Responding to the Mystery

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary on the day for the memorial of Saint Therese of Lisieux offer some reflection about the diverse paths possible in our journey as disciples of Jesus. The position of Job as he considers the majesty and infinite power of God is to realize, as we all should, that equality with the Divine is not our destiny. When we are aware of starring at the Eternal Mystery our sense, like Job, of our personal trials may be that they are out of proportion to our sinfulness. Friar Jude Winkler connects with this theme and we all have experience of knowing people who seem to carry more than their fair share of challenges. Saint Therese is described by the Catholic Online Website as one of the most beloved of saints who prayed for those who live the life of disciples, in her case, especially for priests. The Gospel from Luke stresses the demands made on those who decide to follow Jesus as disciples. Friar Jude relates this passage to social conditions and Jewish practices around death in Jesus time. The social behaviour of “door-talking” which connects to the lengthy farewells of Middle East hospitality may signal a reluctance to get on with the mission. Our interpersonal relationships often demand a quick and decisive response for the other in times when they are counting on us. Joe Zaborowski examines our willingness to put God first, others second and ourselves last. The message from the Scriptures today reinforces that we are on a journey which is our Life and we are too often distracted by the destination.