July 7, 2012
- Category: brdaniel
- Published Date
- Written by Br. Daniel Thomas, OP
- Hits: 139
Saturday in the Thirteenth week of the Church year.
Saint for the day: Blessed Ralph Milner (died 1591)
Scripture readings for today's liturgy
Amos 9:11-15
Psalm 85
Matthew 9:14-17
“I will hear what God proclaims: the Lord – for he proclaims peace to his people.”
Our reading from the book of the prophet Amos continues and today we hear that the Lord promises to restore His people and cause them to be mighty upon the land they are entering. I can’t help but think, how many times has the Lord called back into His friendship the people He has chosen as his own. When asked ‘how many times must I forgive someone who wrongs me? Jesus said, “Seventy times seventy!” And this is what we see God doing with his Chosen People. Not just in these OT stories but all through the ages.
I think that if I was God I would have given up on “these chosen people” and looked around for people who would listen to my voice.” But our God is a faithful God who never gives up on the people he has called. And will He not, then, do the same for us?
Today’s Gospel gives us a clue into this dilemma: “… new wine goes into new wineskins, and both are preserved”
Just like I’ve always said, “we can never go back. We’re always on the way.” Just so, our world, which is in a most horrendous mess, cannot be saved by going back. We must look at how we can continue to be God’s Chosen People right here in the here and now.
As to fasting we have the words of Isaiah (58:6-8) to show us the way:
“This, then, is the fast that pleases me: to break unjust fetters and undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke, to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to clothe the one you see to be naked and not turn from your own kin? Then will your light shine like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed.”
I’ll just leave it there for now. It’s so clear the way we need to go to have our God heal our pain and restore our world to a world of peace. If we put a turn on GK Chesterton’s words they might apply here: “It’s not that God’s way has been tried and failed. It’s not really been tried. Amen!
*************
I’d like to hear from you to know that you’re getting these reflections. Use the link below to go to my “home page” where you’ll find more stories and pictures along with a link to e-mail me
Daily Reflections