vive la difference!
"When will the new moon be over?" —Amos 8:5
Like worshippers in Amos' time, many of today's worshippers think: "When will church be over? Then I can:"
- watch the ball games,
- go see a movie,
- tell my neighbor how much I dislike my priest's homilies,
- get something to eat,
- do my own thing, or
- remind God what a sacrifice it is to be at Church today.
After we heed the call of Jesus to "go and learn the meaning of the words: 'It is mercy I desire and not sacrifice' " (Mt 9:13), then our worship changes. During Mass, we think: "When church is over, I can:"
- tell my family that I love them,
- share Jesus with my neighbors, even with the outcast (Mt 9:10),
- thank and encourage my priest,
- "follow" Jesus (Mt 9:9),
- show mercy to someone who has hurt me (Mt 9:13), and
- let God know how grateful I am for His mercy to me.
Do you see what Jesus means what He points out the difference between mercy and sacrifice?
Prayer: "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine."
Promise: "Happy are they who observe His decrees, who seek Him with all their heart." —Ps 119:2
Praise: Randy, a college athlete, devoted several years of his life to dressing, grooming, and attending to the needs of his paralyzed roommate. The roommate, in turn, taught Randy how to have faith in the Lord.
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by one of our editors.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, December 16, 1999
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 18, 1999