Who were the Gentiles?

In many gospel readings the "Gentiles" are referred to. Two weeks ago, after more than 20 years of growing up in the Catholic faith I realized that I did not know who they were. Was it a nationality? A religion? what? Turns out my parents did not know either. So, naturally. I thought about it ... then forgot about it.

But for some reason I just remembered it, and happened to be sitting with my computer anyway, so I looked it up. (I used ask.com which took me to the international standard bible encyclopedia). This is what I found:

Gentiles, pronounced jen'-tilz, is commonly used for a non-Israelitish people. The Gentiles were far less sharply differentiated from the Israelites in Old Testament than in New Testament times.

Under Old Testament regulations they were simply non-Israelites, not from the stock of Abraham, but they were not hated or despised for that reason, and were to be treated almost on a plane of equality, except certain tribes in Canaan with regard to whom there were special regulations of non-intercourse. The Gentile stranger enjoyed the hospitality of the Israelite who was commanded to love him and to sympathize with him. They had most of the same rights, earned the same respect, given permission to practice the faith in Jewish temples, and were even allowed to rule over Israelites.

But as we approach the Christian era the attitude of the Jews toward the Gentiles changes, until we find, in New Testament times, the most extreme aversion, scorn and hatred. They were regarded as unclean, with whom it was unlawful to have any friendly intercourse. They were the enemies of God and His people, to whom the knowledge of God was denied unless they became proselytes, and even then they could not, as in ancient times, be admitted to full fellowship.

Jews were forbidden to counsel them, and if they asked about Divine things they were to be cursed. All children born of mixed marriages were bastards. That is what caused the Jews to be so hated by Greeks and Romans, as we have abundant evidence in the writings of Cicero, Seneca and Tacitus...

First Reading Reflection

Today's first reading addresses the issue the apostles faced with replacing Judas to bring their group back up to 12. To me, it brings up three very important points.

1. Look to God when you need help making a decision (and trust Him). Often we are faced with a decision where we have done everything and still do not know what the right decision is. At these points in our lives, it is best to leave the choice to God. That is what the apostles did. They could have argued over it and fretted about it for days, but instead they took a step back, offered up a prayer to God, and let Him decide for them. If we follow this example, we'll find life much less stressful. It takes a lot of confidence to hand over everything to God's will, but the truth is, He knows best, and He won't let you down in the long run.

2. Change can be for the better if you let it. Sometimes we are faced with horrible situations or changes we do not approve of. We were content with the way things were and see no need to embrace changes. However, if we can look beyond our comfort zone, we will be opened up to whole new opportunities. It reminds me of a quote I read somewhere once (and don't recall whom to give credit to) that read: "I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together". The last sentence, sums up this theme for me. Instead of resisting change and fighting for the way things used to be or "are supposed to be", listen to new ideas, try a new approach, welcome newcomers, and be willing to expand your horizons. in short, let change occur and love it as best you can.

3. It's important to get to know knew members of a group. As humans we are also so different, yet very alike. We all have the same basic needs, and even beyond that their are hundreds of personality traits, likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams, fears, strengths, weaknesses, and beliefs that we could possibly share. In order for a group to function successfully it is essential that we take the time to recognize these similarities. The more cohesive we are, the more productive we will be. It is equally important however to recognize differences. We cannot all work together efficiently if we don't know where we are individually needed. With God in our presence, any group of people can work together: we just have to be patient with one another. Personally, i think it is the most beautiful thing when a group of people who did not know each other previously get together and work together. That is one instance in which it is easy to feel God's presence in our everyday lives.

Every Person Has A Story...

... that is what makes us human.

Father LaMorte spoke those words to me and a small group of companions this past week. It's true: all of us have a past. A past that defines us, creates us, helps explain us. It guides our present as well as our future.

Our stories come from a plethora of backgrounds and explain how we got where we are in a multitude of categories: economical, social, familial, religious, the list goes on. It is the last category that we were challenged to think on and explain.

What major event in your life helped you define yourself as Catholic? How did you find out the answers to the Big questions in life and religion? What made you so sure? Answering these questions is a thrilling exercise and I recommend it to anyone who is looking to understand themselves better. The answers are all within you, sometimes it just takes someone else to point them out.

gospel reflection

Today's gospel reading gives us the seemingly simple message: love. It is only through loving others that you will ever know God. I see two ways in which to interpret this statement.

One, "know God" as in understanding the essence of Him. By loving others we will create a world of happiness, joy, and peace for ourselves, which is the same world God creates. Therefore, by loving others, we will have a glimpse of God's love for the world and thereby also know God more through the simple fact of understanding and experiencing Him.

Two, loving others is our ticket into heaven. Therefore, if we would ever like to see heaven and meet God, we need to love. It is strange to think of God as an individual, but if you can imagine it with me for a moment, love is our invitation to God's party (heaven) where we get to meet with Him personally.

Both interpretations, and I'm sure many others, are correct in the simple fact that they are not incorrect. However, it leaves us with a difficult task: love. What does it mean to truly love others? First off, it means not to hate. We can't be jealous of others, or feel egotistically better than others, or, in a perfect definition of love, angered and annoyed by others.

But the world is not always rainbows and butterflies, it's compromise (sorry, song reference). It's about giving compassion when you can, sharing what you have, accepting everyone for the way they are even when you don't understand why they are that way, lending a helping hand to those in need even when you get nothing in return, and giving the utmost respect to everyone equally.

Love is about the simple choices: a smile, a nod, waiting patiently, taking a few minutes to read your younger sibling a bed time story, letting someone else ride shotgun without complaint, offering to do the dishes, hugs, picking flowers for someone. Basically, anything that brings a small bit of joy of tiny piece of heaven into another's life, is love.

Congrats

I would like to extend my whole-hearted congratulations to the 4 Marist students who received their Confirmation at mass last night and invite everyone to join me in remembering them in their prayers.

Gospel Reflection

This week's gospel reading reminds us of Jesus' unending love for us as he points out that he freely lays down His life to protect and save us, and will continue to do so as many times as necessary.

However, there is another aspect of this reading that calls out to me more. Jesus says, "And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd." To me, this is incredibly powerful because as Catholics we often forget the love that God has for everyone, including those not of our faith.

I feel as though, that as Catholics, we often feel superior because we have recognized God's love in our lives and the presence of Jesus Christ our Savior in a very unique and powerful way. However, Jesus does not see us that way; He sees us all as equals. It reminds me of a quote that hung in the locker room of my middle school that read "equal does not mean everyone is given the same, but that everyone is given what they need". For me, this is exactly what Jesus is saying.

Jesus announces that He is willing to lay down his life for His flock - He does not mind making sacrifices for us because He loves us more than we could ever comprehend. In addition, for those that are not in the flock yet, Jesus is giving them equal, if not more, attention in an effort to bring them to the truth so that they can find true love and meaning in life.

I think it is a great reminder not to judge. Just because we may see what we are doing as better than someone else, does not make it so. God gave us all freewill and He loves us no matter what we choose to do with it. I am not saying there are no right and wrong decisions, I am merely saying that those decisions need to be made on an individual level and as individuals we cannot jusge others for their decisions because we can never know their whole story. Jesus loves everyone no matter what. And so should we.