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A collection of homilies and liturgies from St Patrick Catholic Community in Scottsdale, Arizona. We are Christian disciples in mission.
Welcome to Saint Patrick Catholic Community podcast. We're glad you're with us.
Speaker 2:Our Old Testament reading from the first book of Kings chapter 19 deals with Elijah doing the Lord's work, but he's running for his life because the people are ready to do him hard. They don't like the message. So he finds himself in a cave and again being hearing that call to go out and encounter the lord who was coming by. And it's so interesting that the lord could not been heard by Elijah in the wind, a strong wind. He could not be heard in the earthquake or in the fire.
Speaker 2:And all it was was a simple whispering voice. Sometimes, our spiritual life, we expect spectacular things. By the culture that we live in, things need to be big and a production and things that are are very much moving and spectacular in this in the faith of the Lord. And we kinda think it's the same thing with God. Because we know and we read in scriptures, god can also be in big, powerful, and spectacular things.
Speaker 2:But the danger is we can go into a type of mentality that is called consumerism. Consumerism then is thinking, what's next? I'm looking for the next big talk. Every mass has to have a high five point experience. Hey, I went on retreat or how come my kids when they go, they don't have the same experience as others?
Speaker 2:And so we simply think faith experience is always a high mountain, a high point, and god is shaking everything in our lives. And what happens is we forget the ordinary holiness in our lives. We forget that God is strongest voice is in the everyday things that you and I do together. A consumer will ask, what am I getting out of this? A disciple ask, how does this help me follow God?
Speaker 2:And so I'd like you to think about in your ordinary life, is God ever present and in a holy way when you are grocery shopping for the family? When you are sweating over the bills and going, how are we doing this? How are we gonna make it? Or why does this cost so much? Is it just simply being a taxi for the kids?
Speaker 2:Which is important. And it's just an ordinary darn thing that happens, putting food on the table and many times, not being thanked the way that you would hope so. Maybe just helping a parent or going to school or or going to work as well. Those things are very holy and really matter. Take a look at today's gospel.
Speaker 2:We read the gospel of Peter walking on the water. First of all, that takes a lot of courage to do that. But second of all, he begins to go down because he doubts. We hear Jesus' words as condemning him. Like, oh, you're a fool.
Speaker 2:Wow. Why couldn't you figure all this out? Here, I'll help you up, you poor brain guy. No. Here's the Greek word that is used.
Speaker 2:It means wavering or loss of confidence. Doesn't mean it's a slap on the hand. And so really Jesus is saying, Peter, what happened? What happened? And what does that mean?
Speaker 2:Peter, you've seen all the miracles. We were together. You've learned. You did some good things as well. All those ordinary things added up and great made a great foundation.
Speaker 2:So it isn't scolding and going, you have no faith. You are a terrible person. That's I don't think that's reading the right way. The Greek word unwavering or wavering or loss of confidence means, what happened? You had it.
Speaker 2:Use it. So here's what we need to do today. Honor the ordinary things that you do. If mass is boring, god is speaking to you. If this homily is boring, wake up.
Speaker 2:He's speaking. It's just the ordinary thing. Not every mass is gonna be at a mountaintop. That's a trap. And we forget that god works in ordinary ways just as he does with Elijah.
Speaker 2:But sometimes we think holiness is competition to say, how come god's speaking to you? How come god's doing high points for you? How come you're always on fire for your faith, and I'm just struggling trying to get up and live the life I can? Maybe we can find comfort in mother Teresa. You know, she, for those who are old enough, knew when she was on earth, was quite a woman.
Speaker 2:She did a lot for the poor in Calcutta and throughout the world, and many people admired her. And she had a personality that could get things done. My favorite PBS documentary was on Mother Teresa because I loved hearing her community sisters can't stand her. She is a pain in the butt. She thinks she knows every I loved it because that's reality of sainthood.
Speaker 2:It's not always easy. But when she died, they went into her diaries. And here's what this holy woman said. I don't feel God's love. Why do I feel so separated and feel like I'm in darkness?
Speaker 2:Why do other people experience that and I can't? Oh my god. We have a statue of her. Maybe we need to take that down. That doesn't sound very saintly or maybe it does.
Speaker 2:So this week, find God in the ordinary things you do. They're not annoying. They are important to God. Elijah is not spoken to in big events, in wonderful things alone. God is found in you driving the kids, going to the grocery store, paying the bills, bearing with one another, forgiving one another, learning to bear with neighbors and classmates and coworkers.
Speaker 2:That's holiness that adds up.
Speaker 1:This has been a Saint Patrick Catholic Community podcast. For more of our shows, go to our website and click Saint Patrick's Studio.