Luke 6:12-19 Pray and Don't Be Fooled

Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week In Ordinary Time

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Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.  When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles.

Jesus went to the mountain to pray.  "We the people" are constantly being bombarded by highly influential people with magnificently designed messages crafted to entice us to follow them and their products. 

Today, "We the people" await with much anticipation Apple's big announcement scheduled for later today.  The event could end up costing us thousands of dollars.  Tonight "We the people" await the President Obama's remarks (selling points) as to why we need to bomb Syria.  His remarks could end up costing us millions of dollars and more American lives.  This week we await with much anguish Assad's decision to Putin's proposal.  His decision could cost us our reputation abroad.   Finally this week, we await Congress's decision weather or not to support the President's decision.  Their decision could scare the President's legacy and cost the Democrats the Executive Office.   

This past Saturday, Pope Francis held a prayer vigil in St. Peter's square.  The hastily scheduled event brought together well over 100,000 people.  In attendance were representatives of the world's religions and nations.  In essence, The Holy Father brought the world together.  He did it through a prayer vigil.

Does prayer work?  You bet it does! In fact, as soon as the event was over, Secretary of State John Kerry, a "Catholic", made a diplomatic blunder:  he gave Syria and Assad an escape route.  This blunder may actually have turned out to be a blessing for Assad, Putin and Obama.  After all, the President is not getting the support he needs from Congress or from the American people.  Putin can save a friend and ally.  Assad can save himself and his power.

This "diplomatic blunder" may actually have turned out to be an "answer" to our prayers, to Assad's predicament, and to the President's "red line."

How's that for the power of prayer!

Don't be fooled.  After reading St. Paul's letter to the Colossians, I think his words are more applicable today then they were when he first wrote them.  He writes:  "See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ" (Col 2:6-15).

No one captivate you with seductive thoughts and elemental [physical] powers.

I believe the Holy Father insisted on a day of fasting and prayer because it was much easier for him to reach Jesus than to reach Obama, Putin and Assad.  Talk about a trio of amateurs!

People have hard heads.  Do not fool yourselves.  These world leaders went to the best schools "according to the tradition of men" (Col. 2:8).  Obama studied at Harvard University and is a lawyer.  Assad is a medical doctor and studied in England.  Putin studied law and economics at Leningrad State University.  He is a lawyer.   

So much for education alone solving the world's problems.  If anything, it's continually creating more world problems!

Power, greed and pride run deep in human beings.  What does it mean to be a human being?  Just about anything you can imagine.  

The Twelve.    Out of a large group of followers, the Lord called Twelve men to follow Him more intimately.  The fact that God wishes to work with us (and work with small groups of us) means the Lord respects us.  He respects the free will He gave to us.

Will we follow the Lord more intimately?  The world desperately needs more people like St. Francis and Pope Francis.

Here are some inspiring articles for you to read today.