Know the One Who Sent Me

May 12, 2012

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number… During the night Paul had a vision.  A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."  When he had seen the vision, we sought passage to Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.  Acts 16:5, 9-10

"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.  Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.'  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.  And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me."  John 5:18-21

Piety

Father, guide our steps today to bring people closer to you.  Jesus, give to me the words that will help me proclaim your Good News.  Set me free, Holy Spirit, from the pursuits of what the world says so that I may help others grow stronger in faith and reach those who do not yet know the Lord.

Study

As Paul and Timothy traveled from city to city, they let the Lord/Holy Spirit be their guide.  They had learned the lessons in the Gospel that they could not expect to be more successful, more loved, or more well received than was Jesus. 

Whether they were preaching to Jews or Gentiles, they proclaimed the Good News because that was what God expected them to do.  They served with joy even when they were not able to go to the places they wanted.

If they wanted to be like the those whom the world loved, then they could be more strongly associated with the world.  However, then their work would be complete because they would be guided by the spirit of the antichrist, not the Spirit of God.

The primary goal is to connect people with God.  As Jesus warned, they will be hated and persecuted by those who do not know God, "the one who sent me." 

Action

Two thousand years from now, do you think anyone will be able to report on our actions?  Do you think in the Acts of the Virginians that they will somehow say," Day after day the churches in Fairfax and Arlington, in Alexandria and Chantilly, grew stronger in faith and increased in number."

Think about how much you did today.  Were your actions more rooted in getting the world love you or in getting the church to grow stronger?  When you put down your "To Do" list in the morning, are piety, study and action listed there next to the jobs you have to do for work, the shopping you have to get done, the car repairs and the other errands?  Are they priorities or is your list of Cursillo service something that you fit in between all the other steps along the way?