The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, September 10, 2005
Saturday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 Timothy 1:15-17
Psalm 113:1-7
Luke 6:43-49

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

We are almost shocked at St. Paul's self-abasement. He sees himself on a par with Nero and other s like him. We almost feel that Paul is overdoing it! Still, look at the way other saints have done the same as St. Paul -- St. Teresa of Avila, St. Augustine, St. Francis and many, many others. When we realize what God did in their lives, we begin to wonder if a dissolute life is a prerequisite for great holiness.

This is a good day for us to really examine our past. Most of us can "dig up" some rather unsavory deeds and attitudes from our past! Such recall leads to a realization of God's immense mercy and love for us in forgiving our sins and weaknesses. Indeed, it seems that the greater our sin, the more abundant is the mercy of the Lord. There is truly no limit to God's loving forgiveness.

When we come to this realization, we must not passively accept it, but must use this truth to stir ourselves to greater humility, greater gratitude, and more intense abandonment of our lives to the Divine Will. Whatever God will ask of us from this moment on, we resolve to do. Whatever He will ask us to endure for His sake and the sake of the whole world, we will endure.

O Lord, thank you for the words of St. Paul, and the writings of so many saints. They stir my heart to love, and a realization of how far I have yet to go in my journey toward perfect conformity to Jesus.

- Msgr. Paul Whitmore
(smartins@frontiernet.net)