“He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together.”

Jer. 31:10

If you were to describe your life, the life of your family and friends, and the life of the world in general, would you say it is more gathered or scattered? I reflect on how this important question has everything to do with my vocation as a celibate priest. At the heart of all I do is to gather us, i.e. the sheep, into the one fold.

In the gospels Jesus talks about how the people were like sheep without a shepherd. They were scattered. Each of them had gone off on their own, doing their own thing. They had wandered off from the one who would bring them together to be united in love by laying down his life for us. Is this a caricature of your world?

Scattered. Would not that be a pretty appropriate word that describes family life today? Wandering off into our TV’s, I pod’s, Video games- being scattered from each other while living in the same house! Absorbed in so many things except each other. Scattered from each other in our busyness, noisiness and not even eating dinner together anymore. Scattered from God and the unifying love he brings on the Sabbath because we have thrown it (the Sabbath) out the window. Divorce. And the list goes on and on. This scattering leads to a shattering of lives. Our lives become shattered when we lost the meaning of them- to be united in God’s love. Life is rendered void and valueless when we do not have the gathering power of God’s love, mercy and healing making us one fold.

What does celibacy have to do with gathering and scattering? Everything. The purpose of my whole existence is to gather people into God’s family. As a priest my whole life should unquestionably cry out to others, “What you are looking for is God. The deepest hunger of your heart is to be united with his love. Whatever you are looking to to satisfy your hunger that isn’t God, is not God now and will never be! If you are not seeking to be gathered in God’s love through prayer, church and keeping the Sabbath holy, scriptures and Christian teaching, etc. then you are scattered from what you want most in life. Choose God- he is the food of love you hunger after. Gather in God. Think about it- what you want most in life is his love. It makes perfect sense, then, to make it your top priority in life to be gathered in his love. Correct?”

Let us pray: “Lord, in so many ways my life and family is scattered from you. Could not this be the work of the devil who never wants us to be united in your love? Is that his scheme? Lord, what I want most in life is you. I want to be found in your love. Gather me into the fold of your arms. I will gather my family and friends into you by praying together, going to church together, and keeping the Sabbath holy. As we come to you in daily prayer, in church on Sundays, gather us into your love. I will work against our scattered lives and work to have us gathered before you. Since we desire you above all else, I will make gathering in you my utmost concern.

God’s will!
+Fr. John