Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
I am moved in today’s Gospel by both the desire of the crowd to seek out Jesus and the love Jesus shows to the crowds. Jesus went to a deserted place to mourn the death of John the Baptist, but the crowd’s desire for Jesus moved their hearts to seek him out. We have love for Christ, but do we often leave our “towns” and seek him? Do we leave the comfort of our daily routine and make time in our day to seek out our Beloved Christ? We must become the crowd that seeks out Jesus to be fed with his divine word, and when he sees us—the crowd that desires him—his heart will once again be moved with pity for us and he will cure all our woes.
Being in his presence, we will not go hungry, because Jesus has great love and concern for us. Not only will we not be left hungry in his presence, but Jesus’ love for us will fulfill our desires beyond our imaginations. We are loved in abundance with a love that is beyond our understanding. His grace will fill our hearts and spill over so that our joy, which is fulfilled in Christ Jesus, may be seen in our lives and shared with our brothers and sisters.
Reflection by Br. Placid Dale, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections