Scripture for Meditation: Joshua 1:8
“Keep this book of the law on your lips. Recite it by day and by night, that you may observe carefully all that is written in it; then you will successfully attain your goal.”
Christ tells us: Matthew 5:17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and prophets. I have come, not to abolish them, but to fulfill them. Of this much I assure you: until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter of the law, not the smallest part of a letter, shall be done away with until it all comes true. That is why whoever breaks the least significant of these commands and teaches others to do so shall be called least in the kingdom of God. Whoever fulfills and teaches these commands shall be great in the kingdom of God. I tell you, unless your holiness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of God.
Padre Pio assures us: “…by reading sacred scripture and other holy and pious books we are seeking God. I point out to you the power of holy reading to lead even worldly persons to change their course and enter on the path of perfection…Who was it that won this great man [Saint Augustine] over to God? His ultimate conqueror was neither his mother by her tears, nor the great Saint Ambrose by his eloquence, but the reading of a [spiritual] book. But while Saint Augustine battled with tumultuous feelings, he heard a voice which [told him to read the scriptures]. As he read a chapter of Saint Paul, the thick darkness in his mind was dispelled…From that moment, he made a clean break with the world, the devil, and the flesh, and devoted himself completely to the service of God…Now, if the reading of holy books has the power to convert worldly men and women into spiritual persons, how very powerful must not such reading be in leading spiritual men and women to greater perfection?” Padre Pio’s Words of Hope, edited by Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti, Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, 1999.
Prayer: Psalm 119: 145-152
I call out with all my heart; answer me, O Lord; I will observe your statutes.
I call upon you; save me, and I will keep your decrees.
Before dawn I come and cry out; I hope in your words.
My eyes greet the night watches in meditation on your promise.
Hear my voice according to your kindness, O Lord; according to your ordinance give me life.
I am attacked by malicious persecutors who are far from your law.
You, O Lord, are near, and all your commands are permanent.
Of old I know from your decrees, that you have established them forever.
My thoughts: As we continue on our Advent journey this week, reflecting on the Ten Commandments, it is wise to consider that they are the foundation of our life in God. Reading them, reading about them in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, reading commentaries on them, and finding Jesus’ statements about them will help us to realize that God gave us the clear path to an earthly freedom and a heavenly existence when He outlined His plan for good living. If we come to the realization that a world which truly followed every one of these commands would be a clean, safe and peaceful place to live, then we will also see that our souls, where our true beings reside, will do the same. Padre Pio encourages us to do spiritual reading every day. The psalmist talks of pursuing God’s word at dawn and at night, the beginning and the end of the day, wrapped in the promises of God. I think that is a pretty good idea, don’t you?
Our prayer to God: It gets difficult to accuse ourselves of breaking even one of the commandments, but in truth, we break all of them at one time or another. How thankful we must be for the mercy and compassion of our Father, who desires only our salvation. “I’m so sorry Lord. Give me strength and forgiveness, and I will rise again with the dawn of tomorrow to learn and follow your word.”
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