Memorial of Sts. Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs
“If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.”
Where is my hope anchored? Is it in this life which I can taste, touch, and feel secure? Or, is it in my heart where I am allowing life’s circumstances—both those arising from inside of me and those coming from the outside—to form my conscious choices?
If I can begin to reach deeper into my heart I will find there a desire for something eternal and something lasting, a true security! This realm of the heart holds the key to the unfolding of my life’s choices, whether those choices are about little, everyday matters, or the larger things that ‘define’ my life.
Notice the women who journeyed with Jesus in our Gospel passage, some of whom “had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities.” Their hearts yearned for peace. They were attracted to Jesus because he spoke, in word and deed, to their hearts.
In a society growing in instant gratification, let us decide to make time to listen to our hearts where we will learn how to pray and allow our self-pity over life’s passing enticements to evaporate.
The heart is the dwelling place where I am, where I live; according to the Semitic or Biblical expression, the heart is the place “to which I withdraw.” The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully.
Catechism #2563
Reflection by Fr. Xavier Nacke, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections