Ordinary Time

Pause

… for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:26, 28 (NRSV)

Listen

Let me hear what the Lord God says, because he speaks peace to his people and to his faithful ones. Don’t let them return to foolish ways. God’s salvation is very close to those who honor him so that his glory can live in our land. Faithful love and truth have met; righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth springs up from the ground; righteousness gazes down from heaven.

Psalm 85:8-11

Think

The Psalmist describes a vision of what God’s dream for the world is like. It’s a world where “‘in Christ’ every experience is reframed, from our most bracing joys and cherished achievements to our besetting temptations, our most anguished regrets, and our most wounding losses. ‘In Christ’ we are joined to the power and presence of God. ‘In Christ’ we are knit to others.” (excerpt from Sally A. Brown, commentary on Ephesians 1:3-14)

Perhaps “in Christ” means that once we realize we are in fact enough, we’re able to more fully hear what God is saying to us. “In Christ” we can more clearly understand that we are to be people of love, peace, and faithfulness — a people coming together rather than a people that tears one another apart. Perhaps, “in Christ, I am enough,” means that we finally create room in our hearts and minds to recognize that this is God’s dream for all of us and we must get going living into that dream!

Molly Brummett Wudel

Pray

God, help me more fully be a person “in Christ,” opening my heart and mind and life to the vision and dream of love, peace, faithfulness, and unity breaking into the world. Amen.

Go

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

A prayer from St. Patrick