THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

All the readings in the Lectionary this week speak of God working in very natural and ordinary ways. In a world where reality television can lead us to believe that we don’t matter unless we’re celebrities, this message is healing and profound. Even in the Church, where God’s work is often viewed solely through the lens of the “great”, the “powerful”, and the “significant”, we can easily end up missing the everyday miracles and the routine acts of God. The problem with our obsession with the supernatural and the dramatic is that those of us who are just ordinary people, with very ordinary gifts, can begin to believe that we have nothing to offer the Reign of God. And then we may end up doing nothing as we wait for the prominent and charismatic leaders in our world to step in. Also, when our language is only about “changing the world” for Jesus, we too easily forget that the most important change we need to make is in ourselves.

Let us not underestimate the significance of choosing daily to be a little more like Jesus, and to be a little more committed to the values and purposes of God’s Reign right where we are. In fact, the only thing that really changes the world is when millions of ordinary people make ordinary contributions to the common good. So, when we give generously and sacrificially to worthy causes, we make a difference. When we refuse to laugh at, or listen to, jokes that are racist, chauvinistic, or unkind, we make a difference. When we treat others with kindness, patience and understanding, even when they do things that hurt us, we make a difference.

This week we explore the power of small, ordinary things.

To download this week’s reflections in PDF format, click here.