St. Norbert's Church - Sunday Reflections

Where is your heart? Today the readings from Scripture remind us over and over that we must come to know the Lord personally and let that personal relationship with God guide our actions. Too often we do what is right but without ever putting ourselves into our actions. We go to Church and do not meet the Lord. We love others but we do not connect with them. We do good things but without giving ourselves.

In the Second Book of Samuel, we are told once more about King David in the Old Testament. He knew God and related to God very personally and yet when an attractive woman came by, he forgot God and the ways of God and could only think of the woman. He even arranged to have the husband of the woman murdered so that he could continue his relationship with her. David is given to us as an example of faith.

Faith does not immediately heal us of our sinfulness and certainly not of our desires. Yet as we continue to walk in faith, our lives are changed. David, once he is confronted with his sin, repents wholeheartedly.

Saint Paul in the Letter to the Galatians reminds us that salvation is not a result of our doing good things. Salvation comes from belief in God and trusting completely in God. Trust in God allows us to repent of our sins and to continue walking on the way with the Lord Jesus..

The Gospel of Luke today gives us an account of a banquet with Jesus. Surely the people present were all good people, striving to do good. Yet for many of them, it was impossible to see the good in the woman who could only cast herself at the feet of the Lord with a very womanly love and show her love for him with ointments and tears. Jesus accepts her love and her repentance.

Living with God will demand our whole being, heart, mind, soul, body and spirit. There are times when we may sense that we are fully integrated in seeking God. There may be other times when we know that we are only broken human beings and not fully given to God. Living our faith is a process. It is a journey with Christ and in that journey we come to know Him and to love Him more and more, even when we recognize our sinfulness and failures.

Jesus is always present for us. It is we who are not always present for Him. He always loves us even when we forget about Him. He always pardons us even though we continue to sin even after repentance. He invites to His banquet no matter how many times we have refused His invitation. He never tires of seeking us. Let us thank the Lord for His love. May we turn to Him today, even in the smallest way, and ask Him to transform us in His love. Let us love our Lord Jesus with all our being.