Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons ) I should have written this little reflection two days ago when the Gospel reading was taken from Matthew (10:35-39). I did not want to. Why? I am a coward. That specific Scripture makes me uncomfortable. Does it have the same impact on you? It is another one of Jesus’ “hard sayings” and one that at times we no doubt have had difficulty following. Jesus minces no words. He intended to make us uncomfortable. First, our Lord tells us that if we love our family more than God, we are not worthy of Him. Secondly, He informs us, that it will often be our very own family members, those we love dearly, who will jeopardize our spiritual well-being and salvation by insisting that we ignore God and please them. Wow! What a reality check and challenge! None of us want familial discord. But we must serve God, putting Him first in all things, and above all individuals, even our families. We must obey Him despite ridicule an...

The little that we have – be it in material goods, time  or talents – is sufficient for God’s work if, when He asks, we would just give whatever that is to Him. See in today’s Gospel what He did with five loaves of bread and two fish! On the surface, it looked like Jesus was asking His Apostles to do the impossible – feed thousands of  people. He wasn’t. He was asking them to give Him what they had and He would make the impossible possible. God will never give us a task, no matter how daunting it may first appear, without giving us all that we need to complete it. The first step is our total surrender to, and trust in, His will for us. So let’s ask ourselves: Is there anything I am still holding on to and unwilling to give Him?