Thursday of the Twenty-Eight Week In Ordinary Time
Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
(Click here for readings)
Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter. When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say."
Have you ever been in a position where someone you loved was about to make a huge mistake that was sure to have ill affect on them and on those around them? Would you risk losing them by speaking the truth to them? How did they react? Did they "plot" against you - "Stop communicating with me!"
In today's Gospel passage, Jesus is still using the harsh phrase, "Woe to you..."
After repeating "Woe to you" six times, we can conclude that Jesus wants to make a very strong point. Why is He so hard hitting on this particular group who has just invited Him to dine with them? Well, if we consider the context of what just happened prior - the gathering of large crowds to see Jesus perform great miracles - then it should be obvious to all that the Pharisees are green with envy, pride and selfishness. And their problems are compounded by their misuse of the laws and failure to recognize the Messiah standing right in front of them.
Too often I am guilty of getting so wrapped up in my own agenda that I lose all sight of Jesus in my day. Christ's heart went out to those who had been mislead and ill-treated by the Pharisees. He desired, out of pure love and for the will of His father, that everyone have the fullness of truth. Jesus who even cares deeply for them is willing to speak out in truth at the risk of losing their immediate approval. His agape love for them will soon prove that he is willing to die for them.
I would hope others would do the same for me. I would hope that they would shock me and bring me back on course to seeing Jesus' salvific truth in my life.
Today, we recognize Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and martyr who took his final stand for truth in refusing to go along with pagan state religion. As a result, 107 years after Jesus' crucifixion, St. Ignatius of Antioch is mauled to death by lions. "I am the wheat of the Lord, " he declared, on his way to execution. "I must be ground by the teeth of these beasts to be made the pure bread of Christ."
Is there someone trying to approach you out of love? Is there someone you need to be open to listening to?
Are you faced with a challenge: to stand for what is true and be willing to risk the esteem and approval of others?
The truth may hurt, but it always brings glory to God.
This meditation was written by Natalie Johnson, a convert to Catholicism. She lives in Irving, Texas with her husband and four children.
Meditation is an ideal way to pray. Using God's word (Lectio Divina) allows me to hear, listen and reflect on what the Lord wants to say to me - to one of his disciples - just like He did two thousand years ago.
The best time to reflect is at the beginning of the day and for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
Prior to going to sleep, read the Mass readings for the next day and then, in the morning, reflect on the Meditation offered on this website.
I hope these daily meditations allow you to know, love and imitate the Lord in a more meaningful way.
God bless you!
The best time to reflect is at the beginning of the day and for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
Prior to going to sleep, read the Mass readings for the next day and then, in the morning, reflect on the Meditation offered on this website.
I hope these daily meditations allow you to know, love and imitate the Lord in a more meaningful way.
God bless you!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
4 comments:
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Words of spiritual wisdom, written in the style of Fr. Alfonse! Spot on!
ReplyDeleteThank you for an excellent and thoughtful meditation.
ReplyDeleteJust read this post from Aggie land....thought it correlates beautifully with the meditation here http://marysaggies.blogspot.com/2013/10/jesus-doesnt-judge-others-we-shouldnt.html
ReplyDeleteIs there someone trying to approach you out of love? Is there someone you need to be open to listening to?
ReplyDeleteI have often found myself trying to ‘help’ someone to see something good and holy that I see. But maybe what I see is not so good and holy for them. Who am I to judge?
Listening to others is such a challenge for me. We all have filters over our minds to decide what advice we are going to accept and what we will reject. It has to somehow be close enough to what I believe in order for me to accept it, for me to take the risk and live the advice.
Did I live today only to love God and others, or did I try to get other people to change to the way they think so that they can be more like me? I think that I am right, so why wouldn’t I want them to be ‘right’ too? My ego gets the best of me and there is no room for humility in my life.
I have a prayer posted on my nightstand that I have prayed every morning and night for several years:
“At the end of our lives we will take away only this: Love. The rest is nothing.”
It is still only a prayer for me; not something I am really living out in my daily life. Only with God’s grace do I start again.