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I am, indeed, far from agreeing with those who think all religious fear barbarous and degrading and demand that it should be banished from the spiritual life.
Perfect love, we know, casteth out fear. But so do several other things—ignorance, alcohol, passion, presumption, and stupidity. It is very desirable that we should all advance to that perfection of love in which we shall fear no longer; but it is very undesirable, until we have reached that stage, that we should allow any inferior agent to cast out our fear.
- C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), The World’s Last
Night (What fear(s) are you in touch with these days? Turn them over to God's care and trust that you will be given what you need when you need it.) |
Gn 28:10-22a; Ps 91:1-2, 3-4, 14-15ab
Mt 9:18-26
While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,
knelt down before him, and said,
""My daughter has just died.
But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.""
Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.
A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up
behind him
and touched the tassel on his cloak.
She said to herself, ""If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.""
Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,
""Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.""
And from that hour the woman was cured.
When Jesus arrived at the official's house
and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,
he said, ""Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.""
And they ridiculed him.
When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,
and the little girl
arose.
And news of this spread throughout all that land.
Praying the Daily Gospels: A Guide to Meditation, by Philip St. Romain, 2018 (3rd ed.) Matthew 9:18-26 (Two miraculous
cures) In today’s reading Jesus restores a young girl to life and heals an elderly woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years. In an age when women and children are disenfranchised in society, Jesus’ treatment of women is quite revolutionary. • What does our culture consider qualities
of masculinity and femininity? How do these stereotypes limit male and female self-expression? • How do you feel about the Church’s treatment of male and female sexuality? Why? • Pray for the grace to be more open to the gifts of
others.
Treatise on the Love of God, by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) ____________ BOOK III: OF THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION OF LOVE Chapter 15: That there shall be different degrees of the union of the blessed with God.
So fishes enjoy the incredible vastness of the ocean; but not any fish, nor yet all the multitude of fishes, ever saw all the shores of the sea or wetted their fins in all its waters. Birds sport in the open air at
their pleasure, but not any bird, nor yet all the flocks of birds together, did ever beat with their wings all the regions of the air, or arrive at the supreme region of the same. Ah! Theotimus, our souls shall freely and according to the full extent of their wishes swim in the ocean and soar in the air of the Divinity, rejoicing eternally to see that this air is so infinite, this ocean so vast, that it cannot be measured by their wings, and that enjoying without reserve or exception all this
infinite abyss of the Divinity, yet shall they never be able to equalize their fruition to this infinity, which remains still infinitely infinite beyond their capacity.
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