January 17, 2025
My dear Kirkland Catholics,
Last weekend we began a homily series on Discipleship that will take place over the 7 weeks of Ordinary Time preparing us for Lent. Fr. Val and I will both preach on the same aspect of discipleship each weekend in our respective locations. Last weekend the focus was on identity – that in Jesus we are adopted children of God and that living out of that identity is energizing and refreshes us. This weekend we focus on the much-maligned word of “obedience.” Jesus as Lord and older brother is the one then who teaches us how to live as Children of the Father. Obedience comes from a word related to listening. A disciple, then, sits at the feet of the Lord Jesus and listens as He reveals both general principles that lead to our flourishing (The Sermon on the Mount beginning in Matthew chapter 5 is a good compendium) and a specific calling particular to our own destiny and walk with Him. Jesus lays down an important truth “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Nothing of any lasting value at least. If we want to know how to live well, we have to listen to what He taught all of us about human flourishing and seek His guidance about the specific circumstances or bigger decisions and more important priorities in my life. That’s all that obedience means. It has nothing to do with Him commanding us to do things that are not actually beneficial for us.
I expect this homily series will be both enlightening and challenging as we consider whether our lives actually revolve around the Lord. Is Jesus part of my life, or the center of my life? And if only part of my life, what concepts do I need to understand, actions do I need to take, or priorities do I need to change to earnestly strive to make Him the center? Let’s be committed together in our discipleship and continue to grow in closeness with the Lord Jesus as we begin Ordinary Time and head towards the Lenten Season.
With love in Christ,
Fr. Brad