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Morning Offering given
God of grace, in the story of creation,
you made the earth a garden
and entrusted it to us to till and to keep.
A place of peace and beauty
where we could walk with you.
In the story of redemption,
the one who died for us was buried in a garden,
and there you raised him up
to greet us with new hope and risen life.
In the story of the Church
you tend us as a garden,
a place of careful pruning and abundant harvest,
where we can work with you.
Meet us, we pray
in all the gardens where we go
for nourishment, refreshment and prayer,
through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity demonstrates great faith in her dyiing words, “I am going to the light, to love, to life.” Lord, comfort me with the knowledge that you are waiting for us all and at death will reunite me with those I love.
Today’s Scripture reading Romans 13:1-7
1 Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God.a
2 Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves.
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear to good conduct, but to evil.b Do you wish to have no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will receive approval from it,
4 for it is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the evildoer.c
5 Therefore, it is necessary to be subject not only because of the wrath but also because of conscience.d
6 This is why you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Pay to all their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, toll to whom toll is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.e
Interesting ponder today…
Noah’s Ark held 8 people; Noah & Emzara (Naamah), Shem & Sedeqetelebab, Ham & Ne’elatama’uk, Japheth & Adataneses. There are 8 blood types in today’s world A Neg (universal platelet type) & Pos (2nd largest); B Neg (rare) & Pos (important for disorders); AB Neg (rarest) & Pos (universal recipient); O Neg (universal donor) & Pos (most common). Just a little tidbit to ponder.
My friend Siobhan posted this today it is from betweenmasses. I thought it well worth the share
The foolish virgins weren’t enemies of the Bridegroom. They weren’t protesting the wedding. They actually wanted to be there. They believed He was coming. And yet, they were shut out.
That should make us a little nervous.
We Catholics can spend remarkable amounts of time discussing how to receive Communion, which direction the priest should face, whether a particular hymn is appropriate, and whether the guitar at the 10:30 Mass constitutes a legitimate reason to contact the bishop.
These things matter. How we worship God matters. But none of them can substitute for loving Him.
There is a terrifying possibility: we can become experts in everything surrounding Christ while neglecting Christ Himself.
St. Augustine saw something profound in the oil. He understood it as charity: the love of God dwelling within us, not merely the outward appearance of religion.
The lamps were visible. The oil was hidden.
You can look devout. You can know your theology. You can defend the Church brilliantly. You can even do good works for entirely the wrong reasons.
And still lack the charity that gives those things life.
Then comes the most frightening moment in the parable. The door closes.
And the Bridegroom says:
“Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.” (Matthew 25:12)
Notice what He doesn’t say.
“You didn’t know enough theology.”
“Your parish used the wrong incense.”
“You failed to identify three liturgical abuses before the Gloria.”
He says He doesn’t know them.
Imagine reaching the end of your life and discovering that you had spent decades defending Someone you had barely spoken to.
That you had argued passionately about the proper way to worship Him, but rarely sat quietly in His presence.
That you had corrected countless strangers on the internet, but struggled to forgive the one living in your own house.
And perhaps that’s the final irony.
The foolish virgins had everything necessary to appear ready for the Bridegroom.
Except what was necessary to meet Him.
As it turns out, not everything labeled “essential” is.
Matthew 25:1-13
Know you are prayed for.
