God gifts us because He delights in us.

     On the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Entrance Antiphon, quoting from psalm 18, said:

"The Lord became my protector.

He brought me out to a place of freedom;

he saved me because he delighted in me."

 

 

     Also for that Sunday the Collect prayed:

 

"Grant us, O Lord, we pray,

that the course of our world

may be directed by your peaceful rule

and that your Church may rejoice,

untroubled in her devotion."

 

 

     As people of faith we have a different world view, a different moral compass, and a deeper appreciation for life than the average ordinary Joe.  The reasons are simple: we are not the center of the Universe, nor even the center of our own universe.  We place our trust in a Higher Power, a seek a greater good, we have a life giving Creator and God who invites into a deep and personal relationship with Him that is our very life.

 

     Our world is speedily taking a path in another direction, one devoid of that reliance upon a Higher Power and with a tendency to acknowledge God only in terms of our weakness or desperation.

 

     The prayers above place our trust in a spirit of prayer squarely in the hands of God.  May our course be directed by God's peaceful rule.  May the Church rejoice in her untroubled devotion.  May the salvation and freedom that we enjoy be rooted in his "delight of me".  Let us remember this as we face the challenges to morality and life, to freedom, both religious and civil, and to a higher realm that requires faith.

 

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     In the Diocese of Greensburg we are on "Ordination Countdown".  Next Monday, July 13th at 2:30 pm at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, our new Shepherd will be ordained and installed.  We wait in great anticipation.  This time leading up to the big day is relatively quiet.  As it is revealed, I will share it with you.