Humble yourself the more, the greater you are

My child,
conduct your affairs with humility,
and you will be loved
more than a giver of gifts.

Humble yourself the more,
the greater you are,
and you will find favor with God.

What is too sublime for you,
seek not,
into things beyond your strength
search not.

The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs,
and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise.

Water quenches a flaming fire,
and alms atone for sins.

(Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 -- today's first reading)

Feeling broken and that life is unfair?

"You have forgotten
the exhortation addressed to you as children:
'My son,
do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when reproved by him;
for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.'

"Endure your trials as 'discipline';
God treats you as sons.
For what 'son' is there
whom his father does not discipline?

"At the time,
all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain,
yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who are trained by it.

"So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.

"Make straight paths for your feet,
that what is lame may not be disjointed
but healed."

(Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 -- today's first reading)

How much more Mary...

And Enoch walked with God:
and he was not;
for God took him.
Gen 5:24

By faith Enoch was translated
that he should not see death;
and was not found,
because God had translated him:
for before his translation
he had this testimony,
that he pleased God.
Hebrews 11:5

And it came to pass,
as they still went on, and talked,
that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire,
and horses of fire,
and parted them both asunder;
and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
2 Kings 2:11

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said,
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
And whence is this to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For, lo,
as soon as the voice of thy salutation
sounded in mine ears,
the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
And blessed is she that believed:
for there shall be a performance of those things
which were told her from the Lord.
Luke 1:42-45

"...and if He had prepared a place in heaven for the Apostles,
how much more for His mother;
if Enoch had been translated and Elijah had gone to heaven,
how much more Mary..."
Theoteknos, Bishop of Livias (near Jericho), c. 600 A.D.

Today the Church celebrates
the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

(from a previous post)

Fear

In the long form of today’s Gospel (Luke 12:32-48), our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speaks of fear and fearful things.

He speaks good news and also what sounds like bad news.

First, the good news:

Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.

Then, the news that sounds bad and fearful.

That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations
nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely...

(Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, be merciful to me – a sinner.)

God is love and His love for us is infinite, but if we do not live faithfully in that love, when we come to stand before Him face-to-face, how painful will be that disappointment.

May God give us the grace to live His love faithfully.

The right way to live

"If you were raised with Christ,
seek what is above,
where Christ is seated
at the right hand of God.

Think of what is above,
not of what is on earth.
For you have died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, then,
the parts of you that are earthly:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and the greed that is idolatry.

Stop lying to one another,
since you have taken off the old self with its practices
and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator."

(from today's second reading Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11)

What shall we pray for this month?

The Holy Father's general prayer intention for August is for the Unemployed and the Homeless.

"That those who are unemployed, homeless, or in any serious need may find welcome, understanding, and help in overcoming their difficulties. "

His missionary intention is for Victims of Discrimination, Hunger, and Forced Emigration.

"That the Church may be a home for all people in need, opening its doors to any who suffer from racial or religious discrimination, hunger, or wars forcing their emigration. "