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Daily Scripture

+ 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

Be wise but don’t be a ‘wise guy!’

Readings: I Corinthians 3:18-21 Psalm 24:1-4, 5-6 Luke 5:1-11

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: “God catches the wise in their own ruses,” and again: “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that are vain.”

Wisdom (Sophia) is a feminine attribute of God. True wisdom is rooted in deep faith and an abiding confidence in God’s abiding presence in all of creation and in the depth of our being. Wisdom comes from study, prayer and from the daily effort to live in God’s grace with Jesus as our mentor. Reason without faith leads to rationalization of our wants and desires. Reason combined with faith moves us to contemplation and moves us to probe and ponder the greatest mysteries of life that exceed the power of the human intellect to explicate or explain. That’s why poets, artists and composers are enable us to comprehend the qualities of God in nature, in the human body and in the qualities of a life lived in union with ultimate truth and beauty.

So we need to go to our prayer chair for at least twenty minutes at the beginning and end of every day. We need to walk among the trees and along the sea. We need to listen to music that stirs the soul and sing songs that touch the heart.

Only then can we be thoughtful people of measured speech and positive deeds.

Daily Scripture

Monday November 5, 2007

+ 31st Week in Ordinary Time

But hospitality is more than providing a meal.

Readings: Romans 11:29-36 Psalm 69:30-31, 33-34, 36 Luke 14:12-14

“When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” [Luke 14:14]

Yesterday at the conclusion of Mass at Assumption Parish, invitations were extended to the congregation to consider contributing to two different projects designed to help people who may never be able to pay back what we were asked to contribute.

A young boy born in Guatemala soon thereafter adopted by an American family extended the first invitation. The project was established by Joe Collins, a New Jersey licensed private investigator who visited Guatemala with his son, Darron. Joe witnessed first-hand the devastating extend of poverty in Guatemala and soon after began volunteering for an organization that gathers service teams to build homes for the poor. In 2004, Joe established “From Houses to Homes” to provide individual families with a better home and a fresh start in life.

Tom Johnson, a parishioner of Assumption who spends three months every year in Sierra Leone, West Africa, extended the second invitation. His project is called ‘Africa Surgery, Inc. Tom first visited Sierra Leone as a member of the Peace Corps. With the help of the Knights of Columbus, he is able to get surgical treatment for severely handicapped children by a medical team in Ghana. The K of C finances his travel and expenses. 100% of all donations are used directly for patient treatments.

As I read the today’s gospel, I thought immediately of these two invitations to provide not just a meal, but a life!

“From Houses to Homes – Guatemala info@fromhousestohomes.org”

“Africa Surgery, In. – website: africasurgery.org (no ‘www’ in front)