The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, March 3, 2004
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
St. Katharine Drexel, virgin, religious founder

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Jeremiah 7:23-28
Psalm 95:1-2,6-9
Luke 11:14-23

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste. . ." (Luke 11:17)

Today's readings speak of divided hearts and their resulting infidelities to God and hence to one another. Daily we hear of the devastating consequences to families caused by a couple's unfaithfulness to their marriage vows; but far more destructive to persons and society is our denial of or faithlessness toward our loving God.

In Luke's Gospel Jesus responds to those who attribute His miracles to the devil working through Him. He, however, asserts that Satan never works to heal and make peace; instead he creates conflict, distracts and divides people from God's truth and love and hence from one another. Also implied by Jesus is that we humans can only choose between two alternatives in this life. We can choose to live in God's holy Word or exist solely for "self" which means copying Satan's way, his self-will and self-elevating sin of pride, his attempt at usurping God's position and becoming one's own "little god."

That this world's people live in constant turmoil, in divisive hatred and injustice, in danger of being "laid waste" is caused by our trying to live life in both ways--denying God, or paying only lip-service to our Divine Creator while making choices that dishonor both Him and our fellow humans. In essence we were created to be spiritual beings (in God's image), and our physical bodies were to meant to live in His purity, goodness and holiness. If we reject this truth, that we were made to live in an "undivided" union with God's Spirit, we can never achieve our full humanity. World conditions strongly affirm man's state of inhumanity to man.

God of all Good, enlighten our minds and hearts to see and accept that we were created to participate in Your virtues and so bring Your Life of peace and joy into this world. Amen.

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

____________________

These meditations are also available by email subscription
©1986-2005 The Way, The Truth, The Life

posted by joachim at 4:59 AM