Here in the Northern Virginia area many of our parishioners are under a considerable amount of anxiety and uncertainty due to the efforts of the current administration’s efforts on “government efficiency” (DOGE). This vale of worry affects federal sector employees, contract workers, suppliers, and professional service and consulting organizations – and it is exacerbated by poor communications, what seems like random directions, and wondering about the intentions of people “making lists.” One group of counter-cyber security people in an interdepartmental training program who had just graduated, had job assignments (and many had shipped household goods) were suddenly let go. A parishioner told me that when she calls her mom she has found it necessary to begin each conversation with, “Mom, I still have a job.”
Continue readingDaily Archives: February 25, 2025
Practical demands
Our gospel for the 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time is situated at the end of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain.” It begins simply: “And he told them a parable…” (v.39) Interestingly, nothing that follows is actually considered a parable; all are better seen as wisdom sayings, proverbs or similes. Be that as it may, the purpose of this part of the sermon is clear. Luke signals a change of direction within Jesus’ discourse and draws Sermon to a close with a call to add obedience to the hearing of Jesus’ message. In verses 43-49 the word “(to) do” appears five times and becomes the catchword along with “doing good” that appeared earlier in the sermon. Herein appears a principal call of Luke-Acts: the practical demand of the gospel with emphasis on behavior – not a sole emphasis – but highlighted nonetheless. The issue is one of character and commitments becoming action in the life of the believer. To attempt to separate character – commitment – action is to succumb to hypocrisy (vv.41-42,46). A person’s heart will be revealed by the fruit of their actions (v.44).
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