We continue hearing from Luke’s Sermon on the Plain where he delves a little further into the ideas of the Beatitudes that we heard last week. The overriding themes of love and service to all come out in this Gospel passage, just as last week. It’s not just enough to love, but you have to show action, too.
Our song at the preparation of the altar and gifts is “The Servant Song”. Reflect for a moment on the first verse and how it may apply in your own life:
Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant, too.
Our second Communion song is a contemporary one published in 2018 by Tom Kendzia, “By our Love”. This new song takes some of the text from the old traditional song “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love” along with some newly written text based on the Gospels. This song, once again, speaks to showing our love not by our words, but by our deeds.
When we feed the hungry, they will know by our love,
Lifting up the lowly, by our love…
Welcome to the stranger, they will know by our love,
Shelter for the homeless, by our love…
By our love, they will know we are Christians…
Not by words, but how we live..
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
A little reflection for the week: How hard is it to be Christ to others – to serve others in the selfless way that Christ gave His life for us? When was the last time we did that for someone else – especially someone that is not a family member? How hard it is to let others be Christ for us? How hard do we find it to accept help from our family and friends? Are we allowing them to live out their calling to be servants? And why should we do this? Our closing song fittingly tells us:
“Let us build a city of God. May our tears be turned into dancing!
For the Lord, our light and our love, has turned the night into day!”