Lord, give us an attitude of understanding, of
generosity and of forgiveness towards all.
May your Spirit of Love direct our every thought, word and action today
and always. Bless us with your peace and
protect us from all evil. Amen.
 |
| Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us who have recourse to thee! |
Rosary Intentions
For the Pope’s intentions; that they help
further world peace.
For the unbaptized, that they may find
their way to Christ.
For the unemployed; May Saint Joseph help
them to find meaningful work at a fair wage.
For the people in the Middle East, that
they find peaceful relief from their constant strife.
Reflection
“…I will hoe around it and manure it; then perhaps
it will bear fruit.” (Luke 13:8-9)
If we want to bear fruit, we have to work at
it. We have to nurture our spirit, feed
it with the study of God’s word and fertilize it with contemplation so we can
grow in the experience of God’s presence within us. So we can learn to love one another as He has
loved us. Without limits, He gave His
life for us. In humility and service, He
washed the feet of His disciples.
Without distinction of people, He associated with scribes, tax
collectors, and prostitutes. He calls us
His friends. His prayer at the Last
Supper (John 17) shows His concern for us and His passion for unity.
“The tendency of the flesh is toward death,
but that of the Spirit toward life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)
Paul tells us that those who live according
to the Spirit will have life and peace.
It does not mean that we will be spared of all tragedy or pain. Jesus tells us about two seemingly horrific
tragedies that resulted in the loss of life for many. He makes it clear that those people were not
deserving of this type of death because they were sinners. If we have life through His Spirit we will
experience His peace.
“Lord, this is the people that longs to see
your face.”
(Psalms 24:6)
If we truly long to see God’s face then we
should find it first in our neighbors, our colleagues, our relations, and, yes,
even our enemies. We all share the same
human conditions, limitations and poverty of spirit. We need to recognize that we ourselves are
the first in need to be forgiven, freed, and saved. We need to recognize that the Spirit of God
dwells in each of us, in spite of our failings.
We need to look for the face of God in everyone we encounter, even if we
do not like them, or we think they do not like us, or they are different from
us. If we reflect on these truths it can
only improve our attitudes, change our priorities, and shape our actions.
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