Now that the Advent and Christmas seasons are over, we are back in what is called “Ordinary Time.” However, time is never plain and ordinary. It is a gift from God. Furthermore, ordinary is given the name from the ordinal numbers (1, 2, 3, 4…) as opposed to the special liturgical seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter). In any event, the color of the vestments is green—the color of life and hope. During this time, we hope that God’s grace will grow in our hearts that we may have life to the fullest.
In the first reading (Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34), Isaiah is told that Israel is to be God’s servant. The responsorial psalm tells us the motto of a good servant, “Here am I Lord; I come to do your will!” Of course, not everyone wants to serve; many want to be served, instead, forgetting the words of Jesus who came not to be served but to serve. Our Lord taught us many lessons in life but none more important than the greatness of serving God and our neighbor. That’s what the psalmist means when he says, “Here am I Lord, I come to do your will.”
- Fr. Carl
“God thinks like the Samaritan who did not
pass by the unfortunate man, pitying him or looking at
him from the other side of the road, but helped him
without asking for anything in return; without asking
whether he was a Jew, a pagan or a Samaritan,
whether he was rich or poor. He asked for nothing.
He went to help him. God is like this..”
~ Pope Francis
