Reading 1
Ez 37:1-14
The hand of the LORD came upon me,
and led me out in the Spirit of the LORD
and set me in the center of the plain,
which was now filled with bones.
He made me walk among the bones in every direction
so that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain.
How dry they were!
He asked me:
Son of man, can these bones come to life?
I answered, “Lord GOD, you alone know that.”
Then he said to me:
Prophesy over these bones, and say to them:
Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones:
See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life.
I will put sinews upon you, make flesh grow over you,
cover you with skin, and put spirit in you
so that you may come to life and know that I am the LORD.
I prophesied as I had been told,
and even as I was prophesying I heard a noise;
it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone joining bone.
I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them,
and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them.
Then the LORD said to me:
Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man,
and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord GOD:
From the four winds come, O spirit,
and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.
I prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them;
they came alive and stood upright, a vast army.
Then he said to me:
Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.
They have been saying,
“Our bones are dried up,
our hope is lost, and we are cut off.”
Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD:
O my people, I will open your graves
and have you rise from them,
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them,
O my people!
I will put my spirit in you that you may live,
and I will settle you upon your land;
thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
I have promised, and I will do it, says the LORD.
Gospel
Mt 22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law, tested him by asking,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him,
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Meditation: Matthew 22:34-40
“Which commandment in the law is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:36)
How easy to grasp—do not commit adultery; do not lie, cheat, steal, covet, or kill. Got it. Check it off. Now rate it. Is it worse to steal than to covet? Is it better to commit adultery than murder? Which is the least offensive sin, and which is the most offensive?
We like to simplify, codify, and try hard to obey. But God has a different way of looking at things: He looks at the heart. Greater than what we do—or keep from doing—is love. Jesus spelled it out for the Pharisees, and us too. Love God. Love others. “The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:40).
Love—a love spilling out of a heart filled to the brim with God’s own love—is the greatest command that we are to “obey.” Love each other intensely, St. Peter advised the Christians in Asia Minor, because love covers a multitude of sins!?(1 Peter 4:8). Yes, sin happens. But love enables us to bear all things, hope all things, and endure all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). It joins all the other virtues together in perfect unity and goes far beyond (Colossians 3:13-14)!
At the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). This is not a statement meant to coerce us into obedience. It is a promise! If you love me—if my love fills your heart and if you rest in my love—you will obey. Such is the power of God’s love in us! It is strong enough to influence our thoughts and actions over and above our human passions and desires. Its effect on our lives is massive, so much so that sin diminishes and acts of service and compassion increase.
Allowing God’s love to fill and influence you is a pleasanter, easier way to obey than relying solely on human determination. So ask the Holy Spirit for a fresh outpouring of this love today. Don’t be shy; it’s something he loves to do! Let his love overcome strongholds of fear, lust, jealousy, and self-centeredness so that you can know his strength and comfort.
“Holy Spirit, fill me with the Father’s love today. Pour it into my heart, so that I can know the joy and freedom of obedience
19 August 2010
19 Aug 2010, Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
Ez 36:23-28
Thus says the LORD:
I will prove the holiness of my great name,
profaned among the nations,
in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
For I will take you away from among the nations,
gather you from all the foreign lands,
and bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you
to cleanse you from all your impurities,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,
taking from your bodies your stony hearts
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors;
you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Gospel
Mt 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying,
“The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?’
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Meditation: Psalm 51:12-15,18-19
“Restore my joy in your salvation.” (Psalm 51:14)
O Lord, I come before you just as David did so many years ago. I come freely admitting my sins. I come humbly, acknowledging that my offenses have been an affront to your holiness, your justice, and your love. Have mercy on me, Lord!
O God, you have shown me how my thoughts, words, and actions have turned me away from your grace and your protection. I can see how the consequences of my sins have affected not only my relationship with you but my relationship with my brothers and sisters as well. O Lord, in your loving compassion, blot out my transgressions! Wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from my sins!
Father, through faith in you and by trusting in your Son’s death and resurrection, I believe that I have been redeemed. I believe that you can throw my sins from me as far as the east is from the west. Filled with confidence not in myself but in your power and mercy, I confess my sin and ask you to forgive me. Lord, I know that in the Sacrament of Reconciliation I can experience not only forgiveness but healing and restoration as well. And so I come to you, Father, hoping to receive your grace to begin again.
Thank you, Lord!
Father, words alone cannot describe what it is like to come back to you and feel your embrace once more. You promised through your prophet that even though my sins are as red as scarlet, they can be made as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). How can anyone fully express what it feels like to be made so clean?
Sometimes I think that being forgiven is like having a large, crushing load lifted from my back, allowing me to stand up straight again. Other times it feels like a heaviness is lifted from my chest so that I can breathe freely once more. And every time, I feel a wonderful strengthening through your grace, Lord, enabling me to say “no” to temptation. Thank you, Father, for the joy that this brings!
“Father, your love and mercy are unending! Inspired by your grace, I come to you now to be set free. Father, may I never forget you!”
Ez 36:23-28
Thus says the LORD:
I will prove the holiness of my great name,
profaned among the nations,
in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
For I will take you away from among the nations,
gather you from all the foreign lands,
and bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you
to cleanse you from all your impurities,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,
taking from your bodies your stony hearts
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors;
you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Gospel
Mt 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying,
“The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?’
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Meditation: Psalm 51:12-15,18-19
“Restore my joy in your salvation.” (Psalm 51:14)
O Lord, I come before you just as David did so many years ago. I come freely admitting my sins. I come humbly, acknowledging that my offenses have been an affront to your holiness, your justice, and your love. Have mercy on me, Lord!
O God, you have shown me how my thoughts, words, and actions have turned me away from your grace and your protection. I can see how the consequences of my sins have affected not only my relationship with you but my relationship with my brothers and sisters as well. O Lord, in your loving compassion, blot out my transgressions! Wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from my sins!
Father, through faith in you and by trusting in your Son’s death and resurrection, I believe that I have been redeemed. I believe that you can throw my sins from me as far as the east is from the west. Filled with confidence not in myself but in your power and mercy, I confess my sin and ask you to forgive me. Lord, I know that in the Sacrament of Reconciliation I can experience not only forgiveness but healing and restoration as well. And so I come to you, Father, hoping to receive your grace to begin again.
Thank you, Lord!
Father, words alone cannot describe what it is like to come back to you and feel your embrace once more. You promised through your prophet that even though my sins are as red as scarlet, they can be made as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). How can anyone fully express what it feels like to be made so clean?
Sometimes I think that being forgiven is like having a large, crushing load lifted from my back, allowing me to stand up straight again. Other times it feels like a heaviness is lifted from my chest so that I can breathe freely once more. And every time, I feel a wonderful strengthening through your grace, Lord, enabling me to say “no” to temptation. Thank you, Father, for the joy that this brings!
“Father, your love and mercy are unending! Inspired by your grace, I come to you now to be set free. Father, may I never forget you!”
18 August 2010
18 Aug 2010, Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
Ez 34:1-11
The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Gospel
Mt 20:1-16
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Meditation: Matthew 20:1-16
“Are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 20:15)
Why does the master keep going back to the marketplace to hire more laborers? Not because the work is so overwhelming that there aren’t enough workers to do it. Rather, this great-hearted master doesn’t want to overlook anyone who is willing and able to work. He knows that if a man is not hired on a given day, his family will have nothing to eat that night. He has compassion for that family and for the man who feels like a failure if he is unable to provide for them.
It is sad to note, however, that the laborers hired first did not absorb their master’s attitude. Not content to have just provided for their own families, they begrudge the master giving a last-minute opportunity to other men to do the same. They are proud of their long, hot day of work, and they feel they deserve a bigger reward, even if it means that their co-workers have to suffer.
Many of us have been given far more than our “daily bread.” Our families may not have every luxury they would like, but they probably won’t go to bed hungry tonight. And compared with the grinding poverty that so many in the developing world experience, we probably live like kings and queens.
So how generous are you with all that you have been given? Is there someone standing idle in the marketplace longing for an opportunity to find meaning in life? Is there a charitable organization in your area that is in need of financial help? Or perhaps one that could use your talents to build up its ministry? Let’s beg the Master to share his generous heart with us so that we can reach out to others with the love that sustains us every day. We have opportunities to share physical bread with others, and we have opportunities to share spiritual bread—through prayer, thoughtful support, and Christ-led companionship. God is calling us: “You too go into my vineyard” (Matthew 20:7). Let’s not delay in answering!
“Master, thank you for providing for my every need, especially my need for love and for meaning in life. Give me your generous heart toward all those you have placed in my life.”
Ez 34:1-11
The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Gospel
Mt 20:1-16
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Meditation: Matthew 20:1-16
“Are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 20:15)
Why does the master keep going back to the marketplace to hire more laborers? Not because the work is so overwhelming that there aren’t enough workers to do it. Rather, this great-hearted master doesn’t want to overlook anyone who is willing and able to work. He knows that if a man is not hired on a given day, his family will have nothing to eat that night. He has compassion for that family and for the man who feels like a failure if he is unable to provide for them.
It is sad to note, however, that the laborers hired first did not absorb their master’s attitude. Not content to have just provided for their own families, they begrudge the master giving a last-minute opportunity to other men to do the same. They are proud of their long, hot day of work, and they feel they deserve a bigger reward, even if it means that their co-workers have to suffer.
Many of us have been given far more than our “daily bread.” Our families may not have every luxury they would like, but they probably won’t go to bed hungry tonight. And compared with the grinding poverty that so many in the developing world experience, we probably live like kings and queens.
So how generous are you with all that you have been given? Is there someone standing idle in the marketplace longing for an opportunity to find meaning in life? Is there a charitable organization in your area that is in need of financial help? Or perhaps one that could use your talents to build up its ministry? Let’s beg the Master to share his generous heart with us so that we can reach out to others with the love that sustains us every day. We have opportunities to share physical bread with others, and we have opportunities to share spiritual bread—through prayer, thoughtful support, and Christ-led companionship. God is calling us: “You too go into my vineyard” (Matthew 20:7). Let’s not delay in answering!
“Master, thank you for providing for my every need, especially my need for love and for meaning in life. Give me your generous heart toward all those you have placed in my life.”
17 August 2010
17 Aug 2010, Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
Ez 28:1-10
The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man,
say to the prince of Tyre:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Because you are haughty of heart,
you say, “A god am I!
I occupy a godly throne
in the heart of the sea!”—
And yet you are a man, and not a god,
however you may think yourself like a god.
Oh yes, you are wiser than Daniel,
there is no secret that is beyond you.
By your wisdom and your intelligence
you have made riches for yourself;
You have put gold and silver
into your treasuries.
By your great wisdom applied to your trading
you have heaped up your riches;
your heart has grown haughty from your riches–
therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
Because you have thought yourself
to have the mind of a god,
Therefore I will bring against you
foreigners, the most barbarous of nations.
They shall draw their swords
against your beauteous wisdom,
they shall run them through your splendid apparel.
They shall thrust you down to the pit, there to die
a bloodied corpse, in the heart of the sea.
Will you then say, “I am a god!”
when you face your murderers?
No, you are man, not a god,
handed over to those who will slay you.
You shall die the death of the uncircumcised
at the hands of foreigners,
for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD.
Gospel
Mt 19:23-30
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you,
it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,
“Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.”
Then Peter said to him in reply,
“We have given up everything and followed you.
What will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you
that you who have followed me, in the new age,
when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,
will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Meditation: Matthew 19:23-30
“Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” (Matthew 19:30)
A basic theological principle in Hebrew Scripture is that God always rewards virtue and punishes vice. As a corollary, people assumed that those who were wealthy must have earned that by living good lives, just as the poor, the sick, or the troubled must have reaped the consequences of having turned away from God.
No wonder the disciples were shocked when Jesus declared that a rich man will have a hard time entering the kingdom! He then made it even more vivid with the picture of a camel trying to squeeze through a needle’s eye. Some scholars think Jerusalem actually had a very narrow gate—the “eye of the needle”—through which a camel could pass only if his entire cargo were removed.
What cargo is impeding me from passing through the gates to which the Spirit is leading me? At first we may think about bad habits or material possessions that we anxiously safeguard. But more often than not, the offending cargo is more mental or spiritual in nature. I may be so accustomed to thinking of a certain person as my inferior that I fail to recognize the value of his new idea. I may be so bound to my orderly schedule that I have no time to respond to an unanticipated need—think, for instance, of the Pharisee and Levite hurrying past the victim on the Jericho road (Luke 10:29-32).
Every day the Holy Spirit gives us opportunities to taste the first fruits of God’s kingdom. We will see these opportunities as we unburden ourselves of the things we guard so jealously. He may invite us to pause and pray for a person who comes to mind. He may move us to help someone in need, whether by opening our wallets, our homes, or our hearts. Or he may prick our consciences about a harsh or judgmental attitude we have toward someone. It’s only as we are willing to lay down the “cargo” of our own agendas that we will find the grace to receive these invitations and say “yes” to him.
“Lord, give me the courage to put aside whatever is holding me back so that I can follow your way today. I want to pass through those gateways unencumbered, carrying only your love.”
Ez 28:1-10
The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man,
say to the prince of Tyre:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
Because you are haughty of heart,
you say, “A god am I!
I occupy a godly throne
in the heart of the sea!”—
And yet you are a man, and not a god,
however you may think yourself like a god.
Oh yes, you are wiser than Daniel,
there is no secret that is beyond you.
By your wisdom and your intelligence
you have made riches for yourself;
You have put gold and silver
into your treasuries.
By your great wisdom applied to your trading
you have heaped up your riches;
your heart has grown haughty from your riches–
therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
Because you have thought yourself
to have the mind of a god,
Therefore I will bring against you
foreigners, the most barbarous of nations.
They shall draw their swords
against your beauteous wisdom,
they shall run them through your splendid apparel.
They shall thrust you down to the pit, there to die
a bloodied corpse, in the heart of the sea.
Will you then say, “I am a god!”
when you face your murderers?
No, you are man, not a god,
handed over to those who will slay you.
You shall die the death of the uncircumcised
at the hands of foreigners,
for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD.
Gospel
Mt 19:23-30
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you,
it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,
“Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.”
Then Peter said to him in reply,
“We have given up everything and followed you.
What will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you
that you who have followed me, in the new age,
when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,
will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Meditation: Matthew 19:23-30
“Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” (Matthew 19:30)
A basic theological principle in Hebrew Scripture is that God always rewards virtue and punishes vice. As a corollary, people assumed that those who were wealthy must have earned that by living good lives, just as the poor, the sick, or the troubled must have reaped the consequences of having turned away from God.
No wonder the disciples were shocked when Jesus declared that a rich man will have a hard time entering the kingdom! He then made it even more vivid with the picture of a camel trying to squeeze through a needle’s eye. Some scholars think Jerusalem actually had a very narrow gate—the “eye of the needle”—through which a camel could pass only if his entire cargo were removed.
What cargo is impeding me from passing through the gates to which the Spirit is leading me? At first we may think about bad habits or material possessions that we anxiously safeguard. But more often than not, the offending cargo is more mental or spiritual in nature. I may be so accustomed to thinking of a certain person as my inferior that I fail to recognize the value of his new idea. I may be so bound to my orderly schedule that I have no time to respond to an unanticipated need—think, for instance, of the Pharisee and Levite hurrying past the victim on the Jericho road (Luke 10:29-32).
Every day the Holy Spirit gives us opportunities to taste the first fruits of God’s kingdom. We will see these opportunities as we unburden ourselves of the things we guard so jealously. He may invite us to pause and pray for a person who comes to mind. He may move us to help someone in need, whether by opening our wallets, our homes, or our hearts. Or he may prick our consciences about a harsh or judgmental attitude we have toward someone. It’s only as we are willing to lay down the “cargo” of our own agendas that we will find the grace to receive these invitations and say “yes” to him.
“Lord, give me the courage to put aside whatever is holding me back so that I can follow your way today. I want to pass through those gateways unencumbered, carrying only your love.”
16 August 2010
16 Aug 2010, Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
Ez 24:15-23
The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, by a sudden blow
I am taking away from you the delight of your eyes,
but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears.
Groan in silence, make no lament for the dead,
bind on your turban, put your sandals on your feet,
do not cover your beard, and do not eat the customary bread.
That evening my wife died,
and the next morning I did as I had been commanded.
Then the people asked me, “Will you not tell us what all these things
that you are doing mean for us?”
I therefore spoke to the people that morning, saying to them:
Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
Say to the house of Israel:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will now desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold of your pride,
the delight of your eyes, the desire of your soul.
The sons and daughters you left behind shall fall by the sword.
Ezekiel shall be a sign for you:
all that he did you shall do when it happens.
Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
You shall do as I have done,
not covering your beards nor eating the customary bread.
Your turbans shall remain on your heads, your sandals on your feet.
You shall not mourn or weep,
but you shall rot away because of your sins and groan one to another.
Gospel
Mt 19:16-22
A young man approached Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
Meditation: Matthew 19:16-22
“Come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)
Whether we are rich or not, Jesus’ words to this young man apply to us as well. For ultimately, it’s not a question of how much or how little we have. Rather, it’s about priorities. As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Matthew 6:21). What we value gives some idea of our relationship to God: Do I have my possessions, or do my possessions have me?
The issue becomes much clearer when we see that material possessions are just a small portion of our gifts. No matter how wealthy we may be, if we are walking with the Lord we have all of the “riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). We have the love of Jesus, the power of his Holy Spirit, and the promise of everlasting life. These aren’t things we can buy or sell. They are gifts that we can choose to use for his glory—or to waste by keeping them all to ourselves!
Of course, our gifts really do not belong to us anyway. They all come from God, and we are just stewards who have been given a temporary lease on them. That makes it all the more important for us to use them wisely and to produce lasting fruit for his kingdom. It doesn’t take much: One small act of generosity can change an entire destiny. As in the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9), it’s not whether we produce thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold, but that we start planting the seeds.
God really wants to keep our lives simple. When he says “sell all you have,” he is not asking us to take him literally. What he really wants is our hearts. The more pliable we become, the more open to his grace we become, the easier we will find it to be loving and generous. We won’t have to think so much about what to do for others, because we will be too busy doing it! All we have to do is say, “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.” He will take care of the rest.
“Jesus, you are the source of every blessing in my life. Nothing I have belongs to me, so I let go of all I have been holding onto. Use it all for your kingdom!”
Ez 24:15-23
The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, by a sudden blow
I am taking away from you the delight of your eyes,
but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears.
Groan in silence, make no lament for the dead,
bind on your turban, put your sandals on your feet,
do not cover your beard, and do not eat the customary bread.
That evening my wife died,
and the next morning I did as I had been commanded.
Then the people asked me, “Will you not tell us what all these things
that you are doing mean for us?”
I therefore spoke to the people that morning, saying to them:
Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
Say to the house of Israel:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will now desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold of your pride,
the delight of your eyes, the desire of your soul.
The sons and daughters you left behind shall fall by the sword.
Ezekiel shall be a sign for you:
all that he did you shall do when it happens.
Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
You shall do as I have done,
not covering your beards nor eating the customary bread.
Your turbans shall remain on your heads, your sandals on your feet.
You shall not mourn or weep,
but you shall rot away because of your sins and groan one to another.
Gospel
Mt 19:16-22
A young man approached Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
Meditation: Matthew 19:16-22
“Come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)
Whether we are rich or not, Jesus’ words to this young man apply to us as well. For ultimately, it’s not a question of how much or how little we have. Rather, it’s about priorities. As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Matthew 6:21). What we value gives some idea of our relationship to God: Do I have my possessions, or do my possessions have me?
The issue becomes much clearer when we see that material possessions are just a small portion of our gifts. No matter how wealthy we may be, if we are walking with the Lord we have all of the “riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). We have the love of Jesus, the power of his Holy Spirit, and the promise of everlasting life. These aren’t things we can buy or sell. They are gifts that we can choose to use for his glory—or to waste by keeping them all to ourselves!
Of course, our gifts really do not belong to us anyway. They all come from God, and we are just stewards who have been given a temporary lease on them. That makes it all the more important for us to use them wisely and to produce lasting fruit for his kingdom. It doesn’t take much: One small act of generosity can change an entire destiny. As in the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9), it’s not whether we produce thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold, but that we start planting the seeds.
God really wants to keep our lives simple. When he says “sell all you have,” he is not asking us to take him literally. What he really wants is our hearts. The more pliable we become, the more open to his grace we become, the easier we will find it to be loving and generous. We won’t have to think so much about what to do for others, because we will be too busy doing it! All we have to do is say, “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.” He will take care of the rest.
“Jesus, you are the source of every blessing in my life. Nothing I have belongs to me, so I let go of all I have been holding onto. Use it all for your kingdom!”
14 August 2010
15 Aug 2010, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mass during the Day
Reading 1
Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
God’s temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed One.”
Reading 2
1 Cor 15:20-27
Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death,
for “he subjected everything under his feet.”
Gospel
Lk 1:39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
Meditation: Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6,10
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary
… A woman clothed with the sun. (Revelation 12:1)
Today we celebrate the unique end of one of the most exceptional lives ever lived. Mary stands out among all humanity because she trusted in God wholly and completely. Even when her life and the life of her son were on the line, Mary continued to say “yes” to God. And as a reward for such steadfast and humble faith, the church proclaims that she was assumed, body and soul, into heaven.
Imagine Mary’s faith. It wasn’t the simple, innocent faith of a young child but the mature, reasoned faith of a woman whose mind was uncluttered by sin. When the angel Gabriel announced God’s plan to her, Mary reasoned in her heart that God wouldn’t ask her to do the impossible. Surely he would protect the child in her womb. Since God himself was the author of this plan, she could trust that he would see it through to completion.
This is the kind of faith that God wants each of us to imitate. Of course, none of us will ever be as perfect in following the Lord as Mary was. She was sinless, after all!
But at the same time, God does call us to try our best to follow his plans for us. And he doesn’t leave us to do it all by ourselves. Every day, he is pouring out grace, helping us to say “yes” to him in the situations that are set before us. Every day, he offers us words of encouragement in the Scriptures so that we can trust in his provision, even when logic tells us otherwise. Every day, he seeks to clothe us in his Spirit so that each of us can bring Christ into the world through the witness of our own lives of faith.
In the end, it is a very simple path—but one that leads to the glory of heaven.
“Thank you, Mary, for saying ‘yes’ to God. I want to follow the path that you paved. Please pray for me, so that I will know the same heavenly triumph that you now know.”
Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
God’s temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed One.”
Reading 2
1 Cor 15:20-27
Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death,
for “he subjected everything under his feet.”
Gospel
Lk 1:39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
Meditation: Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6,10
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary
… A woman clothed with the sun. (Revelation 12:1)
Today we celebrate the unique end of one of the most exceptional lives ever lived. Mary stands out among all humanity because she trusted in God wholly and completely. Even when her life and the life of her son were on the line, Mary continued to say “yes” to God. And as a reward for such steadfast and humble faith, the church proclaims that she was assumed, body and soul, into heaven.
Imagine Mary’s faith. It wasn’t the simple, innocent faith of a young child but the mature, reasoned faith of a woman whose mind was uncluttered by sin. When the angel Gabriel announced God’s plan to her, Mary reasoned in her heart that God wouldn’t ask her to do the impossible. Surely he would protect the child in her womb. Since God himself was the author of this plan, she could trust that he would see it through to completion.
This is the kind of faith that God wants each of us to imitate. Of course, none of us will ever be as perfect in following the Lord as Mary was. She was sinless, after all!
But at the same time, God does call us to try our best to follow his plans for us. And he doesn’t leave us to do it all by ourselves. Every day, he is pouring out grace, helping us to say “yes” to him in the situations that are set before us. Every day, he offers us words of encouragement in the Scriptures so that we can trust in his provision, even when logic tells us otherwise. Every day, he seeks to clothe us in his Spirit so that each of us can bring Christ into the world through the witness of our own lives of faith.
In the end, it is a very simple path—but one that leads to the glory of heaven.
“Thank you, Mary, for saying ‘yes’ to God. I want to follow the path that you paved. Please pray for me, so that I will know the same heavenly triumph that you now know.”
14 Aug 2010, Memorial of Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest and martyr
Reading 1
Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32
The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb
that you recite in the land of Israel:
“Fathers have eaten green grapes,
thus their children’s teeth are on edge”?
As I live, says the Lord GOD:
I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you
who will repeat this proverb in Israel.
For all lives are mine;
the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine;
only the one who sins shall die.
If a man is virtuous—if he does what is right and just,
if he does not eat on the mountains,
nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel;
if he does not defile his neighbor’s wife,
nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period;
if he oppresses no one,
gives back the pledge received for a debt,
commits no robbery;
if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked;
if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury;
if he holds off from evildoing,
judges fairly between a man and his opponent;
if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances,
that man is virtuous—he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.
But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer,
or lends at interest and exacts usury–
this son certainly shall not live.
Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die;
his death shall be his own fault.
Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel,
each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD.
Turn and be converted from all your crimes,
that they may be no cause of guilt for you.
Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Why should you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,
says the Lord GOD. Return and live!
Gospel
Mt 19:13-15
Children were brought to Jesus
that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said,
“Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them;
for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
Meditation: Ezekiel 18:1-10,13, 30–32
“Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children’s teeth are on edge.” (Ezekiel 18:2)
What a strange proverb! To the Israelites, however, its meaning was clear enough: A person could suffer the punishment for the sins of his parents and ancestors. But the problem is that when something went wrong, such a belief allowed some to point the finger of blame at their forefathers, not themselves.
This isn’t how God works. Through Ezekiel, God made it clear that each person is responsible for the consequences of his or her own actions. And this is both good news and bad news. The bad news is that we can’t blame our ancestors; we have to own up to our own failings. But the good news is that none of us will be condemned for our parents’ or grandparents’ sins or failings.
But Jesus has even better news than this: We don’t even have to be condemned for our own past sins! The past doesn’t have to control our future. We don’t have to be trapped in a never-ending cycle of sin. God is always with us, always offering us the chance to turn to him and be forgiven. He is always offering us his grace to resist temptations that we have fallen to in the past. What’s more, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which contains God’s own grace to give us the new heart and the new spirit that Ezekiel prophesied about (Ezekiel 18:31).
Isn’t it comforting to know that repentance is not meant to be a one-time event? Isn’t it wonderful to know that we can deepen our conversion every day through repentance? The Hebrew phrase that we translate as the call to “turn and be converted” (Ezekiel 18:30) comes from the word shuv, which means “to turn around” and to “repent.” It is an active verb, implying that this is something each of us must do on our own, taking responsibility for our actions and not blaming someone else or just waiting for things to turn around by themselves.
It can be challenging to face up to our sins. But the relief, freedom, and joy we experience in repentance can far outweigh our discomfort. God offers us a new beginning every day. So let’s take him up on his offer!
“Lord, your steadfast love is new every morning. Guide my steps today, so that I can turn from sin and turn toward you.”
Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32
The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb
that you recite in the land of Israel:
“Fathers have eaten green grapes,
thus their children’s teeth are on edge”?
As I live, says the Lord GOD:
I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you
who will repeat this proverb in Israel.
For all lives are mine;
the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine;
only the one who sins shall die.
If a man is virtuous—if he does what is right and just,
if he does not eat on the mountains,
nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel;
if he does not defile his neighbor’s wife,
nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period;
if he oppresses no one,
gives back the pledge received for a debt,
commits no robbery;
if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked;
if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury;
if he holds off from evildoing,
judges fairly between a man and his opponent;
if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances,
that man is virtuous—he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.
But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer,
or lends at interest and exacts usury–
this son certainly shall not live.
Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die;
his death shall be his own fault.
Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel,
each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD.
Turn and be converted from all your crimes,
that they may be no cause of guilt for you.
Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Why should you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,
says the Lord GOD. Return and live!
Gospel
Mt 19:13-15
Children were brought to Jesus
that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said,
“Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them;
for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
Meditation: Ezekiel 18:1-10,13, 30–32
“Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children’s teeth are on edge.” (Ezekiel 18:2)
What a strange proverb! To the Israelites, however, its meaning was clear enough: A person could suffer the punishment for the sins of his parents and ancestors. But the problem is that when something went wrong, such a belief allowed some to point the finger of blame at their forefathers, not themselves.
This isn’t how God works. Through Ezekiel, God made it clear that each person is responsible for the consequences of his or her own actions. And this is both good news and bad news. The bad news is that we can’t blame our ancestors; we have to own up to our own failings. But the good news is that none of us will be condemned for our parents’ or grandparents’ sins or failings.
But Jesus has even better news than this: We don’t even have to be condemned for our own past sins! The past doesn’t have to control our future. We don’t have to be trapped in a never-ending cycle of sin. God is always with us, always offering us the chance to turn to him and be forgiven. He is always offering us his grace to resist temptations that we have fallen to in the past. What’s more, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which contains God’s own grace to give us the new heart and the new spirit that Ezekiel prophesied about (Ezekiel 18:31).
Isn’t it comforting to know that repentance is not meant to be a one-time event? Isn’t it wonderful to know that we can deepen our conversion every day through repentance? The Hebrew phrase that we translate as the call to “turn and be converted” (Ezekiel 18:30) comes from the word shuv, which means “to turn around” and to “repent.” It is an active verb, implying that this is something each of us must do on our own, taking responsibility for our actions and not blaming someone else or just waiting for things to turn around by themselves.
It can be challenging to face up to our sins. But the relief, freedom, and joy we experience in repentance can far outweigh our discomfort. God offers us a new beginning every day. So let’s take him up on his offer!
“Lord, your steadfast love is new every morning. Guide my steps today, so that I can turn from sin and turn toward you.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)