More Today’s Thoughts – 11/16/2020 – Monday 33rd Week Year I
I know that sometimes in my “Today’s Throughs” I focus primarily on the Gospel and thus often miss important or helpful reflections in the other reading or readings. Today is one of those times. I wrote my thoughts for today last night before going to bed. I had read the readings for today and as often happens I did not put much thought into the first reading from the Book of Revelations. Revelations is not my favorite book in the Sacred Scriptures probably because I do not give it much time in my prayer. However, today’s first reading was from the beginning of the Book of Revelation and as I let it sit overnight, reflected on it early this morning and then hear a brother Passionist reflect on it at mass I realized how valuable a passage it was. The author of Revelation often thought to be St. John the Evangelist offers us the opportunity to reflect on our own journey of faith today, as part of the Church and in my case also a part of a religious community. God’s words through St. John spoken to the faith community of the Church of Ephesus could easily be spoken to us today. God through St. John tells the community at Ephesus that they have done a lot of good word, they have been faithful and God is proud of their hard work, but he is disappointed in one thing – “you have lost the love you had at first.” I must admit I misread this simple statement last night, but it hit me the first thing this morning. “You have lost the love you had first!” Are not we all guilty of that in one way or another in terms of the people in our lives and most importantly God? We Passionists are always talking about vocations and the lack there of as I presume most religious communities are doing. Everyone has a different reason why and there are many different reasons. Yet perhaps the key reason we and others struggle with the lack of vocations is “We have lost the love we had at first.” In a week or so we Passionists will begin a year long celebration of the 300th Anniversary of our founding by St. Paul of the Cross. St. Paul’s great love for Christ and him crucified began the journey, began our presence in the Church. Perhaps during this Jubilee Year, we need to get back to that first love of St. Paul of the Cross. Perhaps, we as individual Passionists need to get back to our own first love that brought us to this community, this congregation. As a Church, perhaps we need to get back to the first love that God speaks about to the Church of Ephesus. Not the love of power, wealth, importance, prestige, control, ritual, laws, structure, and institutionalism but the first love of God and others – all others. As individuals living in a 21st century world and church perhaps Revelation’s words challenge us in our own lives to get back to the first love – not of self only, not wealthy, power, control, and not hate, but the love of God, others and self, grounded in mercy, compassion, hope, faith, selflessness and the first love of God that brought us into the world. As Passionists we often say, “May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts” – that my friends in faith should remind us of God’s First Love! – Peace in Christ’s Passion, Fr. Paul
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Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P. "Preacher on the Run"Just a few thoughts to help you on your journey through life...let me know from time to time what you think... Archives
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