A Daily Dose of God - Offered by Dcn. George Kelly

                    A Reflection based on Chapter 14 in St. Luke’s Gospel

“On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.  In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.  Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”  But they kept silent; so, he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him.  Then he said to them, “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”  But they were unable to answer his question.”

Pope Francis is famous, and he openly loves Jesus Christ.  So, does God answer Pope Francis’ prayers with more yeses than our prayers?  No!  Prayer is essentially about preparing our heart to hear God’s Word and do God’s Will!  Jesus asks, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath?”  The obvious answer is yes!  Why do the Pharisees remain silent?  Because they had lost the focus of the prayer life, which was not about God, but about them.

 

In the book “Chariots of Fire” - Eric Liddell’s 1924 Olympic race was scheduled for Sunday.  He would not and did not run, because of his belief in keeping holy the Lord’s Day.  Thirteen years later, as a missionary in China [1937] he was captured by the Japanese army and placed in a prison camp.  Young people, in the camp, formed a soccer league to help occupy their time.  They played their first game on a Sunday and Eric was asked to officiate – he refused because of his belief in keeping holy the Lord’s Day. 

A fight broke out during the game and the following Sunday he was there to officiate the game.  Eric learned to do God’s Will not Eric’s Will.

 

St. Francis de Sales tells us, “Live in such a manner that one will recognize clearly in you a person who loves God with his whole heart….” (Sermon in a Sentence, p. 114)

Have you learned to pray to God and to trust in God; Pope Francis learned that lesson, Eric Liddell learned that lesson, however, the Pharisees did not learn that lesson.

 

I pray that you and I strengthen our prayer life by praying more faithfully to the Lord who loves us and listening more openly to what the Lord wants us to do.  If we do that our life will be richer and more fruitful!

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

 

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

 

May God Be Praised!