Daily Thought For December 11, 2020

-

 Wisdom Is Vindicated By Her Works



Lectio

Matthew 11:16–19

Meditatio

  “The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said …”

When my siblings and I were little we would sometimes get in a contrary mood that my mom called “try-an’-please-me.” No matter what my mother suggested or offered us—things to play with, snacks, or drinks—we were never satisfied.

Usually Jesus speaks of children as models of what Christians should be like (because of their simplicity and trust), but this passage evokes the idea of the contrariness of children. The crowd who were listening to Jesus had not been fully converted by the preaching of John—they said he must have been crazy or possessed to have adopted such an extreme lifestyle in the desert, “neither eating nor drinking.” But Jesus didn’t live that kind of hermit- or prophet-like existence. He lived among the people, and he ate and drank with them when they invited him to their homes. So they now accuse him of lack of moderation. “Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard …”

He just can’t win.

No matter what God does for us, no matter how many calls, opportunities, or invitations are offered, we can always find something to complain about. We can always rationalize our way out of having to repent and change our ways.

If the pastor is good and holy, then he’s too strict and doesn’t understand life in the real world. If the pastor has notable human failings, then he’s a hypocrite for expecting us to live a holy life. The same things can be applied to supervisors in the work place, superiors in religious communities, and so forth. It seems we always want to wiggle out from under the finger we feel is pointed at us, and the easiest way of doing that is to point at someone or something else. But Jesus invites us to a deeper wisdom by being honest with ourselves and with him.

Oratio

Jesus, this Scripture passage makes me take an honest look at myself. I can see that I do sometimes distract attention from my own limitations and failings by drawing attention to those of others. Even if I don’t say anything out loud, I make excuses to myself to explain why I am not closer to being the person you have called me to be. Thankfully, you are patient with me and you never give up calling, inviting, offering possibilities for growth.

Contemplatio

Today I will respond, no excuses.

Daughters of Saint Paul. (2009). Advent Grace: Daily Gospel Reflections (pp. 38–39). 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