Readings for Sept. 14-15, Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Lyn Zahorik | For On Mission
If Jesus were among us today and was expounding on the Letter of James that we will hear this Sunday, what do you think he would say?
Recall his “The kingdom of God is like …” teachings. Jesus used symbols like mustard seeds and lost coins to make his point. He wanted people to experience both mindful contemplation and a heartfelt message that inspired action.
I can imagine Jesus saying something to us such as, “The kingdom of God is like a snow globe.”
Sitting on a shelf with a lovely scene enclosed in an orb of water, a snow globe is delightful. Our faith is like a snow globe. In and of itself, it is a beautiful thing. However, a snow globe’s full beauty is not seen until the globe is picked up and shaken, causing the snowflakes and glitter to rise up, and then, lazily drift back down upon the scene.
Jesus might challenge us to a deeper level by saying, “I am the hands, and you are the snow globe.” Encountering Jesus in faith and love finds its fullness if we trust Jesus, allowing him to take our life and raise up the sparkle and glitter.
Most of the time we feel gentle shakes that leave us in a comfortable place where we find connection in our prayer, satisfaction in our charity and peace among our family and friends.
However, Jesus is also capable of creating a whirlwind. He will create one if that is what is needed to imbue us with the energy and courage to live out faith in a way that reflects God’s everlasting love for the world.
He stirs up grace that we may “act justly, walk humbly and love tenderly” (Micah 6:8). In the whirlwind, Jesus shakes our minds and hearts to be open to his teaching and we are filled with a bold faith that embraces authentic Gospel living.
This past weekend, I gave attention to other people as they returned from Holy Communion. I envisioned Jesus sacramentally present to each of us on the inside, while on the outside he also held our snow globe lives in his hands.
I could not tell whom he was giving a gentle shake or a more forcible shake, but I knew he was stirring things up so that each of us would live with him, in him and through him. He was strengthening within us his mission to live out our faith.
Don Lessin, in his book “The Abba Cry,” states that mission of faith beautifully: “What a privilege we have been given by God, to be able to spend our lives giving his love away.”
Since I have done 2024 reframing of Scripture in this article, I encourage you to consider one more of my “translations.”
Let us rephrase Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord,” in a manner more suitable to being a snow globe in the kingdom of God. “As for me and my house, move over Elvis, Jesus is my King of shake, rattle and roll.”
Zahorik is director for spiritual engagement at St. Mary Parish, Omro, and St. Mary Parish, Winneconne.
The readings for Sunday, Sept. 15, can be found at Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB.
