|
A renewed mind has an utterly changed conception, not only of reality, but of possibility. A turn away from the kingdom of this world to the Kingdom of God provides a whole set of values based not on the human word, but on Christ’s. Impossibilities become possibilities.
- Elisabeth Elliot
(What possibilities do you feel God calling you to consider these days?)
|
|
|
COL1:24–2:3; PS 62:6-7, 9
LK 6:6-11
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up and stand before us."
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
"I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
"Stretch out your hand."
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
USCCB Lectionary
|
|
|
|
Praying the Daily Gospels: A Guide to Meditation, by Philip St. Romain,
2018 (3rd ed.)
____________
Luke 6. 6-11 (Healing on the Sabbath)
At times Jesus is intentionally provocative, contrary to popular notions that he was always diplomatic and mild. Today Luke describes a significant encounter between Jesus and the Jewish authorities. By healing the man with the withered hand, Jesus is responding to something that is not an emergency. On the Sabbath, according to Jewish law, intervention is permitted only in emergencies. Jesus is proving a point.
* Why do you believe Jesus chose to provoke the authorities? What did he hope to gain? What did he stand to lose?
* Have you ever found it necessary to be prophetically provocative? Are there issues requiring such a stance from you? How will you respond?
* Pray for the grace to be courageous for Christ.
Paperback, Kindle and eBook
|
|
|
|
|
Treatise on the Love of God, by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
____________
BOOK I: CONTAINING A PREPARATION FOR THE WHOLE TREATISE
Chapter 7: Description of the will, in general
Let us consider, I pray you, the exercise of an insensible love between the loadstone and iron; for it is the true image of the sensible and voluntary love of which we speak. Iron, then, has such a sympathy with the loadstone that as soon as it feels the power thereof, it turns towards it; then it suddenly begins to stir and quiver with little throbbings, testifying by this the
complacency it feels, and then it advances and moves towards the loadstone striving by all means possible to be united to it. Do you not see all the parts of love well represented in these lifeless things?
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
|
|
|
|
|
