The Catholic Calendar for Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Galatians 5:18-25
Psalm 1:1-4,6
Luke 11:42-46

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

Woe to you! You are like hidden tombs over which we walk unawares. (Luke 11:44)

Christ, in today's gospel, contrasts outward appearances with the inward person, saying that beneath the carefully adorned exteriors of His day's religious leaders lie corpses, those spiritually dead. This severe indictment relates to St. Paul's statement that believers in Christ are no longer bound to the Israelites' law which had become a list of mere outward practices while excluding the very basis of God's law: love. The law Christians are to obey is shown by Jesus who is the personification of God's love and truth; theirs is to be a new life of living in obedience to Christ's Spirit, reflecting the goodness and glory of God.

Psalm 1 likens the keepers of God's law to trees planted near and nourished by streams; they flourish and bear much good fruit to feed a hungry world. This implies that those untouched by God's living waters, the useless, will perish, be blown away like chaff in the wind. This illustrates the reason for Christ berating the Pharisees, the very ones who, with perfect knowledge and integrity, should have made God known to His children.

Although the primary responsibility for making God known to His people falls upon the religious professionals, we who are literate and educated are not exempt from blame if we follow false leaders. As expressed in last week's reflection, those whose hearts sincerely seek God in prayer, will be guarded from error by His Spirit. Herein lies the reason for today's dissent within our Church, seeking "self" rather than fulfilling Love's demands.

Blessed Spirit,
speak steadfastly to our hardened minds and hearts;
teach us to discern what is truly of You.
Amen.

- Marie Bocko, OCDS
(mlbocko at earthlink dot net)

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posted by joachim at 4:16 AM