28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024

We in the Church have been blessed with many gifts and tools to assist us in our prayer life. Things like the rosary, the Divine Mercy chaplet, Stations of the Cross, Lectio Divina, and, of course, Eucharistic Adoration. (As we sit before the Blessed Sacrament and adore Jesus in the Eucharist, what do you think He sees when he looks out at us? I believe He looks out and sees His Bride whom He also adores. Though He goes to prepare a place for us, He loves us so passionately He couldn’t stand to be away from us, so He comes to us sacramentally in intimate communion and we are never truly apart.)



The question is, as we practice these devotions are we growing in true devotion? Is the practice of these spiritual exercises and religious activities producing the Fruit of the Spirit? The danger is that we become great practitioners of our religion without producing the proper effects. It is analogous to being a spouse who fulfills all the obligations and responsibilities of marriage without actually loving his wife. I might “go through the motions” and claim to be a good husband because I pay the bills, cut the lawn and occasionally take out the garbage. I might claim to be a good husband because I do the actions, but do so without love and true devotion to my wife. That’s the definition of an empty marriage.

Our Lady of Grace is blessed to have priests who are committed to faithfully bringing us the sacraments. I am amazed at how often we have the Sacrament of Confession offered in our church. We also have frequent Adoration and other beautiful liturgies to enhance our faith life. But is it reflected in our life with each other? Do we treat each other at OLG with respect, appreciation, and true familial love? Is the Fruit of the Spirit here in abundance (Galatians 5:22-23 - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control)? Is the Spirit alive and evident in dynamic ministries that serve each other the wider community? Does the rest of Greensboro look at OLG and say, “Look at how they love each other!”? If not, what is the result of all our prayers and religious practice? If we’re not being personally transformed by all our prayers, why are we doing them? Do we truly love Jesus, our Father, and the Spirit more—allowing Their love to change us from the inside out?  I would propose that unless we’re being changed more and more into His image and likeness, then all the prayers and practices we engage in are just to make us feel better.

So, consider whether all our devotions are making us better disciples—more loving and transformed to be more Christlike, showing each other and the world around us that Jesus is alive and still in the business of changing lives. Anything less is resisting all He wants to do in and with us, and He said Himself, “You shall know them by their fruit.”

I’ll end with a great quote: “We repent enough to be forgiven, but do we surrender enough to change?”