Happy 19th friends ( belated )

Blurring the Boundaries

from the Sunday Bulletin, July 18, 2010, of St. James Parish, Oakville

This week, Jesus again goes against all Jewish expectations. Jewish woman were not permitted to study the Scriptures with a rabbi. Woman could listen to the public reading of the scriptures, but “There are no known examples of women reading in the synagogue during Jesus' time.” (Witherington, 1990)

Yet, Jesus affirms Mary's decision to stay listening and learning at his feet, like any other disciple, instead of doing women's work. This, again, is Jesus' way of wiping out artificial boundaries, and declaring that God's kingdom has no divisions, even within the Jewish family itself.

God sees differently, because God allows the lines to blur. We can learn to see differently too. Blurring the typical, expected images we have of life and people and events enables us to see deeper into God's reality. St. Paul did this when he said, “There is no longer male or female, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor . . .”

Do you know how desperately people need us Christians to bring this deeper vision to the issues in our world today? If we say, “There is no longer disabled or able-bodied, gay or straight, young or old . . .” we are teaching the world to blur the old lines of rejection, prejudice, condemnation and abuse . Do it !

Leave the judgments up to God! By allowing nothing but God's love to reign supreme, by trusting to God's timing and God's deeper wisdom, we are bringing the light of Jesus Christ into the dark corners of those precious lives for whom Jesus died.

GO IN PEACE TO LOVE AND SERVE OUR GOD!

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from the next animation :

Matthew's Five Nine :

" Judging others leads to judging yourself which leads to judging infinitely !

Resolve to resolve infinitely !"