Friday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

First Friday of the Month
Universal Day of Prayer and Fasting for Lebanon

Readings of the Day
RB: Prologue 21-32
Mass: 1 Cor 4:1-5; Resp Ps 37; Lk 5:33-39

Take delight in the Lord, and He will grant you your heart's requests.

HEART OF JESUS, PATIENT AND FULL OF MERCY,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

Welcome to the First Friday of the Month. We pray today for Lebanon-for the good of the country itself and for all its peoples.

We left off yesterday and begin again today with Saint Benedict words: "Clothed then with faith and the performance of good works, let us set out on this way [of life], with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see Him who has called us to his kingdom" (RB Prol 21). Looking to the Gospel for our guide, we might take away at least one piece of wisdom: Do not judge others. Or as Saint Paul writes to the Corinthians: "the one who judges me is the Lord" (1 Cor 4:4).

Returning to the Holy Rule, Saint Benedict continues with this: "If we wish to dwell in the tent of this kingdom, we will never arrive unless we run there by doing good deeds" (RB Prol 22). Going back a few verses, we find that "every time you begin a good work, you must pray to Him most earnestly to bring it to perfection" (RB Prol 4). So we ask the Lord to help us as He shows us the way to His tent: "One who walks without blemish, He says, and is just in all his dealings; who speaks the truth from his heart and has not practiced deceit with his tongue; who has not wronged a fellowman in any way, nor listened to slanders against his neighbor ... these people fear the Lord, and do not become elated over their good deeds; they judge it is the Lord's power, not their own, that brings about the good in them. They praise the Lord working in them, and say with the Prophet: Not to us, Lord, not to us give the glory, but to your name alone. In just this way Paul the Apostle refused to take credit for the power of his preaching. He declared: By God's grace I am what I am. And again he said: He who boasts should make his boast in the Lord" (RB Prol 24-27, 29-32).

We go forth then and continue to call on the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. Seek the things that are above (Col 3:1). Keep going!

Today's photo: Taken yesterday in our garden. I like the color of these.

© Gertrude Feick 2020