30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cycle B
October 24, 2021
(This weekend, the deacon is giving the homily at the Masses. Therefore, I am sending you a recent weekday homily.)
Tuesday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time
September 28, 2021
Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 8:30am
Readings: Zechariah 8:20-23
Luke 9:51-56
You probably know that St. Luke wrote both a gospel and the book that is called the Acts of the Apostles.
The two books are actually a unit.
The Acts of the Apostles picks up where the gospel leaves off.
And if we look at the overall movement of the two books, we might summarize it as inward and outward.
Here is what I mean.
In today’s gospel passage, Luke says, “When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.”
That one sentence captures how Luke sees Jesus’ mission on this earth and it summarizes the theme of his gospel.
It is an inward movement.
Jesus journeys inward to the center of Israel, the political and religious center.
Then, in the Acts of the Apostles, the movement is outward.
The apostles journey outward from Jerusalem and bring the good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth.
My idea is that this geographical movement in St. Luke’s writings mirrors the spiritual movement that is to happen in our lives.
We need to journey inward.
We do this through the sacraments, especially through the reception of the Eucharist.
We also journey inward through private prayer, perhaps here in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, or maybe at home reflecting on the Scripture.
And then we journey outward.
We live everyday life.
We make many decisions, say many words, and relate to many people.
We may even teach religion or work in one of the other ministries here at the parish.
That journey outward will bring Christ’s presence to this earth if we have first journeyed inward.
If we are grounded in the Lord through the inward journey, then our journey outward will be according to the Lord’s will and way.
Father Michael Schleupner
