Message of the Day
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God created us to have needs, not counting them as sinful or selfish. Without them, we'd have no way of knowing our need for God or how much He loves us.
- Anonymous (How do you distinguish between wants and needs? What needs are you most in touch with at this time in your life? How can they lead you to God?) |
Readings of the Day
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COL 1:24-2:3; PS 62:6-7, 9; LK 6:6-11 R. In God is my safety and my glory. Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him;
God is our refuge!
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Gospel
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Looking around at them all, he then said to him, "Stretch out your hand."
The scribes and Pharisees are enraged when Jesus heals on the Sabbath. They refuse to acknowledge his action as the miracle it is and focus on the transgression of doing "work" on the day of rest. Jesus' words to the suffering man could just as easily be addressed to his detractors. Instead of standing on ceremony, they simply need to stretch out their hands to those in need. If they looked at the man and his infirmity instead of looking at rules, they might see compassion and not contempt in what Jesus did. The Lord's goodness toward others is not an affront to us. While rules and authority are important, love trumps all.
For the grace to reach out to others in love and compassion, no matter the cost, we pray. - by Patricia Russell
My Daily Bread
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Spiritual Reading
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The Sparkling Stone, by St. John of Rusybroeck (1293-1381)
What we are, that we behold; and what we behold, that we are: for our thought, our life, and our being are uplifted in simplicity, and made one with the Truth which is God. And therefore in this simple staring we are one life and one spirit with God: and this I call a contemplative life. As soon as we cleave to God through love, we practise the better part; but when we gaze thus into our superessence, we possess God utterly. With this contemplation, there is bound up an exercise which is wayless, that is to say, a noughting of life; for, where we go forth out of ourselves into darkness and the abysmal Waylessness, there shines perpetually the simple ray of the Splendour of God, in which we are grounded, and which draws us out of ourselves into the superessence, and into the immersion of love. And with this sinking into love there is always bound up a practice of love which is wayless; for love cannot be lazy, but would search through and through and taste through and through the fathomless richness which lives in the ground of her being, and this is a hunger which cannot be appeased. But a perpetual striving after the unattainable. This is swimming against the stream. One can neither leave it nor grasp it, neither do without it nor attain it, neither be silent on it nor speak of it, for it is above reason and understanding, and it transcends all creatures; and therefore we can never reach nor overtake it. But we should abide within ourselves: there we feel that the Spirit of God is driving us and enkindling us in this restlessness of love. And we should abide above ourselves. And then we feel that the Spirit of God is drawing us out of ourselves and burning us to nothingness in His Selfhood; that is, in the Superessential Love with which we are one, and which we possess more deeply and more widely than all else.
- Chapter 9: "How we may become hidden sons of God and attain to the God-seeing life."
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