Without cost you are to give July 13

Let us pray: Jesus we are overjoyed to meet you face to face. Yet how quickly do we turn our back on you to meet someone else at the party. The more we acquire, the farther we get from you. The material girls and boys get tied to the material world.

Help us to turn back to you like moths attracted to the light. Help us to leave behind our nets and fishing boats and jump into the sea to reach you like Peter.

Prune us in this life so we will be freed to return to you and pursue your mission of piety, study and action to serve you and the world. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071306.shtml

“The more I called them, the farther they went from me.” Hosea 11:2

“Take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted.” Psalm 80:15-16

“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Matthew 10:8


How oh how do we repair what we have broken? How do we return to the loving Savior whom we have turned our back on time after time?

How do we repair relationships taken for granted?
Relationships with family?
Relationships with friends?
Relationships with you?

The more we receive, the more we want.
The more we want, the farther we depart from the mission.

We are Prodigal. Give me must become forgive me.

Without cost we have been for-given. Without cost we are to for-give.

Repair comes through reconciliation. Forgiveness is the first step on the journey to return to the Lord who never ceases to call us and love us.

Reconciliation comes from the Lord who will care for our vine. We are the branches. Attend to us, your branches. Care for your vine means that you will prune us.

Pruning is life.
Pruning is prayer.
Pruning is work.
Pruning is study.

As we serve one another through love, we serve the Lord. Each act of love is a step back toward His loving embrace. Each service to others brings a new bud sprouting on our vine of life, growing toward you. Closer.

Thank you for not turning your back on us.

Thank you for the power to heal our wounded relationships.

Action

Take a spin over to the “Why Forgive?” site located at http://explorefaith.org/forgive/index.html.