Thoughtfulness is the beginning of great
sanctity. If you learn this art of being thoughtful, you will become more and more Christ-like, for his heart was meek and he always thought of others. Our vocation, to be beautiful, must be full of thought for others.
… St. Teresa of Calcutta (How might you be more thoughtful of others this
day?)
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Ez 36:23-28; PS 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19
Mt 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables
saying, "The Kingdom of heaven may be
likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my
calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast."'
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged
and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.'
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
Many are invited, but few are
chosen."
Reflection on the Scriptures
Dieterich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and theologian in Germany who died for his faith under Hitler's Nazi rule, contrasted "cheap grace" and "costly grace". "Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves... the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance... grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate... Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow
Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."
God invites each of us as his friends to his heavenly banquet that we may celebrate with him and share in his joy. Are you ready to feast at the Lord's banquet table?
Lord Jesus, may I always know the joy of living in your presence and grow in the hope of seeing you face to face in your everlasting kingdom. by dailyscripture.net
Psychic Energy and Contemplation by James
Arraj From St. John of the Cross and Dr. C. J. Jung, Part III, Chapter 9. Inner Growth Books, 1986. Acquired Contemplation in the 20th Century In summary, in this state of acquired contemplation, "the soul has indeed something to do albeit its activity is very simple. It must do nothing but look
lovingly upon its God with the gaze of faith. It is not to make reflections; it is not to form distinct concepts; the time for such has gone by. it must now remain in His company and content itself with being simply and lovingly aware of His presence."(16) "The soul 'practices', it 'exercises itself' in the simple, loving gazing upon God."(17) This loving activity is a general attention to God. "The infused divine light is not felt" and "the soul is conscious only of its own activity, of its
simple and loving attention to God."(18) While active contemplation is expounded by Fr. Gabriel with a certain flair and smoothness, it is essentially the same as that of Thomas of Jesus, and labors under the same problems.
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