Twelfth Week of the Year

Monday of the Twelfth Week (Matthew 7:1-5) There are times when we have to judge, good and bad, appropriate and inappropriate. It must always be done without hatred. The judgment must always be corrective not destructive. There is also the invitation to share common weakness. Have I done the sin which now I must correct? If not that particular sin certainly one of the same magnitude. First look at my own weakness than the weakness of the other and in my heart ask the person to travel with me.
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week (Matthew 7:6,12-14) What is holy? What are the pearls? Certainly we can look at Baptism as “holy” certainly we can look at the dogmas of our Faith as the “pearls”. The dogs are those who would not respect the holy, the swine are those who would trample the truth. It is so easy to look outside for the dogs and swine but more devastating are the “dogs and swine” within us. Not to value our Baptism as a way of life in covenant with God, not to treasure the truths which God has told us, these are all casting away the holy and the pearls.
Wednesday of the Twelfth Week (Matthew 7:15-20) Once again the temptation is to look outside to find the false teachers. It is true many times this has to be done. So often we teach ourselves false things. We teach ourselves about hatred, envy and revenge. We go to a strange school inside of our hearts where lessons of destruction are taught instead of the truth of life. It is a constant challenge to listen to the correct voice speaking within us. To break through the static so that we may indeed listen to the one Voice of truth.

Thursday of the Twelfth Week (Matthew 7:21-29) Our Baptism is a consecration into doing the will of God. The prayers we say, the acts of obedience to the Commandments we perform, all those things which we call “religious” are but the means of opening ourselves to what God wants of us. We can not get the “means” and the “end” confused. Prayer is the means of knowing the will of God, we can not pray without saying: Lord, enlighten my heart, give me the faith, hope and love to do your will.

Friday of the Twelfth Week (Matthew 8:1-4) Trusting God is so difficult. When we trust we put ourselves into the hands of someone else. We loose the thing which we desire the most, control. So many times we say we trust God but then go about telling God how to do His job. It is, if I may use a strange word, a “controlled-trust”. The leper did not succumb to this temptation “If will to do so, you can cure me” No conditions, no telling the Lord how to do his job, the complete letting go of any control.

Saturday of the Twelfth Week (Matthew 8:5-17) Once again a model of trust. Trust in the power of the Lord. There is no demand, there is no putting on the Lord a human condition “you have to come” just the unconditional availability to what He wants to do. In the healing He shows the power of His word. He combines act and word. He taught on the Mountain, and by these acts gives credence to His word.