FRIDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME JULY 8, 2022

MASS READINGS

A reading of the holy Gospel according to MT 10:16-23

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

REFLECTION

"But whoever endures to the end will be saved."

Life can be hard, harsh and lonely. Sometimes we go into our shell and avoid the world. There will be awful people we meet and have to deal with. There will be family members who find fault in our faith. People will judge our decisions and have opinions on our motives and actions. At times it might feel as if we are in the middle of one confrontation after another. The sheep, trying to live and be of service to the Lord, are in the midst of ravenous wolves

Self love can protect us from the hurts, begs for consolations, looks away from the Bitter Cup of His passion and the sharing of the Cross. But the Lord said, whoever endures to the end will be saved. So how do I want to live? In my own little world or in the tender graces and love of our Lord? Am I willing to suffer, to hurt, to work for the Lord for no other reward but to be with Him in eternity?

The Holy Spirit shows me the paths ahead for me. He will even show me the way if in silence I wait for His promptings. He reminds me that the Truth never lies, never deceives and never forgets the promises made. He beckons my soul to a union of everlasting life.

Yes, I want to go to heaven, and so I pray for that for myself and all. I must abandon my life to God and let Him take over and I not try to persist and insist in my way.

The loving and all powerful heart of God knows our circumstances and needs. We are promised that God will love and reveal Himself to the one who loves Him. He will sit us down with Him in the Kingdom of heaven. He will eat with us and we will eat with Him. That is the reward!

God Bless You