After last week’s readings from Isaiah and St. Mark which focused on the signs of the arrival of the Messiah, this week’s readings return to Isaiah and St. Mark, but in reference to the suffering the Messiah will endure. In fact, the reading from Isaiah will be seen again in Holy Week, because part of the work of salvation will involve suffering.
For now, however, we might focus on the often neglected Second Reading from the Letter of St. James. Here, James reminds us that faith is not simply a matter of intellectual belief, but of action. James challenges the Church to take its faith in Christ and turn it into an imitation of Christ by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and other acts of charity and justice. In the Church we are called to Orthodoxy, that is, right belief, and Orthopraxis, that is, the right practice of life. For a Christian, Orthopraxis necessarily involves both the spiritual works of mercy and the corporal works of mercy. Jesus not only preached the gospel, but also fed the people, healed the sick, and forgave sin. The Church is called to do the same.
Once again, remember that the Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul is coming at the end of the month. This is great time with great readings to remind your people to reach out through supporting your own SVDP, Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM), or whichever ministry in your parish aids the poor and needy. Maybe you have a parish food bank, thrift store, or other ways of helping the poor. Use your GC Smart Tools to set up a special collection for their support, and as an easy way to sign up to help!
Pastoral Action Points
- Try GC Guru! It’s a great support tool and you can have fun learning how to use more features in your GC SmartTools suite.
- Update your Engagement Cards in the pews for the Fall season. Remind parishioners they can update their personal information that might have changed easily and quickly just by using GC SmartText.
- Has your Parish or School signed up for Giving Tuesday? GiveCentral is with you all the way in making Giving Tuesday easy and a great success for your special needs.
- Let us know if you are planning to participate so we can include your organization in our list. CLICK HERE!
