Sixth Sunday after Trinity, July 23rd, 2017

Sixth Sunday after Trinity, July 23rd, 2017

" . . . . . even so we also should walk in newness of life"  (Epistle to the Romans 6:4)

In addition to my work as a parish priest, I work as a counselor for the Department of Corrections in a juvenile facility.  The unit that I administer is a "faith and character" based unit and I wear many hats, as they say.  On a daily basis I write reports, and do counseling sessions, attend classes with the students, answer questions, give commissary,  speak to family members, etc, etc, etc.  Every day brings new challenges.  Every day is an adventure, as I like to say.  One of the things that I am required to do is sometimes sit in on either family sessions or meetings held with representatives of outside agencies.  These meetings, more often than not, are held in the visiting room of the facility.  While I set there in the visiting room I can not help but notice a curious thing just outside the window.  Outside the visiting room is a small courtyard with one or two picnic tables.  Since this is a maximum security facility, it is enclosed by a ten foot chain link fence with strands of barbed wire attached to the top of the fence.  Now the curious thing I noticed is that there are two birds nests nestled inside of the barbed wire.  I will see birds on occasion fly in and out of the nests.  It seems that it would be a very precarious place, to say the least, for a birds nest to be built---in barbed wire.  But the birds don't seem to mind.  The reason I bring all of this up is because I found myself staring at a bird this week setting in the barbed wire on top of that fence, totally oblivious to the danger surrounding him.  He didn't seem to notice or if he did, he obviously did not care.  How many of us are in similar situations, so to speak, in our lives?  Just like that little bird was satisfied to sit on that barbed wire and didn't think anything of the danger, so too we are satisfied to exist in a world caught up in greed, and hatred, and jealousy, and envy.  We sit in a world consumed with desire of material things . . . . .  expensive clothing,  .   .  fancy cars . . . drugs . . . . drink . . . . .   We lust after the desire of power and wealth and fame.   Clothing styles certainly change over time.  Modes of transportation and communication change over the centuries.  But beyond that, man has been the same since the beginning of time.  And just like that little bird was totally oblivious to the dangerous "perch" it had inside of that barbed wire, so too are we totally oblivious to the dangers and snares that this old world offers.  But St. Paul reminds us that we have a "newness of life" as Christians.  We are called to see the world differently.  We are called to live in this world, yes,  but not to be of this world.  Through our baptism, we are new creatures.  Through Christ's dying on the Cross, we are forgiven our sins.  And through Christ's rising to new life, each one of us has the opportunity to spend eternity with Our Heavenly Father.  This is the "newness of life" that we are called to, as St. Paul puts it.  But, sadly, so many in the world are content to sit inside of the "barbed wire" that is the world, just like that little bird, and not think any differently of it.  We are so accustomed to the baseness of the world that we are content to exist in it.  But Christ calls us to a new life.  Christ calls us to be new creatures.  Let us spend our days following Our Blessed Saviour instead of the world.  Let us walk in the "newness of life" and not the same ol', same ol' that the world offers.

  St. Margaret Church celebrates Mass each and every Sunday at 9:30 AM.  Mass is celebrated at the beautiful chapel at Marquette Manor, located as 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.

Join us for Mass as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we hear God speaking to us in His Word.  Our Lord also offers to each one of us His Most Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  Receive the Precious Body and Blood to strengthen and nourish you for your daily journey.  And afterward, please join us for our Coffee Hour to have some delicious goodies and good fellowship.