Todays Readings

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 11:16-19

“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

17 “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

REFLECTION: " But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

We all know of someone who refuses to sing and dance to life. In fact we probably have done that ourselves and hopefully we are on a different path now. In today's parable, the musicians are in dismay because they cannot get anyone to listen to them. No one wants to listen to the music, to wise counsel and instruction. Are we in tune with the message of the Kingdom of God.?

Christ himself gives us life. He gives us his fire of love. He never withdraws that love. But his love is demanding and once we accept it, God's love grows more in our souls allowing us to bear the fruits of this relationship. We have control whether our lives are one of uncaring vs caring, mediocrity vs excellence , or unloving vs loving. Gods gift is there but what are we doing with it? And because of our negligence in not nourishing this love, we become blind and deaf. We lose all joy and readiness of giving of ourselves . Our faith and our spiritual life grows weak because we have allowed God's love to grow cold in us.

There is, however, always a cure for every illness of the soul. God is love--He cannot contain this love and therefore shares this love with us. When we approach Him humbly and ask, He will replenish and renourish that love which we seem to have lost. God cannot hold back that which He is--Love .

How do we lose this love? Where did this journey begin that we find ourselves estranged from God. ? We allow venial sin to be insignificant. This in turn causes us to be careless in the care of our soul, justifying why it is ok to not be contrite with an " everyone is doing it" attitude. Then like a rolling stone, the more we allow ourselves to be away from God, the easier it is to gather that moss and continue rolling down that errant path.

We were 35 in my high school graduating class . For those who stayed in Laredo ,they continued on with their friendships, doing things together and growing in their knowledge and love for each other. When I go to the reunions, since I have not kept up with them, I feel disconnected and wish I had their communal sharing of their love. It is the same with God. If we put him aside, only reaching out to Him when we have a need, we will never be able to have that special relationship with Him. If we don't connect with one another we, too, will miss out in that special relationship of love for one another.

We commemorate San Juan de la Cruz or St John of the Cross today. His love for God and his ability and ease with poetry helped him express that which we long to say.....

"In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human successes, but on how well we have loved. Well and good if all things change, O Lord God, provided I am rooted in You. Where there is no love, put love -- and you will find love.” St John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul.

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God Bless