be catholic, be present.
We can Go and do our mission.
This is salvation. This is the gift we can offer.
There are so many ways we can do this. There is no ONE way, nor ONE special method.
For some, it means a more rigid discipline, others that more less structured.
Some it is lots of lively music, others need quiet contemplation.
We are in this together, and together, as a parish, as a diocese, as a worldwide church, we truly can be for everyone, be catholic, be present.
We can Go and do our mission.
So how’s it going?
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