21 Aug
Tue
20th Week in Ordinary Time
St Pius X, Pope
Jdg. 6:11-24a
Ps. 85:8-13
Mt. 19:23-30
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Those who truly desire to love the Lord are often profoundly aware of their smallness and insignificance. They feel inadequate in the face of the tasks the Lord assigns to them. They feel too sinful to really be His instruments in their world. If you have ever felt that way - and what honest person has not? - the two readings today have a very important lesson for you.

In the first reading, Gideon is called to be God's messenger to His people. He protests that he belongs to the most insignificant tribe, Manasseh, in all of Israel - and that even in this little tribe, his family is of no worth. But the angel of Yahweh assures him, through the miraculous burning of his holocaust, that he is God's choice for the mission, despite his insignificance.

In the Gospel reading Jesus provides a striking corrective to the angel's message to Gideon: one achieves true discipleship not despite, but because of his or her human poverty. In fact it is difficult, Jesus says, for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. Riches are a block to true freedom of spirit. Strikingly, Peter realises that Jesus' teaching poses a challenge not only to the wealthy, but to every human being. "If this is true, then who of us can be saved?" All of us are "rich" in attachments, in ambition, in self-love.



Lord, free us of our self-love so that we become true disciples of the Carpenter from Nazareth.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
The awareness that only God is the master of human life may orientate the decisions of the legislators and leaders of nations
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H    

INTENTION : The awareness that only God is the master of human life may orientate the decisions of the legislators and leaders of nations

Evidence shows with increasing clarity how policies and laws opposed to life are causing societies to decline morally, demographically and economically. The encyclical Evangelium Vitae makes the urgent appeal "that we offer this world of ours new signs of hope, and work to ensure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affirmed, for the building of an authentic civilisation of truth and love".

Thus there is no reason for a defeatist mentality which claims that laws opposed to the right of life are inevitable. On the contrary, they are a seed of corruption for society and its foundations. The civil and moral conscience cannot accept this false inevitability. The relationship between the civil and moral law deserves great attention because of the growing importance they are destined to have in the restoration of social life.

Lawmakers are asked to renew their commitment to change unjust laws that legitimise or tolerate such violence. The changing of laws must be preceded and accompanied by the changing of mentalities and morals on a vast scale. The Church cannot spare any effort nor can she accept negligence or guilty silence.




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