“My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God": 13th Sunday Ordinary Time

Listen to the homily here.

Notes:

“My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.”

·      Psalm 63

·      I hope, and I pray that you follow on of the verses in Psalm 63

o   “O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched lifeless and without water.”

How are our souls thirsty or parched?

·      With a bad day

·      Being sick, injures, surgery

·      Not having a job

·      Having without a house, or food, or water

·      Those who are lonely

·      Those who have addictions

·      Those who have depression, anxiety

·      With tough stuff in life: health, family or friends who have passed away

How are you thirsty for God?

·      Even if life is great or challenging

There are several different ways to drink God

·      1.) Praying

o   One of the most questions that ask a priest: how do you pray?

o   Well…praying is growing in a relationship with God

o   Think of the different ways in your relationships of your spouse, kids, friends

§  Hanging out

§  Face to face

§  Phone, facebook, twitter

§  Meals

§  Games

o   There are many different ways to speak with God

§  In your heart

§  Reading the Bible: God speaks to you at any time!

§  Reading spiritual books

§  Be quiet with God (Adoration, at home)

§  A journal

§  Talking with other people about God

§  Praying with other people: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

·      Dinners at home

·      Meetings

·      2.)  Sacraments

o   We can receive two sacraments every day:

§  Eucharist and Confession

·      Eucharist = Body and Blood of Jesus Christ

o   To feed our souls

o   To drink our souls

·      Confession

o   Forgiveness, mercy, compassion

o   Feeding your soul

o   Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, marriage, ordained

§  Ways that God give us strength, courage, gifts

§  Through His gift to drink our souls

·      3.)  Look to others, not ourselves

o   Drinking of the poor (as well as the other ways to give gifts and mercy to others: food, clothes, visiting in hospitals and jails, those who have died)

o   Presence

o   The most powerful prayers we have, is when we are praying in our different situations

o   And the most we help others, the more we receive from God for our souls

“My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.”

·      Reflect on these three areas: praying, Sacraments, helping others

As a family in our churches, diocese, state, country and world helps each of our souls to drink of God!