Okay, everyone, hot take: Neville Longbottom is the real hero of the Harry Potter series. Looking at him from the outside, it doesn’t look like he should be in Gryffindor, nor doesn’t look like he has anything to offer. But if you read the whole series, you realize within the heart of Neville is a pure heart that is courageous and full of self-sacrificial love. He is chosen to save the wizarding world with Harry Potter.
In the first reading for this Sunday, King David is very similar to Neville. On the exterior, all of David’s brothers look better, have better stature, and seem the perfect and ideal candidates for kings. But Samuel anoints David, the runt of the family. Because Scott looks into David’s heart and sees the potential, no matter what you may be ashamed of in your own heart, Jesus looks into your heart, sees the good and the bad, and chooses you.
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Embrace The Ordinary
Imagine yourself three years ago. What were you like? Most likely, you have grown and matured, and the vast majority of those three years were probably really ordinary; they were probably boring. We are now in ordinary time, and the Gospel is for this Sunday. The disciples begin their three-year journey with Jesus. Imagine the disciples at the beginning of this time, and imagine who they are at the end of that time…
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Stop Social Climbing
Stop social climbing. That should be the tagline for this Sunday’s gospel. Jesus is saying that, trying to gain social status, trying to reach the highest seat, which we will never truly satisfy. Jesus is saying, Your identity is in me. When we forget about our identity in Jesus, that’s when we try to gain status. That’s when we try to find love in all of the wrong places. And so Jesus says, “Stop doing that and see me….
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Imitate Jesus
I am so excited. Our Newman Center just got a new statue of St. Joseph. It was handcrafted in Germany, it is absolutely beautiful, and my favorite thing about it is that the baby Jesus, the Lord of the universe, is holding the world, but is being held by his dad, St. Joseph, and the baby Jesus is safe and resting in his dad’s arms. St. Joseph was a good father, and he must have learned how to be a…
