The little fat monsignor.

My two two-year-old's were not cooperating this morning and they almost made me miss the 8 am service. Actually, I guess they did since I arrived just in time for Fr. Ed's homily. He delivered a great message about looking within that I'm glad I made it into town for. During this time before Easter that we call Lent, we practice introspection. This is the process of self-observation. Basically asking yourself, "Where am I in my relationship with God?" or "How am I at granting forgiveness?" or "Why did I come into the kitchen again?" Just kidding with that last one, but it happens to me all the time now. ;)

So it was a good message, but what struck me today was a little different than the actual message itself. Since I missed the readings, I came home and read them online and began to wonder. . . Who orchestrates these readings for the daily masses?

In the Catholic church, every three years the bible gets read to the congregation in it's entirety. No, there's not a meeting where we go to listen to somebody read the whole thing. Readings are structured in a book such that by attending mass regularly, one will listen to the entire bible every three years. That's not the amazing part. What amazes me is how the old testament readings, psalms and new testament readings support one another so strongly. Every day. Every week. For 52 weeks.

I imagine there's this little fat monsignor (pronounced - mon-see-nyer) sitting in Rome at the Vatican. He's praying and probably eating some ridiculously expensive cheese and sipping wine or something. ;) He is ripping pages and shuffeling them around and making notes. Constantly pushing his little spectacles back up onto his nose and telling people in a very nasal little-old-lady-voice why one passage fits better than the other. Anyway, good job little fat monsignor. You never cease to amaze me.

Really, go to this link for today's readings, read through it and think about how they fit.

Reading 1 - Moses teaches Israel.......Teach the Law
Psalm - Praise the Lord, Jerusalem......Praise Him who delivered the Law
Gospel - Jesus teaches the disciples...Fulfill the Law

Through teaching us, the physical Words of God, Christ is still fulfilling the Law through the inspiration of each and every day's readings. In this case, maybe the inspiration of a little fat monsignor in Rome. But crack open your bible. It will be your inspiration...and who knows what He'll have to say to you.