Wednesday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

September 18, 2019

Deacon Anthony J. Cincotta

Assistant Director for Retreat Ministry

First Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy 3:14-16

Psalm 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Luke 7:31-35 

When we read the words of today’s Gospel, Jesus offers praise to John the Baptist and identifies him ass the one who was to announce the coming of the Messiah.  However, the Pharisees and scholars of the law have rejected John and as a result rejected “the plan of God for themselves.”  Through the parable Jesus points out that having decided against God’s plan, the Pharisees rationalize their rejection of John as basically rejecting Jesus as well. 

Friends, these lines remind us of the human  tendency to find reasons to escape from the nearness, if you will, of God in our lives and “the plan of God” for us.  From the Garden of Eden to the present, the human temptation is to believe that God does not have our best interests at heart and that to surrender to Him and His plan for us is to become enslaved.  If we fear that “enslavement” we will use any excuse to keep from surrendering to His will.

“I don’t have  time to pray.”  “I don’t understand God’s plan for me.”  How can God have a plan for me when the world around me is in such chaos?”

Do we carry fears of the “plan for God” for us?  Jeremiah (29:11-14) encourages us with, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the  Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe!  Plans to give you a future full of hope.  When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you.  When you look for me, you will find me.  Yes, when you seek me with all  your heart, you will  find me with you, says the Lord, and I will change your lot.”

Question of the Day:  Do you believe God has a plan for you? 

Prayer:  Dear Jesus be my guide, be near me and stay with me.  Do not let me stray from my eternal destiny.

Prosit   

ENCOUNTERING DIVINE PHYSICIAN (Gospel of Luke 5: 17-26)

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