Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
As we begin today’s reflection, let us pause and let the words of today’s Alleluia verse, often sung or said right before the Gospel proclamation, take root in our hearts: “Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God.”
In the Gospel today, Christ, in his great love for us, says, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.” Christ is begging each of us, that if we have some possession, habit, or tendency in our life that leads us away from Him, to throw it out. If we do not spend the amount of time with Him that we would like to and feel called to, but spend a lot of time watching TV, then we should throw a blanket over our TV and not watch it for a time. He begs us to take practical steps to be able to follow the deepest desire of our heart, which is to be with Him.
Yet, Christ knows that we are not strong enough on our own to follow this desire to be with Him. That is why he says through the writer of the Book of Sirach in our first reading today, “Rely not on your strength in following the desires of your heart.” So, let us let go of the lead of our lives. Let us forget our futures. Let us be free children, trusting that God wishes to be the strength that fulfills the deepest desires of our heart.
Reflection by Gabriel, seminarian
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections