Reflections from the Heart – July 21, 2024

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” What is the one thing that you need, lack most, long for the most and simply cannot do without? You know, that thing that will make you feel free, at ease, no worries, confident. The thing that will cause you to trust but without experiencing it, will cause you to be overly anxious, stressed. The thing you cannot find but seek. You know, that thing that will make you most happy when you find it and it finds and welcomes you. Not the thing or the list of the unnecessary wants, conveniences, or the must have items that people tell you to buy but the thing you desperately need the most and can no longer do without. Yes, we really and honestly could exist and do without pride, riches and honor, for Jesus himself lives out this standard perfectly for us and invites us to do the same in the glorious freedom of the beloved children of God. Although we hunger and crave for recognition, acknowledgement, and want to be rewarded for being on our best behavior or even for performing an unselfish act or an act of true sacrifice or even offering a charitable gift of some kind, we can live and do without being recognized for God secretly knows and will reward and recognize you as Scripture says, when the time comes. We could even go without food for long periods of time. Yes you can. Whether you want to or choose to is a different story. We can even live without the various types of entertainment, good and bad alike, and even live without the desire to be or become overly social, permanently connected or spend an entire day infatuated with videos or being overstimulated by fruitless, pointless electronic conversations. Again, we see and experience the standard of Christ and of all the holy women and men of God who solely hung on every word that came from the mouth of God and chose to permit the Lord to nourish and sustain them daily with his Eucharistic Bread and drink only from the Chalice of Everlasting Salvation. We need love just as they did, but without quiet, contemplative prayer, peace is not real. We need peace, we long for it and suffer greatly without it. The peace of Christ brings true everlasting peace, deep healing and the freedom to trust and believe God has forgiven you and in peace you can forgive yourself and everyone else. That’s what you need.