being fed

One of my morning Mass buddies... we first "noticed" each other a couple of summers ago when we were the only white people at the "black" church that we like to go to...and then realized that we are often at Daily Mass together at various parishes... - anyway, she often says that she goes to Mass where she is "fed".

The last couple of days have been rich, indeed.  Yesterday was the Gospel from Matthew where the chief priests (religiously devout of the day) were trying to trip up Jesus by asking him by what authority he did things.  He turned the tables on them, and eventually refused to answer, since he knew it was a no-win.  Father says it was decision time for those chief priests and elders - would they accept Jesus or not?  They refused.  We face the same decision.  Do we accept his authority? 

Later in the homily he said that sometimes we do not understand our own motivations for some of the things we do.  He compared that to being "strangers in your own house", and said that the Lord can reveal to you motivations and things you don't know... Good news, I suppose!

My favorite line from the homily, though:  The Lord did not come to bring us a holiday!  He came to change our lives.  [if we let him...]  So many get so wrapped up in the trappings of the holiday...

Today's Mass was at a different parish with a different priest.  He spoke some about St. John of the Cross, whose feast day it was today.  The readings were different than the ones in the misallette; relating to the cross.   The homily told how St. John became detached even from the things of nature which he loved a great deal. We were cautioned about getting so attached to God's gifts that we put them in the place of God.  I had never heard that line of thinking before, and thought that was an interesting

Editing to add this bit that was in this priest's column in the bulletin:   "...our longing for God can easily get overwhelmed by our wants and desires for things...not just material goods...I mean also things like peace and serenity and health and happiness and holiness and generosity and forgiveness.  So often when I even begin to open my heart to God, it is because I want/need/desire that I receive those things.  Is there perhaps a deeper need that extends to simply wanting God, rather than settling for what God gives to me?  Instead of a prayer that cries out, "I need this" or "I want that", might our prayer simply be, "I need you"?  Are we living in a longing for God's gifts, rather than the simplicity of a longing for God?...May our hearts be filled with a passionate desire for God.  ~Fr. KL