Adhere to the Faith

February 16, 2012

Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ…However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. James 2:1, 9

He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Mark 8:31-32

Piety

Father, bless our new leader and his family. Hear the cries of our community to grow closer to you. Even though we might want to reject the tough love of Calvary, take from us anything that detours us from this path. Through your Son, give to us what we need to walk in your presence and serve you. Set us free from our personal desires and comforts so that we may pick up our cross daily to follow you. Amen.

Study

In our group reunion, we often talk about how sometimes the connection between the first reading and the Gospel are easier to understand. And then you get a day like today when they seem to go off in different thematic directions.

Perhaps we must learn that Peter was showing his partiality but not necessarily in the same fashion as addressed by James. Peter wanted to stay in the state he and the disciples were enjoying with Jesus. They were walking around the country healing, teaching and building a new community. Peter did not want things to change but change they would. He showed partiality to keeping the Lord with the disciples. Thus, Peter refused to believe that the story Jesus was revealing could possible come to fruition.

Yet, as Jesus opened his ministry, he told Peter and us that we must change where we seek happiness and turn not to the things of this world but to things of God.

Action

Our Cursillo Community last night underwent an important change. Phil Kiko was blessed by Bishop Paul Loverde as the new law director. He then assumed the cross of the lay director from Mimi Fitzgerald. In his remarks, Phil explained that he made his Cursillo exactly thirty years ago and never envisioned that he would stand before us as the leader of the community.

Like Peter, Phil was asked to change and grow in his role. Eventually both of them came around to the same answer. "Yes." Now, as the community grows with new leadership, ask yourself how you too can grow in your role as a Cursillista and a Christian…making friends…being friends…and bringing friends to Christ.