July 12, 2009, 15th Sunday in OT. B.

Paul teaches that when God was creating the earth, we, too, were in the Divine Mind, and we were, at that time, “destined” to be members of the Church of God as Christ established it, and that our lives were meant to be a continual “Praise” of Him. Amos, nearly 800 years earlier, had suggested in his book of prophecy that we were destined to serve God by lives of justice, opposing all forms of human degradation. In the Gospel, Christ cautions His disciples about pursuing lives of simplicity as they serve God. What is it that connects simplicity, pursuing human justice and goodness, and praising God? I suggest that the readings are haunting. They seem to say that if we can’t answer that question about “connections,” something is missing in our spiritual life. So, how would you answer the question from your own experience?