Luke 6:17, 20-26
This week what we hear sounds very similar to the Beatitudes, but Luke gives us some woes to go with them. The footnotes in my Bible say that the blessings and the woes relate directly to literal social and economic issues. Those who will be blessed are the ones who seek spiritual fulfillment, but those who strive solely for earthly desires will ultimately only find emptiness - "for you will be hungry."
You won't ever get enough from only earthly desires. Giving yourself up to follow God's call for you will get you more than enough. It sounds counter-intuitive that giving yourself up allows you to receive more, but when you fill yourself up with God's love rather than material possessions or temporary desires, "the kingdom of God is yours... you will be satisfied... you will laugh."
It isn't normal to live so humbly like this, but "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you."
This past Sunday, I was studying with some friends and I mentioned that I was going to have to leave to get to a Boiler Awakening Retreat meeting that night. My friend then said, "Rachel, we need to hold an intervention because you spend too much time at church."
It's little remarks like that that make being a devout Catholic on big college campus so difficult, but what I need to remember is to "Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!"
My friends jokingly tag me as the "super Catholic one in the group" which can sometimes be annoying depending on the connotation they use, but it's also reassuring to know that I am actually wearing my faith on my sleeve. And even though I'll often feel judgement for being involved and active in my faith, I remember that if I didn't, I would just feel empty.
Because I have invited God into every moment of my life and because I make the decisions to stay on God's path, I have found so much genuine joy in what I do and in the people I'm with.
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