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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Fear of Being Less of Ourselves
One of my favorite scenes from The Lord of the Rings is when Gandalf heals King Theoden from Saruman’s possession. This is such an awesome scene of healing. At one point, the possessed King Theoden says to Gandalf, “If I go, Theoden dies.” And that’s precisely what we see in the gospel today. The demon spirit tells Jesus, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” We say that to…
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Sacrifice For Jesus
Okay, so in the gospel for this Sunday, Jesus is not trying to be an economist. He’s not concerned about what happens to the S&P 500. He is not worried about how much Bitcoin to give to the poor. Jesus is talking about our sacrificial hearts. In the gospel, the rich provide some of their money, and the poor widow gives all she has. Jesus is not concerned with numbers. He’s concerned with our…
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Truly, Interiorly, Fulfilled
So, when I was a senior in college, I got offered a job with the FBI. And I remember when that moment happened, I felt interiorly so empty, which is crazy because here’s what the world is saying. This will make you happy. This will make you fulfilled. It felt empty at the time because I knew the Lord was calling me to something else. He was calling me to something that would…
