The body has many destinations, not just two. A great number of material roads lead to a great number of material places for bodies to travel to. The mind's roads are fewer, and the places that mental and rational roads lead to are also fewer: logical possibilities are more limited than physical possibilities. The spirit has only two roads, and two places at their ends (heaven and hell)."
- Peter Kreeft, Everything You Wanted to Know About Heaven
(This idea of the "two ways" is found in all the world religions. Be more aware today of the decisions you make, and whether they are guided by love or selfishness.)
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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.”
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Reflection on the Scriptures |
The messaging from Jesus in today’s Gospel from Luke gave me lots to think about and consider in my own life. As usual, it took me a couple of reads and turning my intellectual brain off to understand the message. But, like always, God was patient with me and provided the grace to see and hear.
I seems like I catch myself, lately, getting consumed by a lot of outside noise that demands my attention. The looming election is a big one. The more I try to inform myself by watching the news and reading articles, the more I feel myself becoming anxious and almost afraid. So, as I started to read Luke’s Gospel, the first few lines show the Pharisees afraid and trying to make Jesus afraid, too. This sounded
strangely familiar to what today’s politicians and news reporters are doing as well. They seem to be anxious and afraid and I can feel it projecting onto me as I try to keep up with the daily happenings.
As the reading continues, I can picture Jesus’ calm reply. And, his messaging was exactly what I needed to hear – as it probably was for the Pharisees, too. He essentially says, “No worries…I am going to continue doing what I am doing because as long as I stay true to God, everything is going to work out okay.” (“… for it’s impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem” – with Jerusalem, in this case,
being the Kingdom of God) The Gospel reading helps me to push aside all the negative political ads that are designed to increase anxiety and fear and to refocus on my true-self rather than the projected fears of others.
- by Tom Lutz
Revelations of Divine Love
- by Julian of Norwich
Sixteenth Revelation, Chapter 84
Charity
The light is Charity, and the measuring of this light is done to us profitably by the wisdom of God. For neither is the light so large that we may see our blissful Day, nor is it shut from us; but it is such a light in which we may live meedfully, with travail deserving [340] the endless worship of God. And this was seen in the Sixth Shewing where He said: I thank thee of thy service and of thy travail.
Thus-Charity keepeth us in Faith and Hope, and Hope leadeth us in Charity. And in the end all shall be Charity.
I had three manners of understanding of this light, Charity. The first is Charity unmade; the second is Charity made; the third is Charity given. Charity unmade is God; Charity made is our soul in God; Charity given is virtue. And that is a precious gift of working in which we love God, for Himself; and ourselves, in God; and that which God loveth, for God.
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