If we can, by God’s grace, turn ourselves entirely to Him, and put aside
everything else in order to speak with Him and worship Him, this does not mean that we can always imagine Him or feel His presence. Neither imagination nor feeling are required for a full conversion of our whole being to God. Nor is intense concentration on an idea of God especially desirable. Hard as it is to convey in human language, there is a very real and very recognizable (but almost entirely undefinable) Presence of God, in which we confront Him in prayer knowing Him by Whom we are known,
aware of Him Who is aware of us, loving Him by Whom we know ourselves to be loved.
- Thomas Merton
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SIR 6:5-17; PS 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34,
35
MK 10:1-12
Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
"Is it lawful for
a husband to divorce his wife?"
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?"
They replied,
"Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her."
But Jesus told them,
"Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become
one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate."
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery."
Reflection on the
Scriptures |
When you read today’s passage from Sirach, did
your mind drift and did you start to think about the people you work with, your neighbors, classmates, old and new, or people with whom you serve on committees? Did you consider each a friend because you know their favorite team, the name of their spouse or pet, you have had an occasional lunch with them or you signed up to buy Girl Scout cookies from them? But are they your confidant, your sturdy shelter? In times of distress and worry, are they one of the first people you reach out to for
advice and comfort? Maybe not. I venture to say that for most of us, Pete was right. Our spouse and one or two really close friends are likely the ones we will reach out to when the chips are down and we need the advice and comfort of someone, someone we really trust. But fortunately we all have one more friend we can count on through thick or thin—Jesus.
- by Steve Scholer Revelations of Divine
Love - by Julian of Norwich
Thirteenth Revelation, Chapter 35 “I desired to learn assuredly as to a certain creature that I loved. . . . It is more worship to God to behold Him in all."
Rightfulness is that thing that is so good that [it] may not be better than it is. For God Himself is very Rightfulness, and all His works are done rightfully as they are ordained from without beginning by His
high Might, His high Wisdom, His high Goodness. And right as He ordained unto the best, right so He worketh continually, and leadeth it to the same end; and He is ever full-pleased with Himself and with all His works. |
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