Today's Thoughts...

Today’s Thoughts: Both Jesus and Moses respond in the same way when people who seem to be outside the “chosen few” make God’s presence known. They point to the fact that good things are happening and if something is good then it is of God and if it is of God then all the better no matter who is responsible.
 
God’s ways are not always our ways. God’s plans are not always our plans and God’s messengers are not always the people we think they should be. God's grace and blessing does not always come from the people we expect. It is an unfortunate that often our human condition leads us into envious reactions. These petty reactions often make us judgmental and resentful of people we have decided that followers of Jesus should do it the right way. In these moments of envy we miss the God’s grace, we miss God’s presence, we miss the opportunity to encounter in, through and with others the gift of God because we think it is not the right way, the correct way.
 
It is often easy to condemn others because we see them as sinners or because they do not follow the rules – we see them as cafeteria Catholics or worst because they don’t follow the rules as we see it. However Jesus sees the presence of the Spirit, where we do not.
 
The Gospel today encourages us to be less judgmental and look more deeply for the grace of the Holy Spirit working, rather than on the rules and regulations. Pope Francis has challenged us over and over again to see our life of faith through this lens. Every encounter with another human being can be an encounter with God.
 
Let us be grateful today and every day for the presence, grace and love of God and the many ways and people through which we get to encounter God’s grace, presence and love. Let us also be open always to God’s ways and the unique and sometimes even unorthodox people that God chooses to make his presence known.
 
Have a great Sunday everyone!