"Appreciating the People in Our Lives" : Reflection for October 4, 2009

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Genesis 2: 18-24; Hebrews 1: 1-4, 2: 5-12; Mark 10: 2-16
Today’s Scripture Readings can be found at http://www.usccb.org/nab

Appreciating the People in our Lives

How easy it often is to take the people in our lives for granted At times, in fact, we may not even notice someone’s good qualities until that person is no longer with us. At the same time, sharing the road of life with its joys and sorrows, drudgeries and delights, can sometimes be wearing!
While clearly reminding us today of our need for other people (Genesis), God’s Word also challenges us to notice how we value the people who are part of our lives (Mark).
Remembering that we are all children of God (Hebrew) can make a big difference in the way that we view people and treat them.

To think about:
What priority do I give to the people who are part of my life?
How might you respond if someone treated you the way that you treat another person? Do I treat others as children of God?
Do I brush past people because I am too self-focused?
Do I look beyond my immediate family to reach out to the wider human family?

To do:
Show appreciation for someone in your life through your words or actions.
Take time to picture someone you know as a child of God.
Look beyond your immediate family and reach out to someone in need.
Visit or call someone who does not have family members nearby, especially someone who is lonely or ill.
Ask God to help you see a person you may find difficult as God sees that person.

To pray: “We are one body in this one Lord.”

Next week: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Wisdom 7: 7-11; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10: 17-30