Monday Miracle

When Jesus saw a crowd around him,

he gave orders to cross to the other shore. A scribe approached and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest s head."   

Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But Jesus answered him, Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead."        

For heaven's sake! Doesn't the Church know that this is Monday and I am still in weekend mode?  Besides it being Monday, what is making Michael the Lesser so cranky?  Well, the Church gives us two different principles to ponder.  Did I mention it was Monday?

First, we have a scribe that says he will follow Jesus anywhere.  And Jesus seemingly says something that does not address what the man said to Him.  But it does.  A person that wants to follow Jesus is going to have to expect some inconvenience, some things that are not on the glamorous list.  A perfect example of this is Mother Teresa. She started her religious life teaching in a girls school.   It was very proper, very clean, and very convenient.  She herself felt the calling to go out among the poorest of the poor and tend to them, giving them a moment of dignity at the end of their lives.  This was not a convenient vocation, it was hard and sometimes smelly work and she was often misunderstood.  But she persisted and her work gave glory to God and shines as an example of how we should be to one another.  

Second, Jesus tells a man to forget about burying his father. Now, what kind of advice is that?   What Jesus was implying here was that the man would probably get all involved with the father's estate and lose sight of the work needed to bring about the kingdom of God. We must guard against getting all entangled in the stuff of this world which will rot and turn to dust and concentrate on the eternal which we will keep forever. 

I guess the common point here is one of commitment.  We have to remind ourselves what is important and not get all tied up in things.  Our commitment to Jesus and to forging the Kingdom should take first place on every Catholic Christian's to do list. 

A prayer for this First Monday in July: 

Lord, thank you for being so generous with me. I am so grateful for the things you have given me because you know somethings are needed to sustain my life. I know that everything on this earth is yours and we are only borrowing it.  Help me to make use of what I have to further your kingdom on earth.  Amen. 

Please take a moment to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory today. They need your help and will be eternally grateful to you.