FROM THE PASTOR Dear Friends of Saint Kevin, It is not always easy to be a Christian. Sometimes our beliefs are not very popular with the rest of society. Sometimes, it may seem easier to relax at home or go to the ball game, rather than go to church. It may be more fashionable to dress in the latest trend than to dress modestly. It may feel better to buy that more expensive home than to provide for the homeless. It may seem more polite to stay silent than to defend our faith. In today’s readings, we encounter people who have to make choices. At God’s direction, the prophet Elijah chooses Elisha as his successor. But first Elisha provides for his family, and then follows the prophet. Paul urges the Galatians to reflect on the gospel message as a truer path to salvation, they must think beyond the Mosaic Law and suppress their own selfish desires of the flesh; instead, they are to live according to the Spirit. As always, Jesus is a model of firm resolve. When his disciples came to a Samaritan village, a place typically not hospitable to Jews, they were not welcomed because Jesus’ destination was Jerusalem. The disciples may have wanted revenge, but they journeyed on. Like the poor and marginalized with whom he empathized, Jesus had no place to rest his head; and he journeyed on. Along the way, Jesus encounters other potential followers who want to bury the dead and say farewell to family. Jesus recognizes that their personal interests, though valid, may conflict with a commitment to follow him; and so he journeyed on. And where was he going? He was going to Jerusalem to meet his passion and death. He was going to fulfill the will of his Father. Nothing deterred him. We, too, are on a journey toward heaven. Each day we will encounter valid responsibilities with family and work, with leisure and societal pressures. At out Baptism, we were each called to live lives of holiness as followers of Christ. This takes a new way of thinking, a new way of listening, and a new way of living. It requires knowledge of the Gospel; it requires participation in a community of other believers; it requires God’s grace. God has provided for all our needs. So, focused on our eternal destination, let us continue our journey. Sincerely in Christ, Father John C. Moloney
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 13:00:32 +0000
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