Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 48:1-9 The Daily Manual Labor
Mass: Jer 14:17-22; Resp Ps 79; Mt 13:36-43

Is it not you alone, O Lord, our God, to whom we look?

Today we begin one of my favorite chapters in the Holy Rule, St Benedict's plan for the daily manual labor. The first and last verse of today's section may speak to some: "Idleness is the enemy of  the soul ... yet, all things are to be done with moderation on account of the fainthearted" (RB 48: 1,9). At the same time consider what Thomas Merton wrote about a vocation to the Cistercian life, which could encompass both the above verses and be applicable to any vocation: "Our vocation is to live life to the full" (The Sign of Jonas, p. 80).

United, we pray for one another. Keep going.

Today's photo: A fitting photo for St Benedict's chapter on the daily manual labor. Here ready to go after those weeds! 😎

© Gertrude Feick 2020