"So as he stepped ashore, he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length." (Mark 6:34)
Notice here two actions by Christ that I can learn to imitate:
O Christ, the Teacher, you taught your "sheep" the way of life. Teach me too the way of life and enable me to teach this way to others.
"Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while." (Mark 6: 31)
Jesus Christ is a good boss.
"I pray that the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood that sealed an eternal covenant, may prepare you to do his will in every kind of good action; effecting in us all whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13: 20 -21)
God is preparing me to do his will. O St. Paul, may you say the above prayer for me today. St. Peter, pray for me too.
What are the key elements of this preparation here and now?
All three graces have increased in quantity and quality since the happy inception of the Enterprise. Everything God is doing to prepare me is to enable me to live and realize my destiny, that is, the fulfillment of the promise of Psalm 40: 6 – 8:
"You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering, but gave me an open ear; you did not ask for burnt offering or sacrifice for sin; then I said, 'Here I am, I am coming.
In the scroll of the book it is written of me, my delight is to do your will, your law, my God, is deep in my heart." (Psalm 40 6 -8)
"Keep doing good works and sharing your resources, for these are the kind of sacrifice that pleases God." (Hebrews 13: 16)
Share your resources: time, talent and treasure.
Lord Jesus, all that I am and all that I have come from you. You are my great Shepherd. You never fail to supply me all that I need. You remind me today in this holy season of Lent to have no fear in sharing all that you have given me. I respond to you and say: Take and receive all my time, talent and treasure. Please dispose of them as you will. I no longer want to have any control over them.
"When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and is guests; so the king said to the girl, 'Ask me anything you like and I will give it to you." (Mark 6: 22)
If Herod would strain himself to keep a promise, what of God and his promises?
Yes, I can trust God. I can trust God on Hebrews 13:5. God is indeed worthy of my trust.
"Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be forever." (Hebrews 13: 8)
It is exactly the same Jesus Christ that St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. Ignatius Loyola and St. Josemaria knew that I am dealing with today. Jesus Christ is the eternal youth.
Man by contrast is in a state of constant change and evolution on the physical, spiritual, mental and economic levels of his being. I am a different man today that I was at the inception of the Enterprise. But Jesus Christ remains the same.
How can I apply this truth in my life here and now? How can I use the power of biography to manage my tomorrow? Because Jesus Christ is unchanging and constant, I know I can trust him.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." (John 3: 16)
I attended the RCIA catechesis this morning in my church and I learned the following:
"The measure of our love for God is awareness of his love for us." – Liturgy of the Hours
When I ask myself how much aware am I of God's love for me, the answer came back quickly: "Very much." God loves me so much that he gives me his Son in the Eucharist not just every Sunday but every day. The Eucharist is the gift that contains all gifts. It is the whole that makes the fraction irrelevant. I realize that it is God's miraculous grace that gives me the constant desire to receive his Son, Jesus in the Eucharist. The desire does not nor can come from me. I am unable to sustain the desire over time. I cannot create the wherewithal that makes my being before Christ a daily reality. This light has sustained me whenever doubts assail me. Mother Angelica of EWTN says: "Doubts increase our faith when we act according to our beliefs rather than our reasoning."
Thank you so much dear Father for loving me so much. Grant me the grace to respond to your love shown me daily in the Eucharist.
