A Jesuit Catholic University
in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1878

[477] Ephesians 4:1-6 Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 Luke 12:54-59

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

“I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received.”

What does it mean to live a life for Christ? How would understanding this simple phrase change the way we go about our everyday life? Would it change the way you think? The way you act? What you read? Who you know? Maybe how you work and serve?

To me, the gospel today is a poignant (and a little bit snarky) response to this question. It basically boils down to seeing the honest and painful truth in both ourselves and the larger world. We first are called to “interpret the present time,” or to honestly look at our world as it is. Where are people suffering? Where are people celebrating life? What am I doing about both of these? We are called to be involved in the lives of others. We are called to care. Personally, how am I doing that today?

The second part of the gospel warns us about the biggest trap of getting involved – judging without mercy. While I feel we must judge in order to see injustice, but we must always remember that everyone is human. We can never condemn another for we are just as guilty. Instead we must act with mercy and the values sponsored by St. Paul: humility, gentleness, patience, love, unity, and peace. We are called to live in the world, celebrate its beauty, and get involved in its problems, but do all this in a manner that follows the example of Jesus.

As we start out on the mission of fully living this day, I leave you with one of my favorite prayers by Karl Rahner SJ:

O God, give me the courage and strength
to be worthy of being called a Christian.