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We cannot know whether we love God, although there may be strong reason for thinking so; but there can be no doubt about whether we love our neighbor or not. Be sure that, in proportion as you advance in fraternal charity, you are increasing your love of God, for His Majesty bears so tender an affection for us that I cannot doubt He will repay our love for others by augmenting, in a thousand different ways,
that which we bear for Him.
- Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), The Interior Castle
("Love one another . . ." )
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Jas 4:13-17; Psalm 49:2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11
Mk 9:38-40
John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.”
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“When a man knows the right thing to do and does not do it, he sins.” —James 4:17
Sins are not just what we commit but also what we omit. We will be judged not only for what we say (Mt 12:36) but also for what we don’t say (see Ez 3:18; 33:6). We will be judged not only for lending our presence to things that do not glorify God (see 1 Cor 10:31) but also for our absences from the assembly of God’s people (Heb 10:25) and from other works of the Lord.
Before we were created, the Lord prepared a life of good deeds for each of us to do (Eph 2:10). He holds us accountable to do all of these deeds. For example, Jesus warned the church of Sardis: “Wake up, and strengthen what remains before it dies. I find that the sum of your deeds is less than complete” (Rv 3:2).
If you are sinning by omission, repent and cry out for the Lord’s mercy. “He is an Offering for our sins” (1 Jn 2:2). The Lord will forgive. By His grace, we will do the impossible. We will do all that He asks of us. Live your life for Jesus to the full (see Jn 10:10).
Prayer: Father, I put my life in Your hands.
Promise: “Yet in no way can a man redeem himself, or pay his own ransom to God; too high is the price to redeem one’s life; he would never have enough to remain alive always and not see destruction.” —Ps 49:8-10
Presentation Ministries
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Growing in Inner Freedom: A Guide for Today
- by Philip St. Romain. Liguori Publ., 1986.
29. Develop Your Talents
There are different gifts but the same Spirit.... To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4,7)
Our purpose on earth is to know, love, and serve God. This means that we must strive to do the will of God in our lives and to prefer God's will above all else—especially our own self-indulgent yearnings.
At this point, many people of faith will say, “OK, I want to do God’s will, but how can I know what his will is for me?” This is an excellent question—the most significant one we can ever ask ourselves.
Many people seek God’s will as though they were looking for something that was lost. They imagine that God has a script of some sort written for their lives, and that they must find the script so they can play the part properly. No small amount of anxiety and spiritual insecurity comes from this view.
God’s general will for all of us is quite plain: namely, that in our love for him we use our talents to love one another. God’s specific will for us is that we each use our specific talents to love other people and to help make the world a better place for all. Therefore, knowing God’s specific will for us requires that we know ourselves and those capabilities of ours that we have to invest for the growth of his reign.
We are unique individuals, a combination of forces that has never before existed and will never again be seen. God’s will for us requires that we cherish our uniqueness and develop the gifts he has given us to be used in loving service.
Suggested Practices
You must love God above all else and then love your neighbor as yourself. Is that the order in which you love?
- Make a list of your talents and skills. How are you working to develop these gifts?
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