Message of 8-23-11
Published: Tue, 08/23/11
A Daily Spiritual Seed
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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Message of the Day
Love can forbear, and Love can forgive, ... but Love can never be reconciled to an unlovely object... He can never therefore be reconciled to your sin, because sin itself is incapable of being altered; but He may be reconciled to your person, because that may be restored.
- Thomas Traherne (1637-1674), Centuries of Meditations.
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Lectionary Readings of the Day
http://new.usccb.org/calendar/index.cfm?showLit=1&action=month
1 Thes 2:1-8; Ps 139:1-3, 4-6; Mt 23:23-26
R. (1) You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it.
Behind me and before, you hem me in
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
too lofty for me to attain.
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Reflection on the Gospel
- from http://www.dailyscripture.net/
Jesus used a humorous example to show how out of proportion matters had gotten with them. Gnats were considered the smallest of insects and camels were considered the largest of animals in Palestine. Both were considered ritually impure. The scribes went to great lengths to avoid contact with gnats, even to the point of straining the wine cup with a fine cloth lest they accidently swallowed a gnat. The stark contrast must have drawn chuckles as well as groans.
What was the point of Jesus' humorous lesson? The essence of God's commandments is love - love of God and love of neighbor. God is love and everything he does flows from his love for us. True love is unconditional, costly, and sacrificial - it both embraces and lifts the burdens of others. Do you allow the love of God to transform your whole life - including the way you think of others, speak of them, and treat them?
Lord Jesus, fill me with your love and mercy that I may always think, speak, and treat others with fairness, kindness, patience, and goodness.
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Spiritual Reading
The Way of Perfection
- by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
(Treats of the same subject of spiritual love and gives certain counsels for gaining it. She is writing to the Sisters in her order.)
Contrive always, even if you do not care for it, to take part in your sisters' necessary recreation and to do so for the whole of the allotted time, for all considerate treatment of them is a part of perfect love. It is a very good thing for us to take compassion on each others' needs. See that you show no lack of discretion about things which are contrary to obedience. Though privately you may think the prioress' orders harsh ones, do not allow this to be noticed or tell anyone about it (except that you may speak of it, with all humility, to the prioress herself), for if you did so you would be doing a great deal of harm. Get to know what are the things in your sisters which you should be sorry to see and those about which you should sympathize with them; and always show your grief at any notorious fault which you may see in one of them. It is a good proof and test of our love if we can bear with such faults and not be shocked by them. Others, in their turn, will bear with your faults, which, if you include those of which you are not aware, must be much more numerous. Often commend to God any sister who is at fault and strive for your own part to practise the virtue which is the opposite of her fault with great perfection. Make determined efforts to do this so that you may teach your sister by your deeds what perhaps she could never learn by words nor gain by punishment.
- Chapter 7
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