In today's first reading. Isaiah 61: 1-2a, 10-11, Isaiah invites us to "rejoice heartily in the Lord, [for] in...God is the joy of [our] soul for [God] has clothed [us] with a robe of salvation and wrapped [us] in a mantle of justice, like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels."
Everyone, at his/her baptism, has been "clothed...with a robe of salvation and wrapped...in a mantle of justice." What a gift from our God! A gift freely given to every human being: the rich and the poor alike, the criminal and those caring for them, the sick and the lame, the healthy and the unhealthy, the employed and the unemployed, those living in the country and those in the city, those in this country and in every other country, those anyone of us has difficulty loving and those we love with ease! May anyone involved in criminal activities--blatant and disguised--in corrupt and deceitful ways of living, in greed and narcissism, in violence of any kind turn from their evil ways and do good, turn from greediness and narcissism and be generous and caring of others, turn from corruption and live a life of integrity. May our eyes be opened to truth and may our ears hear the voice of the Almighty calling us to repentance of whatever sins we have committed --those we are aware of and those that escape our attention.
May each of us hear the Lord, in the words of the second reading, 1 Thes 5: 16-24, in which St. Paul calls us to "retain what is good," to "refrain from every kind of evil." "In all circumstances," Paul says to us, "give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit [and] "do not despise prophetic utterances."
Lord, help each of us heed the words of today's Scriptures in whatever way they apply to us!
No comments:
Post a Comment