“It is the nature of abandonment always to lead a mysterious life, and to receive great and miraculous gifts from God by means of the most ordinary
things, things that may be natural, accidental, or that seem to happen by chance, and in which there seems no other agency than the ordinary course of the ways of the world, or of the elements.”
- Jean-Pierre de Caussade [18th C.], Abandonment to Divine Providence
(Faith is attuned to this wondrous dimension of ordinary life. Open the eyes of your soul this day.)
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Eph 6:10-20; Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10
Lk 13:31-35
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a
prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you,
you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Reflection on the
Scriptures |
“Put on the armor of God that you may be able to resist on the evil day and
… hold your ground.”
The paradox is as real today as it was in the first-century church: The will of God has triumphed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the forces of evil are still present under various guises. We share in the victory of Jesus, yet we must continually fight against
the lure of false gods, like consumerism, greed and violence, that tempt us to grasp an unjust share of the world’s goods, to exploit the poor and to abuse the earth’s resources.
“Lord Jesus, help us with your grace to triumph over those forces which oppose the kingdom of God.”
- from preacherexchange.com
Revelations of Divine
Love - by Julian of Norwich
Thirteenth Revelation, Chapter 28
“Each brotherly compassion that man hath on his
fellow Christians, with charity, it is Christ in him”
Yea, so far forth I saw, that our Lord joyeth of the tribulations of His servants, with ruth and compassion. On each person that He loveth, to His bliss for to bring [them], He layeth something that is no blame in His sight, whereby they are blamed and despised in
this world, scorned, mocked, [98] and outcasted. And this He doeth for to hinder the harm that they should take from the pomp and the vain-glory of this wretched life, and make their way ready to come to Heaven, and up-raise them in His bliss everlasting. For He saith: I shall wholly break you of your vain affections and your vicious pride; and after that I shall together gather you, and make you mild and meek, clean and holy, by oneing to me.
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