June 21, 2010
Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, religious
And though the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and seer, "Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes, in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers and which I sent you by my servants the prophets," they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who had not believed in the LORD, their God. 2 Kings 17:13-14
Help with your right hand and answer us that your loved ones may escape. Psalm 60:7
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye. Matthew 7:3-5
Piety
Prayer to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Patron of Youth
Help our youth today who are faced with a plague of false cults, false idols and false gods. Show them how to harness their energies and to use them for their own and others' fulfillment—which will redound to the greater glory of God. Amen.
Study
Change seems to be the common denominator that unites the message of today’s readings. In the first reading from the book of Kings, people are given a Santana-like warning: “You’ve got to change your evil ways, baby before I stop loving you...Lord knows you’ve got to change.” Matthew also relates the hypocrisy that Jesus unmasks in his followers. We have to make sure that our actions are consistent and congruent with God’s actions toward us. If we too harshly judge those around us, then God will dole out similar harsh judgment against us.
When left to our own devices, the picture painted seems to indicate that most of us are powerless to change of our own accord. We need help if we want to succeed. Psalm 60 is where we find the key to unlock the treasure of change: Give us aid against the foe; worthless is human help. We will triumph with the help of God, who will trample down our foes. Psalm 60:13-14
Action
What are you looking to change in your life? Are you guilty of passing judgment against others in a spirit of arrogance, forgetful of your own faults? What steps can you take to get over that attitude?
As Rector Phil wrote to me recently, he was struck by the words in a sermon during Mass on Corpus Christi Sunday when the preacher encouraged those assembled to “Get over you and get on with God.” He reminded me that Jesus the Carpenter can help to fix whatever in your life is causing your tripod to wobble.
Step aside and let Jesus go to work on what you need fixed. “Worthless is human help. We will triumph with the help of God.”
