Ru 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22
Once in the time of the judges there was a famine in the land; so a man from Bethlehem of Judah departed with his wife and two sons to reside on the plateau of Moab. Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons, who married Moabite women, one named Orpah, the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion died also, and the woman was left with neither her two sons nor her husband.
She then made ready to go back from the plateau of Moab because word reached her there that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her. Naomi said, “See now! Your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her god. Go back after your sister-in-law!” But Ruth said, “Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
Thus it was that Naomi returned with the Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, who accompanied her back from the plateau of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
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.”
There has been sad news around these parts today and there has been very good news—I’ll begin with the sad.
My neighbor of over 30 years passed away yesterday after a long illness. Julio and Darlene were already living in the house across the street when Marilyn and I moved into our place in 1978. Their son Tony was born one month to the day after Alicia was born—the first children for both families. Julio was always a very busy man—with his job, the yard work, his hobbies—he was one of those guys who has to go, go, go. He was a big burly man, but very gentle with a sense of humor. He was a Korean War vet. He told me some stories years ago about his service during the war and although he was not a religious man by any means, he had the Spirit within him. I hope that Julio learned to recognize Him in the last few months; I'm sure that through the divine mercy of Jesus that he is in a better place without pain. He got very sick a couple of years ago and just never recovered. It has been very tough on Darlene watching him decline, but Darlene is a tough woman, very strong in her faith. She is a saint in so many ways—very much like Ruth in today’s first reading. When things got tough she never complained, she just prayed that much more. She knows she can turn to God for the strength to go on. I draw inspiration from her.
Then I heard some good news today as well. There is a young woman that I know who found out a few weeks ago that she is pregnant. She is barely 19 and has no means to support herself or a baby, and so was asking a friend of mine some questions about her options, and she was leaning toward abortion. He approached me and said, “You’re a catholic and pro-life—so you must have some connections. Do you have any advice?” I told him that this was the first time I had been asked for advice of this kind, but the one certainty I had was that she must not have an abortion, and that I would do whatever I could to help her through this event. I then called upon the resources of the internet and found a pro-life counseling center for her to contact close by. I also called my brother Bob who is good friends with an adoption advocate who was more than happy to talk to this young woman should she call upon her.
I asked my friend today how the young woman was feeling and if she had made her decision yet and ***THANKS BE TO GOD****she has decided to keep the baby! She still doesn’t know how or where she will be living, but evidently there are some options open to her. I told my friend to let her know we are all here and praying for her.
Please don’t forget to include all of these people who are close to me in your prayers this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment