Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
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“Beloved, I am writing you, although I hope to visit you soon. But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.” (1 Timothy 14-15)
“Jesus said to the crowds: ‘To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, “We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.” For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, “He is possessed by a demon.” The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, “Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.’” (Luke 7:31-35)
Lord, let me accept You in all the forms in which You appear in my life. Be my guide as I learn how to behave in Your household and kingdom.
I have this friend. I’ll call her Carmen, because that’s her name—Carmen Leal. Carmen lives in
Carmen is big in voice, big in energy, big in faith, big in passion for her ministries. That kind of “bigness” and difference is sometimes difficult to understand and accept, just as Jesus shows us in today’s Gospel, using himself and John the Baptist as examples. We say we want people to be passionate and open about their faith, but sometimes feel uncomfortable when they are.
A few years before I returned to Catholicism, Carmen was the first and only person to ask if I had accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. (She had the wisdom not to call me on my lie when I said I was good with God.) She’s prayed for me, made publishing world connections for me that have proven life changing, and openly lives a life that is devoted to Christ. She had to make hard decisions as a caregiver to a husband who suffered from Huntington’s disease. Rather than bury or deny that pain, she and her current husband are devoting their lives to putting together conferences and other resources for caregivers at www.someonecaresonline.com. They are shining examples of people who know how to behave in the household of God.
Her ebullient nature and passion for work in the Lord’s name can be a little overwhelming if you’re not engaged with God yourself. But that’s all right with Carmen. She seldom takes offense. Like John the Baptist and Jesus, she just keeps doing God’s work wherever it leads her. And that’s all that’s asked of any of us.
If you’re a caregiver, refresh your spirit by checking out the lovely (free) movies at www.someonewhocaresonline.com. Or, share them with a friend who is a caregiver. Who in your life exhibits every day that he or she knows how to behave in the household of the Lord, and what can you learn from them?
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