25th September 2005 – 26th Sunday Year A

S: Good morning, today we’re on about “The Power of Change”.

B: Our word of Life For Today comes from the Gospel of John – if anyone loves me they will keep my word. – This is taken in the context of the two sons who were asked to work by their father in his vineyard. The first son said no, but eventually thought better of it, the second son said that he would go and do some work there, but in the end did nothing.

S: The first son, though he comes across as a bit grumpy, allows what his father asks him to challenge him, he listens to his fathers request, thinks about it and eventually decides to do his fathers will. He didn’t just fob off his father, he took his request seriously.

B: Its like the struggle Jesus had with his father when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane when he says “Let not my will be done, but yours”. Jesus was well aware of what was ahead of him and knew that he couldn’t pick and choose a path that he thought might be more comfortable.

S: And I guess it was the people who chose the more comfortable path that annoyed Jesus – if you like, he was in constant battle with the Religious Powers, because they thought they had all the answers. They thought they knew the mind of God – they were picking and choosing and we can too pick and choose, we can become too comfortable with our own idea of God and never listen to him. We can continue to keep him at a distance or we can take him seriously and allow ourselves to be changed by meeting him.

B: Our reflection this morning is written by Gail Brook and its simply called “prayer”.
I do not ask to walk smooth paths
Nor bear and easy load.
I pray for strength and fortitude
To climb the rock strewn road.

Give me such courage so I can scale
The hardest peaks alone
And transform every stumbling block
Into a stepping stone.

S: You’ve been listening to Just a thought with Seamus Madigan

B: and Brenda Cribbin. We can be contacted through the Limerick Diocesan Offices at 66 O’ Connell Street or by e-mail on smadigan@limerickdiocese.org. If you would like your own copy of this reflection you can download it by clicking on limerickdiocese.org

S: We look forward to your company again next week, so in the meantime - take care…..

S& B: Byeeeeee……

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