Called to the Feast

The cyber-version of my homily for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Most of the world has been watching with great angst as the economic markets fall and struggle to recover. Many companies and individuals have experienced losses of a magnitude that shakes their very existence.
By all indications these economic struggles will be impacting virtually all aspects of life, even more than has been felt all ready. World and national leaders are seeking to reassure as they try to set a course through stormy and uncharted waters. It would be unwise not to be paying attention to all that is happening in a false hope that we might be unscathed. It would be even more unwise to make all the news and speculations the main source of our decisions, our hopes or our fears. It has been said that Wall Street is driven by two main forces: greed and fear. We need to pray and ask God to show us the wisdom of those motivations.
And, amidst the angst and gnashing of teeth, we need to stop and listen to the Good Sheperd as He calls us to come to the Feast.

Called from the strife of the world to the Feast of Heaven ~
Our Sheperd King calls and would lead us from and through the strife and chaos of this world to the timeless feast of God’s Kingdom. Scripture shares this invitation to the Great Wedding Feast of the Church and her King that will culminate for all eternity upon His return. But we must realize that the invitation, this Feast is celebrated even now, this side of eternity every time we gather around the table of the Lord. It is there we received and share the riches of Christ’s Kingdom, His Word, His sacred Body, His holy Blood.
It is also important to realize that we are called to a wedding feast, a feast of love. We are not called to some worldly victory feast, or some political event. We are called to a feast of the holy redeeming love of our Savior.
This timeless wedding feast of holy love is set upon a mountain, the holy mountain of God. Scripture teaches of numerous mountains of God. We remember Mt. Sinai where God’s Law was given, Mt Tabor where Christ shared the principles of the New Covenant. We know of Mt. Zion, Jerusalem where the Holy Temple, the City of God is shown in type. Yet all these mountains lead the people of faith to the pinnacle of God’s mountain, to a humble hill called Golgotha where we come to the Cross. It is at the Cross that we are brought to the holiest Feast of Mercy, the Body, the Blood of Christ shared for us, shared for His Bride.
Called by the King ~
And it is the voice, the Word of our Sheperd King that calls us to His Feast. With all the clamor and cries of fear and worry being heard in this time it is vital we heed and listen to the Word of God, the Truth and Light that will not diminish or change. It is His call that will bring us to that abundant Table set in the presence of the enemies of fear, doubt and worry.
It is to this Feast, called by our King that we are brought to stand before His Presence. The Gospel for today would warn us that we cannot be as the guest who bothered not to wear the wedding garments. So it is for us, we must not neglect to robe ourselves with the beautiful robes of Christ’s mercy and humilty, love and grace that He so abundantly provides. God has provided. Let us avail ourselves of these garments of the Kingdom.

Called to know the His Riches of Glory ~
We will know the riches of His grace to the degree we open our hearts and hands for Him. St. Paul in his letter to the church at Phillipi reminds us that our God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. This is not about our wants..it is about our needs, what we need to live for and serve our Lord. It is about what will bring real and true fullfillment in our lives for all eternity. It is in the riches of God we realize our worth, our security, our value as a person is not in our posessions. They comprise a very small fraction of what we are about. It is in God’s wealth we discover ours. It is in the King’s Presence we discover the wealth and beauty of the soul God created. You are about so much more than anything you wll ever accumulate. And it is as we give of ourelves we learn and expereince the security of the Promises of God. We learn that we can never out-give our God.

We live at a time of intense and difficult news. We may feel called to join the chorus of world fear and woe. Yet amidst the din Christ will lead all who seek His Kingdom through the strife and sorrow to the holy mount of His grace, to the timeless feast of His holy mercy and love. Our Shepherd Kig will lead us to His Cross.

Dolorosa Candles

As most of my readers are aware I have been working on an advocacy ministry for the mentally ill and their loved ones. It is called Dolorosa. To help support this labor that our Lord has given to my heart I invite you to visit a work of my hands: Dolorosa Candles at:

dolorosacandles.net
via the links section

This is the online candle shop for Dolorosa Candles where you can purchase 100% beeswax candles from hand-dipped tapers, votives and assorted pillars. The proceeds will help support the work of Dolorosa.

Here is more information about this work:
Dolorosa works to:
Overcome the stigma of the mental illness and afflictions.
Provide information and education about mental illness and afflictions for those experiencing mental afflictions, their loved ones, faith communities and community groups., through literature, workshops and retreats.
To help develop accessible, integrated care that enables the afflicted, loved ones, medical professionals, faith communities and others to work together for the health of mind, soul, body and spirit.
Dolorosa recognizes that caring for the mental health of the whole person includes caring for the mind, soul, body and spirit in an integrated response of all these components.
Dolorosa is Catholic in spirituality yet recognizes, respects and encourages the sharing of all faiths in responding to the need for better care of the mentally afflicted. Dolorosa refers to the Latin word expressed in the “Via Dolorosa”, or the Way of Suffering, the Way of the Cross Of Christ. It also can be translated “the way of roses”. It recognizes the real suffering mental afflictions can bring to the individual and their loved ones. But it also recognizes the beauty and worth of the individual, regardless of their afflictions. It sees that suffering can have purpose, positive worth and beauty, regardless of the thorns.
Mental afflictions may refer to:
Mental illness, Dual-diagnosis with substance abuse; Brain injury; Traumatic Psychological injury; Mental disabilities; Life stress, anxiety and depression. While these issues are very distinct and differ they share common problems of stigma and the need for accessible, integrated care. They all affect the mind, the psyche, the human soul.
Lighting candles…
Of faith to overcome doubt,
Of knowledge to
overwhelm ignorance,
of hope to quell despair,
and
of love to conquer fear.
Your prayers and support for Dolorosa would be blessing to many. If you are interested in hearing more or helping please let me know via the this blog's email link.