Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION
	The reign of God comes about because people commit to reversing their lives completely, to embracing new vision, new values. Many popular television shows exploit an unattractive side of human nature by pitting contestants against one another, even to the point of performing dangerous stunts or devious schemes, to gain money or favor.
	At the liturgy, we counter that impulse by committing ourselves to live generously. In response to Christ’s total gift, we offer bread and wine as the emblems of our lives, our hopes, our joys and sorrows. The bread and wine carried to the altar contain our lives, and by offering our lives to God, we prepare to receive the gift of God’s own life. We are to become what we receive: the body of Christ.
	On Sundays, this self‑giving is often accompanied by a collection and procession of gifts for the poor and money for the upkeep of the parish. There are certainly other methods of collecting money, some perhaps more efficient. Yet the act of giving from our abundance, and attending to the needs of the poor, opens us up to participation in the changes the Reign of God requires.
—James Field