Thursday.blog
The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, July 8, 2004
Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Scripture from Wednesday’s Liturgy of the Word:
Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9
Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16
Matthew 10:7-15
A reflection on today’s Sacred Scripture:
“Cure the Sick, Raise the Dead. . .”
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Right here. Right now. And we’re the ones called to proclaim it. And our proclamation must be more than words. Jesus gives us the specifics--heal the sick, raise the dead.
Raise the dead? How do we do that? Through Him and through the ability to recognize the dead. The dead are not merely those who are lifeless, but those who live without knowing Him. In speaking to one young man who wished to follow Him, but who first wished to bury his father, Jesus said, “Let the dead bury the dead.”
When we live as though Jesus were not, whether we like to admit it or not, we are dead--lifeless hulks. Some of us are sick as well--sick with the sickness that is unto death--sin. Now, priests have been given the specific job of “healing” sin through the Sacrament of Reconciliation; however, we start the process by alerting people to what constitutes sin. It is far too easy to be blind. We are called to open eyes--through our words and through our actions.
And most important of all, we need to remember that it is all done through Him. We take neither silver nor gold, we supply little for the journey except the will. And He will see to it that we go where we’re needed and we accomplish what is in His will.
Surrender. Surrender to Jesus Christ and start to internalize the healing He won for us on the Cross. And as we are healed, we can lead others to healing. They will see us as a sign of hope--we will be marked as God’s precious children and we’ll be a light in the world. A light that is the light of God shining through us.
- JuandelaCruz
(sriddle415 at yahoo dot com)
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