18 Jul
Thu
15th Week in Ordinary Time
Is. 26:7-9,12,16-19
Ps. 102:13-14,15, 16-18,19-21
Mt. 11:28-30
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How slow we are to learn that victory or success like salvation, lies alone with the Lord. True, we may go about life in a spirit of goodwill and yet so often still miss the point. We may go about doing good, trying our best to "raise the dead" and to "give life" without realizing that we may be doing it all with the wrong spirit. Instead of doing everything in a spirit of true humility, complete obedience and reliance on God, we go about our many good works with the cloak of pride and the spirit of control. In this way, instead of bringing about a kingdom of peace and justice, we on the one hand, oppress one another with our own ideas of what is good and right and life giving, and on the other, find our labour in vain. But this God of Love and justice sees it all and He who hears the cries and agony of every heart comes and delivers all who put their trust in Him and are ready to do His will. We have to remember it is the Lord alone who can revive those who have long been dead. God alone gives life.

The Gospel text takes on the same note. He invites us to come to Him, those of us who are heavy laden and He will give us rest. For truly it is only when we finally learn to live by His ways that we can enter rest and bring about the kingdom of peace, love and justice - the kingdom where the lion and the lamb can lie down side by side.



Lord God, help us to remember always that You alone are the source of life.

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
That artists may do all they can to help the men and women of today to discover the signs of God's providential love in creation.
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 : That artists may do all they can to help the men and women of today to discover the signs of God's providential love in creation.

The artist who can sculpt the stones of our heart to bring out the features of Christ is the Holy Spirit. However, he requires our responsiveness and docility. Conversion of heart is a work of an art jointly produced by the Spirit and our freedom.

Artists, accustomed to shaping the most diverse materials according to the inspiration of their genius, know well the daily effort required to improve their life that resembles artistic work. Through his artistic creativity the artist accomplishes the task of shaping the "material" of his own humanity and then having dominion over the universe. There is a remarkable similarity between the art of forming oneself and that which takes place in the transformation of matter.

God lets himself be glimpsed through the fascination of beauty. Artists can perceive a ray of supreme beauty among the many manifestations of the beautiful. It is then that art becomes a way to God and it spurs the artists to combine their creative talent with their commitment to a life of ever greater conformity to the divine law. Living profoundly their Christian faith, artists are encouraged to give birth to new "epiphanies" of the divine beauty reflected in creation.




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