PLEASE NOTE: Our original website hosted for free by Apple Computer has been restored! We will resume posting all the meditations at our former site again: (http://homepage.mac.com/ojoachim). Also, as time permits, we will resume posting various speeches, homilies, and audiences given by Pope John Paul, II, as well as some selected articles from other sources. If the "/ojoachim" site breaks again, we will move back to "/ojoachim2". - Joachim Nelson ----------- The Catholic Calendar for Wednesday, August 8, 2001 The Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time St. Dominic Complete story: http://www.christdesert.org/public_texts/martyrology/ Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word: Numbers 13:1-2,25-14:1,26-29,34-35 Psalm 106:6-7,13-14,21-23 Matthew 5:21-28 Full text: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm A Reflection on Today's Scripture: The first reading from the book of Numbers tells us why God consigned the Israelites to roam in the desert for forty years. It is a story that makes the phrase "fear of the Lord" something to be reckoned with and, at least in this case, taken literally. All too often we seem to forget that God has a plan for His creation and that all is not just chaos and happenstance. Like the Israelites we grumble against God when things do not go as we desire; in our ignorance and arrogance we behave as though we know a better way. God in His anger punished the Israelites for their lack of faith and grumbling against Him. He let them succumb to their own fears and misconceptions since they were unwilling to submit to Him and the plan He had preordained. As mankind is always making the same kind of mistakes over and over again, may we pray for the grace to gain wisdom from the words of Holy Scripture that so eloquently demonstrate our collective transgressions. With God's gift of His Holy Spirit may we come to know the mind and heart of Him who wills for us not death, but life. Then with right judgment may we relinquish our faulty ways and become evermore cooperative and docile with God and His ways. "They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt." (Psalm 106:7) - Donna Raye Nelson, ocds (c)2001 The Way, The Truth, The Life. Permission granted to make reprints of the meditations or to post on any web page, except for profit. You can help to evangelize the Word of God: Recommend to your friends the Daily Meditations online at: http://homepage.mac.com/ojoachim Archived Meditations at: www.abcsoffaith.com/quiet/quietplace.html Also at: http://www.mail-archive.com/dailymed%40saturn.nibcomp.com For all communications, including subscribe/unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
