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The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, June 20, 2002 The Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word: Sirach 48:1-14 Psalm 97:1-7 Matthew 6:7-15 A Reflection on Today's Scripture: In today's Gospel Jesus teaches His disciples The Lord's Prayer, giving them and us the perfect formula for praying. Before He begins He says something that at first seems to be at odds with a portion of the prayer and with another of His teachings. Namely, that: (1) we need not rattle on with a plethora of words, as our heavenly Father already knows what we need. And (2) Jesus taught (at another time) that one is to seek, knock, and ask for what we desire. What lies at the heart of both of these positions really is a matter of the heart. In the first case - when our heart is so closely united to God the Father, we know Him and understand His deep love and concern for our every need. As a result, we trust that He will provide according to His will and for our benefit. In the latter case we recognize our total dependence on the loving heart of our heavenly Father and our abject poverty in doing anything without His help and grace. In such a helpless position we cry out, and the heart of the Father is moved to "stoop down from the heights," as the Holy Scripture says, to help us. Let us then consider the inclination of our own hearts to determine if they are properly turned toward the Lord. Let us recognize and acknowledge in prayers of praise not only God's omnipotent goodness, but also our own poverty and in true humility petition the Almighty with our tears and cries for help. Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. - 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 meditations are in English & Spanish at http://www.borg.com/~joachim/DailyMeds.html (case sensitive). ARCHIVED Meditations: 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. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms (c)1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. 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, June 20, 2002
