Cause of Division and Suffering
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Lord, come to my aid!”Ps. 40
Genesis clearly shows us that all evils and ruptures stem from the original rupture with God, when Adam and Eve chose to obey the devil rather than God. In doing so, they took the side of rebellion and disobedience —this rupture became the root of all the evils that followed: expulsion from paradise, confusion, disease, death… and ultimately the state of disorder (chaos) characteristic of our fallen nature.
Here we see a metaphor of the reality we still suffer daily. The rebellion of the human being against God and His wise will is what causes all disorder and consequent suffering. On a personal, ecclesial, or social level, the root of all division, rupture, unhappiness, and discomfort is being in a state of sin, of disobedience to God, of refusing to deny ourselves or to accept the daily cross and follow the path of Jesus. It is the consequence of not living united to Him, who is our Good Shepherd, and of not trusting Him unconditionally.
If we were true disciples of Jesus, we would suffer much less, for we would accept many things, even if we don’t understand them or if they don’t turn out as we wish, because we would understand that in this world we are still crossing the desert of life. And if we do not lose sight of the Good Shepherd, we will reach the land flowing with milk and honey-heaven.
As the beautiful poem of Saint Teresa says:
Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you,
God does not change. Patience achieves everything.
Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.
But whoever does not open their heart to Jesus will continue to hunger and thirst, no matter how much they try to satisfy themselves with the false paths of this world. Letting themselves be led by selfish disorder, they can never quench their thirst and become eternally unsatisfied — endless complaints and laments-because nothing is enough, everything is lacking, for the things of the world are insufficient to give the happiness that only God can give.
If we listened to Jesus and became His true disciples, we would be the happiest people in the world. By accepting any cross that comes to us each day, we would live in harmony with God, and thus also with others and with all creation. Reconciled with God, with ourselves, and with others, we would become instruments of His peace, living and making His Kingdom present in our lives.
All suffering and division come from not listening to Jesus, from not denying ourselves, from not giving Him first place-from putting our ego at the center, which is the worst tyrant, chaining us to our own whims, desires, and interests. But Christ comes to give us the freedom of the children of God, filling us with love, joy, and peace. Division is the result of those who reject the light and the truth that is Christ, for there can be no communion between light and darkness, between God and the devil… (2 Cor 6:13).
Queenship of Mary – August 22
Why do we have a feast for the Queenship of Mary?
For many of us, the language of kings and queens may seem like they belong to history or a medieval movie. Royalty have absolute authority over a kingdom and their subjects, a concept that is toreign to many of us today. While Jesus doesn’t rule a political kingdom, we honor and recognize him as the King of Kings, Lord of Heaven and Earth. To God alone belongs absolute authority over all of existence.
We may think of queens as the spouse of the king, but there is another key relationship: the king’s mother. In Biblical history, we see instances where the mother of the king is given due as a queen herself, complete with a throne! Mary’s guiding influence over her Son is seen most notably in the Wedding Feast at Cana. Mary is not Queen on her own merit. She is “full of grace” and “blessed” in “all ages” because of the reign of her Son.
Readings of the Week
Sunday: Jer 38:4-6, 8-10/Ps 40:2, 3, 4, 18 (14)/Heb 12:1-4/Lk 12:49-53
Monday: Jgs 2:11-19/Ps 106:34-35, 36-37, 39-40, 43 and 44/Mt 19:16-22
Tuesday: Jgs 6:11-24/Ps 84:9, 11-12, 13-14/Mt 19:23-30
Wednesday: Jgs 9:6-15/Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7/Mt 20:1-16
Thursday: Jgs 11:29-39/Ps 40:5, 7-8, 8-9, 10/Mt 22:1-14
Friday: Ru 1:1, 3-6, 14-16, 22/Ps 145:5-6, 6-7, 8-9, 9-10/Mt 22:34-40
Saturday: Ru 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17/Ps 127:1-2, 3, 4, 5/Mt 23:1-12
Next Sunday: Is 66:18-21/Ps 116:1, 2 (Mk 16:15)/Heb 12:5-7, 11-13/Lk 13:22-30
Observances for the Week
Sunday: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Tuesday: Saint John Eudes, Priest
Wednesday: Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
Thursday: Saint Pius X, Pope
Friday: The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Saturday: Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin
Next Sunday: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
