Ordinary Time: Monday, November 27, 1006

All should be back to normal this week! I hope you each had a blessed Thanksgiving.

Old Testament Lesson

Joel 3:1-2, 9-17

Sometimes in the Old Testament (and in the New) there are passages that we just don't know what to think of at first glance. This is one such passage. Here, we have God telling His people to take their plows and beat them into swords, to take their pruning hooks and make them into spears. The weak one should say that they are a warrior. This doesn't make sense, right, since God is a god of peace and love and teddy bears and puppies, right?

Yes, God is a god of love. But, He is also a god of might and strength and power. Just because God had been patient with us, do not assume that this is His final verdict. We will all stand before Him one day and He will judge us. And, these images of the Old Testament remind us that we should not take His grace for granted, we should not take His mercy for granted, we should never forget that He is all powerful, He is mighty, and He will fight for His people and for His way. And woe to those that stand against God.

New Testament Lesson

1 Peter 1:1-12

There is a neat statement at the end of this passage that I've always liked. This salvation given to us by God and through the power of the Holy Spirit, this is something that even the angels long to look at. That is a neat thought to me that this salvation is something given to us, and the angels of God, who have been His messengers for all eternity long to look at this great gift.

They got to announce salvation, they got to announce the birth of Jesus, the Resurrection of Jesus, and all these things, but they were never able to experience it like you and have. How great is this salvation! Even the angels long to look and experience it. Today, no matter what you are going through, you have that joy in your life. If you are saved, you have something that even the angels long to look at! Don't take that for granted.

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 19:1-12

Jesus here tells us that when two marry, they become one. That is a powerful notion of what the married life should be. They are to be one. One heartbeat, one dream, one flesh. Now, that doesn't mean they always agree, but they should but that "one" ahead of their own wants and desires.

The surest way to have trouble in marriage, or in any relationship, is to think only of yourself. And, the surest way to make yourself miserable, is to think only of yourself. Today, do you turn attention to others? Do you turn your prayers to others? Do you turn your focus upon others? Or, do you focus only on yourself? Today, may you know the joy that comes from focusing on others above yourself.