Ordinary Time

Pause

I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom's way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every person is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind—
Of such I dream, my world!

from "I Dream A World," by Langston Hughes

Listen

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the one who is first over all creation,

Because all things were created by him: both in the heavens and on the earth, the things that are visible and the things that are invisible. Whether they are thrones or powers, or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him.

Colossians 1:15-16

Think

Who has power and authority over you? We are far from a time when those who sat on thrones controlled our day-to-day existence. If you’re young you might think it’s your parents. If you’re older it might seem like it’s your boss.

As Christians we are called to acknowledge that the only thing that has any power over us in life is our Lord Jesus Christ. Sure, you can get grounded if you break your parent’s rules, or get fired if you don’t do your job, but that pales in comparison to the power Jesus has over us all.

I love my job, but I don’t love it like I love Jesus; I love my parents and wife, but I don’t love them the same way I love Jesus. All Jesus did was for us, and all we are doing should be for Jesus. Nothing and nobody in this world can love you like Jesus loves you.

Will Oxford

Pray

Lord, I want to thank you for the gift of love. Thank you for all the ones I love, and thank you for letting them love me. Most of all thank you for your infinite, unconditional love. Amen.

Go

The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.