IF we took St. Paul's words to heart, in the second reading (to the Phillippians) today: and we spend more time rather than less thinking about what is really true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent and worthy of praise - then the peace of God which surpasses all understanding would guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus in ever increasing measure – and we would know better how to deal with all life's challenges and sometimes difficult choices.
In both the first and third readings (the third being the Gospel Passage) it is clear that God has entrusted us with the care of a vineyard – the vineyard of our own personal and family affairs as we move toward eternal life – the vineyard of the Church's affairs as it is the pre-eminent aid in our journey – the vineyard of the world around us in which we as members of the Church are to make an impact as we help effect the transformation and redemption of everyone, everywhere!
It is true that there are many "out there" who wish to impede our task, our mission, our work. "The world" with its self-absorbed spirit of selfishness is pulling us one way; the Church is offering us a counterweight - if we choose to use it! The Church can help us to keep focused: to keep thinking about what is really true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent and worthy of praise - so that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding can now and always stand guard over our hearts and minds through the teaching and spiritual presence and food that comes from Christ Jesus!
This teaching and spiritual presence and food is what rightly forms our consciences as Catholic Christians. If we view everything in our lives through the filter of a rightly formed conscience – which we obtain most fully through homilies, catechesis, the reception of the sacraments (especially Eucharist and Penance), and the give and take of Spirit-guided discussions and discernment processes of the Catholic Church– then even the most important issues - such as the right to life; the dignity of all human persons from conception - throughout each and every moment of life - to natural death, the right to work, the right to a just wage, the right to dissent, the right to exercise free-will according to God's own will and way (which we have been talking about for the last couple of weeks) – (all of these issues) can be approached and dealt with in a calm and peaceable way – with a peace that even surpasses all human understanding.
If we fix our eyes on Jesus (and especially him crucified, as St. Paul tells us over and over again) – we will know what to do and have the power to do it!
I have chosen you, from the world, says the Lord, to go and bear fruit that will remain.
We recommit ourselves to you, today, Lord Jesus, to be open to the task at hand of conducting our lives in a way that pleases you, and brings dignity to others and to ourselves – and that will merit us your praise and blessing when you return one day to settle up accounts in the vineyard you have leased out to us!
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