Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 372
Lectionary: 372
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent envoys to Hezekiah
with this message:
"Thus shall you say to Hezekiah, king of Judah:
'Do not let your God on whom you rely deceive you
by saying that Jerusalem will not be handed over
to the king of Assyria.
You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done
to all other countries: they doomed them!
Will you, then, be saved?'"
Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it;
then he went up to the temple of the LORD,
and spreading it out before him,
he prayed in the LORD's presence:
"O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned upon the cherubim!
You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.
You have made the heavens and the earth.
Incline your ear, O LORD, and listen!
Open your eyes, O LORD, and see!
Hear the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.
Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations
and their lands, and cast their gods into the fire;
they destroyed them because they were not gods,
but the work of human hands, wood and stone.
Therefore, O LORD, our God, save us from the power of this man,
that all the kingdoms of the earth may know
that you alone, O LORD, are God."
Then Isaiah, son of Amoz, sent this message to Hezekiah:
"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
in answer to your prayer for help against Sennacherib, king of Assyria:
I have listened!
This is the word the LORD has spoken concerning him:
"'She despises you, laughs you to scorn,
the virgin daughter Zion!
Behind you she wags her head,
daughter Jerusalem.
"'For out of Jerusalem shall come a remnant,
and from Mount Zion, survivors.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.'
"Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria:
'He shall not reach this city, nor shoot an arrow at it,
nor come before it with a shield,
nor cast up siege-works against it.
He shall return by the same way he came,
without entering the city, says the LORD.
I will shield and save this city for my own sake,
and for the sake of my servant David.'"
That night the angel of the LORD went forth and struck down
one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp.
So Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, broke camp,
and went back home to Nineveh.
with this message:
"Thus shall you say to Hezekiah, king of Judah:
'Do not let your God on whom you rely deceive you
by saying that Jerusalem will not be handed over
to the king of Assyria.
You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done
to all other countries: they doomed them!
Will you, then, be saved?'"
Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it;
then he went up to the temple of the LORD,
and spreading it out before him,
he prayed in the LORD's presence:
"O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned upon the cherubim!
You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.
You have made the heavens and the earth.
Incline your ear, O LORD, and listen!
Open your eyes, O LORD, and see!
Hear the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.
Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations
and their lands, and cast their gods into the fire;
they destroyed them because they were not gods,
but the work of human hands, wood and stone.
Therefore, O LORD, our God, save us from the power of this man,
that all the kingdoms of the earth may know
that you alone, O LORD, are God."
Then Isaiah, son of Amoz, sent this message to Hezekiah:
"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
in answer to your prayer for help against Sennacherib, king of Assyria:
I have listened!
This is the word the LORD has spoken concerning him:
"'She despises you, laughs you to scorn,
the virgin daughter Zion!
Behind you she wags her head,
daughter Jerusalem.
"'For out of Jerusalem shall come a remnant,
and from Mount Zion, survivors.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.'
"Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria:
'He shall not reach this city, nor shoot an arrow at it,
nor come before it with a shield,
nor cast up siege-works against it.
He shall return by the same way he came,
without entering the city, says the LORD.
I will shield and save this city for my own sake,
and for the sake of my servant David.'"
That night the angel of the LORD went forth and struck down
one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp.
So Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, broke camp,
and went back home to Nineveh.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 48:2-3AB, 3CD-4, 10-11
R. (see 9d) God
upholds his city for ever.
Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Mount Zion, "the recesses of the North,"
is the city of the great King.
God is with her castles;
renowned is he as a stronghold.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
O God, we ponder your mercy
within your temple.
As your name, O God, so also your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Of justice your right hand is full.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, fairest of heights,
is the joy of all the earth.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
Mount Zion, "the recesses of the North,"
is the city of the great King.
God is with her castles;
renowned is he as a stronghold.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
O God, we ponder your mercy
within your temple.
As your name, O God, so also your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Of justice your right hand is full.
R. God upholds his city for ever.
AlleluiaJN 8:12
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 7:6, 12-14
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.
"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.
"Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few."
"Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.
"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the Law and the Prophets.
"Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,
and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.
And those who find it are few."
Meditation: "Do not throw your pearls before
swine"
What can pearls and narrow gates teach us about God's
truth and holiness? In the ancient world pearls were of very great
value and were even considered priceless. They were worn as prized jewels to
make a person appear more beautiful and magnificent to behold. Holiness,
likewise, is a very precious jewel that radiates the beauty of God's truth,
goodness, and glory. God offers us the precious gift of his holiness so that we
may radiate the splendor of his truth and goodness in the way we think, speak,
act, and treat others. We can reject or ignore this great gift, or worse yet,
we can drag it through the mud of sinful behavior or throw it away completely.
Pearls before dogs and swine
Why does Jesus contrast holiness and pearls with dogs and swine (Matthew 7:6)? Some things don't seem to mix or go together, like fire and water, heat and ice, sweat and perfume, pure air and poisonous vapors, freshly cleaned clothes and filthy waste. The Talmud, a rabbinic commentary on the Jewish Scriptures, uses a proverbial saying for something which appears incongruous or out of place: an ear-ring in a swine's snout. Jesus' expression about "pearls before swine" and "not giving dogs what is holy" is very similar in thought (Matthew 7:6). Jewish law regarded swine as unclean. Wild dogs were also treated as unfit for close human contact, very likely because they were dirty, unkept, lice-infested, and prone to attack or cause trouble.
Why does Jesus contrast holiness and pearls with dogs and swine (Matthew 7:6)? Some things don't seem to mix or go together, like fire and water, heat and ice, sweat and perfume, pure air and poisonous vapors, freshly cleaned clothes and filthy waste. The Talmud, a rabbinic commentary on the Jewish Scriptures, uses a proverbial saying for something which appears incongruous or out of place: an ear-ring in a swine's snout. Jesus' expression about "pearls before swine" and "not giving dogs what is holy" is very similar in thought (Matthew 7:6). Jewish law regarded swine as unclean. Wild dogs were also treated as unfit for close human contact, very likely because they were dirty, unkept, lice-infested, and prone to attack or cause trouble.
What is the point of avoiding what is considered
unclean? Jesus’ concern here is not with exclusivity or the shunning of others
(excluding people from our love, care, and concern for them). His concern is
with keeping spiritual and moral purity - the purity of the faith and way of
life which has been entrusted to us by an all-holy, all-loving, and all-wise
God. The early church referenced this expression with the Eucharist or the
Lord's Table. In the liturgy of the early church, a proclamation was given
shortly before communion: Holy things to the holy. The
Didache, a first century church manual stated: Let no one eat or drink
of your Eucharist except those baptised into the name of the Lord; for, as
regards this, the Lord has said, 'Do not give what is holy to dogs.' The
Lord Jesus invites us to feast at his banquet table, but we must approach
worthily.
The law of perfect love seeks the highest good and
best interests of one another
Jesus summed up the teaching of the Old Testament law and prophets with the expression, So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them (Matthew 7:12) - and in the same breath he raised the moral law to a new level of fulfillment and perfection. God's law of love requires more than simply avoiding injury or harm to one's neighbor. Perfect love - a love which is unconditional and which reaches out to all - always seeks the good of others for their sake and gives the best we can offer for their welfare. When we love our neighbors and treat them in the same way we wish to be treated by God, then we fulfill the law and the prophets, namely what God requires of us - loving God with all that we have and are and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Jesus summed up the teaching of the Old Testament law and prophets with the expression, So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them (Matthew 7:12) - and in the same breath he raised the moral law to a new level of fulfillment and perfection. God's law of love requires more than simply avoiding injury or harm to one's neighbor. Perfect love - a love which is unconditional and which reaches out to all - always seeks the good of others for their sake and gives the best we can offer for their welfare. When we love our neighbors and treat them in the same way we wish to be treated by God, then we fulfill the law and the prophets, namely what God requires of us - loving God with all that we have and are and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
How can we love our neighbor selflessly, with
kindness, and genuine concern for their welfare? If we empty our hearts of all
that is unkind, unloving, and unforgiving, then there will only be room for
kindness, goodness, mercy, and charity. Paul the Apostle reminds us that
"God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which
has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). It is the love of God that fuels our
unconditional love for others. Are you ready to let the Holy Spirit transform
your life with the purifying fire of God's love?
The narrow gate and way of life
Jesus used a second illustration of a narrow gate which opens the way that leads to a life of security and happiness (Matthew 7:13-14) to reinforce his lesson about choosing the one true way which leads to peace with God rather than separation and destruction. The Book of Psalms begins with an image of a person who has chosen to follow the way of those who are wise and obedient to God's word and who refuse to follow the way of those who think and act contrary to God's law : Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). When a path diverges, such as a fork in the road, each way leads to a different destination. This is especially true when we encounter life's crossroads where we must make a choice that will affect how we will live our lives. Do the choices you make help you move towards the goal of loving God and obeying his will?
Jesus used a second illustration of a narrow gate which opens the way that leads to a life of security and happiness (Matthew 7:13-14) to reinforce his lesson about choosing the one true way which leads to peace with God rather than separation and destruction. The Book of Psalms begins with an image of a person who has chosen to follow the way of those who are wise and obedient to God's word and who refuse to follow the way of those who think and act contrary to God's law : Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). When a path diverges, such as a fork in the road, each way leads to a different destination. This is especially true when we encounter life's crossroads where we must make a choice that will affect how we will live our lives. Do the choices you make help you move towards the goal of loving God and obeying his will?
The Lord Jesus gives us freedom to choose which way we
will go. Ask him for the wisdom to know which way will lead to life rather than
to harm and destruction. See, I have set before you this day life and
good, death and evil... Therefore choose life that you and your descendants may
live (Deuteronomy 3:15-20). Choose this day whom you will
serve (Joshua 24:15). Behold I set before you the way of life
and the way of death (Jeremiah 21:8). If we allow God's love and
wisdom to rule our hearts, then we can trust in his guidance and help to follow
his path of love, truth, and holiness.
"Let me love you, my Lord and my God, and see
myself as I really am - a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect
and love all whose lives I touch, those in authority over me or those under my
authority, my friends and my enemies. Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,
greed by generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me to forget myself and reach out
towards others." (Prayer attributed to
Clement XI of Rome)
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Unreadiness to receive Godly teaching,
by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.
"Now in this precept we are forbidden to give a
holy thing to dogs or to cast pearls before swine. We must diligently seek to
determine the gravity of these words: holy, pearls, dogs and swine. A holy
thing is whatever it would be impious to profane or tear apart. Even a
fruitless attempt to do so makes one already guilty of such impiety, though the
holy thing may by its very nature remain inviolable and indestructible. Pearls
signify all spiritual things that are worthy of being highly prized. Because these
things lie hidden in secret, it is as though they were being drawn up from the
deep. Because they are found in the wrappings of allegories, it is as though
they were contained within shells that have been opened.(1) It
is clear therefore that one and the same thing can be called both a holy thing
and a pearl. It can be called a holy thing because it ought not to be destroyed
and a pearl because it ought not to be despised. One tries to destroy what one
does not wish to leave intact. One despises what is deemed worthless, as if
beneath him. Hence, whatever is despised is said to be trampled under foot...
Thus we may rightly understand that these words (dogs and swine) are now used
to designate respectively those who assail the truth and those who resist it." (excerpt from SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.20.68–69)
(1) The interpretive task is to crack through the
shell of the language to its inner spiritual meaning.
TUESDAY, JUNE 26, MATTHEW 7:6,
12-14
Weekday
(2 Kings:19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36; Psalm 48)
Weekday
(2 Kings:19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36; Psalm 48)
KEY VERSE: "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you" (v. 12).
TO KNOW: Matthew combined various sayings of Jesus that were related to righteous Christian living. Jesus summed up the entire law in a simple maxim, which, since the 18th Century, has been called the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have others do to unto you." Jesus said that discernment was required when preaching to those who were opposed to the gospel. The adage prohibiting throwing sacred things to "dogs" or "swine" (v. 6) was a term of contempt for Gentiles, and might have been intended for impenitent Christians who persisted in disobeying the teachings of Christ. Although Jesus' teachings were difficult, his narrow pathway was the way to eternal life. Those who chose the broad and easy road were in danger of following it to damnation.
TO LOVE: How do my actions measure up to the Golden Rule?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to treat others the same way you treated sinners, with mercy and compassion.
Tuesday 26 June
2018
2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36. Psalm 47(48):2-4, 10-11. Matthew
7:6, 12-14.
God upholds his city for ever—Psalm 47(48):2-4, 10-11.
‘Give ear, Lord, and listen; open your eyes, Lord, and
see!’
We are offered today a Golden Rule for living a Christian life.
Jesus commands us to do for others the good that we wish for ourselves. This is
radical in a world marked by a principle of retaliation and obsessed with
consumerism. Jesus’ command takes us back to the heart of being human, our
relatedness to God and one another.
How do we find the capacity within ourselves to respond to
people who behave towards us in a confronting, even evil way, to treat them as
we wish to be treated? How can we be strong, compassionate and loving? How can
we respond rather than react? Let us take this to God in our prayer.
Blessed Raymond Lull
Saint of the Day for June 26
(c. 1235 – June 28, 1315)
 |
| Life of Raymond Lull | reproduced in An illustrated history of the Knights Templar, James Wasserman | photo by Thomas le Myésier |
Blessed Raymond Lull’s Story
Raymond worked all his life to promote the missions and died a
missionary to North Africa.
Raymond was born at Palma on the island of Mallorca in the
Mediterranean Sea. He earned a position in the king’s court there. One day a
sermon inspired him to dedicate his life to working for the conversion of the
Muslims in North Africa. He became a Secular Franciscan and founded a college
where missionaries could learn the Arabic they would need in the missions.
Retiring to solitude, he spent nine years as a hermit. During that time he
wrote on all branches of knowledge, a work which earned him the title
“Enlightened Doctor.”
Raymond then made many trips through Europe to interest popes,
kings, and princes in establishing special colleges to prepare future
missionaries. He achieved his goal in 1311, when the Council of Vienne ordered
the creation of chairs of Hebrew, Arabic, and Chaldean at the universities of
Bologna, Oxford, Paris, and Salamanca. At the age of 79, Raymond went to North
Africa in 1314 to be a missionary himself. An angry crowd of Muslims stoned him
in the city of Bougie. Genoese merchants took him back to Mallorca, where he
died. Raymond was beatified in 1514. His Liturgical Feast Day is
June 30.
Reflection
Raymond worked most of his life to help spread the gospel.
Indifference on the part of some Christian leaders and opposition in North
Africa did not turn him from his goal. Three hundred years later Raymond’s work
began to have an influence in the Americas. When the Spanish began to spread
the gospel in the New World, they set up missionary colleges to aid the
work. Saint Junípero Serra belonged to such a college.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 7:6,12-14
Lectio Divina:
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) OPENING PRAYER
Father,
guide and protector of Your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for Your name,
and keep us always in Your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
guide and protector of Your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for Your name,
and keep us always in Your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW
7:6,12-14
Jesus said to his disciples: "Do
not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they
trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces. "Do to others
whatever you would have them do to you. This is the Law and the Prophets.
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad
that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow
the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are
few."
3) REFLECTION
• Discernment and prudence in offering
things of value. In relationships with others Jesus, warns about certain
dangerous attitudes. The first one of these is to not judge (7:1-5): it is a
true and proper prohibition, “do not judge”. It is an action that influences
and drives contempt or condemnation of others. The last judgment is the
exclusive competence of God. Our figures of measure and our criteria are
relative and they are conditioned by our subjectivity. Any condemnation of
others becomes a condemnation of oneself, in so far as it places us under the
judgment of God and we exclude ourselves from pardon. If your eye is pure, that
is to say, is free from every judgment of the brothers, then you can relate
with them in a true way before God. Now we consider the words of Jesus offered
to us by the liturgical text: “Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw
your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and
tear you to pieces” (Mt 7:6). At first sight, this “saying” of Jesus sounds
strange to the sensibility of today’s reader. It may represent a true enigma.
But it is a way of saying in a Semitic language that has to be interpreted. At
the time of Jesus, just as in ancient culture, dogs were not greatly
appreciated because they were considered somewhat savage and wild. But let us
now consider the positive and didactic-wisdom aspect of the words of Jesus: do
not profane holy things. In the last instance, it is an invitation to use
prudence and discernment. In the Old Testament, the holy things are the meat
for the sacrifice (Lv 22:14; Ex 29:33 ff; Nb 18:8-19). The act of throwing
pearls to the pigs is incomprehensible. For the Hebrews, the pigs are impure
animals, the quintessence of repugnance. On the contrary, the pearls are the most
precious things that can exist. The warning of Jesus refers to those who feed
the stray dogs with consecrated meat destined to the sacrifice. Such behavior
is evil and imprudent because those dogs were usually not fed and therefore,
because of their insatiable hunger, they could turn back and attack their
“benefactors”.
The pearls at the metaphoric level could indicate the teachings of the wise or the interpretation of the Torah. In Matthew’s Gospel the pearl is the image of the kingdom of God (Mt 13:45ff). The interpretation which the evangelist gives is above all theological. Surely, this is the interpretation which seems to be more in harmony with the text and with the ecclesial reading of the words of Jesus: a warning to the Christian missionaries not to preach the Gospel to just anybody.
• To follow a path. In the final part of the discourse (7:13-27), Matthew includes, among the others, an admonition of Jesus who invites us to make a choice in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven: through the narrow door (7:13-14). The word of Jesus is not only something to be understood and to interpret, but above all, it should become life. Now, to enter into the kingdom of Heaven it is necessary to follow a path and to enter into the fullness of life through a “door”. The theme of the “path, the way” is very dear to the Old Testament (Dt 11:26-28; 30, 15-20; Jr 21:8; Ps 1:6; Ps 118:29-30; Ps 138:4; Ws 5:6-7 etc.). The road represented by two doors leads to different goals. A significance that is consistent with the admonishments of Jesus would be that the wide door is joined to the wide path which leads to perdition or damnation, that is to say, to walk on a wide road is something pleasant, and capable of handling a great many travelers, but this is not said in our text. Rather it seems that Matthew agrees with the Jewish conception of the “road”; on the trail of Dt 30:19 and Jr 21:8 there are two roads that are in counter-position, that of death and that of life. To know how to choose among the many ways of life is decisive for entering into the kingdom of Heaven. Anyone who chooses the narrow road, that of life, should know that it is full of afflictions; narrow means tried by suffering for the sake of faith. Narrow paths, especially with a cart, are tricky and tough to travel. It is also less traveled. Matthew is telling his readers that most may not choose this path, so don’t expect it to be the way of the majority. Christianity was a new way, a new path, and many of the people of that time may not want to travel that path.
The pearls at the metaphoric level could indicate the teachings of the wise or the interpretation of the Torah. In Matthew’s Gospel the pearl is the image of the kingdom of God (Mt 13:45ff). The interpretation which the evangelist gives is above all theological. Surely, this is the interpretation which seems to be more in harmony with the text and with the ecclesial reading of the words of Jesus: a warning to the Christian missionaries not to preach the Gospel to just anybody.
• To follow a path. In the final part of the discourse (7:13-27), Matthew includes, among the others, an admonition of Jesus who invites us to make a choice in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven: through the narrow door (7:13-14). The word of Jesus is not only something to be understood and to interpret, but above all, it should become life. Now, to enter into the kingdom of Heaven it is necessary to follow a path and to enter into the fullness of life through a “door”. The theme of the “path, the way” is very dear to the Old Testament (Dt 11:26-28; 30, 15-20; Jr 21:8; Ps 1:6; Ps 118:29-30; Ps 138:4; Ws 5:6-7 etc.). The road represented by two doors leads to different goals. A significance that is consistent with the admonishments of Jesus would be that the wide door is joined to the wide path which leads to perdition or damnation, that is to say, to walk on a wide road is something pleasant, and capable of handling a great many travelers, but this is not said in our text. Rather it seems that Matthew agrees with the Jewish conception of the “road”; on the trail of Dt 30:19 and Jr 21:8 there are two roads that are in counter-position, that of death and that of life. To know how to choose among the many ways of life is decisive for entering into the kingdom of Heaven. Anyone who chooses the narrow road, that of life, should know that it is full of afflictions; narrow means tried by suffering for the sake of faith. Narrow paths, especially with a cart, are tricky and tough to travel. It is also less traveled. Matthew is telling his readers that most may not choose this path, so don’t expect it to be the way of the majority. Christianity was a new way, a new path, and many of the people of that time may not want to travel that path.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Examine your day today. Are
there instances where you did not treat a brother or sister as you would want
to be treated? Do you make excuses as you ask yourself, saying “oh, it wouldn’t
matter to me if he did that” rather than taking responsibility?
• The word of Jesus, or rather, Jesus Himself, is the door who makes us enter into the filial and fraternal life. Do you allow yourself to be guided and attracted by the narrow and demanding path of the Gospel? Or do you follow the wide and easy road that consists in doing what pleases or that leads you to satisfy all your desires, neglecting the needs of others?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
We reflect on Your faithful love,
God,
in Your temple!
Both Your name and Your praise, God,
are over the whole wide world.
Your right hand is full of saving justice. (Ps 48:9-10)
in Your temple!
Both Your name and Your praise, God,
are over the whole wide world.
Your right hand is full of saving justice. (Ps 48:9-10)
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