Readings of the Day
RB: Prologue 14-20
Mass: 1 Th 5:1-6, 9-11; Resp Ps 27; Lk 4:31-37
One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
In today's Gospel, the people who listened to Jesus "were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority." Then Jesus commands a demon to come out of a tormented man: "Be quiet! Come out of him!". The Galileans "were amazed and said to one another, 'What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.'" As a result of these things "news of Jesus spread everywhere in the surrounding region."
What is our response when we hear the Word? Are we ready to spread the Good News everywhere? One way to go about spreading the Good News comes from St Paul: Encourage one another and build one another up (1 Th 5:11). St Benedict gives us other ways: "Keep your tongue free from vicious talk and your lips from all deceit; turn away from evil and do good; let peace be your quest and aim" (Ps 33:14-15/RB Prol 17). So, "clothed then with faith and the performance of good works, let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see him who has called us into his kingdom (1 Th 2:12/RB Prol 21).
As you provide daily food for your bodies to keep them from failing, so let your good works be the daily nourishment of your hearts. The body is fed with food, the spirit sustained by good works. You should not deny to your soul, which will live forever, what you grant to your body which is going to die … In truth we lose all our earthly possessions if we save them, but we save them by yielding them well. Time is quickly running out. Let us prepare with haste for seeing our judge soon; our good deeds are impelling us towards him with great urgency.
(Pope St Gregory the Great)
SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT, PRAY FOR US.
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