Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Saint Augustine of Canterbury, bishop (-605?)

Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 7:5-9
Mass: Acts 20:28-38: Resp Ps 68; Jn 17:11b-19

God's power is in the skies.

MARY, MORNING STAR,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo cannot go without due commentary. It was taken by my dear brother, JA Feick. Driving east near Columbia City, Whitley County, in northeastern Indiana, Jim captured this awesome shot with double rainbow on the old Lincoln Highway, or US Route 30 (Hwy 30). Hwy 30 is the third longest highway in our country after US Route 20 and US Route 6. Hwy 30 travels coast to coast, from Atlantic City, NJ, to Astoria, WA. It is photos like this that bring the comfort of flat, wide-open spaces in my home state of Indiana. Much beauty and most of my beloved family can be found there.

Now we turn to prayer and give thanks to God for the beauty of God's creation that surrounds us. Why not take a moment now to look out the window with wonder and awe at a tree, a flower, or even a weed in the sidewalk. Do you have a flower or plant on your desk or windowsill to admire? Can you see the sky? What about birds? What song are they singing? And we join Jesus, who in today's Gospel continues to pray directly to His Father in heaven. Our Lord lifts His eyes to heaven and prays to His Father to keep us from the Evil One (Jn 17:15). We also pray to Our heavenly Father with the perfect prayer taught to us by Jesus, that is, the Lord's Prayer, commonly called, the Our Father. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Mt 6:9-13). Why should we bother to pray? Here's what Pope Francis has to say: "Prayer liberates us from our instinct toward violence. It is a gaze directed towards God, so that He might take care of the human heart" (Twitter, May 27, 2020). Amen.

God is true: He has a long memory for His own promises and short memory for our failure to keep ours. In the gift of His promised spirit, we find our daily joy. 

(Magnificat, Prayer for the Morning, May 27, 2020)

SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY,

PRAY FOR US.

© Gertrude Feick 2020