Title: Meditation: Thursday, January 24, 2002
The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, January 24, 2002
St. Francis de Sales
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 Samuel 18:6-8;19:1-7
Psalm 56:2-3,9-14
Mark 3:7-12
A Reflection on Today's Scripture:
In today's First Reading we see Jonathan interceding before King Saul
on David's behalf. It is a story that reminds me of the importance of
holy courage and the willingness to speak out against what is wrong
and say what it right.
We live in a culture that touts the importance of tolerance. However,
it isn't tolerance born of a loving and discerning heart, but
tolerance that fosters letting people have their own opinions and to
act on them as they desire even when they run contrary to the law of
God.
Like all deceptions of the devil, an otherwise laudable attribute
like tolerance is distorted. It isn't twisted so obviously that we
recognize we have been tricked, but gradually and cleverly until we
can no longer see any difference between true tolerance which flows
from the Pierced Heart of the Loving Christ and its counterfeit which
seeps from the infected wounds of self-love.
True tolerance doesn't immobilize us into silence when wrong is
advertised as good, but moves us out of love to speak up with the
truth even if it might mean our own unpopularity and perhaps even
death.
Let us pray that the Gifts of Wisdom, Knowledge, Counsel and
Fortitude might operate fully in our lives, that we may be infused
with the grace of God to appreciate how subtly we have been fooled
into tolerating as the world suggests. Let us instead be intolerant
of sinful behavior and willing, not only for our own salvation, but
that of others, to reflect what is at the heart of true tolerance,
the loving and forgiving heart of Christ who came not to condemn the
world but that all might be saved.
- Donna Raye Nelson, ocds
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