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Daily Scripture
+ 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
Be wise but don’t be a ‘wise guy!’
Readings: I Corinthians 3:18-21 Psalm 24:1-4, 5-6 Luke 5:1-11
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: “God catches the wise in their own ruses,” and again: “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that are vain.”
Wisdom (Sophia) is a feminine attribute of God. True wisdom is rooted in deep faith and an abiding confidence in God’s abiding presence in all of creation and in the depth of our being. Wisdom comes from study, prayer and from the daily effort to live in God’s grace with Jesus as our mentor. Reason without faith leads to rationalization of our wants and desires. Reason combined with faith moves us to contemplation and moves us to probe and ponder the greatest mysteries of life that exceed the power of the human intellect to explicate or explain. That’s why poets, artists and composers are enable us to comprehend the qualities of God in nature, in the human body and in the qualities of a life lived in union with ultimate truth and beauty.
So we need to go to our prayer chair for at least twenty minutes at the beginning and end of every day. We need to walk among the trees and along the sea. We need to listen to music that stirs the soul and sing songs that touch the heart.
Only then can we be thoughtful people of measured speech and positive deeds.
Daily Scripture Archive»A simple meditation
Saturday August 28, 2010
I received this simple little reflection from one of my website subscribers from Springfield, Vermont, Marilyn Thompson. I though visitors…Read full entry
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The latest article in category notes, quotes & comments
A simple meditation
Saturday August 28, 2010
I received this simple little reflection from one of my website subscribers from Springfield, Vermont, Marilyn Thompson. I though visitors might appreciate it. Enjoy!
The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains ofeastern Kentucky with his young grandson.
Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could..
One day the grandson asked, ‘Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book.
What good does reading the Bible do?’
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, ‘Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.’
The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out be fore he could get back to the house.
The grandfather laughed and said, ‘You willhave to move a little faster next time,’ and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was ‘impossible to carry water in a basket,’ and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, ‘I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You’re just not trying hard enough,’ and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all.
The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.
Out of breath, he said, ‘See Papa, it’s useless!’
‘So you think it is useless?’ the old man said.
‘Look at the basket.’
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean.
‘Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change youfrom the inside out.’
Moral of the wicker basket story: Take time to read a portion of God’s word each day; it will affect you for good even if you don’t retain a word.
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 'C'
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