A reflection on the Gospel reading for October 29, 2007 (Luke 13:10-17) by Mother Maria Michael Newe, OSB.
The Gospel today teaches us that God heals anything about us that prevents us from glorifying Him. And so we learn that each attribute has its place. I think the trouble with the hypocrites came from the fact that they tried to enslave others. Bondage leads to more bondage, while at the same time, healing also spreads from one person to the next. When we don’t respond to grace, sin grips everything… I think of sin as one of those fly tapes. We get all caught up in it, and only God can un-stick us! So allow yourself to be pulled away.
Monday, October 29, 2007
God's Laborers
A reflection on the Gospel reading for October 18, 2007 (Luke 10:1-9) ), by Mother Maria Michael Newe, OSB.
Today’s Gospel talks about the laborers [bringing in God’s harvest]. We all tend to think of laborers as somehow going “out” to work. But in fact, wherever the Church is, there is the vineyard. And God calls out, asking, “who is willing to serve?” One of the definitions given for the word “labor” is “to move slowly, as with effort.” We labor in the vineyard of the heart, when the sacrifices we make become, in a sense, the Eucharist for one another. We know that the only way to make wine is to crush the grapes. We have to be crushed in order to give every drop.
When you think you have nothing left… give more.
Today’s Gospel talks about the laborers [bringing in God’s harvest]. We all tend to think of laborers as somehow going “out” to work. But in fact, wherever the Church is, there is the vineyard. And God calls out, asking, “who is willing to serve?” One of the definitions given for the word “labor” is “to move slowly, as with effort.” We labor in the vineyard of the heart, when the sacrifices we make become, in a sense, the Eucharist for one another. We know that the only way to make wine is to crush the grapes. We have to be crushed in order to give every drop.
When you think you have nothing left… give more.
Martyrdom- A Reflection on Ignatius of Antioch
On October 17, we celebrated the feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch who was one of the early Christian martyrs. Mother Maria Michael Newe, OSB (Abbess of our Community) gave us the following reflection for the feast.
We have today Ignatius of Antioch, a martyr of love. We are all called to a white martyrdom… but not everyone makes it. We are called to lay down our self-will, to try and cut it out at the roots. But it’s a deep weed. When we expose those roots, we don’t always look good.
Look to the Cross. Christ died as a criminal, the lowest of the low. He died looking very human.
Look to the Cross. Christ died as a criminal, the lowest of the low. He died looking very human.
We have a choice whether or not to accept looking like this.
We have in the reading from Terce today: “after your conversion you endured a great contest of suffering.” We all know what that’s like… one day you feel as if God were sitting right next to you, and you think, “this must be His will!” and the next day it’s all gone. That dryness is the contest of suffering. How do you get out of it? How do you know His will in dryness? Someone else will lead you. Trust the Church, trust your superiors, and trust in God’s care for you.
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