The Catholic Calendar for Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 Kings 8:22-23. 27-30
Psalm 84:3-5, 10-11
Mark 7:1-13

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

This is the second time I've had to write this meditation. The first one got lost in cyberspace and to reconstruct what I wrote is difficult and maddening. I don't even want to do it! Yet when I think about it, it has everything to do with what my original meditation was all about - being a hypocrite and paying lip service to the Lord while my heart was elsewhere.

How easy it is to do what we think is pleasing to the Lord, when all along what we are doing instead is often what pleases only ourselves! How then do we give authentic praise to the Lord, to worship Him as He deserves with our hearts?

St. Teresa of Jesus gave her nuns and us some very good advice. First to begin all prayer by marking ourselves with the Sign of the Cross; secondly, to make a brief Examination of Conscience and finally to recite from our hearts an Act of Contrition.

These simple steps put us in the correct frame of mind, reminding us who we are and who God is. With that set straight, we might have a better chance at authentic praise which delights the Lord, brings peace to our souls and strengthens us for whatever God calls on us to do.

I will thank You Lord with all my heart
for You have looked on Your servant with compassion
and have reached down and taken me by Your hand.
Amen.

- Donna Nelson, OCDS
(drn3rd at hotmail dot com)

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