One Minute Reflection – 5 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Friday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time, Readings: 2 Timothy 3:10-17, Psalm 119:157, 160-161, 165-166, 168, Mark 12:35-37 and the Memorial of St Boniface (672-754) “The Apostle of Germany” – Martyr and Bl Malgorzata Szewczyk (1828-1905)
David himself calls him ‘lord.’ … Mark 12:37
REFLECTION – “Be mindful of the mystery of Christ! Born from the Virgin’s womb, both Servant and Lord – Servant to set to work, Lord to command so that He might plant a Kingdom for God in people’s hearts. Twofold in origin but one in nature, He is not one thing when He comes from the Father, another when He comes from the Virgin. He is the very same, the one born of the Father before all ages and who has taken flesh of the Virgin in the course of time. And that is why He is named both Servant and Lord – Servant with respect to us but, due to the unity of the divine substance, God from God, Principle from Principle, Son equal in all things to the Father who is His equal. For the Father has not begotten a Son different to Himself – the Son of whom He asserted: “In him I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17) (…)
In every respect the Servant preserves His titles of dignity. God is great and the Servant is also great – when He came in the flesh He did not lose this “greatness that has no limit” (Ps 145[144]:3) … “Though he was in the form of God he did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2:6-7) … Therefore, as Son of God He is equal to God, He took the form of a slave by becoming incarnate, He whose greatness has no limit “tasted death” (Heb 2:9) (…)
How good is the condition of the Servant who has set us all free! Yes, how good it is! It won for Him “the name which is above all other names!” How good that humility is! It was through it that, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:10-11).” … St Ambrose (c 340-397) Father and Doctor of the Church – Sermon on Psalm 36[35]:4-5
PRAYER – Lord, Your martyr Boniface, spread the faith by his teaching and witnessed to it with his blood. Grant we pray, that the name of our Lord and God, Your divine Son, may be ever on our lips and in our hearts. May we bow in worship to our Lord Jesus now and forever, amen! By the help of the prayers of St Boniface and Bl Malgorzata Szewczyk, grant that we may be ever loyal to our faith and grant us the courage to profess it in our lives. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, amen.
AnaStpaul 