(a pdf copy of this article is attached for printing)
Five Important Spiritual Thoughts from the Liturgy of the Word
…and follow up for the Secular Franciscan
September 28 – October 5
1 — “Here is a true
child of Israel. There
is no duplicity in him.” (Jn 1:47)**…No
duplicity means that Nathanael was “real” and not “fake.” Is my commitment to Jesus as strong as it
should be?
2 – ”I have dealt
with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which
I cannot know.” (Job
42:3)…When
I don’t understand the Lord’s way…
3 – “When
you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’” (LK 17:10)**…Am I conducting my
life as if I were a servant to others?
4 — “And who is my
neighbor?” (The Good Samaritan) (Lk 10:29)**…Go
and do likewise, Jesus says
Extended meditation:Jesus cared about people.
The fact is documented throughout the Gospels. One time in Matthew’s Gospel, he
had retreated a while to mourn the loss of a friend. But when he saw how the
crowds seemed to be searching for something, he left his meditation in order to
help them.Jesus’s
care is often translated as “pity” or “compassion.” The derivation of the word “compassion”
presents a learning possibility. It
comes from the Latin cum patio, meaning
a feeling with the pain of someone else.
The person who possesses such a virtue, as Jesus certainly did, studies
the painful situation of another and desires to do something about it.In
real life, compassion is expressed in various ways. One notable way was exemplified by a football
coach and his words of “Maybe I can help.”
Coach Jack Lengyel was enjoying a good career as head football coach at
the College of Wooster in Northeast Ohio, and he heard about a disaster of
monumental proportions in nearby Huntington, West Virginia. The complete football team and coaches of
Marshall University in that city were killed in a tragic air accident as they
were returning from an away football game.When
Coach Lengyel read of the tragedy, he thought of the pain of the people left
behind and the pain of the University personnel in particular. Knowing that he could accomplish something,
he wrote to the University president volunteering his services, saying “Maybe I
can help.” He probably had some idea of
what it would take to carry out his words, but he was to discover great
personal cost, great resistance from the city and University, and the pains of
beginning with absolutely nothing and building a complete football
program. But he cared; he had
compassion. (Movie: “We Are
Marshall”)A
Christian generally speaking will not have the opportunity to show such care or
compassion, to be sure. But if she or he
truly understands Jesus’s words, then Coach Lengyel’s words will ring true in
their minds, “Maybe I can help.”It
is interesting to note that Jack Lengyel about 40 years later, lent his
expertise to a school in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada who suffered a similar
tragedy.Indeed,
the Christian may not know what to do, may have no idea of the amount of work
it will take, not even know where to begin.
But a true Christian will have the attitude of wanting to help
others.Wanting
to help or simply trying to care can accomplish great things.
5 — Mary has chosen
the better part and
it will not be taken from her.” (Lk 10:42)**…Have
I established a good prayer pattern in my daily life?
**
denotes one of the most important passages of the Gospel
Fr.
Mike’s website: www.frmikescully.com