Fr. Bob’s Corner

These two poems (source unknown) reflect the admonition from Jesus this weekend to stay alert:

NO TIME

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The Gospel this weekend encourages us to see Jesus in all those that suffer. What would our parishes, our cities, etc. be like, “if we allowed those most in need to determine our words and our actions,” asks one of the commentators in our Sunday Missal (Living with Christ). An interesting question in deed, and one we should all probably think about.

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I’m posting an interesting site with lots of pictures depecting suffering humanity in America. I’m sure there are many such sites, but I found this one, as I searched on the net for artistic expressions of Jesus. Maybe, you really don’t need to see these pictures, with all the suffering we see on the media, but sometimes we begin to shut down because of over-exposure. All of us need to remind ourselves when we see individuals in suffering that we need to see Jesus, and have been told by Jesus to pray for and help those in need. I have to warn everyone that some of these pictures are kind of upsetting, graphic, and even quite lurid. The exercise or challenge I am proposing is to ask yourself, if you can see Jesus in the people you see. Quite a challenge! See Pictures

PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

” I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground” (Matt.25)Did the one who hid the one talent really fear his master, or is this just his excuse for doing nothing? Either way, Jesus makes it quite clear in this parable that we will be held accountable. Each one of us has been blessed with gifts and talents which Jesus asks Christians to use to spread the good news and to bring hope and the blessings of God’s Kingdom to the world. For various reasons many of these gifts and talents never get used. Some times we are fearful, other times we feel inadeqate, and at other times we have too many other priorites, or we don’t act because we don’t think it will be appreciated or make a difference anyway. We might even decide to hide our talent because we don’t think it is our job (our responsibility) to do something that we should know needs to be done. ( No one asked me, is our excuse and rationale) Yet, the parable this Sunday makes it abundantly clear that Jesus asks and expects each of us to make a difference. This Sunday let us let go of our fears-excuses and open our hearts to God’s Spirit and ask the Lord to help us examine and identify what we, as individuals, should each be doing. Let us also pray for the courage to participate and to truly give of our gifts and talents.

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