Cold words freeze people,
and hot words scorch them,
and bitter words make them bitter,
and wrathful words make them wrathful.
Kind words also produce their image on the soul;
and a beautiful image it is.
They smooth, and quiet, and comfort the hearer.
- Blaise Pascal
(Think of someone who could benefit from a kind word from you. Resolve to share this with them today.)
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JER 7:23-28; PS 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
LK 11:14-23
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters."
Reflection on the Scriptures |
In the first reading from Jeremiah God names what a hardened heart looks like: When you speak all these words to them, they will not listen to you either; when you call to them, they will not answer you. And in the Gospel from Luke, Jesus speaks to the importance of putting God first in all we do: Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me
scatters.
This Lent I pray for the grace to be open to hear the voice of God.
by MaryLee Brock
Revelations of Divine Love
- by Julian of Norwich
Fourteenth Revelation, Chapter 56
“God is nearer to us than our own soul”
“We can never come to full knowing of God till we know first clearly our own Soul”
These be three properties in one Goodness: and where one worketh, all work in the things which be now belonging to us. God willeth that we understand [this], desiring with all our heart to have knowing of them more and more unto the time that we be fulfilled: for fully to know them is nought else but endless joy and bliss that we shall have in Heaven, which God willeth should be begun here in knowing of His
love.
For only by our Reason we may not profit, but if we have evenly therewith Mind and Love: nor only in our Nature-Ground that we have in God we may not be saved but if we have, coming of the same Ground, Mercy and Grace. For of these three working all together we receive all our Goodness. Of the which the first [gifts] are goods of Nature: for in our First making God gave us as full goods as we might receive in
our spirit alone, and also greater goods; but His foreseeing purpose in His endless wisdom willed that we should be double.
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