Thursday of the 1oth Week in Ordinary Time
1 kings 18:41-46; Matthew 5:20-26
While we wait for God to act, we must be attentive to the signs of God’s providence. “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea” (1Kings 18:44). God’s blessings often arise from beginnings that can scarcely to be perceived. God is faithful and He will strengthen us as we attempt to do his will. The Apostle Paul wrote: “For the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). If, like the prophet, we crouch down to the earth and wait on the Lord, we will find a salve for our wounds and a remedy for our maladies. Grace is the love and care God has for us. The fact that he looks at us as beloved children is enough to enlighten, strengthen and comfort us in ties of distress. Faith tells us that when we are weak in ourselves, we are made strong in the grace of Christ. It is when we find ourselves brought to our knees, that we can cast our cares on the Lord.
God who set the mountains in place with His own hands (CF. Ps. 65:6) upholds us in all our troubles with His outstretched arms. The God who causes the sun to rise and overcome the darkness of night, sends forth His life-creating Spirit to give us new hearts and make our spirits steadfast. He who transformed the face of the earth can bring a lifeless soul to newness of life. All who are overshadowed by the Spirit will bring forth the fruits of righteousness. The newness of heart that the Spirit produces brings about a thorough change in the individual’s attitude and conduct so that in all things God will be glorified. We read in the Letter to the Hebrews: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, a hope both firm and steadfast. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary” (Heb. 6:19).
Christ is the object of our hope and the bedrock of our faith. Our hope of future salvation is certain because God’s love is everlasting. Christ who has freed the world from the chains of sin and death invites us to cooperate in work of regeneration. It is He who holds us in the palm of his hand as we go forth in a world that has lost hope. It is He who gives us the words to speak to a world that hungers for love. We are to give ourselves to others and to pour ourselves out for one another. We who have found a resting place near to the heart of Christ are to remind suffering and marginalized people that there is a resting place for them close to the heart of God.
Come, Lord, and visit us.
We welcome you into our hearts,
our families and our city.
We thank you because you have prepared for us
the food of life and a place in your Kingdom.
Make us active in preparing your way,
joyous in bringing you, who are the Way, to others,
and thus to bring fraternity, justice, and peace
to our streets. Amen. (Pope Francis)
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