Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Respect Life Month

In other years: Saint Marcellus (d. 300); The Blessed Martyrs of Winchester (16th century); Blessed Dominic Collins (1566-1602); Blessed Maria Teresa Tauscher (1855-1938)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 23 Excommunication for Faults 

Mass: Wisdom 11:22-12:2; Resp Ps 145; 2 Th 1:11-2:2; Lk 19:1-10

 I will extol You, O my God and my King.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

MARY, QUEEN OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY,

SAINT JOSEPH, DEFENDER OF LIFE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL, 

PRAY FOR US.

You have mercy on all, because you can do all things; 

and your overlook people's sins that they may repent.

(Wisdom 11:23)

The words proclaimed from the Book of Wisdom in our First Reading at Mass take me to the Prologue of the Holy Rule of Saint Benedict, where our holy father Benedict tells us that the Lord waits for us daily to translate into action, as we should, His holy teachings. Therefore our life span has been lengthened by way of a  truce, that we may amend our misdeeds. As the Apostle says: Do you know that the patience of God is leading you to repent? And indeed the Lord assures us in His love: I do not wish the death of a sinner, but that he turn back to me and live (see Rule of Saint Benedict, Prologue 35-38). How often our Lord turns a blind eye to our misdeeds, and those things that distance us from His love, and keep us from loving our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus even stays at the houses of sinners, those shorter in stature like Zacchaeus in today's Gospel (see Lk 19:1-10), and those not so short in stature too. I guess that means just about all of us, no matter our statures or status. Our Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in love and mercy. Thank you. 

Our prayer today, for one another, our loved ones, and those who are in need of prayers, can be with the words of Saint Paul: "We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Th 1:11-12). United in faith and prayer then, with the mercy of God, may we abandon our wickedness and believe in the Lord and lover of souls (see Wisdom 11:26; 12:2). 

SAINT MARCELLUS,

THE BLESSED MARTYRS OF WINCHESTER,

BLESSED DOMINIC COLLINS,

BLESSD MARIA TERESA TAUSCHER,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Yesterday morning I was on the prowl for a Sunday rose and found this one, still with drops of dew. Every day I will bless You.

© Gertrude Feick 2022