Accept and submit to the word
which has been planted in you
and can save your souls. JM 1:21
1 KINGS 11:4-13 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
You will have no part of a divided heart - we either belong wholly to You or not at all. There is no guarantee O Lord, without divine help, to remain faithful to You all the days of our lives. Solomon was blessed exceedingly in so many ways, he knew that all he had received was from God and yet this did not prevent his great fall in his old age. Only grace and humble submission to the will of God can save us.
How easy it is to fall from grace my Lord, this is why we need the Holy Spirit who can lead us, guide us, help us, and keep us rooted in You and in the Father. O Lord my God, be gracious and bless us. Hear our prayers for our loved ones. Keep our children safe in the shadow of Your love. Even should they depart from You O Lord to chase the perishable things of the world seek them O Good Shepherd until You find them and then beloved Lord and Savior carry them back tenderly and place them safely within Your fold.
Lord God, Solomon deserved to be utterly annihilated for his faithlessness to You who were so gracious and generous to him during his entire reign yet, O Lord, You are God of compassion, You do not treat us as we deserve. Despite Solomon's treachery You did not wrest the kingdom from him entirely but granted that one tribe would remain with him. Thank You, Lord, for Your goodness, Your compassion, Your love that readily forgives the repentant sinner. Grant us O Lord and all whom we pray for night and day true conversion of heart so that in the end we will all be saved.
PSALM 105(106):3-4,35-37,40 ©
They are happy who do what is right,
PSALM 105(106):3-4,35-37,40 ©
They are happy who do what is right,
who at all times do what is just.
O Lord, remember me
out of the love you have for your people.
O Lord, remember me
out of the love you have for your people.
But instead they mingled with the nations
and learned to act as they did.
They worshipped the idols of the nations
and these became a snare to entrap them.
They worshipped the idols of the nations
and these became a snare to entrap them.
They even offered their own sons
and their daughters in sacrifice to demons,
till his anger blazed against his people;
he was filled with horror at his chosen ones.
till his anger blazed against his people;
he was filled with horror at his chosen ones.
O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
MARK 7:24-30 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
My Soul's Beloved,
Today's Gospel passage for our reflection is about the healing of the daughter of a Syrophoenician woman who was possessed by a demon. You came into the territory of Tyre hoping for some time away from the great crowds whose demands on You were insatiable. But it was not to be for news of Your arrival spread everywhere. Such was the witness of the people in that place that this woman presented herself to You almost immediately after entering the house. If only we were such enthusiastic and voluble witnesses of all the wonderful things that You have done for us more people would come to believe and be saved.
On seeing You, the distraught mother fell at Your feet and begged You to cast out the unclean spirit out of her daughter. Uncharacteristically for You, You seemed impervious to her plea saying, ‘The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ Mothers whose children are suffering are not so easily put off. They will not give up praying, begging, imploring You to hear and answer. She replied saying, ‘Ah yes, sir,’ but the house-dogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps.’
Beloved, we can take heart because we know that Your heart is always moved to pity and compassion and You will hear and answer - we need to keep praying in faith, keep imploring, keep asking waiting expectantly for You to give us all we ask for and more. She was not disappointed and neither will. You were so impressed You responded, ‘For saying this, you may go home happy: the devil has gone out of your daughter.’ And just like this mother who went off to her home and found the child lying on the bed and the devil gone so too will we experience miracles when we pray sincerely, faithfully, and expectantly. We believe Lord, help our unbelief.
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