Another Sign
Way back in the Easter season, I wrote a blog post about a sign I saw in a neighbor’s yard about just being kind. Well, that neighbor has done it again! This time the yard sign reads: “Be the Good.” How fitting at this time when much of what we read and hear about is war, hate, and protests. How can we be “the Good” while the media are loaded with news about Gaza, Israel, and the disasters and repercussions associated with fighting.
In today’s liturgy, we read the parable of a rich man who was very greedy (Luke 12:13-21). He was self-centered and selfish with his bountiful harvest. He planned to build bigger barns for his bigger-than-expected harvest. How about us? What kind of richness might we hoard or forget to share?
We are gifted with the good news about our Savior, Jesus Christ. Do we share that news even in little doses? Do we go out of our way to volunteer to assist someone in need? Maybe “being the good” will involve a financial donation to a worthy cause. It could mean going to an extra weekday Mass and praying for peace in our world. Perhaps we could provide companionship to someone who is recovering from an illness or a recent loss. We could not just “be the good” but also be the good example for someone who is watching our response to a problem?
We can find inspiration from St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians (6:9-10):
Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest,
if we do not give up.
So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially
to those who belong to the family of the faith.
Matthew’s Gospel (5:16) teaches us,
Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your Heavenly Father.
In the Old Testament, the prophecy of Micah (6:8) gives us advice:
You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you:
Only to do the right and to live goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.
So let us try to “be the good” and a generous inspiration to others in this busy, often self-centered world!
†††
Photograph by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.
The gospel passage is from the New American Bible, Oxford University Press, 1990.
Sharon Krause is a RENEW volunteer whose writing has appeared in several resources for small-group faith sharing. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother residing in Manchester, Connecticut. Over the years, she has served in many parish ministries.
Subscribe
Recent Posts
Topics
- Sharon Krause (136)
- RENEW International (126)
- Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel (113)
- Hear the Word! by Bill Ayres (42)
- Bill Ayres (38)
- Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (21)
- Jesus Christ (16)
- Lent (14)
- Advent (11)
- everyday prayer (11)
- Lenten season (10)
- The Everyday Gospel: Deacon Charles Paolino (10)
- John the Baptist (8)
- Jesus Christ the King (7)
- take time to pray (7)
- trust in God (7)
- Catholic social teaching (6)
- God in daily life (6)
- Gratitude to God (6)
- The Good Shepherd (6)
- forgiveness (6)
- justice (6)
- praying (6)
- resurrection (6)
- Advent prayer (5)
- Dignity and the Death Penalty (5)
- Fifth Sunday of Lent (5)
- Palm Sunday (5)
- Scripture (5)
- Third Sunday of Lent (5)
- gratitude (5)
- patience (5)
- renewing our faith (5)
- Christmas (4)
- Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (4)
- Fourth Sunday in Lent (4)
- Gifts of the Holy Spirit (4)
- Lenten journey (4)
- Second Sunday of Advent (4)
- Second Sunday of Lent (4)
- Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (4)
- Sign of the Cross (4)
- Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (4)
- The Holy Spirit accompanies us (4)
- The Resurrection of the Lord (4)
- care for those in poverty (4)
- daily prayer (4)
- death penalty (4)
- epiphany (4)
- faith in Jesus (4)
- first sunday of Lent (4)
- mercy (4)
- prayer (4)
- spontaneous prayer (4)
- suffering servant (4)
- third sunday in ordinary time (4)
- 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (3)
- 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (3)
- Awaken to the Spirit (3)
- Easter (3)
- Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (3)
- Fifth Sunday of Easter (3)
- God's forgiveness (3)
- God's gifts (3)
- God's love (3)
- Holy Spirit (3)
- Holy Trinity (3)
- Jesus walks on water (3)
- Marian devotion (3)
- Pentecost (3)
- Seventh Sunday of Easter (3)
- Sixth Sunday of Easter (3)
- Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (3)
- The Ascension (3)
- body and blood of Christ (3)
- celebration of the Eucharist (3)
- dignity of each person (3)
- doubting Thomas (3)
- feast of pentecost (3)
- gifts from God (3)
- good deeds (3)
- humility (3)
- open to the Holy Spirit (3)
- pray for peace (3)
- solemnity of the most holy body and blood of chris (3)
- spreading good news (3)
- woman at the well (3)
- 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- Annunciation (2)
- Baptism of the Lord (2)
- Christ the King (2)
- Christian discipleship (2)
- Christmas Day (2)
- Christmas shopping (2)
- Easter joy (2)
- Easter season of rebirth (2)
- Eucharist (2)
- Feeding the hungry (2)
- First Sunday of Advent (2)
- Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- Fourth Sunday of Easter (2)
- God is love (2)
- God who loves you (2)
- God's unconditional love for all (2)
- Good News (2)
- Holy Eucharist (2)
- Jesus as teacher (2)
- Jesus healing (2)
- Jesus loves us (2)
- Jesus’ Resurrection (2)
- Lent prayer (2)
- Mary (2)
- Mary's House (2)
- Nativity of the Lord (2)
- Spirit of love (2)
- St John the Baptist (2)
- St. Joseph (2)
- Temptation of Christ (2)
- The Rosary (2)
- The golden rule (2)
- Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)
- attitude of gratitude (2)
- baptism (2)
- bread of life (2)
- distractions from prayer (2)
- divinity of Jesus (2)
- encounter with Christ (2)
- eternal life (2)
- evangelization (2)
- fourth sunday in ordinary time (2)
- fourth sunday of advent (2)
- generosity (2)
- give thanks to God (2)
- good works (2)
- gratefulness (2)
- having faith (2)
- holding grudges (2)
- holy spirit at work (2)
- hope in the Lord (2)
- kindness (2)
- love one another as I love you (2)
- man born blind (2)
- mental incompetence (2)
- need prayer and reflection (2)
- persist in prayer (2)
- prayer life (2)
- prayer of gratitude (2)
- prayers of gratitude (2)
- raising of Lazarus (2)
- reconciliation (2)
- recreate yourself this New Year (2)
- road to Emmaus (2)
- saint (2)
- scripture readings (2)
- second coming of Christ (2)
- second sunday in ordinary time (2)
- servant leadership (2)
- sharing our gifts (2)
- solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (2)
- spiritual grouth (2)
- spiritual renewal (2)
- spread the Gospel (2)
- teaching children about God (2)
- the miraculous catch of fish (2)
- thinking (2)
- third sunday of advent (2)
- transfiguration of the Lord (2)
- use your gifts (2)
- wedding feast at Cana (2)
- woman found in adultery (2)
- words (2)
- 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- 4th Sunday of Lent (1)
- Abba (1)
- Acts of love (1)
- Advent journey (1)
- Advent season (1)
- Ascension (1)
- Assumption of Mary (1)
- Be awake (1)
- Birth of John the Baptist (1)
- Book of Wisdom (1)
- Book of the Prophet Amos (1)
- Catholic education (1)
- Charity (1)
- Charles Paolino (1)
- Christ's love (1)
- Christian unity (1)
- Creator God (1)
- Crucifxion (1)
- Dying to new life (1)
- Easter Sunday (1)
- Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Father Son and Holy Spirit (1)
- Feast of the Holy Family (1)
- Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Gentiles (1)
- God always with you (1)
- God full of love (1)
- God is our help (1)
- God is with us (1)
- God's blessings (1)
- God's generosity (1)
- God's guidance (1)
- God's healing (1)
- God's mercy (1)
- God's presence (1)
- God's presence in life (1)
- God's voice (1)
- Good Shepherd (1)
- Hail Holy Queen (1)
- Holy Week (1)
- Inspired by the Holy Spirit (1)
- Jesus Christ is born (1)
- Jesus as high priest (1)
- Jesus feeds the multitude (1)
- Jesus' love (1)
- Jesus' miracles (1)
- Joseph (1)
- Joseph of Arimathea (1)
- Laura DePalma (1)
- Lenten (1)
- Lenten Prayer (1)
- Let the little children come to me (1)
- Love your neighbor as yourself (1)
- Mary Magdalene (1)
- Mary mother of God (1)
- Messiah (1)
- Nativity (1)
- New Covenant (1)
- New Year (1)
- Prediction of the Passion (1)
- Prophet Ezekiel (1)
- Prophet Jeremiah (1)
- Rely on Jesus (1)
- Sadducees (1)
- Saint Peter (1)
- Santa Claus (1)
- Savior of the world (1)
- Second Sunday of Easter (1)
- Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Small-Group Ministry (1)
- Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul (1)
- Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (1)
- Sr. Helen Prejean (1)
- St. Nicholas (1)
- St. Nicholas of Bari (1)
- St. Thomas (1)
- St. patrick (1)
- Suffering Messiah (1)
- Sunday (1)
- Sunday Mass (1)
- Sunday Matters (1)
- Sunday readings (1)
- Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- The Lord's Prayer (1)
- The holy name (1)
- The rich young man (1)
- Third Sunday of Easter (1)
- Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- War in Ukraine (1)
- You shall love the Lord your God (1)
- Zacchaeus (1)
- almsgiving (1)
- applying Scripture to your life (1)
- authentic discipleship (1)
- authority of Jesus (1)
- awareness (1)
- be less judgmental (1)
- being a disciple (1)
- being positive (1)
- bible study (1)
- birth of our Savior (1)
- bread from heaven (1)
- call to discipleship (1)
- catholic renew progam (1)
- centering prayer (1)
- choices (1)
- connecting faith and life (1)
- counting our blessings (1)
- courage (1)
- crèche (1)
- discipleship (1)
- divine mercy (1)
- divorce (1)
- do not be afraid (1)
- driving responsibly (1)
- evangelize by witness (1)
- evangelizer (1)
- fasting (1)
- fear not (1)
- follow Jesus (1)
- follow the gospel (1)
- following the way of the cross (1)
- gift of faith (1)
- giving things up for Lent (1)
- go in peace (1)
- good Samaritan (1)
- good christian lives (1)
- good will (1)
- greatest commandment (1)
- growing in faith (1)
- healing of the blind man (1)
- hope in God (1)
- human dignity (1)
- humanity and divinity of Christ (1)
- humble life (1)
- imitating Jesus (1)
- inclusion (1)
- inner peace (1)
- intimacy with Christ (1)
- joy and wonder of the resurrection (1)
- joy from the Lord (1)
- listening to God (1)
- little prayers (1)
- lives of joy and gladness (1)
- lives of saints (1)
- love of neighbor (1)
- love one another (1)
- love your neighbor (1)
- magnificence of God's love (1)
- marriage (1)
- meek and humble of heart (1)
- mental health (1)
- minister with humility (1)
- ministry of evangelization (1)
- mission (1)
- new beginnings (1)
- online community (1)
- online small groups (1)
- optimism (1)
- parable of the hidden treasure (1)
- parable of the pearl (1)
- parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee (1)
- parables (1)
- patron of the universal catholic church (1)
- peace (1)
- peace of mind (1)
- penance (1)
- persecution (1)
- praying with children (1)
- problem solving (1)
- promise of new life (1)
- reach out to others in mercy and love (1)
- rebrand (1)
- remembering (1)
- renew our faith (1)
- renewed outlook on faith (1)
- respect for the will of God (1)
- restraint (1)
- resurrection in our lives (1)
- sabbath (1)
- saint joseph (1)
- saint nicholas (1)
- saints (1)
- salvation is through Jesus (1)
- say yes to God's will (1)
- saying grace (1)
- season of Lent (1)
- self-awareness (1)
- self-sacrifice (1)
- serenity (1)
- sharing your faith (1)
- silent prayer (1)
- small faith sharing groups (1)
- social justice (1)
- something new (1)
- spend time with Jesus (1)
- starting fresh (1)
- status of women (1)
- suffering (1)
- summer (1)
- summer as time to reflect on God's presence (1)
- thanking God (1)
- the common good (1)
- the examined life (1)
- the just one (1)
- thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1)
- three meditations (1)
- transfiguration (1)
- treatment of women (1)
- true wisdom (1)
- trust in God's mercy (1)
- universal Church (1)
- use time well (1)
- voice crying out in the desert (1)
- we remember (1)
- wedding garment (1)
- wisdom (1)
- women in the Church (1)
- wonder of creation (1)
Share a Comment