August 8, 2021
“So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,
as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us
as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.”
– Ephesians 5:1-2
Brothers and Sisters,
May the Bread of Life truly be yours that the life of Jesus may nourish you in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and in the Communion with the Body of Christ, the Church!
When I was a kid, long car rides, typically a standard part of our family vacations, seemed to be the breeding ground for chaos. God bless her; my mother tried her hardest to keep my six siblings and me occupied with lots of wholesome fun. Singing songs together was usually short-lived, considering the age gaps between all of us, and games like “I spy with my little eye,” or spotting license plates from far away states could only consume so much of our time. Inevitably, one of us would make the poor choice of annoying a sibling with amusements like “I know you are but what am I” or the classic “I’m rubber and you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you” to pass the time. Perhaps the worst culprit to upend the peace in our van was repeating whatever some other person said. The old adage might claim, imitation is a high form of flattery, but that form of imitation is just plain annoying! Today’s family car rides really are no different. Despite the many devices at our fingertips to help consume the time on long trips, the irksome pestering of family or friends can still be a challenge. Regardless of whatever type of irritations you experience with your family or loved ones, whether it’s on a long car ride, or just the regular day-to-day, take a moment to be thankful for their presence and your time together. Gratitude has a funny way of bringing peace back to the most chaotic of circumstances!
Today, our culture stresses independence and teaches us to find our own path, to be our unique selves. Yet, Paul asks us to be imitators. Being ourselves should not mean that we do not strive to be more – to live by the same generosity and gift of self by Christ. The self-first attitude or the goal of pure self-sufficiency is destructive towards our goal of Communion. In continuing his teaching on the Eucharist in John 6. Jesus stresses receiving the gift of his life, “my flesh for the life of the world.”
Let us continue to thank Christ for the Eucharist and strive to encourage one another to appreciate the ways the Lord’s grace is working in our lives.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.
Rev. Michael S. Triplett