One Minute Reflection –15 June – “Month of the Sacred Heart” – Readings: Second Corinthians 8: 1-9, Psalms 146: 2, 5-6ab, 6c-7, 8-9a, Gospel: Matthew 5: 43-48
“ Your Father, … makes his sun to rise upon the good,and bad and rains upon the just and the unjust.” – Matthew 5:45
REFLECTION – “Proclaim the goodness of God. For even while you are unworthy, He guides you and when you owe Him everything, He asks for nothing back and in return for the little things you do for Him, He repays you with great things! Therefore, do not simply call God “just” since it is not with regard to what you yourself do, that He reveals His justice. If David calls Him just and right (Ps 33[32],5), His Son has revealed to us, that He is yet more kind and gentle: “He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked,” (Lk 6,35).
How can you possibly remain at the level of God’s simple justice when you read the chapter about the workmen’s wages? “My friend, I am not cheating you. I wish to give this last one the same as you. Are you envious because I am generous?” (Mt 20,13-15). How can one say no more, than that God is just when one reads the chapter about the prodigal son, who squandered his father’s wealth in a life of dissipation and how, at the merest sign of compunction shown by him, his father ran to him, threw his arms round him and granted him full rights over all his wealth? (cf Lk 15,11ff.). It was not some other who told us all this about God, causing us to have doubts about it. It is His Son in person -He Himself gave this testimony concerning God. So where is God’s justice to be found? Is it not in this: “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Rom 5,8)? If God reveals Himself to be compassionate here below, then let us believe, that He will be so for all eternity.” – St Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh (c 613- c 700) Bishop of Nineveh, Monk at Mosul – Ascetical discourses, 1st. series, no.60
PRAYER – Almighty God, to whom this world, with all it’s goodness and beauty belongs, give us grace joyfully, to begin this day for Christ Your Son, in Him and with Him and to fill it, with an active love for all Your children, even those who may not like or who do us harm. Help us to love as You do, so that we may become like You. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever, amen. OUR Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for us. Indulgence 100 Days. Raccolta 174 St Pius X, 9 July 1904.
AnaStpaul 