Independence day, USA
Government laws are needed to give us civil rights and God is needed to make us civil.
- Ralph Washington Sockman
The sheer act of making the truth public is a form of justice.
- Desmond Tutu
(Give thanks for the freedom you experience to become the person God is calling you to be.)
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GN 22:1B-19; PS 115:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
MT 9:1-8
After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
"Courage, child, your sins are forgiven."
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
"This man is blaspheming."
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
:Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise and walk'?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins"–
he then said to the paralytic,
"Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home."
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.
Reflection on the Scriptures |
As I reflect on these readings for bringing the Kingdom of God here on earth and on the hopes of the founding members of our nation, I wonder how our American society in 2019 would be viewed. . . I admit that these days, these years, I am often frustrated, shocked, disappointment, outraged and even numb at times, to the awful destruction in and degradation of our country
and our world in personal and political arenas. Certainly, there is hope, but there is also a lot of important work to be done. It’s a good thing we have these ideals and directives to help guide us.
As I pray with these beautiful readings of hope and guidance, I find God reminding me that the ideal of living the Kingdom of God here on earth, with all of it’s joy, forgiveness and thriving, it is not completely out of reach or worth abandoning. But, there’s more hard work in front of us. And, so I invite us to take a small step towards that reality today (amidst the summer
celebrations), to help our nation, and all people around the world come a bit closer to the reality that God hopes for us.
by Colleen Chiacchere
Revelations of Divine Love
- by Julian of Norwich
Fourteenth Revelation, Chapter 60
“The Kind, loving, Mother”
The Mother’s service is nearest, readiest, and surest: [nearest, for it is most of nature; readiest, for it is most of love; and surest ] for it is most of truth. This office none might, nor could, nor ever should do to the full, but He alone. We know that all our mothers’ bearing is [bearing of] us to pain and to dying: and what is this but that our Very Mother, Jesus, He—All-Love—beareth us to joy and to
endless living?—blessed may He be! Thus He sustaineth us within Himself in love; and travailed, unto the full time that He would suffer the sharpest throes and the most grievous pains that ever were or ever shall be; and died at the last. And when He had finished, and so borne us to bliss, yet might not all this make full content to His marvellous love; and that sheweth He in these high overpassing words of love: If I might suffer more, I would suffer more.
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