Have you ever been distracted at Mass? Thanks for you nodding. I started worrying that I was the only one. When I went to the Church of Beatitudes in Israel, precisely on the shore of the Galilee Sea, I found myself captured by the splendid view of the over the Lake and the surrounding hills. If our lecturer didn’t hurry us up probably I would be standing there for hours admiring the scenery. Then we went into the church which commemorates the event we heard in the Gospel: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Today’s passage of the Beatitudes is the beginning of that sermon. As I was praying in the church there, it occurred to me how focused those people who were listening to Jesus that day when he was preaching must have been. It was so easy to be distracted by the scenery but they looked at Jesus not at the beauty of the nature, they listened to his words not to the soothing sounds of the lake.
My Dear Sisters and Brothers!
Distractions don’t happen only in the church. There are lots of things outside the church that take our mind from Jesus. For those who don’t find it a problem, that’s their problem. For those of you, who like me, would like to focus on the Lord Jesus better, because he deserves our attention and there is lots of insight into this life and the life to come he can share with us, I would like to introduce you to a crowd that can assist you and me how to manage those distractions we have. Actually it is a great crowd of people and we call them saints. They know what it is to have distractions as they went through life like we do, but now, in heaven, they are totally focused on the Blessed Trinity.
Have you ever thought what makes you distracted? Things we find interesting, captivating, important etc. We think that if we miss on those things of the world we are going to miss on happiness, joy, peace, fulfillment etc. However by giving our heart and mind to God we may miss some worldly things but we will not miss on happiness, joy, peace, fulfilment. Those gifts, those graces come only from God, only when they originate in God they last forever. Other things can give us, for example, some joy, but it will be short-lived.
To finish let me get practical. In our Catholic tradition we have various prayers, novenas, litanies etc. However there is a litany which is not very popular. I mean the Litany of Saints. Some people say it is boring to say the long list of the names. If it is boring it means that you don’t know those saints, you don’t know their lives. On this Solemnity of All Saints I would like to encourage you to compose your own litany of saints. It doesn’t need to have 50 names. You may start with 4 or 5 Saints or Blesseds. But allow their lives speak to you first, learn about them first, find something that connects you and them and then pray that litany of saints you have composed every day. I can assure you that the saints don’t need a hearing aid to hear you. When you say: Pray for us. They will do so. They will pray for you, even as they are totally captivated by the most splendid view that can be found in the whole Universe: the glory of the Most Blessed Trinity.
At the beginning of this homily I mentioned the soothing sound of the Galilee Lake. Those of you who cannot go there can go for a short drive to listen to the waves and to find how soothing they can be. But let me tell you this: The most soothing effect is brought by the words of our Blessed Lord as his words reach not only our brain but the depth of our soul.
My Dear Sisters and Brothers!
Distractions don’t happen only in the church. There are lots of things outside the church that take our mind from Jesus. For those who don’t find it a problem, that’s their problem. For those of you, who like me, would like to focus on the Lord Jesus better, because he deserves our attention and there is lots of insight into this life and the life to come he can share with us, I would like to introduce you to a crowd that can assist you and me how to manage those distractions we have. Actually it is a great crowd of people and we call them saints. They know what it is to have distractions as they went through life like we do, but now, in heaven, they are totally focused on the Blessed Trinity.
Have you ever thought what makes you distracted? Things we find interesting, captivating, important etc. We think that if we miss on those things of the world we are going to miss on happiness, joy, peace, fulfillment etc. However by giving our heart and mind to God we may miss some worldly things but we will not miss on happiness, joy, peace, fulfilment. Those gifts, those graces come only from God, only when they originate in God they last forever. Other things can give us, for example, some joy, but it will be short-lived.
To finish let me get practical. In our Catholic tradition we have various prayers, novenas, litanies etc. However there is a litany which is not very popular. I mean the Litany of Saints. Some people say it is boring to say the long list of the names. If it is boring it means that you don’t know those saints, you don’t know their lives. On this Solemnity of All Saints I would like to encourage you to compose your own litany of saints. It doesn’t need to have 50 names. You may start with 4 or 5 Saints or Blesseds. But allow their lives speak to you first, learn about them first, find something that connects you and them and then pray that litany of saints you have composed every day. I can assure you that the saints don’t need a hearing aid to hear you. When you say: Pray for us. They will do so. They will pray for you, even as they are totally captivated by the most splendid view that can be found in the whole Universe: the glory of the Most Blessed Trinity.
At the beginning of this homily I mentioned the soothing sound of the Galilee Lake. Those of you who cannot go there can go for a short drive to listen to the waves and to find how soothing they can be. But let me tell you this: The most soothing effect is brought by the words of our Blessed Lord as his words reach not only our brain but the depth of our soul.
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