God's embrace

Scripture: Lectionary # 381. Genesis 23:1-4.19. 24:1-8; 62-67. Psalm
106:1-2.3-4.5-6. Matthew 9:9-13:

"I came to call not the self-righteous but sinners." These words come to
us on the Feast of the Sacred Heart this year. They are consoling words
from the living voice of Jesus and they end today's short reading from
Matthew. They also follow our finishing of the story of Abraham of Sarah
with the beautiful care that Abraham has for the preparation of a burial
site and the actual burial of his beloved Sarah. We journied with this
holy couple for many chapters (Genesis 12-23). Tomorrow we start a new
journey with Isaach and Rebekah.

We all are sinners and thus have a chance to start the journey anew after
listening to Jesus and realizing the scope of life comes to an end once the
journey is finished. We have another chance today to pick up the pace on
our journey while being within the presence of the Lord step by step.
Jesus never leaves us and always shows us the way. We continue to walk
with our ancestors in the faith, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah. Both
the Father and Jesus invite us to follow on the paths these holy ones took
and to see our lives mirrored in some of the experiences and tests they
went through while not losing their way and not deviating too much from the
paths pointed out by the Lord. We leave our former sins and naughty
behavior patterns behind and move forward once more. This is what life is
all about...never giving up and never losing the paths God has for us.
With our Psalm for the day, we pray, "Give thanks to the Lord for he is
good, for his kindness endures forever."

Jesus prods us on daily asking us to move ahead and not to return to
"unrighteousness." Like Isaac we are not to return to our former
ancestoral territory but to forge ahead into the promised land, the kingdom
of God, which actually is nearer than we think. It is within us. Jesus is
Emmanuel for us, that is, God with us on the way. Like Rebekah we leave our
former attachments to find Isaac and to love him as his spouse. In our case
we see this in the surprising graces we experience each day through prayer
and reflection on God's actions within our hearts. Yes, Augustine has it
right, "Our hearts were made for thee , O Lord, and they are not at rest
till they rest in Thee." Let us embrace as did Isaac and Rebekah the
graces and love of the Lord so that we may live more intimately in the
bosom of the Father as Jesus did. (John 1:18) Amen.