“Come to Me, come with confidence and love! I will forgive you after you have repented.” (Father’s Book by Mother Eugenia) Read More
Showing all posts by Elija
Gratitude
Lk 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 1And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
The school of humility
Lk 17:7-10
At that time the Lord said, ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal at once”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper ready; fasten your belt and wait on me while I eat and drink. You yourself can eat and drink afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are useless servants: we have done no more than our duty”.
“SERVE THE TRUTH”
“We must always serve the truth with complete clarity and love. The truth itself will overcome the lie.” (Based on an Inner Word.)
It is the truth that will overcome the lie. We know it comes from God and is God Himself. “Every one who is of the truth hears my voice,” (John 18:37) the Lord tells us. However, even when the Truth—in the person of Jesus—walked on this earth and made Himself present in everything He did, not everyone was willing to receive and serve Him. Too many were entangled in their own lives, caught up in confusion and lies, and refused to allow themselves to be led into a new life in Christ.
The Temple of God
Jn 2:13-22
When the time of the Jewish Passover was near Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there. Making a whip out of cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, sheep and cattle as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the dove sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop using my Father’s house as a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: I am eaten up with zeal for your house. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us that you should act like this?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple: are you going to raise it up again in three days?’ But he was speaking of the Temple that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and what he had said.
“THE LORD’S WORK IN THE SOUL”
“One effect of the joyful guidance of the Father of Lights is that He guides the soul through impulses that come from within, which gently trickle into the soul and fall there like rain.” (St. Francis de Sales)
The Lord weeds out the darnel
Today, we will reflect on the Gospel for the 24th Sunday after Pentecost, according to the traditional calendar.
Mt 13:24-30
‘Jesus put another parable before them, ‘The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s labourers went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” He said to them, “Some enemy has done this.” And the labourers said, “Do you want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”‘
“TRUE FAITH DOES NOT ERR”
“Human reason is weak and may be deceived; but true faith cannot be deceived.” (Thomas à Kempis)
These words of warning from the spiritual teacher Thomas à Kempis remind us of something very essential. As much as reason is a good gift from God, it has nevertheless been affected by original sin. Among the consequences of original sin are:
- the darkening of the intellect
- the weakening of the will
- the inclination toward evil
- suffering
- physical death.
Exhortations and conclusion of the letter
The Apostle continues with his exhortations regarding what the Christian life should look like for the church in Colossae:
“Bear with one another and forgive one another if anyone has a complaint against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col 3:13-17)
“OUR HEARTS ARE MADE FOR LOVE”
“Let us love, for that is what our hearts are made for.” (Thérèse of Lisieux)
With her simple yet unerring insight, the so-called “Little Thérèse” amazes us once again by getting right to the heart of the matter. We are created for love, and only when we love do we awaken to our true nature. Is that surprising?