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Gospel of Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
Jesus said to them,
“Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the
builders rejected
has become the
cornerstone;
by the Lord has
this been done,
and it is wonderful
in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to
you,the Kingdom of God
will be taken away from you and given to a
people that will produce its fruit.”When the chief
priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he
was speaking about them.
Pinned into a corner Have you ever felt trapped, pinned into a corner not able to breathe much less think or strategize your next move? A boss assigns you work with a tight deadline. Debt collectors harass you with phone calls. Your children make unreasonable demands of your time and wallet. Your husband or wife gives you an ultimatum: either change or it's divorce court. You're unable to free yourself from that tiny little corner of burden, stress, and anxiety. It feels like bricks and mortar cave in all around turning your sensitive flesh into a pile of rubble.
Do you feel rejected? I attended confession last night at a sister parish. It was a very bad confession. I thought the priest didn't seem all that interested in what I had to say. I guess I was too dull and boring. He was too busy putting on hand lotion and drinking sips out of his water bottle. He interrupted me by giving me a penance before I even finished speaking. (Grrr.....Not good!) He said that my "sins" weren't really "sins." Also, he implied what I told him was a bunch of nonsense. As C.S. Lewis once wrote: "Nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God.” I took my penance and left totally frustrated and annoyed. I've never been to confession when a priest told me my sin wasn't a sin. Moreover, I never left confession thinking a priest didn't want me there as if I was annoying, not worth the time to deal with. In my mind I thought: "Wow, this is unbelievable! I don't think Jesus Christ would treat me like this priest did. He certainly wouldn't rush through confession because he needed to leave early for another appointment. (Maybe some time management skills would be applicable?) He'd never discount my word or insert his own egocentric commentary. He'd understand the difficulty in speaking clearly and coherently with a mind going wild with guilt and frustration. I needed comfort and peace, not immediate judgment and a quick send off as if I need to be hauled off to a slave ship!"
Wonderful to the eyes With Jesus' help, we begin to recognize our wonderful blessings. Yes, there are times when we're placed in a difficult "corner" and have to make immediate decisions. Hopefully, we've already prepared for the cornerstone moment. We've prayed, fasted, meditated, and gone to confession. We are aware of what we've done and what we need to do. Count on our Lord to guide us through our difficulties. He will not leave us alone to fend for ourselves. Our Lord wants all of us to bear much fruit. Fruit encompasses faith, love, hope and charity. Fruit is delicious to eat and beneficial for our spiritual health.
Let us take the time to thoroughly analyze our spiritual lives. Are we praying? Are we participating in the sacraments regularly? Are we able to let go of situations that may affect us emotionally? Are we able to forgive those who have offended us? Are we able to love and cherish everyone, even those who may reject us?
Let us strive to enter the Kingdom of God! It's one tough journey but well worth it!
-J.
Pinned into a corner Have you ever felt trapped, pinned into a corner not able to breathe much less think or strategize your next move? A boss assigns you work with a tight deadline. Debt collectors harass you with phone calls. Your children make unreasonable demands of your time and wallet. Your husband or wife gives you an ultimatum: either change or it's divorce court. You're unable to free yourself from that tiny little corner of burden, stress, and anxiety. It feels like bricks and mortar cave in all around turning your sensitive flesh into a pile of rubble.
Do you feel rejected? I attended confession last night at a sister parish. It was a very bad confession. I thought the priest didn't seem all that interested in what I had to say. I guess I was too dull and boring. He was too busy putting on hand lotion and drinking sips out of his water bottle. He interrupted me by giving me a penance before I even finished speaking. (Grrr.....Not good!) He said that my "sins" weren't really "sins." Also, he implied what I told him was a bunch of nonsense. As C.S. Lewis once wrote: "Nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God.” I took my penance and left totally frustrated and annoyed. I've never been to confession when a priest told me my sin wasn't a sin. Moreover, I never left confession thinking a priest didn't want me there as if I was annoying, not worth the time to deal with. In my mind I thought: "Wow, this is unbelievable! I don't think Jesus Christ would treat me like this priest did. He certainly wouldn't rush through confession because he needed to leave early for another appointment. (Maybe some time management skills would be applicable?) He'd never discount my word or insert his own egocentric commentary. He'd understand the difficulty in speaking clearly and coherently with a mind going wild with guilt and frustration. I needed comfort and peace, not immediate judgment and a quick send off as if I need to be hauled off to a slave ship!"
Wonderful to the eyes With Jesus' help, we begin to recognize our wonderful blessings. Yes, there are times when we're placed in a difficult "corner" and have to make immediate decisions. Hopefully, we've already prepared for the cornerstone moment. We've prayed, fasted, meditated, and gone to confession. We are aware of what we've done and what we need to do. Count on our Lord to guide us through our difficulties. He will not leave us alone to fend for ourselves. Our Lord wants all of us to bear much fruit. Fruit encompasses faith, love, hope and charity. Fruit is delicious to eat and beneficial for our spiritual health.
Let us take the time to thoroughly analyze our spiritual lives. Are we praying? Are we participating in the sacraments regularly? Are we able to let go of situations that may affect us emotionally? Are we able to forgive those who have offended us? Are we able to love and cherish everyone, even those who may reject us?
Let us strive to enter the Kingdom of God! It's one tough journey but well worth it!
-J.
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