Here Am I Lord; I Come to Do Your Will January 23

Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God. Hebrews 10:5-7

Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. Mark 3:35

Piety

Jesus, no matter where am I and what am I doing, You accept me and love me for what I am – a flawed creature who wants to please you but is sidetracked by distractions. Because you have everything, there is nothing of mine that I can offer to you and nothing you require except my obedience. Instead, use me as your sibling, here to get to know you, praise you, and extend your love to those who have need for it the most.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/012307.shtml

Ever go to a really big family reunion? The kind where you meet up with people who are in your extended family but whom you have rarely or never met?

What makes them a part of the family? Why are they welcome even though everyone doesn’t know them? Today, we might define those limits as blood lines. Great Aunt Mary might tell you, “Her parents were the siblings of your cousins’ parents so she is now your family.”
Today, Jesus tells us that the Christian family is not limited or marked by ancestral ties alone. Instead, what unites us as one body, one family and one church is our humility and submission of our actions to what God expects of us.

Christian faith now realizes that the sacrifices offered throughout the Hebrew Bible did not affect the spiritual benefits to come but only prefigured them. For if the sacrifices had actually affected the forgiveness of sin, there would have been no reason for their constant repetition. They were rather a continual reminder of the people's sins.

According to the Letter to the Hebrews, it is not reasonable to suppose that human sins could be removed by the blood of animal sacrifices. Christ, therefore, understands his mission in terms of Psalm 40:5-7. Jesus acknowledged that the Old Testament sacrifices did not remit the sins of the people and so, perceiving the will of God, offered his own body for this purpose.

Action

Did you ever notice that when you visit a new Church, that the churches which have less in terms of financial resources, have a greater abundance of love to pass around? They welcome the stranger with open arms.

In my travels, I have sometimes been at Cathedrals for holy days where thousands have worshipped in front of altars adorned in gold. But also, I have visited inner city parishes from St. Aloysius in Washington, D.C., to the Delores Mission in East Los Angeles. In those settings, the welcome to visitors by the congregation and clergy is some much more personal than what I have encountered in large churches and cathedrals.

This weekend, Beth and I had the privilege to worship with the family at St. Peter Claver parish in New Orleans – a church in a poor neighborhood just north of the I-10 freeway that is still rebuilding 17 months after the storm (like many of the poor sections of this city). From the opening of the service to the invitation at the closing, it was one of the most open Christian families which will ever touch you. (Thank you Fred Burgess for the recommendation!)

In return and recognition of His sacrifice, Jesus asks us to do the same. He offered His body to the will of God. He asks us to do the same. But that’s not all. Beyond offering ourselves, he wants us to recognize and welcome as brothers and sisters and mother everyone who offers themselves and shares the desire to do God’s will.

How can you be more welcoming to the strangers you encounter?