St Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga SJ | 18 August 2021

Today is Wednesday the 18 August, the feast of St Alburto Hurtado Cruchaga SJ, in the twentieth week of Ordinary time.

One Hope Project sing, ‘In Your Truth’.

Today’s reading is from the book of Judges. 

Judges 9:6-15  

Then all the lords of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.  When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and cried aloud and said to them, "Listen to me, you lords of Shechem, so that God may listen to you:

The trees once went out to anoint a king over themselves. So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’  The olive tree answered them, ‘Shall I stop producing my rich oil by which gods and mortals are honored, and go to sway over the trees?’  Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’  But the fig tree answered them, ‘Shall I stop producing my sweetness and my delicious fruit, and go to sway over the trees?’  Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’  But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I stop producing my wine that cheers gods and mortals, and go to sway over the trees?’  So all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’  And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’”

Notice how aware the trees are of their own gifts, the olive tree, the fig tree and the vine each have a sense of their own value and worth.  You have been gifted in many ways by God.  Imagine each of the trees with their beauty and fruitfulness.  Likewise, be aware of your own goodness and beauty, of how gifted you are.

Most of the trees seem to prefer “doing their own thing” to the responsibility of leadership.  Is that what you’re like?  Do you tend to wish you were in charge of things, or just prefer to do your own thing?  But what is God asking of you?  In what ways are you called to serve?  - or even to lead?

Listening again to the story of the trees notice how no tree is praised or condemned for its attitude, and every kind of service has its place and its value.

You have been gifted in many ways by God, perhaps you want to thank God for these gifts now or perhaps you want to ask God about how you can use these gifts to do his will in the world today.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.