31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
INTRO: Last weekend was the celebration of HALLOWEEN!
Typically, one dresses up as another character, another character than themselves to go trick or treating. Like the character of SPIDER MAN, RAGEDY ANN and so on. It is amazing what kinds of costumes there are!!!
So, let us talk a bit about our characters!
Because our gathering here in church seems to be about:
“Character building”!!!
First, did you know that actors have special agents required of them too….
Hone
Build and create.
THEIR “CHARACTER”?
They work on the person’s:
Make-up
Style
Dress
Even their names get changed.
ALL for their character building!!!
AND this character building really centers on the changing of the “exterior” of a person, just like a Halloween costume momentarily changes the exterior of a person!
Now, each one of us has our routines in the morning….
How we get up and get ready for the day…………. and it usually involves taking care of our exterior character from start to finish.
Jesus reminds us today about the importance of the INTERIOR CHARACTER, our hearts, minds, and souls,
Our interior foundation is that of loving others! Acts of love to others IS the reason to be alive.
A common question that is asked is: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
The major answer for CHRISTIANS and CATHOLICS is love everyone with all our hearts minds and souls.
I really cannot tell you HOW to love others…. that must come from within your own heart, mind, and soul, but it does involve respect and a reverence for all of God’s people created in His image and likeness. Not easy to do at all.
How many times have we simply looked at someone and turned up our nose with disgust? That is not loving others at all.
So, each one of us must look deep inside ourselves to find the solution to mend our ways of not fully loving others.
CONCLUSION
We are here to receive CHRIST and He does influence you and me each time we are here. Allow Him to be your “agent” building up your “interior character,” improving us in the actions of loving all our brothers and sisters in the world!