Daily Marriage Tip for August 21, 2012:
Not all infidelity is sexual. Does your work steal your attention away from your spouse? Do opposite sex colleagues at work seem more appealing because they seem to be on the same wavelength or flatter you? Pay attention to your vow and spouse.
Getting to the Top | ||
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Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope
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Father José LaBoy, LC Matthew 19: 23-30 Introductory Prayer: Lord, you know what is best for me, and that is why I believe in you. You are always faithful to your word and are more interested in my spiritual well-being than I am, and that is why I trust in you. In spite of my sins, you always give me your loving forgiveness, and that is why I love you, Lord. Petition: Lord, grant me a profound desire to reach heaven as shown by my proper use of material things. 1. Entering the Kingdom: We know from the Gospels that Christ spends most of his public ministry preaching about the Kingdom of heaven. God wants to be the King of our hearts. This is impossible if we are attached to things. When Christ says that it will be hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven, he is speaking to every person. Christ is saying that to be attached to material things means not having room for God. Its not a matter of riches. Just as a mountain climber doesnt use heavy gear or take a weighty rucksack, in our spiritual climbing of the mountain (which is our intimate relationship with God), we need to be free of anything burdensome. 2. It Seems Impossible: The reaction of the disciples helps us to remember how easy it is for us to be attached to ourselves, to things, to pleasures and to desires. To leave all of these in order to get to heaven may seem impossible for us to do. In fact, it is. No one can overcome these attachments without the help of Gods grace. That is why Christ says, For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible. God will take us to heaven if we let him. An overloaded boat will sink not because it is incapable of floating, but because the weight is more than it can carry. We can reach God when we empty ourselves and allow his grace fill our hearts. 3. Having Nothing in Order to Have It All: We can usually give up something in order to receive something better. That is why the apostle Peter, not really sure of what the prize of his following Christ is, asks the Master, What will there be for us? The reward of our renunciation is to be with Christ, forever sharing in his glory. The awesome thing is that Christ tells us its not something we will receive in the future, but something we can already begin to receive here on earth. St. John of the Cross, who had a profound love for Christ, understood very well that to come to the possession you have not, you must go by a way in which you possess not ( The Ascent of Mount Carmel , Book 1, Chapter 13). Conversation with Christ: Lord, thank you for reminding me about what is necessary for me to do in order to reach heaven. Its so easy to get caught up with the things of this world and forget that they are worthless when compared to heaven. Resolution: I will offer up a concrete sacrifice: I will detach myself from something I like and reflect on heaven while doing it. |