Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Division and separation are the fruits of our sin and our grasping to do life “our way,” but God is always charting a course for our reunion with Him.

“Who told you that you were naked?” (Gen. 3:11) — In what tone do we hear these words of God to Adam and Eve from our first reading this Sunday? Is He a rageful father speaking angrily in judgment? Or is He speaking gently as a dad with a broken heart, knowing the consequences that will ensue? This insight can reveal to ourselves how we conceptualize God the Father.

“With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption” (Psalm 130), and thanks be to God for His patience and compassion. He is not a father who abandons us, but always desires to bring us back into union with Him. God does not tire of forgiving us, and He doesn’t cut us off after one mistake. He wants to receive us back into communion with Him.

In our Gospel, Jesus notes, “if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mark 3:25). There are abundant “tribes,” factions, and silos we can belong to today, but we are called to be united in the Church, the Body of Christ. There is plenty of room for differences of opinion and interests, and variety in expressions and cultures, but we are called to be one through our Baptism and to show mercy to others as we have been given great mercy by God.

How would I describe the voice of God the Father in the Genesis account? How do I hear him?

Name a time when you received forgiveness from another person. Who might God be calling you to forgive today?

Where am I tempted to put my identity into other interests (political parties, hobbies, etc) rather than as a baptized member of Christ’s Body, the Church?