Salt, when dissolved in water, may disappear, but it does not cease to exist. We
can be sure of its presence by tasting the water. Likewise, the indwelling Christ, though unseen, will be made evident to others from the love which he imparts to us.
- Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889-1929). Reality and Religion: meditations on God, man, and nature.
(God's presence as love. Let it shine this day!) |
EPH 3:14-21; PS 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19
LK 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already
blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law
against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
Reflection on the Scriptures |
Can this (Gospel) be foreshadowing of the passion and death of Jesus Christ? Jesus states that he has work to do, but wishes that it was done. He will suffer until his work is done. Does the division of which he speaks lead to his passion and death? We know Jesus had followers, but his followers risked extreme persecution. It
could be painful to follow Jesus. Some chose to follow, while others didn’t. This illustrates a conflict that followed Jesus all over.
We can take some time today to consider sources and impact of conflict. Do I have a role in a
conflict? What can I do to resolve conflict? We can pray for guidance on a path of forgiveness, and peace.
- by Angela Maynard
Revelations of Divine
Love - by Julian of Norwich
Fourteenth Revelation, Chapter 52
“We have now matter of mourning: for our
sin is cause of Christ’s pains; and we have, lastingly, matter of joy: for endless love made Him to suffer” And thus we have, now, matter of mourning: for our sin is cause of Christ’s pains; and we have, lastingly, matter of joy: for endless love made Him to suffer. And therefore the
creature that seeth and feeleth the working of love by grace, hateth nought but sin: for of all things, to my sight, love and hate are [the] hardest and most unmeasureable contraries. And notwithstanding all this, I saw and understood in our Lord’s meaning that we may not in this life keep us from sin as wholly in full cleanness as we shall be in Heaven. But we may well by grace keep us from the sins which would lead us to endless pains, as Holy Church teacheth us; and eschew venial [ones]
reasonably up to our might. And if we by our blindness and our wretchedness any time fall, we should readily rise, knowing the sweet touching of grace, and with all our will amend us upon the teaching of Holy Church, according as the sin is grievous, and go forthwith to God in love; and neither, on the one side, fall over low, inclining to despair, nor, on the other side, be over-reckless, as if we made no matter of it; but nakedly acknowledge our feebleness, finding that we may not stand a
twinkling of an eye but by Keeping of grace, and reverently cleave to God, on Him only trusting.
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