The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, August 7, 2004
Saturday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
St. Sixtus II, pope, martyr, and companions, martyrs
St. Cajetan, priest

Scripture from today’s Liturgy of the Word:
Habakkuk 1:12--2:4
Psalm 9:8-13
Matthew 17:14-20

A reflection on today’s Sacred Scripture:

“Nothing Will Be Impossible For You” (Matthew 17:20)

“...your disciples...could not cure him.” Jesus explains that their lack of faith is the cause of their incompetence. Faith requires one to believe first with trust in God who alone is worthy of trust. Faith precedes understanding; faith serves as the foundation upon which all is understandable. Faith requires humility, a ‘standing under’ in order to ‘understand.’ One must generously relinquish self-ordained control in order to cooperate competently.

Our best example is always the origin of all, God. He is our model of perfect humility. We clearly see His humility in His incarnation, choosing the simple, quiet womb of a little soul turned fully to her God to become the first dwelling of God made man. The rough straw and the stench of a damp, dark stable is the humble cradle of God’s incarnation revealed, accessible to the poor and wise, the mortal and the divine. Complete abandonment of our pure and sinless God incarnate suffers the effects of all sin for all time to redeem what sin destroys. God’s humility descends below all that is low.

Humility empties one’s soul to desire nothing except what Love gives. The tiny mustard seed of faith is conceived in the fertile womb of humility and grows magnificently to shelter, shade and show forth what seems inconceivable. What seems impossible is possible in the humble faithful soul that generously cooperates with the Creator.

O Lord,
you are worthy of trust,
my gift,
my competence,
my all.

- Mary Williams
(wlmsconsul at pdq dot net)

____________________

These meditations are also available by email subscription
©1986-2004 The Way, The Truth, The Life

posted by joachim at 4:15 AM