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Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: June 26th

Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

June 26, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who through the grace of adoption chose us to be children of light, grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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35 posted on 06/26/2016 11:44:00 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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The Word Among Us

Meditation: Galatians 5:1, 13-18

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

For freedom Christ set us free. (Galatians 5:1)

Did you know that a battle is going on in your mind right now? That’s what today’s second reading tells us. When Paul speaks of the “freedom” that Jesus won for us, he is telling us that we can win this battle and be free from the attacks of sin and temptation (Galatians 5:1).

What is the battle for the mind? Simply stated, we all have an incredible number of virtues and gifts. We strive to be kind, generous, selfless, loving, patient, imaginative, intuitive, and so on. At the same time, we can also be selfish, prideful, angry, moody, greedy, deceptive, lustful, lazy, jealous, and so on. We all have sinful habits that need to be “put away” and virtuous impulses that we need to “put on” more and more (Ephesians 4:22, 24).

Every one of our decisions is influenced, in some way or other, by a combination of good and bad voices: the Holy Spirit, the devil, our family and friends, our memories, and our imaginations. These voices all offer us different ways to approach how we live and the choices we make. The question we face in every situation is “Who will I listen to? How will I decide?”

If you don’t want to be controlled by the negative influences, you’re going to need to do two things: let the Holy Spirit speak to you, and try your best to “take every thought captive” so that you can emphasize the upright thoughts and reject the negative ones (2 Corinthians 10:5). This means holding fast to everything you experience in prayer, the Eucharist, and Scripture.

Guard your mind as if you are carrying a valuable diamond in your pocket. Don’t let any evil influence rob you of your joy and peace. Try to stay close to Jesus, and you’ll find yourself winning this battle for your mind and becoming more like Jesus. You’ll know the freedom that Christ came to give you.

“Jesus, help me win the battle for my mind. Give me the strength to say no to sin and yes to you.”

1 Kings 19:16, 19-21
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11
Luke 9:51-62

36 posted on 06/26/2016 11:46:48 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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