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To be a faith-filled Christian is not simply about having an inner conviction, but also having the courage and strength to live our beliefs on a daily basis and have an impact on our world. Faith is a gift, and God is the source and giver of that gift.

Sometimes, being indifferent is worse than showing some type of emotion whether good or bad. The rich man lost out because he did not notice Lazarus. He did not reach out to help when he had every opportunity to do so.

Jesus is not praising dishonesty here. He is praising ingenuity — ingenuity as the antithesis of complaint, whining, and despair. Jesus points out that those who are outside our religious circles tend to be more ingenious in times of trouble than we committed believers, who too often give of ourselves over to grumbling and inaction.

As followers of Jesus, we can’t let vengeance enter into our hearts and minds. The three parables in today’s Gospel reveal a God who does not seek vengeance on the sinner. He is one who is always ready to seek out and forgive.

We hear about those who suddenly “find Jesus.” That is a good thing. And although we may view this with skepticism, we are given the chance to reach down and take a good look at ourselves without viewing others in order to find Jesus and follow him when necessary. To follow Jesus means that he has to be the most important thing in our lives.

Jesus taught them a parable and said, “instead of seeking glory for yourself, spend your time and energy giving glory to God.”

In today’s Gospel from Luke, we hear of the familiar message from Jesus to strive to enter through the narrow gate. Our Journey as disciples of Jesus is not always easy, nor is it one that everyone follows. The challenges that we face are ones the Lord will help us endure, pointing us to the narrow gate and keeping us on the road when we ask for His help.

Jesus is passionate about His mission. He not only knows what it is and the suffering that goes with it, but He embraces it with great enthusiasm. Knowing where this mission would lead caused great division amongst Jesus’ followers.

This Gospel from Luke has three distinct parts to it. I would like to focus on what I think is pertinent to our lives. We live in a world where there are so many things clamoring for our attention that it is easy to lose our focus.

In today’s First Reading from Ecclesiastes, we hear that the pursuit of worldly riches is vanity because in the end we have to let them go. We come into this world with nothing and we leave this world with nothing even though many people spend their whole lives acquiring things in excess.

We as the faithful of God have a special role in offering hospitality by inviting all within the community to share their gifts and talents. We have a duty to be hospitable to all who enter Corpus Christi Church.

How often do we get so wrapped up in things that we lose sight of what’s important? How often do we act like Mary and choose the good part? How often do we act like Martha, judging and worrying about what others do?

Would we take the time to be a “Good Samaritan” and tend to the needs of our neighbor? In today’s self-centered world, we seem to tend to our own needs, never quite caring about the needs of others. We tend to ignore what is before us at times.

The cornerstone of the Church’s whole social teaching is that human life is sacred from the moment of conception until natural death. The Church also teaches that it is important to surround people in difficult circumstances with love, care and necessary services and to create the kind of conditions in society where every person at every stage of life is able to flourish. We must put aside judgment, shake the dust from our feet and proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand as our Gospel tells us today.

Are we willing to give up everything that we have to follow Jesus? Some would be disciples asked to follow Jesus. Jesus tells them that the road to following Him will not be an easy one. God’s call was urgent, and Jesus’ disciples must be willing to renounce everything for the sake of the kingdom. Are we willing to detach ourselves from whatever holds us back to follow Jesus?

St. John offers this: “you see him, not in a manger but on an altar … and you see the Spirit bountifully poured out upon offerings of bread and wine. Unlike the wise men, you do not merely see Christ’s body: you know his power as well, and whole divine plan for our salvation.” How often do we approach the altar in awe and with reverence?

An unknown Author said it this way: “If you try to explain the Trinity, you will lose your mind. But if you deny it, you will lose your soul.”

On this Feast of Pentecost, we commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ to the Father. It is also referred to as the Birthday of the Church, a reminder and fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that God would send the Holy Spirit.

For some people, saying Goodbye can be very difficult depending on the circumstances. We all find it hard to say the things we need to say sometimes — we can go through life assuming that people kind of know what we mean or feel and never actually say the words out loud.

“Those who love Me obey My words, and My word is to love one another as I have loved you,” Jesus says. “What’s more, the Father will love you who love and obey Me, and the Father and I will make our home with you. But the converse of this is also true — if you don’t love me, you won’t keep my words, and this isn’t just me talking — this word comes straight from the Father.” Christ reveals himself to his own because they are looking for Him.