Daily Thought For July 11, 2017

-
He Was Moved With Pity


Lectio

 Matthew 9:32–38

Meditatio

 “… his heart was moved with pity for them …”

 Jesus has healed a few other people of different infirmities prior to healing the mute person, also described as a “demoniac.” Immediately after Jesus heals him, the ordinary people proclaim “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” The Pharisees, instead, claim that Jesus commands devils to leave their victims not by the power of God, but by the power of the devil.

The people in the crowd marvel over the fact that neither they nor their ancestors had ever seen anything like this. In other words, they are saying that what Jesus is doing is even greater than the marvels the Lord had done through Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt. But then the Pharisees say that Jesus’ power comes from the devil! What a letdown! What dejection this must have caused in the crowd. These poor people—no wonder the Lord has pity on them.

Rather, all of these miracles are a direct sign that Jesus is the Messiah—that he is the one God promised to send: “A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen” (Dt 18:15). Jesus himself tells John’s followers something similar when they come to ask Jesus if he is the Messiah (see Mt 11:2–6).

The truth is that we ourselves may at times attribute God’s gifts to other sources, such as luck or coincidence. We might even take away the joy of others when they bask in the marvels God has done for them. I think that Jesus’ heart “was moved with pity for them” when he saw the dejection that the crowds must have felt. He recognizes their need, my need, for a shepherd—someone who guides us to true life, God’s life. That Shepherd always takes delight in those he shepherds.

Oratio

 Jesus, I believe that you healed and continue to heal because you are God—the Messiah. But I don’t always recognize that all I am blessed with comes from God. Sometimes I allow myself to believe that I am gifted and blessed for other reasons. This attitude creates a distance between you and me. Help me to allow myself to be guided by you, my Shepherd. By allowing you to shepherd me, I will be healed and will become a healing presence for others. Then I may be among the laborers privileged to have been chosen by your father to work in his harvest. Amen.

Contemplatio

 Jesus, my shepherd, you have truly blessed me.
Daughters of St. Paul. (2011). Ordinary Grace Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections. (M. G. Dateno & M. L. Trouvé, Eds.) (pp. 242–243). 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