Daily Meditation ~ Thursday of week 19 in ordinary time – 13th Aug 2020
DAILY MEDITATION: MATTHEW 18:21–19:1
Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. (Matthew 18:27)
When Jesus told this parable, he described the heart of the gospel message. A servant who owed a debt so large he could never repay was forgiven by a very generous ruler. Like that servant, we owe a debt we can’t pay on our own, and like him, we have been forgiven by our merciful Father in heaven. So let’s join together today to praise our God, whose mercy knows no bounds.
“Heavenly Father, thank you for your compassion. Though you know every sin in my past, you offer me freedom and forgiveness. You see my struggle to forgive the ones who have hurt me. You know the ways I disregard your word or demand my own way. I am like this servant, standing before you with a great debt and no way out. But you look at me with love and compassion. Though I fall again and again, you cancel my debt and welcome me back.
“Loving God, this is the way you have always been. The Scriptures tell how you persistently offered your mercy and drew people to yourself. From the moment our first parents turned from you, your love never stopped. You called Abraham into a covenant relationship (Genesis 12). You called the people of Israel out of Egypt, freeing them from slavery and revealing your great mercy (Exodus 12). You sent prophets like Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah to speak your word to your people, even in the midst of their sin.
“Merciful Lord, you look upon us with kindness even today. Yours is a love that continues to reach out to us and offers to lift the burden of our sins. You are present with us through family, friends, and the sacraments to mediate your grace to us. Thank you that what we cannot do for ourselves, you freely desire to do for us!
“Father, the relief that the servant felt at having his debt forgiven did not make him merciful to his fellow servants. Help me not to repeat his mistake. Teach me to share your mercy with the people I meet, especially those who need it most. Make me more like you.”
“Merciful God, I praise you for your compassion and mercy on me. Thank you for having forgiven me completely!”
Meditations from Word Among Us
Gospel Reflections by Fr Peter will resume on the 17th of August
Daily Meditation ~ Wednesday of week 19 in ordinary time – 12th Aug 2020
DAILY MEDITATION: MATTHEW 18:15-20
Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)
Imagine you are part of the crowd at a major sporting event. Like everyone else, you are really excited. You’ve been following your team all season long, and you’re thrilled about their chances of winning the big game. When they score a point, you roar along with everyone else. You feel a special connection with the fans, as if you are part of something bigger than yourself.
If you can relate to that feeling, then you can probably understand what Jesus is saying here. Whenever we gather to pray and worship with other Christians, Jesus is there with us—and not only with us but in us. And because he lives in us, we are all connected to one another in what the Church calls the Communion of Saints.
This communion is not limited to those of us now on earth. It’s the communion we also have with all the people who have gone before us and are now with God in heaven, as well as those who are in purgatory. Think of all the sports stadiums that many people would fill!
Our life in Christ is never a solo affair. Always we are bound together, united with Jesus and all other believers throughout the ages. So whenever you pray, don’t forget that you’re in good company. Every time you come before God and bring him your needs, Jesus is interceding for you with his Father (Romans 8:34). Mary, Joseph, and all the saints are praying too. This is true whether you’re at Mass, with your family, praying with people “virtually,” or all by yourself in your room.
If you get excited cheering for the home team, think about what it would be like to be cheering for the Lord, surrounded by all the saints. That’s what’s going on in heaven right now (Revelation 7:15). When you pray here on earth, you are joining that great unnumbered choir of men and women in worship. And they are lifting up your prayers too!
“Lord, help me to remember that I never pray alone but with all your saints in heaven and on earth.”
Meditations from Word Among Us
Gospel Reflections by Fr Peter will resume on the 17th of August
Daily Meditation ~ Saint Clare, Virgin ~ Tuesday of week 19 in ordinary time – 11th Aug 2020
DAILY MEDITATION: EZEKIEL 2:8–3:4
I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. (Ezekiel 3:3)
We’ve always told our children to swallow their medicine, no matter how bad it tastes, because we know it’s good for them. But even so, how can we explain Ezekiel’s vision?
The Lord gives him a scroll with nothing but “lamentation and wailing and woe” written all over it and tells him to eat it (Ezekiel 2:10; 3:1). When he does, it becomes “sweet as honey” in his mouth (3:3). Knowing that Ezekiel is told to prophesy judgment on Israel, we might wonder what God is up to here!
The Lord certainly didn’t want Ezekiel to gloat about delivering a harsh message, and neither did God take any pleasure in it. He never rejoices in our sins or the consequences they bring about. No, whenever he warns, rebukes, or chastises us, it is always because he wants to heal us and restore us. His one central goal is to bring us back to himself—and he often uses his word to do it.
We have all felt the bitter effects of sin in our lives. However, we can counteract those effects by letting God’s word transform us. Sometimes that word is like an antiseptic that stings. “Sharper than any two-edged sword,” it can penetrate our defenses and reveal issues we might not want to face (Hebrews 4:12). But when we accept God’s word and apply it to our situation, it brings us only goodness. The writer of Proverbs tells us that the Scriptures are “life to those who find them, bringing health to one’s whole being” (Proverbs 4:22).
There is nothing better for us than the medicine of God’s word—and it’s absolutely free! But for it to take effect in our lives, we need to make it our own by digesting it every day. That means not only reading it but letting it soak into us. His word will give us the joy, strength, and peace we need to live in him. Then we can become his word of gentleness and mercy, blessing others through what we say and do.
“Father, thank you for sending me your word. Help me to read it every day so that it sinks deep into my heart.”
Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131
Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
Meditations from Word Among Us
Gospel Reflections by Fr Peter will resume on the 17th of August
