Colliding worlds: Do as God would teach us

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Jacque Childs

I sometimes have difficult days - and they can turn me into an unhappy person. When I am at St. Paul's University Catholic Center, I feel loved and appreciated for what I do and for who I am.

Then I have to go to work and it can feel just the opposite - disrespected for the job I do, people treated unfairly, management putting down workers, people who are unfair and unjust, people who can be hurtful and spiteful.

I don't do well with those kinds of people. I get unhappy. It makes me feel angry inside and it is a constant battle not to be drawn into that world.

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Oct. 16, 2005) Is 45:1, 4-6 Ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 1 Thes 1:1-5b Mt 22:15-21

I used to rebel by screaming, slowing down, taking extra breaks, talking about "them" because of their actions. Then along comes this Gospel that says repay to Caesar what is Caesar's and repay to God what is God's.

I began to realize that what work had become to me is Caesar's world; the work I do at St. Paul's is God's world. I feel caught between two worlds, one of function and livelihood and one of love and truth. The challenge for me is the collision of both my worlds. My work is not Caesar's work; my work is God's work.

I work in Caesar's world but I have been chosen by God. He wants me to act in love, kindness, and service to others. God has called me by name. God wants me to be devoted to him in both worlds. The task is how to kindle a change inside me, and the challenge is to stand up for those who are unjustly treated!

First, I had to work on myself. I needed to respect myself in the work that I do. I realized I don't answer to the bosses of the world, I answer to God. So now when I leave work I say, "Well God, today was not a bad day. I did the best I could in my job. I didn't take an extra break. I worked as hard as I could and only got a little unhappy. I will try to do better tomorrow." This took the power away from management to control my actions. This also made me feel better about myself despite what I am told or how I am treated.

	Reflection questions • Do you have a separate world for God and a separate world for life? • Who is defining you? Is it the world of Caesar or the world of God?

But it isn't easy. It is a constant struggle. Each time I ask myself, "God what do you want me to do here?" And sometimes it is not so clear, so I wait. Then there comes a sign that says I am to use all the gifts and experience God has given me and act.

This Sunday is the conclusion to the Year of the Eucharist declared by our beloved Pope John Paul II. The Eucharist is that special gift that gives us strength to work and live in Caesar's world the way God wants us to work and live in His world. It is a gift of love to act with love.

Jacque Childs holds a M.S.S.W. from the University of Wisconsin. She has been a morning sacristan for St. Paul's for 14 years and the bulletin editor for 10 years. Last year she was conferred with a Certificate of Ministry from the Diocesan Lay Person and Deaconate Institute.

St. Paul's Web site is www.stpaulscc.org

Faith Alive!

In a Nutshell As a missionary St. Paul was able to leave the familiar behind, make personal sacrifices and face dangers. Paul was a principled man with strong convictions. He had a strong capacity for friendship. He was a visionary and a man of prayer. Paul had the capacity to feel Christ's love and to see how his experience was part of God's plan. Catholic News Service 3211 Fourth St NE Washington DC 20017 202.541.3250 cns@catholicnews.com	Food for Thought   The apostle Paul seems really to mean it when he says that we are one in Christ. For Paul, we all are one in a way that truly matters. Pope Benedict XVI talked with young people about this in Cologne, Germany, during the August World Youth Day. At the concluding Mass he recalled Paul's words that "because there is one bread, we, though many, are one body" (1 Cor 10:17). Paul meant that "since we receive the same Lord and he gathers us together and draws us into himself, we ourselves are one," the pope explained. This reality "must be evident in our lives," he added -- evident "in our capacity to forgive, ... our sensitivity to the needs of others, ... our willingness to share, ... our commitment to our neighbors." The pope told the youths that when this communion is taken seriously, we no longer will be content to "scrape a living just for ourselves" but will see "how we are needed." And soon we will "realize that it is much better to be useful and at the disposal of others than to be concerned only with the comforts offered to us." full story   The apostle Paul up close and personal By Father Dale Launderville, OSB Catholic News Service St. Paul was a towering figure in the early church. He was born and raised in the city of Tarsus, located on the Mediterranean Sea in the southern part of present-day Turkey. Growing up, Paul learned to speak Greek and Hebrew, and probably also Aramaic and Latin. He would have been educated in both the Greek school system and the Jewish synagogue. full story  What it means to be one in Christ By John Hart Catholic News Service St. Paul traveled extensively throughout the Roman Empire promoting Christianity. He encountered diverse cultures, evidenced by the letters he wrote to Christian communities in countries known today as Italy, Greece and Turkey. He adapted to these cultures in various ways, worshiping in synagogues, selling his leather goods in town markets and telling the Athenians he would teach them about the unknown god to whom they had dedicated an altar. Sometimes Paul's encounters with distinct cultures were dangerous: He was whipped, stoned and imprisoned; he endured storms and shipwrecks. full story  My favorite meeting with St. Paul By Father Lawrence Boadt, CSP Catholic News Service All of Paul's Letters reveal the apostle's dynamic, restless and deep thinking inner life, but none does so with more emotion than his Second Letter to the Corinthians. And within that letter, he never reveals more of his personal feelings than in Chapter 10. He even tells us what other people think of him. This is the Paul I like best! Paul begins Chapter 10 speaking personally. He observes that people claim he speaks boldly in his letters but seems overly meek and mild when he is with them. full story
	Faith in the Marketplace   This Week's Discussion Point: What passage or book is most memorable for you from the writings of St. Paul? Why?     Selected Response From Readers:
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