Fixing Our Eyes on the Lord

In the gospel today, Jesus talks about being a prophet in his home town.  It doesn’t quite work.  The townspeople—especially in those days and in that culture—knew each other very well.  They appreciated his wisdom and were astonished by what he was saying, yet it limited their ability to do what the gospel often challenges us to do: to think like God.
 
The prophet moves us to see the world the way God sees it.
 
Prophets were very common in the Old Testament.  We hear their words often at Mass—prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and the prophet we hear from today: Ezekiel.  Their message was to be faithful to the commandments and the covenant with God. In the New Testament, the prophet we hear about, of course, is John the Baptist, who prepared people’s hearts to accept Jesus’ message and good news.
 
After Pentecost, the Church became the prophetic voice in our world.  The Holy Spirit works through the community of faith and in the hierarchy of the Church.  Within the last century or so, the Church has become the voice of reason and conscience especially when it comes to the way people treat each other as we live together in the world. 
 
Catholic social teaching has developed from this.  It is a body of deep thinking and reflection

To help navigate through some of the issues of our day—anything from abortion, to immigration reform, to marriage and family life, to the rights of workers and other issues—you can find the principals of Catholic Social Teaching and the bishops statements on the US Bishop’s website: usccb.org.

on the human experience by our Popes and the various Conferences of Bishops as they look at society and what happens as it develops. The goal is to see what God sees and to see it through the eyes of the One we follow—Jesus Christ.  It is what helps us identify where there is injustice and to work toward making a difference.  So, the Church is still a prophetic voice within our deep tradition.
 
And at the heart of it is the value of human life.  It’s in realizing that God created us to be in relationship with others.  We’re not just individuals, but a communion of people living and working and being with each other.
 
Our St. Hubert community grows from this.  It’s the reason we gather together.
 
Odds & Ends

• Rosary Repair.  Just a reminder that one of our parishioners can repair broken rosaries for you.  There’s a drop-off for this located at the ministry counter in the narthex of the Church.  He also accepts any extra rosaries you may have that you would like to donate to the missions. 
• Cleaning House.  The offices at the Parish Ministry Center will close the week of July 9^th from   9am-5pm to clean house and prepare for the upcoming ministry year.  If you need anything during this time, please give us a call and we’ll follow up.  Please note the front office will continue to be open in the evenings from 5-8pm Monday-Thursday.

 
I am at my niece’s wedding this weekend returning Tuesday.  Also to give you a “heads up”, I’ll be on my annual retreat July 16-20.  I will be praying for you and with you.
 
May God bless you in the week ahead and guide you in all you do,