10th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
INTRO:

Tell the story of who is the most popular in school.
PATRICK IS!!!
WHY?
He gives me the HIGH FIVE!!!!

What is it about that action? Or the “fist bump”?

It really makes a point that we are congratulating each other or we are united to each other or we are happy for each other.
(Why doesn’t everyone high five someone)
Once again, someone being “lifted in spirit” because of this “action” from an adult, a relative, a friend.

It said to them……”I am with you” and “I am here for you”.
In other words…. I am UNITED with you. I am not divided from you … WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!!!

So how are we really doing in this regard??

Are we really united with each other… with everyone?

I remember as a young child I had my opinions about other kids. Sometimes it was with my own twin, sometimes it was kids in my classroom… “I’m NOT PLAYING WITH YOU”

I might even have said… “He’s a jerk” or even something stronger!!!

Even in the seminary there were those who ACTED differently and honestly I just didn’t give them a chance and never really associated with them. (SHAME ON ME!)

We have these thoughts about others… it is natural, but going to church is supposed to elevate us, bring us to a better version of ourselves, because we “consume” JESUS.

We take JESUS into our hearts and MINDS and hopefully live like HIM!

That is the will of God… to act like Jesus.

Jesus put no one DOWN; he never NOT refused to associate with people. He had the strength to go beyond the thoughts and temptations to
SEGREGATE himself from anyone, from all those people in his circle of life that had a different color, creed and race.

That’s the goal for us on earth……… To NOT THINK BETTER of ourselves compared to others, to not disassociate ourselves from our God-given neighbors.

CONCLUSION

Let us learn from HIM to not divide our world anymore in our thoughts and in our actions………………

And to do the will of God, by loving Him with all our heart mind and soul and to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR as ourselves.