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23 October 2016
The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 18:9-14)
“The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds,” we hear in today’s first reading. And we see in the Gospel a humble man going home from his prayer justified, while the self-righteous Pharisee’s prayer is purely a waste of time. We know on the one hand that humility is a virtue, but how do we obtain it?
All virtues come from God, but they require our cooperation with His grace. It is not enough to ask Him for humility; we must ask Him for humiliations. In patiently suffering through humiliating experiences, we will eventually attain the virtue of humility. St. Faustina understood this when she wrote: “O my Jesus, nothing is better for the soul than humiliations. (...) When the soul sees that everything is given it freely and that the only thing it has of itself is its own misery, this is what sustains it in a continual act of humble prostration before the majesty of God. (...) As the soul continues to immerse itself more deeply into the abyss of its nothingness and need, God uses His omnipotence to exalt it” (Diary 593).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, teach me to accept with patience every humiliating experience You allow in reparation for my sins of pride. Preserve me from any hint of self-righteousness. May I never forget that, indeed, I am a sinner. O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like Your Heart. Amen.
16 October 2016
The Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 18:1-8)
Today’s Gospel ends with a rhetorical question given by Jesus: “When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” We must realize that Jesus didn’t ask this question simply to find out the answer. He could well see where mankind was already heading, and wanted lead His listeners to open their eyes as well.
Indeed, our society is quite accurately reflected in the way the widow continues badgering the corrupt judge until he gives her what she wants. Jesus told this story to encourage us to pray and not lose heart, but how often do we actually turn to the Lord asking Him to sort out our problems? How often instead do we resort to corrupt means for obtaining the results we want? Instead of recognizing that God is in control, we give in to the temptation to work things out on our own, sometimes even using dishonest means. We need to pray for the grace to cling to God in all circumstances.
St. Faustina wrote in her Diary: “I fervently beg the Lord to strengthen my faith, so that in my drab, everyday life I will not be guided by human dispositions, but by those of the Spirit. Oh, how everything drags man towards the earth! But lively faith maintains the soul in the higher regions and assigns self-love its proper place; that is to say, the lowest one” (Diary 210).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, forgive me for using worldly ways to work out my problems, instead of crying out to You in prayer. Give me the grace to remove all corrupt practices from my life. May I never give in to the temptation to take what looks like the easy way out, but ever place my full trust in You. Amen.
9 October 2016
The Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 17:11-19)
In today’s Gospel Jesus expresses His surprise that out of the ten lepers He healed, only one had the consideration to come back and say, “thanks.” How true it is, that we often don’t even pay attention to the fact that our prayers have been answered, but just continue going on with business as usual. Jesus told St. Faustina: “Be grateful for the smallest of My graces, because your gratitude compels Me to grant you new graces…” (Diary 1701)
What a wonderful thing to know that every time we thank the Lord, the very small gesture on our behalf actually forces Him to bless us even more. He also told St. Faustina: “Know, my child, that for your sake I grant blessings to this whole vicinity. But you ought to thank Me on their behalf, as they do not thank Me for the kindnesses I extend to them. For the sake of your gratitude, I will continue to bless them” (Diary 719). May we, then, never cease thanking our merciful Lord for His generosity towards us and His love.
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, I thank You for all the kindnesses You have shown to me and to all those I love. Fill my poor heart with sincere gratitude. May I never fail to acknowledge the graces and blessings You bestow on me and on my loved ones. Amen.
2 October 2016
The Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 17:5-10)
In today’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus tells His apostles that faith, when it is strong, can even move mountains. If we truly believe in the power of God, and place in Him our wholehearted trust, we will see Him work miracles before our very eyes.
But Jesus also wants us to encourage other people to have faith in Him. Even through our prayers, we can obtain the grace they need to put their full trust in God. He told St. Faustina: “Let no one who approaches you go away without that trust in My mercy which I so ardently desire for souls.(...) Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moment depends on your prayer. You know the whole abyss of My mercy, so draw upon it for yourself and especially for poor sinners. Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My mercy not embrace a trusting soul” (Diary 1777).
Prayer: Merciful Lord Jesus, my faith is so weak. I know You desire to use me to help move from the lives of others the mountains that prevent them from seeing You. Yet I so often shy away from sharing with them about the power of Your merciful love. Give me the grace I need to lead others to great trust You. Through prayer may I help souls obtain the grace of eternal salvation. I trust in You. Amen.