When the Prophet Isaiah describes the time of God’s intervention, the time of the Messiah, he indicates that there will be certain signs accompanying that day. The blind will see, the deaf will have their ears opened, the lame will walk and run, and even the desert will be transformed into a fruitful garden! When we see those kinds of signs, then we know God is at work!
There are two important points here. The first is that God’s justice is always about repair, renewal, and restoration. It’s never about “getting even,” in the ways we human beings think about justice. There is no line that divides God’s justice from His mercy. The second point is that in today’s reading from the Gospel of St. Mark we see Jesus doing these very signs – these very things that announce God’s arrival to save His People and renew the earth. St. Mark understood that his audience would know the message of Isaiah and the other prophets, and thus respond to these “signs” from Jesus.
There is, however, something more for us to consider. The gospel is a living text for the good of the Church. Our task is to participate in what Jesus has done, and to take His message throughout the world. So, what are the “signs” that our Church, our Parish, is an active participant in the presence of the Messiah? How are we “healing, opening the eyes of the blind, making the lame to walk, etc.? Through our acts of charity and justice, are we participating in God’s work of restoration and repair?
Call to action: Later this month the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul. He is a saint noted not only for his learning and missionary zeal, but also and especially for his charity and love for the poor. Your parish may have a chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, or some other ministry that participates in God’s work of repair and restoration, in God’s love for the least among us. You can use your GC Smart Tools to take up a special collection for their support, to recruit new members to these ministries, or just to remind your folks that this ministry exists!
Pastoral Action Points
- Are your engagement cards in your pews up to date for the fall? Are you using a GC SmartQR code so that your parishioners and visitors can engage, connect, and donate quickly with you? Want to know more? Email Teresa at teresa@givecentral.org
- Has your staff tried GC Guru? GC Guru can make finding information or running reports a breeze. Try it out today!
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Last modified: September 5, 2024
