Sermon Cloud

The global society in which we live allows us to instantly learn of events that are happening on the other side of the world just as easily as we might hear about something that is taking place in our own family.  With the touch of a few numbers on the telephone, we can easily talk to someone in Vancouver or even Europe or Australia.

Access to technology is not only limited to communication.  In Norristown, Pensylvania this week, a mother has been charged by local authorities because she purchased firearms  for her teenaged son.  The teenager believes that he is a victim of bullying and was seeking the help of a friend who might help him to take revenge.

Knowledge about and access to technology have advanced by leaps and bounds in the past few decades, but I wonder what the true cost of this progress has been.  The increased number of single parent families, the tendency - at least in some cases - to measure success by the material possessions with which we surround ourselves, and the increasing demands of the work environments are only some of the contributing factors which make parenting and family life even more difficult today than they ever were.

The irony of the situation is that technology is supposed to make our lives more enjoyable.  The original intent was for time-saving gadgets to allow us to find more time for family, for quality time to be shared with one another and for relaxation.  Instead we seem to have less and less time for the small things in life.

In a sense, you might say that we have become more like the nine lepers in the gospel today (Lk 17:11-19) who were cured, but did not return to give thanks.  Were they in a sense victims of a culture of entitlement which compelled them to go off in search of pleasures which had been denied them for so long, or did they return with joy to their families from whom they had been separated by cultural norms?  The point of the story is that they did not return to Jesus who had healed them in the first place.

Learning the art of gratitude is an essential part of learning to appreciate the gifts we have been given.  It only takes a moment to say thank you but it can make all the difference in terms of helping us to learn some of the most valuable lessons in life.  If our relationships are based on attitudes of gratitude, perhaps parents wouldn't feel the need to buy their children's love or acceptance.  Instead they will find the true joy that comes when we learn to appreciate one another and the simple pleasures which often go unnoticed.

This weekend, some members of the Catholic Women's League of this parish wil receive service pins for their many years of dedication to God and country.  Many of these women have given generously to the parish, but also to their families and friends with no thought of recompense of any sort.  Let's take a moment to remember and pray for those in our lives who have given so much, and taught us the importance of loving without limits.

Simple acts are often the building blocks of the most cherished memories.  Take time to share the story of our faith with those you love this week.  Like Timothy (2 Tim 2:8-13), let us tell the story of how Jesus' life and death makes our lives worth living.  Regardless of our station in life, let us be like Naaman who experienced the goodness of God (2 Kings 5:14-15) and spent the remainder of his days giving thanks.