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The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, December 13, 2001 The Second Week of Advent St. Lucy Read more: http://www.christdesert.org/public_texts/martyrology/ Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word: Isaiah 41:13-20 Psalm 145:,9-13 Matthew 11:11-15 Full text: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm A Reflection on Today's Scripture: Today's First Reading provides us with a tremendous message of hope. In it we hear the Lord God saying that there is no need to fear because He will help us. Often we are overwhelmed by the prospect of what we think God requires of us; what we must do. It sometimes seems so impossible, that if it weren't for the virtue of hope, we might be altogether justified in giving up. Instead, hope allows us to believe that what the Lord has promised, He will do. Like so many Scripture readings, today's from Isaiah reminds us that God is the one in charge, who will accomplish great things in and for us. It is not by our own efforts and ingenuity that we'll gain our salvation, but by God's gratuitous gift of grace. Certainly, we must cooperate with God's grace and His willingness to be instrumental in our lives; but ultimately, it is God at work in us that brings to fruition all that is good and holy. How often Holy Scripture emphatically says what God will do for us! Please let us never be overwhelmed by our weakness, for it is because we are weak that we need, and indeed have, God. He understands our dependency and is moved beyond humanly understandable compassion to act on our behalf. The only requirement on our part is to accept His hand that he offers us to grasp. "I will help, I will help, I will make, I will answer, I will not forsake, I will open, I will turn, I will plant, I will set... I, I, I,says the Lord, .....will help." (Paraphrased from Isaiah 41:13-20) - Donna Raye Nelson, ocds ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) YOU CAN HELP to evangelize the Word of God: Please RECOMMEND our website to your friends and webmasters. The Daily Meditations appear online in BOTH English & Spanish at: http://homepage.mac.com/ojoachim/. ALSO find recent speeches and audiences given by Pope John Paul II updated nearly every day on our site! Archived Meditations at: www.abcsoffaith.com/quiet/quietplace.html and at http://www.mail-archive.com/dailymed%40saturn.nibcomp.com. For ALL communications, including subscribe/unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (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. All scripture quotes are from the Douay-Rheims version of the Catholic Bible. |
Title: Meditation: Thursday, December 13, 2001
