NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small Christian communities that gather in the home weekly to prayerfully discuss the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. It’s easy to form a community and you can find out more at Christ in Our Neighborhood – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix (dphx.org)
This coming Sunday, we celebrate the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. The question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection asks us is: Do you trust in Jesus’ eternal love and peace for you?
It’s been said that the definition of sin is to act in such a way that declares, “God, I know what you want, but I want to do things my way.”
And as much as the Frank Sinatra tune “My Way” continues to enjoy fame, doing things our way instead of God’s way is a recipe for ultimate unhappiness.
Surrendering to God’s will is not a one-time event we can look back on fondly. It’s a daily decision to lay our hopes, dreams, fears, projects and indeed our entire lives at the feet of Jesus, who loves us and shares His peace with us.
The measure with which we surrender ourselves is directly proportional to the measure of peace that fills our hearts. We have nothing to lose by trusting in the One who was sent to redeem us.
If you haven’t joined a Christ in Our Neighborhood small group yet, perhaps you are being called to start one yourself. Check out our website today to find out more: dphx.org/Christ-in-our-neighborhood.
Watch the video of the weekly podcast segment featuring Christ in Our Neighborhood with Bishop Dolan by clicking HERE.
Be sure to attend our Sept. 6 Morning of Reflection for all CION participants and leaders at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 8 a.m. to noon. You can RSVP for this free event HERE.
To sign up for our weekly Christ in Our Neighborhood newsletter that has everything you need for your next meeting, visit: https://phoenixdiocese.flocknote.com/CION
