The Catholic Calendar for Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
St. Pio of Pietralcina

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Ezra 6:7-8,12,14-20
Psalm 122:1-5
Luke 8:19-21

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God
and act on it. (Luke 8:21)

Today's readings are an interesting mix of Old and New Testament Scripture. In the book of Ezra and the Psalm, we read of the Israelites' jubilation upon their return from exile to their promised land and the holy city of Jerusalem. God allowed His people to be exiled as a consequence of their infidelities toward Him. Indeed, in every age, those who willfully turn away from Him, God "leaves to their own devices" in hopes they will realize that apart from Him they are defenseless and so learn to abide in their Creator and His Law.

Unfortunately the Israelites failed to see that keeping God's Law entailed more than offering up sacrifices and obeying stringent but empty rules. God's Law is an expression of His love; it defines what should be the disposition of people's hearts, first toward Him and as a result toward their fellow humans. He alone is both the Essence and the Source of love, and unless, through earnest prayer, we establish a bond with Him, we can never form lasting, harmonious relationships with others. The world's present state attests to our separation from Him.

Jesus in today's Gospel is not rejecting His family; He uses their visit as a means of illustrating that He is the Son of God and those who are truly related to Him are those who accept God into their hearts as their Father, and like Christ, are loving and respectful children who listen to His voice and obey Him. Jesus personifies God's Love, makes it visible to the world; and we, His brothers and sisters by adoption, as Christians, share in His mission of making God visible to our family and neighbors. Through personal resolve aided by God's grace we can help humanity to see that He created us all to be members of one human family under His loving Fatherhood.

Blessed Father,
You give us life
and enable us to live it to the fullest.
Gentle our errant spirits,
that we may reflect to others
the Image of Your Word, Jesus Christ. Amen.

- Marie Bocko, ocds (mlbocko at borg dot com)

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posted by joachim at 6:36 AM