Daily Thought For June 26, 2015

-
Jesus Our Divine Physician 


 Lectio

 Matthew 8:1–4

 Meditatio

 “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”

 I open the sacred text today and step into it, knowing that this story of salvation is also my story. It’s easy to immediately get caught up in today’s reading. I begin by watching Jesus as he comes down the mountain. I join the ranks of the great crowds following him, and keep my eyes and heart open.

 An outcast approaches Jesus—a leper. The crowd draws back in fear of the disease. I hear the man with leprosy simply say “if you wish, you can.…” It would be such an ordinary request if it weren’t a healing that he wanted! For Jesus though, it is a simple matter. “I will do it,” and it’s done, just like that. The leper is cured immediately, so great is Jesus’ power to heal.

 I dwell on the leper’s words, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” This phrase is so powerful, packed with so much confidence. “If you wish” presupposes that the one making the request believes that the Lord does care, does really desire one’s good. In this case, it is to be made clean. We have so many things to be cleansed of! They could be outright sin, unhelpful attitudes, or a myriad of other possible burdens.

 How many times have I asked the Teacher to cleanse me, desiring renewed wholeness through the sacrament of Reconciliation! I have requested this in words similar to the leper’s, desiring pardon or asking for any needed healing of body, mind, or spirit.

 Yes, Lord, you can make me clean. The leper in the Gospel story has walked away, and I stand there in his place, looking up expectantly. I know that you can do this. I trust that you want to do this. I just need the faith today to see how you are working in my life, making me clean. No one desires my good as much as you do.

Oratio

 Lord, thank you for your love for me. No one is as much on my side as you are. You keep on working on me, consistently, fashioning me into a true disciple who looks to you to teach me through everything that happens. I trust that you will help me keep my heart open to you so you can continually mold me in your divine image. In all the circumstances of my life, you are with me. Thank you for walking with me.

Contemplatio

 I know that the Lord desires my good. I delight in his care.

Daughters of St. Paul. (2011). Ordinary Grace Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections. (M. G. Dateno & M. L. Trouvé, Eds.) (pp. 212–213). Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media.

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Thought For October 23, 2022

-
  Powerful Reflection from The Word Among Us Let’s not get off on the wrong foot with the Pharisee in this parable. He seemed to be doing pretty well spiritually. He was not greedy, dishonest, or adulterous. He fasted twice a week and went so far as to pay tithes on all his income. He prayed at the Temple regularly. That was better than most people. So why did Jesus say he didn’t go home justified? Because the Temple was a place of encounter with God. A holy location where God and his children came together. This Pharisee seemed to be missing that connection with the Lord. Instead of speaking his prayer to God, he prayed “to himself” (Luke 18:11) and itemized his accomplishments. By focusing on his righteous acts, he was not really making himself present to God. He wasn’t inviting God to be present to him either. So he missed the chance to encounter God and receive his mercy and grace. In that sense, the Pharisee left the Temple basically the same way he had entered. The tax collector,
Read more

Daily Thought For May 12, 2016

-
With God Setbacks Become Opportunities EVERY TIME something thwarts your plans or desires, use that as a reminder to communicate with Me. This practice has several benefits. The first is obvious: Talking with Me blesses you and strengthens our relationship. Another benefit is that disappointments, instead of dragging you down, are transformed into opportunities for good. This transformation removes the sting from difficult circumstances, making it possible to be joyful in the midst of adversity.  Begin by practicing this discipline in all the little disappointments of daily life. It is often these minor setbacks that draw you away from My Presence. When you reframe setbacks as opportunities, you find that you gain much more than you have lost. It is only after much training that you can accept major losses in this positive way. But it is possible to attain the perspective of the apostle Paul, who wrote:  Compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, I consider eve
Read more