Fourth Sunday of Pentecost Season
Gospel: Luke 10: 21-24
Reflection
The desire to see Christ
This lovely prayer of Jesus is a thanksgiving prayer for the successful mission of his disciples whom he had sent out to preach.
We often attribute our success to ourselves, forgetting the work of God in us and his invisible hand that supports us.
What have I learned in prayer? What is it that is hidden from the wise and the prudent that I have learned in the heart of prayer? Can I think over the mystery of prayer and in my life and wonder what it has done for me?
'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.'
The disciples are 'blessed' because, in Jesus, they are beginning to recognize the long awaited Messiah. They have been privileged to recognize and receive Jesus as the Messiah, while the wise and learned have not.
Christian joy is a deep reality. It does not mean being light-hearted, in a good mood. Its fundamental constituent is peace. In Jesus, so in us, it comes from the Holy Spirit.
Whenever I spread the Word of God, I too am sharing in the mission of Jesus, and this should give me great joy.
Sharing the joy of the Gospel
Jesus, you are the icon of the Father. You come among us not in greatness but as a ‘little one’ in lowliness and humility. As you reveal yourself to us each day, help me to play my part in sharing the joy of the Gospel.
A thought for the week
Do you desire the Truth? Do you desire to see Christ?
“What does it mean “to be childlike,” and simple?
The answer, according to Benedict XVI, is to be found in Jesus’ “sermon on the mount”, in which he affirmed: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” “And it is the pureness of heart that allows us to recognize the face of God in Jesus Christ. It is keeping our hearts as simple as those of children, without the presumptions of those who are locked in themselves, thinking they have no need of anyone, not even God.”
Pope Benedict XVI
Gospel: Luke 10: 21-24
Reflection
The desire to see Christ
This lovely prayer of Jesus is a thanksgiving prayer for the successful mission of his disciples whom he had sent out to preach.
We often attribute our success to ourselves, forgetting the work of God in us and his invisible hand that supports us.
What have I learned in prayer? What is it that is hidden from the wise and the prudent that I have learned in the heart of prayer? Can I think over the mystery of prayer and in my life and wonder what it has done for me?
'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.'
The disciples are 'blessed' because, in Jesus, they are beginning to recognize the long awaited Messiah. They have been privileged to recognize and receive Jesus as the Messiah, while the wise and learned have not.
Christian joy is a deep reality. It does not mean being light-hearted, in a good mood. Its fundamental constituent is peace. In Jesus, so in us, it comes from the Holy Spirit.
Whenever I spread the Word of God, I too am sharing in the mission of Jesus, and this should give me great joy.
Sharing the joy of the Gospel
Jesus, you are the icon of the Father. You come among us not in greatness but as a ‘little one’ in lowliness and humility. As you reveal yourself to us each day, help me to play my part in sharing the joy of the Gospel.
A thought for the week
Do you desire the Truth? Do you desire to see Christ?
“What does it mean “to be childlike,” and simple?
The answer, according to Benedict XVI, is to be found in Jesus’ “sermon on the mount”, in which he affirmed: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” “And it is the pureness of heart that allows us to recognize the face of God in Jesus Christ. It is keeping our hearts as simple as those of children, without the presumptions of those who are locked in themselves, thinking they have no need of anyone, not even God.”
Pope Benedict XVI