The politics of our social relationships are something that we probably wouldn't expect God to have much of an opinion on, but today's readings make it clear that it is part of the great commandment of loving God and loving neighbor. The Gospel and first reading both insist that not only do we need to treat others as we would like to be treated, but we need to go a step further and humble ourselves in social situations. The contrast with our world is obvious, and so the question that faces us today is how to find ways to be an agent of change in our society, how we, in ways small and large, can make humility fashionable. It may never be the rage, but service, placing others above us and working for the betterment of the poor of our world are all concrete things that we can do and talk about in a positive way.

The reading from Hebrews is a wonderful series of 'and' statements, a real litany of the ways in which we know God intimately in ways that our ancestors did not know. It is a reminder of how near our God is to us, how deeply blessed we are in our lives of faith.

The politics of our social relationships are something that we probably wouldn't expect God to have much of an opinion on, but today's readings make it clear that it is part of the great commandment of loving God and loving neighbor. The Gospel and first reading both insist that not only do we need to treat others as we would like to be treated, but we need to go a step further and humble ourselves in social situations. The contrast with our world is obvious, and so the question that faces us today is how to find ways to be an agent of change in our society, how we, in ways small and large, can make humility fashionable. It may never be the rage, but service, placing others above us and working for the betterment of the poor of our world are all concrete things that we can do and talk about in a positive way. The reading from Hebrews is a wonderful series of 'and' statements, a real litany of the ways in which we know God intimately in ways that our ancestors did not know. It is a reminder of how near our God is to us, how deeply blessed we are in our lives of faith.

The life of a disciple is one of trust. A disciple is to follow the direction of the leader. A disciple might not know what the plan is for the next day, but at the same time, the trust in the leader gives the disciple the freedom to not be concerned about the details of any given day. Jesus calls us to really trust in God, no matter what our station in life, to really believe that our destiny is with the master, with God. He also reminds us that the timing of these events is certainly not to be predicted by us; we need to live continually in that state of readiness in order to welcome God when he comes to save us.

The ability to wait well is the message of the reading from the book of Wisdom, and the Psalm reminds us that since we are chosen we are blessed. Our destiny is bound up with the gift of faith, and the letter to the Hebrews makes this abundantly clear. Following the example of Abraham, there is nothing that we have, not even our own future, symbolized by Isaac, which God has not given us. It is faith that allows us to celebrate our poverty, which allows us to find joy in knowing that our whole life belongs to someone else - it belongs to God.