Acts 17: Uproar – Part I
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
A Favorite from September 28, 2009.
The Apostle Paul causes uproar wherever he goes in the name of Christ. He ruffles feathers. He points out inconsistencies. He speaks convincingly and with authority as one who has been on both sides of the argument. He inspires faith, hope and charity in some, jealousy in others. As with the story of David we understand that those who serve as God’s vessels will always be envied. This knowledge can discourage us from continuing in God’s service – or it can call us to bond with God even more strongly. The choice is always ours to make.
Yesterday’s Mass readings continue this same theme: Numbers 11:25-29, James 5:1-6, and Mark 9:38-48. And there are these from yesterday’s Morning Prayer: Matthew 6:19-20 and 1 Peter 1:17-19. They advise us that resentment will be a constant companion in this life and that we will want to learn to live without it here so as to not anticipate it in the next life. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . Store up treasures in heaven . . .
Each gesture and each word we enact in the world is our definitive representation of God. When we speak, or fail to speak, when we act, or fail to act, we bring God into our homes, our work and prayer places and our communities. What do our words and gestures say about who we are?
Image from: http://www.marketslant.com/articles/chaos-uk
The Noontimes 