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The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, April 11, 2002 St. Stanislaus Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word: Acts 5:27-33 Psalm 34:2,9,17-20 John 3:31-36 A Reflection on Today's Scripture: In today's Responsorial Psalm which is taken from Psalm 34; we hear that "the Lord hears the cry of the poor." Having heard these words countless times I still always wonder: "What then, after He's heard?" I guess I still automatically equate the word "poor" with conditions of physical need - abject poverty. There is however a condition of poverty that affects all of us. It is the poverty of everyone who in truth has nothing, but for God's goodness and grace. When a person in this state of poverty cries out to God, it is with humility, for it recognizes its total dependence on its Creator. Hearing this pitiful sound the Lord is moved to compassion and stoops to listen and aid. Help doesn't always come dressed as we might expect, but often disguised. It comes in ways we may not sense; but never the less, faith tells us it comes. Because many may not view poverty in these un-material terms, it seems to them that God, if he does hear, he doesn't much care or is moved to a remedy. Otherwise, why so much poverty? I don't know that answer, but faith in God and hope in His promises leads me to be certain that God =does= hear and =does= respond. Perhaps the poor both in spirit =and= in body have greater access to God's mercy. Perhaps unknown to us, He is more present to them, offering them consolation beyond what we might know or imagine. In any case let us continue to be people of faith, people who believe though they do not see. Let us beg the Lord to let us be responsive to the poor so that others of less faith might not question so vehemently whether God even hears much less cares about the poor who cry out to Him in their need. - Donna Raye Nelson, ocds ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) YOU CAN HELP to evangelize the Word of God: Please recommend our website to your friends and Catholic webmasters. The Daily Meditations appear online in English & Spanish at: http://homepage.mac.com/ojoachim3/DailyMeds.html ARCHIVED Meditations at: http://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)2002 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 edition of the Catholic Bible. Full text from the New American Bible: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm Lives of the Saints: http://www.christdesert.org/public_texts/martyrology/ |
Title: Meditation: Thursday, April 11, 2002
