Daily Thought For March 4, 2019

Live Life Well!


Lectio

Mark 10:17–27

Meditatio

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said.…”

I don’t think Jesus liked flattery. When the rich man runs up, falls to his knees, and hails Jesus as “Good Teacher,” the Master objects at once. Their dialogue doesn’t have a happy beginning. But Jesus does reply to the man’s question. He summarizes some of the commandments, including deference to parents—which suggests that the man is young.

Jesus’ questioner replies eagerly that he has kept all the commandments since early adolescence.

Now the dialogue reaches its high point. Jesus looks at the rich young man with love and invites him to take the further step of selling his property and becoming an itinerant disciple. The man’s face falls, and he leaves in sadness.

What had he expected? Perhaps he had wanted to be a disciple part time, without having to sell his possessions and give away the proceeds. It seems that the rich young man wanted the best of two worlds.

This makes me reflect: how important it is to pray for the men and women whom God is calling! So many other appeals come at them from all sides! Even if we don’t know anyone by name, we can pray for all those unknown vocations, that “the world, the flesh, and the devil” won’t lure those men and women elsewhere.

It has been pointed out that one of the best ways to foster religious vocations is to live one’s own vocation well. May all of us—religious, priests, married couples, and single laypeople—live our own state in life well and enthusiastically! Let’s do so while praying that the Lord may shower many graces on the young (and not-so-young) people whom he is calling to the priesthood and religious life.

Oratio

Jesus, Divine Master, our world is filled with much more noise than the bleating of horns, the babble of voices, the blaring of music, and the cacophony of ring tones. There are siren songs that may smother your still, small voice speaking to the hearts of men and women whom you wish to follow you more closely. How can they hear you in the midst of all this din? Please break through their “deafness,” as you did with Saint Augustine. I offer you my resolution to live my own vocation with dedication and joy. Please accept my life as a continuous prayer for the men and women you want to follow you in the ordained and consecrated life.

Contemplatio

Live life well!


Daughters of St. Paul. (2011). Ordinary Grace Weeks 1–17: Daily Gospel Reflections. (M. G. Dateno & M. L. Trouvé, Eds.) (pp. 132–133). Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media.

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