Wednesday
Twenty-fourth Week
Ordinary Time
Today's gospel account records for us a reminder about how we are called to live our lives. Our way of action should be built upon very real and very well defined principals. We cannot be a people who find it important to preach one thing and then act differently.
In the very real experience of Jesus' life, we see how people condemn John the Baptist for his austere life in the desert and his peculiar diet. He was considered mad by a large number of people. Then Jesus came among the same people. His lifestyle has been described by some as convivial. They said he was a glutton and a drunkard because he liked to be with people for meals. He was also a man who associated with tax collectors, especially Matthew, and many other folks who were considered sinners. It seems that the people wanted to have things both ways.
I selected the picture above because the buck that was in our school yard one morning has the look of an animal trying to decided how he should interpret what he sees ... me, shooting pictures not animals!
The way we live our lives speaks volumes to those who know us and have the opportunity to evaluate how we live our faith. Do we condemn others because they might participate in activities we don't like or approve of? Yet, at the same time might those same people stand apart from us, evaluating our own lifestyle they see that is not in conformity with the gospel we preach.
The primary option that we have is simple: do we bring the teachings of Jesus into our lives and make them the modus operandi that drives our actions throughout the day?
