9 Jul
Mon
14th Week in Ordinary Time
Gen. 28:10-22a
Ps. 91:1-4, 14-15
Mt. 9:18-26
How To Pray With Shalom
Home Page of Shalom
Index of This Month
 

Truly the Lord is in this spot, although I did not know it! We can say that of ourselves. The Lord is present, guiding us and providing for our needs, but we don't know it. God appeared in the mind and heart of Jacob, not in a particular spot. Jacob himself is the altar and holy place. God is within us, so the ground on which we stand is holy. In our own journey, we can look deep within ourselves and discover that heaven is not very far away at all, and neither is God. It is said that God is closer to us than our own breath and heartbeat.

The rocks in the first story are not holy, and neither is the robe of Jesus in the Gospel. Jesus tells the woman that her faith has healed her. The healing power, which we can call trust or faith, we carry within us, enabling God to heal us. That power heals the woman, as the faith of the girl's father heals his daughter. The crowd was not able to share in that because of their ridicule and disbelief. Everything that we yearn and search for is already within us, let us always search in the right place.



Lord, help me to look within for what I seek.

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 the Gospel, may be read and lived in Christian families by parents and children, so that they may bear witness to the hope of Christ
Elaboration

- END -









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

INTENTION : That the Gospel, may be read and lived in Christian families by parents and children, so that they may bear witness to the hope of Christ

Abraham and Mary received a wonderful promise from God. For both Abraham and Mary, the divine promise came as something completely unexpected. God disrupted the daily course of their lives, overturning its settled rhythms and conventional expectations. The promise seemed impossible. We must learn to walk in darkness.

Modelling ourselves on Mary, we ask her to help us look at and to listen to, to ponder and to penetrate the deep and mysterious meaning of the very simple, very humble and very beautiful appearing of the Son of God. We pray for a great renewal of faith in all the children of the Church everywhere to preach the good news to the poor. We ask her to teach us the way of humble and joyful obedience to the Gospel in the service of our brothers and sisters, without preferences and without prejudices. A deep renewal that is not just reflected in a general attitude to life, but as a conscious and courageous profession of the Creed. We ask the Holy Family to inspire all Christians to defend the family against so many present-day threats to its nature, its stability and its mission. We pray the efforts of Christians and of all people of good will to defend life and to promote respect for the dignity of every human being.




- END -