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Repentance demands change – a change of heart and way of life. God's word is life-giving and it saves us from destruction – the destruction of soul as well as body. Jesus' anger is directed toward sin and everything which hinders us from doing the will of God and receiving his blessing. In love he calls us to walk in his way of truth and freedom, grace and mercy, justice and holiness. Do you receive his word with faith and submission or with doubt and indifference?

Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus

Job 38:1, 12-21, 40:3-5

Ps 139:1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14ab

L uke 10:13-16

Meditation by Don Schwager

If Jesus were to visit your community today, what would he say? Would he issue a warning like the one he gave to Chorazin and Bethsaida ? And how would you respond? Wherever Jesus went he did mighty works to show the people how much God had for them. Chorazin and Bethsaida had been blessed with the visitation of God.

They heard the good news and experienced the wonderful works which Jesus did for them. Why was Jesus upset with these communities? The word woe is also translated as alas. It is as much as an expression of sorrowful pity as it is of anger.

Why does Jesus lament and issue a stern warning? The people who heard the gospel here very likely responded with indifference. Jesus upbraids them for doing nothing! Repentance demands change – a change of heart and way of life. God's word is life-giving and it saves us from destruction – the destruction of soul as well as body. Jesus' anger is directed toward sin and everything which hinders us from doing the will of God and receiving his blessing. In love he calls us to walk in his way of truth and freedom, grace and mercy, justice and holiness. Do you receive his word with faith and submission or with doubt and indifference?

"Lord Jesus, give me the child-like simplicity and purity of faith to gaze upon your face with joy and confidence in your all-merciful love. Remove every doubt, fear, and proud thought which would hinder me from receiving your word with trust and humble submission."

Supplementary Reading

The Joy of Morning

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. -Psalm 30:5b (NKJV)

F or as long as I can remember, whenever I become depressed or afraid, it's usually at night. During all of my school years as a child, I distinctly remember the heavy weight I would begin to feel every Sunday evening as I began to think about returning to school the following morning.

A very similar Sunday-evening foreboding continued during my college years. I enjoyed my weekends with family and friends away from school. Then, as the sun began to set on Sunday, I would begin to feel my spirit sag as I faced the reality of returning to school and classes on Monday morning.

And, guess what? Monday morning and the ensuing week were NEVER as terrible as the negative anticipation that I had felt on Sunday night. And, even KNOWING that my Sunday-evening feelings wouldn't be confirmed on Monday morning (in fact, I enjoyed very much all that I was learning in school), I STILL could not control the dive my emotions would take every Sunday night.

I didn't know it at the time, but my Monday experience was confirmed in God's Holy Word: "...joy comes in the morning." Halleluiah! And, it remains true for me and I'm sure for you, too - we CANNOT always control our feelings or emotions. However, we can control our responses to these feelings by knowing that, by holding onto hope, our joy can, WILL, and ALWAYS DOES return.

Lord, sometimes the darkness closes in on me. I pray simply for the knowledge of Your light to come...the assurance that the sun is shining somewhere RIGHT NOW...and that it will shine for me again very soon. I love You, Lord. In Jesus' Name. Amen. – Joel & Victoria Osteen

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

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