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When God saw that many people were lazy, and gave themselves only with difficulty to spiritual reading, He wished to make it easy for them, and added the melody to the words, that all being rejoiced by the charm of the music,
should sing hymns to Him with gladness. - John Chrysostom
(As St. Augustine put it, “the one who sings prays twice.” Take some time today to sing your praise to the Lord.) |
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JON 3:1-10; PS 130:1B-4, 7-8; LK 10:38-42
R. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD LORD, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication.
If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, LORD, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness, that you may be
revered.
Let Israel wait for the LORD, For with the LORD is kindness and with him is plenteous redemption; And he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
USCCB Lectionary
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Reflection on the Scriptures |
The gospel story today about Mary and Martha provides an interesting contrast between the choices made by these two women. Both of the sisters surely love Jesus, but demonstrate it in
different ways. Mary expresses her love by taking advantage of the opportunity to be close to Jesus and hear His every word. Martha expresses her love in a much more active way, tending to the practical needs of Jesus by going out to greet Him and assuming the burden of preparing a meal.
When Martha asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her, He tells her that Mary has made the better choice. It may seem somewhat puzzling that Jesus does not support Martha’s request for Mary’s assistance. We tend to put great value on fairness and Jesus’ response does not seem fair. But, it is not about fairness; it is about taking advantage of the time they have with Jesus to hear His message and to just be with
him.
In our society, busyness and accomplishments are rewarded to the extent that we cannot sit in silence or relax. We often over-extend ourselves to the detriment of our relationships with friends, family and God. We may know our priorities
are out of kilter, but we make excuses such as, “I have so much I have to get done” or “There is no one else to do this.” The busyness has become so much a part of our lives that it even creeps into our spiritual life. We go to church, say our prayers, help with parish activities and volunteer to meet the needs of the community. These are all good things, but there needs to be time when we can “make the better choice,” times when we can sit in silence and listen to the individual message
that Jesus wants to share with each of us. Creighton Online Ministries
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Revelations of Divine Love
- by Julian of
Norwich Chapter
6
“The Goodness of God is the highest prayer, and it cometh down to the lowest part of our need”
For as the body is clad in the cloth, and the flesh in the skin, and the bones in the
flesh, and the heart in the whole, so are we, soul and body, clad in the Goodness of God, and enclosed. Yea, and more homely: for all these may waste and wear away, but the Goodness of God is ever whole; and more near to us, without any likeness; for truly our Lover desireth that our soul cleave to Him with all its might, and that we be evermore cleaving to His Goodness. For of all things that heart may think, this pleaseth most God, and soonest speedeth [the soul].
For our soul is so specially loved of Him that is highest, that it overpasseth the knowing of all creatures: that is to say, there is no creature that is made that may [fully] know how much and how sweetly and how tenderly our Maker loveth us. And therefore we may with grace and His help stand in spiritual beholding, with everlasting marvel of
this high, overpassing, inestimable Love that Almighty God hath to us of His Goodness. And therefore we may ask of our Lover with reverence all that we will
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