Location: St. Luke Catholic Church
Dear sisters and brothers; in today’s readings, we are reminded of the call to offer ourselves as “living sacrifices”, holding fast to love, service, and hospitality. This message echoes springs from our Lord’s Priesthood and Victimhood, the model of sacrificial love. Through Baptism, we are incorporated into the common priesthood, embracing the call to love sacrificially in daily life, as Conchita expressed through her prayer, “Jesus, savior of all people, save them!”
Pope Francis invites us into a way of walking together, paying loving attention to God and one another. This walking together reflects the Gospel’s image of Jesus seeking the lost sheep. Christ’s care for “the little ones” illustrates the deep humility and love at the heart of the Spirituality of the Cross – a love that is not satisfied with numbers but aches for each unique soul, especially those marginalized or overlooked.
This same love calls us to be transformed. Our first reading today urges us not to conform to worldly values but to renew our minds, to live lives pleasing to God. In a world where success is often measured by power and self-promotion, Jesus shows us that true greatness is in humility, as seen when he placed a child before his disciples, saying, “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven”. This humility is central to our spirituality, as we unite ourselves with Christ’s suffering and offer our lives in service.
Offering the Incarnate Word involves recognizing that, like Christ, we are called to participate in God’s work of salvation by offering our daily actions, sufferings, and joys as spiritual sacrifices. As we are well aware, this practice transforms even the simplest acts into offerings that draw us closer to God and strengthen our bond with others.
Today’s readings call us to live with fervent zeal, to serve with joy, and to persevere in prayer (Rom 12:9-13). By attentively following God’s will, we bring comfort to the Heart of Christ and participate in His priestly mission. As we journey together, may we echo the psalmist’s response, “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will,” embodying the love and humility that Christ demonstrated on the Cross. In doing so, we answer Pope Francis’ call to live synodality, becoming beacons of Christ’s compassionate love in a world so desperately in need of it.
May we allow ourselves to be taught by Our Lady of Guadalupe to offer ourselves completely to the Incarnate Word, so we may be able to deliver Jesus to the world.
