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 Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. Check out the question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection poses: What tables in your heart might Jesus need to overturn to make room for true worship?
Oooh! That one might hit close to home! And if it doesn’t, we need to ask ourselves: Has our relationship with God grown stale? All of us have areas in our lives that are still in need of the transforming power of God. Have we allowed the cares and concerns of this world to drown out our need for true worship? You may have heard it said by some that Jesus “covers” our sins with His mercy. Our Catholic belief goes well beyond this. Our sins aren’t merely covered up — they are forgiven and healed.
When we take the time to examine our conscience and consider what Jesus expects of us as His followers, we are no doubt coming up short in some areas. Do we love our enemies? Do we pray for those who mistreat us? Have we forgiven from our hearts those who have offended us? Have we taken care of the poor and the widow? Have we given thanks in all circumstances? Have we gone and made disciples?
If our answer is “no” to any of those questions, we will understand which tables need to be overturned in our hearts in order to make room for true worship.
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.
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
