|
Message of the Day
|
|
It is clear that he (she) does not pray, who, far from uplifting himself to God, requires
that God shall lower Himself to him, and who resorts to prayer not to stir the person in us to will what God wills, but only to persuade God to will what the person in us wills.
- Thomas Aquinas
Thy will be done . . . the way to peace!
|
|
Readings of the Day
|
Deuteronomy 31:1-8
Deuteronomy 32:3-4ab, 7, 8, 9 and 12 Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so,
the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
‘See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.
‘Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred
sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be
lost.’ USCCB lectionary
|
|
Reflection on the Scripture
|
“If he succeeds in finding it, believe Me he is happier about this one than about the ninety-nine that did not wander away.” —Matthew 18:13
The
ninety-nine sheep paid a portion of the cost of mercy for the lost sheep to be found. They were left “in the wasteland” (Lk 15:4) without the intimate comfort of the Good Shepherd. Then they had to watch the Master rejoice more in the finding of the wayward sheep than in their own faithfulness.
Moses also paid a portion of the cost of mercy. He endured forty years of desert heat accompanied by the revolts of the Israelites against him. He
finally led them to the border of the Promised Land only to have to step aside and let Joshua lead Moses’ people across the Jordan (Dt 31:2-3). The Lord teaches us first about mercy by being merciful to us personally. As we mature in discipleship, He then leads us into the graduate school of mercy. We watch Him rejoice as He dispenses mercy to others (Mt 9:13), for He delights in mercy (Mi 7:18). One of God’s required graduate courses in
mercy is to learn to rejoice when others get mercy at our expense (Lk 15:27ff). We serve Jesus for years and then get a front-row seat to watch the newcomers receive the same reward as ourselves (Mt 20:9ff). Jesus makes us watch so that we can watch Him rejoice. If we are His true disciples, we will rejoice in what makes Jesus rejoice (see Rm 12:15). Like St. John the Baptizer, rejoice when you decrease so that the mercy of Jesus will increase (Jn 3:26, 30). Prayer: Father, may I desire mercy like Jesus does (Mt 9:13). Promise: “It is the Lord Who marches before you; He will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.” —Dt 31:8 Presentation Ministries
|
|
Spiritual Reading
|
|
|
|
The Practice of the Presence of God: The Best Rule of Holy Life, by Brother Lawrence (1611 - 1691). Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
https://ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice/practice Eleventh Letter To one who is in great pain. Be satisfied with the condition in which GOD
places you: however happy you may think me, I envy you. Pains and suffering would be a paradise to me, while I should suffer with my GOD; and the greatest pleasure would be hell to me, if I could relish them without Him; all my consolation would be to suffer something for His sake. I must, in a little time, go to GOD. What comforts me in this life is, that I now see Him by faith; and I see Him in such a manner as might make me say sometimes, I believe no more,
but I see. I feel what faith teaches us, and, in that assurance and that practice of faith, I will live and die with Him. Continue then always with GOD: ’tis the only support and comfort for your affliction. I shall beseech Him to be with you. I present my
service. |
Please support this outreach with a tax-deductible donation. |
|
|
