Friday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Saints: Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Padre Pio, Capuchin friar and priest (1887-1968); Saint Adoman of Iona (627/8-704)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 5:14-19 Obedience

Mass: Ecc 3:1-11; Resp Ps 144; Lk 9:18-22

Man is like a breath; his days like a passing shadow.'

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

MARY, STRENGTH OF THE WEAK,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

SAINT JOSEPH,

PRAY FOR US.

I have considered the task which God has appointed for me to be busied about. 

He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without man's ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done.

(Ecc 3:10-11)

Considering what we hear above from the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes, and since there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc 1:9) and an appointed time for everything (Ecc 3:1), there is no need to be worried about yesterday or tomorrow. We take what comes this day and go with it, "not cringing or sluggish or half-hearted, but free from any grumbling or any reaction of unwillingness" (Rule of Saint Benedict, 5:14), for God loves a cheerful giver (RB 5:16). Inspired by Padre Pio* then, "Go ahead! Courage! In the spiritual life, he who does not go forward goes backward. It is the same with a boat which must always go forward. If it stands still, the wind will blow it back." 

And since we are in Saint Benedict's Ch 5 on Obedience, and the first step of humility is unhesitating obedience" (RB 5:1), we can be further inspired by Padre Pio.

Humility, humility and always humility. Satan fears and trembles before humble souls. The Lord is willing to do great things, but on the condition that we are truly humble.

Where there is no obedience, there is no virtue; where there is no virtue, there is no goodness, no love; and where there is no love there is no God: without God we do not go to Paradise.

Furthermore,

Walk with simplicity in the way of the Lord and do not torment your spirit. Learn to hate your faults, but to hate them calmly.

You must always have prudence and love. Prudence has the eyes; love has the legs. Love which has the legs would like to run to God, but its impulse to rush ahead Him is blind and at times might stumble, if it were not guided by prudence which has the eyes. When prudence sees that love could become unbridled, it loans its eyes to love. In this way love restrains itself and guided by prudence, acts as it should and not as it would like.

PADRE PIO,

SAINT ADOMAN OF IONA,

PRAY FOR US.

*NB. "Padre Pio died a few days after the fiftieth anniversary of his receiving the stigmata, and over 100,000 people attended his funeral" (Universalis). And how about this? I know someone who went to San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy, to the monastery where Padre Pio spent 50 years, and Padre Pio received him for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God is praised.

Today's photo: This was taken in 2017 at Joshua Tree National Park, where I hiked with my boss at the time, and his wife. Dear people they are. Let the people praise you, O Lord.

© Gertrude Feick 2022