The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, June 30, 2005
The Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Genesis 22:1-19
Psalm 115:1-6, 8-9
Matthew 9:1-8

A reflection on today's Scripture. . . .

"Courage, child, your sins are forgiven." (Matthew 9:2)

We cannot imagine Abraham's wrenching pain when God asked him to sacrifice his only son born to him and Sarah in their old age. He saw Isaac as his heir through whom God had
promised him progeny as numerous as the stars in the heavens or grains of sand on this earth. But despite his questions and sense of impending loss, Abraham built an altar of sacrifice in the wilderness and prepared to obey God's bidding. When the child asked his father where he would get the sacrificial animal, Abraham replied that God always provides.

At this, God told him to stay his hand and spare the child's life; for in not withholding his only son from Him proved the depth and purity of his love. God knew that Abraham would obey; but He challenges us for our own sakes, because an "untried" love, faith and trust in God has no validity. God always does provide for us, though it may not always result in a happy, painless outcome such as that given to Abraham. Faith must then be our bulwark.

Today's Gospel illustrates the latter statement. God's everlasting love for humanity cost Him a great price, the suffering and death of His Son for our sin so that we might gain salvation and eternal life. Christ came to heal us; but simply restoring the paralytic's body was not sufficient. The cripple's soul needed first to be freed from the bonds of sin. One may be given a perfect body; however, the individual may never use it for any good purpose if one's soul remains selfishly steeped in sin.

Father,
through Christ's obedience, you saved a fallen world.
Help us abandon ourselves to Your will,
that we may accomplish in these bodies
Your purposes for us. Amen.

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

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