July 27, 2003
What’s your mission?
Sommer
in the Summer
I’ve still got a few dates over the next three weeks when , I’ve
got a chance to get together in parishioner’s homes to get to know
people better and to talk about whatever issues or questions people
have about life, God, the church, etc.
I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’ve gotten to know
some really wonderful people and I’ve eaten some really great desserts.
If you’re interested, talk to your friends about when they can
get together and then give me a call or e-mail me to set a date. This
usally works best with around a dozen people. It could be a group of
your neighbors or senior citizens or a group of young people or families
with kids or... you decide.
Then make dessert!
Want
to e-mail Father Ralph?
Past Columns:
July 20: From a Deserted
Place
July 13: Nothing for the
Journey
July 6: God at Home
June 29: Going in Stages
June 22: Sommer in the Summer
June 15: Our Newest Priest
Ordained
June 8: The Feast of Pentecost
June 1: Beyond First Communion
May 24: Felicidades Manuel
May 18: Twenty Years Later
May 11: Bows for Peace
May 4: Upcoming Ordinations
April 27: One Heart One
Mind
April 20: Amazingly Graced
Days
April 13: Ashes to Palms
April 6:
God Embedded
March 30:
Pastoral Visits
March 23:
Turning Tables
March
16: Transfiguring Imagination
March
9: Beasts and Angels
March 2:
Lent and Imagination
Feb 23: Sorrow
Far and Wide
Feb 16: Saints
Feb 9: Columbia Lessons
Feb2: Giving At A Difficult
Time
Jan 26: Penny Power
& Catholic Schools
Jan19: Yet Another
Year
Jan 12: Stealing Jesus
Jan5: The Wise Still Come
From Afar
Columns from 2002
Each year we’re blessed with a visit
from folks from the missions to help us appreciate how the Word of God
is spread throughout the world. This weekend three Maryknoll Missioners
are speaking at all the masses. Please continue to pray for them and their
sisters and brothers in the missions.
Have you figured out what your mission is?
I know that our mission is based on the gospel and there is a little exercise
that people can do with different parts of the gospel (today’s is
perfect for the exercise -- next week’s gospel is a little tougher
to use) to see different aspects of the gospel mission. Here’s how
it works: After you read a gospel passage, go back and notice the verbs.
So today’s gospel (John ) has the following verbs:
“Jesus went”.... “Jesus sat down”....”Jesus
raised his eyes”....”buy enough food”....”have
the people recline”....”Jesus took...gave
thanks... distributed”....”gather
the fragments”....”they collected”....”they
filled”....”Jesus withdrew.”
Use these verbs to plan your “mission”
this week. Where will you go? Where will you sit? Where will you raise
your eyes? When will you buy? Or recline? Or give thanks? Or distribute?
Or gather? Or collect? etc.
Sometimes the gospel verbs clearly show us
a mission that we might not have seen. (For example, this week’s
gospel makes me consider how I can share food with hungry people in a
more direct and generous way.)
Sometimes the gospel verbs show that the
mission of Jesus can be in the actions we were already planning to do.
(For example, I never considered that “sitting down” could involve
the mission of Jesus -- this week I’ll pay more attention to how
I notice Christ in others or in my own actions when I am sitting down.)
You and your family might spend time this
summer reading gospel stories (actions ones work best) and writing the
verbs in large print on a sheet of paper. Put them on the refrigerator
door or hang the list on a wall. Then see how you can follow the mission
of Jesus throughout the week ahead. (By the way kids, “sitting down”
while your mother does all the work is not the mission of Jesus. Sharing
the work so she can sit down is! Got it?)
You are Person
