Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Start:

Aug 1, '11

St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church


Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

Numbers 11:4b-15
Psalm 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

Matthew 14:22-36


22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.



A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

Again Holy Scripture reminds us of something very important, namely to stop complaining and be grateful.

Being grateful doesn't mean we pretend that things are perfect but recognize that they could always be much worse and are happy they're not.

The Israelites quickly forgot that they had been delivered from Pharaoh and that the Lord had worked great wonders in their midst. All they could think of was their bellies and how much they longed for food that would please them. They were as Thoreau said,"Determined to be starved before they were hungry."

God sent them manna from heaven, and like ungrateful children, they turned up their noses wanting something better.

Are we like that, always complaining about everything, or are we mindful of the great wonders the Lord has worked for us?

If we are not, we risk falling into a serious state - forgetful of God's goodness and lacking thankfulness for it.



The Catholic Calendar
and Daily Meditation