Memorial of St. Polycarp, bishop and martyr

Today's Mass Readings

“Instead you should say, ‘If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.’” St. James warns us, in this first reading, of the dangers of relying on ourselves. How often do we tell ourselves we simply must “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps” or “work a little harder?” How often do we do everything in our power to create the lives we want? Yet, with a little reflection, we can all admit our lives have not turned out how we planned.

The only constant in our lives is God’s love for us. He pursues us in every instance and He wants a deep and loving relationship with us. Like the trust of a newborn child dependent on its parents, we are to trust God, our loving Father to take care of us. Calling to mind God’s presence, it does not matter that we “have no idea what [our] life will be like tomorrow,” for our Father will be us.

Reflection by Noah, seminarian