Lectio moment

Musée national du Moyen Âge

Reflecting on today's Mass readings (Philippians 2:12-18 and Luke 14:25-33), two phrases caught my attention:

From the first reading: "hold on to the word of life."

From the Gospel: "everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple."

Here we have a call to let go of everything that does not lead to Christ, and to hold on to everything that does. This doesn't mean everyone must literally divest themselves of all material possessions. It does mean that we must regularly examine what we truly value, and how what we possess (whether it's money, status, goods, time, talents, habits, attitudes, desires, dispositions, etc.) is ordered toward our foremost priority.

1. So, what do I value most--really? Where does it point me?

2. How do I prioritize all that I possess? Or, do these things, whatever they are, really possess me? Are they leading me toward life as God promises it, or to death?

3. How do I let go of what I possess (or what possesses me) and instead hold on to the word of life?

This is not an observation on yesterday's election results--far from it. No comment in that regard. I did, however, wake up this morning with one of my favorite verses from the Psalms springing to mind, which complements today's Mass readings well:

"Lord, I have seen that all perfection has an end,
but your command is boundless."

Psalm 119:96

(Along all those lines, and in the spirit of promoting Benedictine values, I direct you to another blog post by Jennifer Fulwiler for a timely and beautiful reflection on The Big Picture. Enjoy -- and come and see what it's all about some time, whether it's Mount Angel or Saint Meinrad.)