You cannot
be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the face of one who gives and kindles joy in the heart of one who receives.
- St. Seraphim of Sarov
(Cultivate a gentle,
loving presence . . . now.) |
1 SM 4:1-11; PS 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25; MK 1:40-45
R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
Yet now you have cast us off and put us in disgrace,
and you go
not forth with our armies.
You have let us be driven back by our foes;
those who hated us plundered us at will.
You made us the reproach of our neighbors,
the mockery and the scorn of those around us.
You made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock among the peoples.
Why do you hide your face,
forgetting our woe and our oppression?
For our souls are bowed down to the dust,
our bodies are pressed to the earth.
Reflection on the Scriptures |
The gospel today shows us the daily routine of Jesus’ ministry. It began with visiting a family or a person who was sick. Then he would do some healing and driving out demons from the person. The news of his miraculous work spread quickly around the region. In just a short time, people brought to him the sick and the possessed to be healed by him. The crowd usually became so big that it would take him hours to do the work before he was able to
eat, drink, and have some rest. The gospel passage today even tells us that the people started gathering around him after dusk. It is possible that he was only done with the work just before midnight. Perhaps, he would also preach to them in between his healing works. Early in the morning, he would wake up. Instead of resuming the work, he went to a deserted place and conversed with his Father, and instead of going back to the people who witnessed his works and have gathered again at the house
he stayed, hoping to see him, he decided to go to another village or town.
Perhaps his daily routine is somewhat similar to the one we have every day. We go to work. We solve the problem of the day. Because of our passion or the work demand, we
work over time. We barely have time to eat, drink, or have rest until after dusk. We get home tired; do some house chores and then go to bed. The difference is perhaps here: We wake up early in the morning. Almost late, we are in rush to go to work; resume working on the unfinished problem from yesterday or take another problem with similar ease. In terms of relationship, we may hang out only with those who love us and keep away from those who hate us. We help only those who care for us and stay
away from those who do not care. This is a kind of problem that we rarely solve. We do not move forward and we get stuck in the same “village.” The question is, “Where is our conversation with God? Do we usually set aside time to pray? Do we move forward in terms of relationship and service for others?”
- by Bayu Risanto, S.J.
- a great way to begin the new year!
Christian Prayer Methods Online Course (by Philip St. Romain)
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Individual discounts, gift certificates and group rates available.
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Specific guidance on the practice of prayer from Christianity's rich tradition on this topic. 10 short presentations, with handout resources and discussion options.
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Revelations of Divine Love - by Julian of Norwich
Second Revelation, Chapter 10
“God willeth to be seen and to be sought: to be abided and to be
trusted”
These are two workings that may be seen in this Vision: the one is seeking, the other is beholding. The seeking is common,—that every soul may have with His grace,—and ought to have that discretion and teaching of the Holy Church. It is God’s will that we have three things in our seeking:—The first is that
we seek earnestly and diligently, without sloth, and, as it may be through His grace, without unreasonable heaviness and vain sorrow. The second is, that we abide Him steadfastly for His love, without murmuring and striving against Him, to our life’s end: for it shall last but awhile. The third is that we trust in Him mightily of full assured faith. For it is His will that we know that He shall appear suddenly and blissfully to all that love Him.
For His working is privy, and He willeth to be perceived; and His appearing shall be swiftly sudden; and He willeth to be trusted. For He is full gracious and homely: Blessed may He be!
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