Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119)
Matthew 6:19-23 There are so many good things to see in this world! The shine of leaves wafting in sunlight, brilliantly coloured flowers, the flaming colours of a sunset, and a verdant landscape bespeak the beauty of nature. Add to this finely crafted textiles, the rich colors and lively strokes of a painting or the curves and balance of a sculpture, or a film expressing human artistry interpreting the artistry of God –and the variety of ‘healthy’ visual treasures seems endless. Unfortunately, especially in this digital age, there also seems to be no lack of dark images dancing in the shadows of life that can lure eyes into unhealthy places. The resulting darkness of soul can make any child of God ‘unhealthy’. What will I choose to see today? Will I find God and take time to gaze upon his face so that my life is filled with the Light of Christ? Christ Jesus, come and be light for my eyes. Know that the Lord is God. He made us, we belong to him. (Psalm 100:3) Come and be light for our eyes, Be the air we breathe, Be the voice we speak! Come, be the song we sing, Be the path we seek! David Haas. Be Light for Our Eyes, # 305, CBWIII Hear this hymn at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-JVBXik7js www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca & Gospel Mystery of the Day on Facebook Soli ad gloriam Dei
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Matthew 6:7-15 Jesus spent a lot of time talking to his disciples and the crowds about forgiveness. No wonder! As much as [I] forgive others, [I] release the forgiveness of God for me, sealed forever by the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. And beyond this ‘double blessing’ is the reality that as much as I forgive others –their failings, their disrespect, their unkind words and actions and etcetera –I bring peace and healing into my own body, mind and spirit. Do I still recount the offences of others committed specifically against me or against society in general? Or can I move on and let my memory be aligned with the mercy of God so that I can release, and so ‘forgive’, others’ offences? Christ Jesus, release me from my offenses as I release the offences of others. The clean of hands and pure of heart shall climb the mountain of the Lord. (Psalm 24:3,4) You will find it is necessary to let things go, simply for the reason that they are too heavy. Corrie Ten Boom For more insight into Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness see…. https://dynamiccatholic.com/everyday-life/what-the-bible-has-taught-me-about-forgiveness/?gclid=CjwKCAj wma3ZBRBwEiwA-CsblMYvSAoI_s0FDjPrcrUSuyOZFTVfFYnUtWCkHKn9Fa2BHBBQEY0-lxoCyGkQAvD_BwE www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca & Gospel Mystery of the Day on Facebook Soli ad gloriam Dei Matthew 6: 1-6 & 16-18 Alms-giving, prayer and fasting are not group activities. They are affairs of the heart that I engage in simply with God. Jesus cautions that anytime I flaunt my alms, my prayers or my faith activities and bring attention to my life, I am in error, and in danger of exchanging my fruitful relationship with God for fleeting human praise. Who better to teach me about alms-giving, prayer and fasting than Jesus? It was our Lord who gave tirelessly of his time, talents and treasure to nameless crowds of spiritual ‘beggars’. It was Jesus who rose in the pre-dawn shadows to pray with his Father before heading into exhausting days of ministry. And Christ Jesus as a practising Jew would have fasted from childhood through his adult life. What can Christ open up to me today in terms of my own giving, praying and fasting? Christ Jesus, teach me about alms-giving, prayer and fasting. In the shelter of your presence you hide [us] from human plots. (Psalm 31:20) True silence is a garden enclosed, where alone the soul can meet its God. Catherine Doherty www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca & Gospel Mystery of the Day on Facebook Soli ad gloriam Dei Gospel Mystery of the Day Monday, June 19, 2018
Good Morning! Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119) Matthew 5:43-48 It is easy to love, and a pleasure to pray for, those I love. But what of those I do not love, that is, my ‘enemies*’ in a biblical sense? What of my boss who is on a power trip, my estranged relative who pushes my buttons, the friend who has become a nightmare, or a neighbour who takes revenge on my love of dandelions –how and why love and pray for these enemies of mine? Jesus calls us as his followers to enter into perfect love, the perfect agape of God, and hate no one, so that we can live into our heritage as his children. It is through my prayers and my openness to God’s mercy flowing through my life, that I am healed and no longer respond to ‘evil doers’ with hatred; then they are no longer my enemies. Indeed, as much as I love and pray for my enemies, that much the poison of hatred disappears from my life . Who am I treating as an enemy? Christ Jesus, help me love my enemies and pray for them. *The word for ‘enmity’ in Greek is ‘echthra’ or, ‘hated’ and is the direct opposite of ‘agape’, or ‘wide-open love’. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 51:2) When God tells us to love our enemies, he gives along with the command, love itself. Corrie Ten Boom www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca & Gospel Mystery of the Day on Facebook Soli ad gloriam Dei Gospel Mystery of the Day Monday, June 18, 2018
Good Morning! Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119) Matthew 5:38-42 Christ Jesus, help me live beyond the oppression of evil doers… I am compelled to do many things I philosophically do not believe in: vote for a less than perfect candidate; support a charity that has some failings; live with a young adult who is making self-destructive choices. So it was for the Israelites under the oppression of the Romans in Jesus’ time. When they were cuffed by a passing soldier, robbed by scoundrels in the market place or treated like a slave by a foreign (and uncivilized!) tribune, they too had to deal with ‘evil doers’. Jesus calls his followers both then and now to ‘not resist evildoers’, but to resist evil by going beyond and above what evil doers compel us to do. Jesus advises us to deal with evil doers by turning the other cheek, relinquishing more than enough, going the second mile and being generous with our time, treasure and talents. With his own Passion, Jesus modelled this redemptive response to evil doers that is born of holiness and the absolute dignity we have as beloved children of God. What evil doers am I dealing with today? How will I respond to them as a child of God? Christ Jesus, help me live beyond the oppression of evil doers. Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing. Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God. (Psalm 5:1) Real zeal is standing still and letting God be a bonfire in you. Catherine Doherty See the book, “Don’t Forgive too Soon: Extending the Two Hands That Heal” by Dennis Linn, S.J., Matthew Linn, S.J. and Sheila Fabricant https://www.amazon.ca/Dont-Forgive-Too-Soon-Extending/dp/0809137046 www.gospelmysteryoftheday.ca & Gospel Mystery of the Day on Facebook Soli ad gloriam Dei |
AuthorBeverly Illauq lives in Kemptville, Ontario, where she greets each morning by seeking the Gospel Mystery of the Day - the Word of the Lord for direct and practical application to the specific challenges & joys of the day. Archives
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