Piety
Dear Lord, you don’t abandon your people. You are especially close to the children, the poor, prisoners, widows, orphans, and sinners.
Although our culture of death wants to cast off those who are a burden, you tell us to love everyone and everything. Even our enemies. Even murderers.
As always, Lord, you don’t ask us to take the easy way out. You are the way, the truth and the light. The hard way. The difficult truth. The hidden light. Help us to turn down your path. Help us to accept the truths we would rather ignore. Help us to see your light shining on a hillside.
Give us the wisdom of your children. Amen.
Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071906.shtml
Will the axe boast against him who hews with it?Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it? Isaiah 10:15
You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned. You have revealed them to the childlike. Matthew 11:25
Jesus turns the tables again today.
While the wise and the learned, the scribes and Pharisees, have rejected Jesus' preaching and the significance of his mighty deeds, the childlike have accepted Him. Acceptance depends upon the Father's revelation, but this is granted to those who are open to receive it and refused to the arrogant. Jesus speaks of all mysteries because he is the Son and there is perfect reciprocity of knowledge between him and the Father; what has been handed over to him is revealed only to those whom he wishes.[1]
For many years our parish boasted an overflowing Children’s Liturgy where parents and teachers went away from Mass with elementary school-aged children to help them listen and understand the readings at their own level. Children were the lectors, reading from the Hebrew Bible, Psalms, and the Second Reading. It was always an amazing thing to watch and listen to the children grapple with the readings and to listen to them pray without ceasing. Listening to the many prayers of the young faithful offered before we re-joined the full congregation for the Offertory was so uplifting.
What has the Lord hidden from your wisdom? What have you rejected? Do we reject him for better investment portfolios? Do we reject him for a bigger house? Do we reject him for a better job, a nicer car or fancy boat?
Such an interesting phrase that Matthew used – “All things have been handed over to me by my Father.” He used the same phrase to describe the actions of Judas in handing over Christ to the Roman officials. To whom or what have you been tempted to hand over Christ?
Mercedes Benz? Accura? Infinity? Caddilac? Ford? Toyota?
ExxonMobil? Shell? BP? Hess?
Safeway? Giant? SFW? Price Costco?
JC Penney Co? Hecht’s? Lord and Taylor? (how ironic!?)
Movado? Timex? Omega?
Oh Lord! Won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?!
Action
Accept the message of love that Jesus shares today. The Lord will not abandon His people.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,nor abandon his inheritance;But judgment shall again be with justice,and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
The Lord will not abandon Brandon Hedrick, Lisa Crider and their families. There will be a prayer vigil for them at the grotto at the St. Mary of Sorrows Historic Church on Thursday night. July 20, 8:45-9:15pm.
Brandon Hedrick is scheduled to be electrocuted by the Commonwealth of Virginia that night. Lisa Crider was his victim. Before then, there is still time to flood Governor Tim Kaine’s e-mail with requests to commute Hedrick’s death sentence to Life Without Parole and to enact an immediate moratorium on executions.
Issues in the case of Brandon Hedrick: Unresolved claim of mental retardation, incompetent court-appointed trail attorneys and withholding of mitigation evidence by prosecution.
“Why do people kill people who kill people to show people that killing people is wrong?” asks a San Quentin, Calidornia death row chaplain.
According to Virginians Against the Death Penalty, Brandon Hedrick faces execution on July 20, 2006 for the killing of Lisa Crider. He confessed to the crime when questioned by police upon his arrest. Trevor Jones who masterminded the robbery and murder and put the gun in Bandon’s hand got life in prison.
VADP says that Brandon, who has always been labeled as “slow,” has yet to undergo a comprehensive evaluation for mental retardation even though his IQ level places him in the category of mild mental retardation. He, like so many indigent defendants, is the victim of incompetent court appointed counsel. One of his attorneys is on record as stating, “We did not meet to seriously discuss trial strategy until one business day before trial.” Mitigation evidence not presented at trial includes a family history of substance abuse, vulnerability to the influence of others, repeated suicide attempts, school records and borderline intelligence. For news articles on this case go to: http://www.vadp.org/news.htm.
Please contact Gov. Tim Kaine and ask him to commute Brandon’s sentence to life in prison. Emails messages can be sent via the Governor’s website at http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm.
[1] http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew11.htm#foot14
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