Friday, September 02, 2005
MEMORIAL, ST. GREGORY THE GREAT, POPE AND DOCTOR
SEPTEMBER 3, 2005
MEMORIAL, ST. GREGORY THE GREAT, POPE AND DOCTOR
SATURDAY 22ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR I
COLOSSIANS 1:21-23
Brothers and sisters: You once were alienated and hostile in mind
because of evil deeds; God has now reconciled you in the fleshly Body
of Christ through his death, to present you holy, without blemish, and
irreproachable before him, provided that you persevere in the faith,
firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel
that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven,
of which I, Paul, am a minister.
LUKE 6:1-5
While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his
disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands,
and eating them. Some Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is
unlawful on the sabbath?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Have you not
read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which
only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his
companions?" Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the
sabbath."
REFLECTION
The gospel reading is a lesson in the destructiveness of human
rigidity. The Pharisees were inflexible in their demands for strict
observance of Jewish law that prohibits work on the Sabbath.
They chastise Jesus for not taking his disciples to task for
plucking ears of grain to eat on that day. Furthermore, when Jesus
heals an invalid on the Sabbath, the Pharisees do not react with awe
after witnessing an obvious miracle. Instead, they set out to destroy
him.
People are capable of incredible stubbornness and myopia. The
self-damage created by pig-headedness is incalculable, not to mention
the pain it inflicts on others. Many of us commit emotional,
psychological and spiritual suicide by the obstinate mindsets that we
maintain. Perhaps we have lost golden opportunities for growth and a
better quality life because we refused advice from a spouse or a friend
asking us to consider a change in our lifestyle.
We are expected to be uncompromising in our commitment to love as a way
of life, but apart from that, we must learn to bend over minor issues.
This does not mean that we become pushovers. We can be committed to our
values and standards but we should not be inflexible over issues that
are lacking eternal value.
Consider your level of flexibility. Are you willing to listen to
advice, look at things from another perspective, try something
different for a change? How agreeable are you to give in a little in
disputes of minor importance? Are you willing to bend a few rules to
accomplish higher ends?
Flexibility is our personal safety cushion for the hard knocks of life.
To forgive and forget is a safeguard to mental health. Openness to
change and new ways of looking at things is an opportunity for more
grace-filled living. Being flexible allows us to see something that the
Pharisees could never see, namely miracles.
PRAYER
"Lord, you refresh us with your presence and you sustain us with your
life-giving word. Show me how to lift the burden of others, especially
those who lack the basic necessities of life, and to refresh them with
humble care and service."
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
- for the victims of hurricane Katrina
- for the good health and special intentions of Elsa and Paolo.
- for the speedy recovery of Annika Nadine Uy.
- Birthday: Michael Tomas C. Bautista
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Nikkolo Roman Flores
- Birthday: Ernie Hamilton L. Yap
- In Memoriam: Andres Son Keng Po
- Birthday: Antoniette Elevencione
- for world peace and reconciliation.
- for the intention of Bobby Pash
- for the intention of Anne Viloria
- for the approval of visa application for Demetria M. Guevarra
- for the soul of Isaac B. Guevarra and Concordia Montero Guevarra.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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