RCIA Begins October 6, 2020You are invited to deepen your knowledge of the Catholic Faith and to consider fuller participation in our Faith. We meet in the Cry Room of the Church on Tuesday Evenings at 7:30pm. Our sessions are 75 minutes. Spread the word. If you know someone who should consider the RCIA, please encourage them to join. |
LIVE THE POSITIVE MESSAGE OF JESUS
In this time of Pandemic, we can so easily be caught up in negative thinking. With worries about schools opening and businesses in difficult situations, we can so easily think negative thoughts. In times when we hear such mean political arguments and see protests in our streets, the set of messages that play over and over in our mind can be very negative.
This internal seed of negativity causes a dark ripple that extends to all the corners of our daily life. We walk around with a dark cloud hovering close-by, and we view all glasses as half – empty. Our conversations always revert to all that is wrong with the world, and we are constantly expecting the worst.
This negative approach to life can become a self-fulfilling prophesy. Concepts like the law of aracon “you reap what you sow” and “Birds of a feather flock together.” These phrases remind us that the basic idea of the law of attraction is that our thoughts determine our experience. We attract what we think about, whether or not we want it. Many studies confirm the correlation between positive thinking and success.
So, the question is how do we begin to brighten our view of the world, and infuse more positivity into our thought patterns? The answer is to look at the bigger picture. This world – our life – is only a small piece of the big picture of life. The big picture of our life is that our life is bigger than this world, because God created us not only to live in this world, but to ultimately live with Him forever. He put us in this world so we can grow in our relationship with Him. We are called to always keep God and His relationship to us as our guiding principal. When you think about that – that God is always with you and you can trust in His love and forgiveness – that makes you very positive. If you want to brighten your view of the world, trust God’s presence in your life. God is always positive. When we tap into Him and trust Him, we will be much more positive in the way we live.
This Sunday’s Gospel gives a parable about a vineyard owner. This parable is not about fair employment practices, but about God’s abundant mercy. His kingdom is open to all, even to those who arrive late. The vineyard is the symbol for Israel – the people of God. The landowner is God. The setting of the Parable is the end of time. At the final judgement, God will reward those who have faithfully served Him and carried the heat of the day, welcoming them into His eternal Kingdom. But God in His mercy may welcome some latecomers to Himself as well – those symbolized in the Gospels as tax collector and sinner. This parable warns us not to begrudge God His mercy and not to grumble about the people God will ask us to live with for eternity. This parable reminds us that God in justice gives us our due and in mercy gives us beyond our due.
Do you want to have a positive worldview? Be grateful to God for His presence in your life. Be patient as you give yourself to God each day. When you find yourself falling into negativity, go back to Him for His grace and healing. Surround yourself with positive people who live God’s message. Make sure that you help other people who are in need.
THIS IS THE POSITIVE MESSAGE OF JESUS THAT WE BELIEVE AND LIVE.
God Bless ~ Msgr. Powell
REMEMBER TO KEEP HOLY THE LORD’S DAY. KEEP THE SABBATH. WORSHIP GOD FOR YOUR OWN SAKE.
Click here to view photos from Easter 2020
Click here for a playlist of all live streamed Holy Week Liturgies from Saint Cyril
Daily Mass from EWTN
