Monday 4 July 2022
Monday of week 14 in Ordinary Time
Spiritual Reading
Your Second Reading from the Office of Readings:
Monday of week 14 in Ordinary Time
From a letter of Pope St Clement I to the Corinthians
Seek the good of all, not personal advantage
The command has been written: Cling to the saints, for those who cling to them will be sanctified. There is a passage in Scripture as well which states: With the innocent man you will be innocent, and with the chosen one you will be chosen also; likewise with the perverse you will deal perversely. Devote yourselves, then, to the innocent and the just; they are God’s chosen ones. Why are there strife and passion, schisms and even war among you? Do we not possess the same Spirit of grace which was given to us and the same calling in Christ? Why do we tear apart and divide the body of Christ? Why do we revolt against our own body? Why do we reach such a degree of insanity that we forget that we are members of one another? Do not forget the words of Jesus our Lord: Woe to that man; it would be better for him if he had not been born rather than scandalise one of my chosen ones. Indeed it would be better for him to have a great millstone round his neck and to be drowned in the sea than that he lead astray one of my chosen ones. Your division has led many astray, has made many doubt, has made many despair, and has brought grief upon us all. And still your rebellion continues.
Pick up the letter of blessed Paul the apostle. What did he write to you at the beginning of his ministry? Even then you had developed factions. So Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote to you concerning himself and Cephas and Apollos. But that division involved you in less sin because you were supporting apostles of high reputation and a person approved by them.
We should put an end to this division immediately. Let us fall down before our master and implore his mercy with our tears. Then he will be reconciled to us and restore us to the practice of brotherly love that befits us. For this is the gate of justice that leads to life, as it is written: Open to me the gates of justice. When I have entered there, I shall praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the just shall enter through it. There are many gates which stand open, but the gate of justice is the gateway of Christ. All who enter through this gate are blessed, pursuing their way in holiness and justice, performing all their tasks without discord. A person may be faithful; he may have the power to utter hidden mysteries; he may be discriminating in the evaluation of what is said and pure in his actions. But the greater he seems to be, the more humbly he ought to act, and the more zealous he should be for the common good rather than his own interest.
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In other parts of the world and other calendars:
Blessed Maria Crocifissa Curcio, Virgin
From the Letters of Blessed Maria Crocifissa Curcio
Draw from the Eucharistic Spring and communicate: that is our mission
Convey the love which you find every day in the Eucharistic Spring to all the world with your prayer and with an immense desire to save all souls. With your words and above all by your good example take possession of the pure hearts of young girls to give themselves to Him who created us to love Him above all things.
Use gentle words, inspired by Him who is immense Love; in this spirit of intimate union, the Eucharistic Jesus must always guide you in all your actions, even those which are indifferent; let your rest and your work always be guided by the Divine Light, by the Eucharistic flame which you must always carry with you. By doing this, my good and dearest daughter, you will forever maintain the intimate peace which binds you to Jesus your Spouse, and in Him reciprocally to your neighbour, thus doing immense good, filling your souls with joy, the beauty of which is not of this world, while lamenting your own helplessness.
The first disciples of the Divine Master were poor ignorant fishermen but, filled with the spirit of God, how much good did they do in the world? The purpose of Uncreated Wisdom is not the fulfilment of His designs by learned and powerful people, but by humble means in order to demonstrate to the world that He operates by means of modest instruments. If the Divine Goodness has chosen us for this arduous mission, let it not surprise us but, in admiration, let us bow our heads and with humble simplicity abandon ourselves like a child to the heart of the Father.
This was how our little yet great Therese of the Child Jesus acted when she was made Novice Mistress. She confessed her helplessness at such a difficult task, but like a child she abandoned herself to the breast of Jesus and asked Him to enable her to nourish her daughters, wishing to give to each of them by His means that which they needed: “fill my hands, and without leaving your arms I shall distribute your food to the souls who come to me asking for your treasures.” May the spirit of this admirable little saint which guides us also be our teacher that by imitating her we shall make ourselves eternal!
May Jesus speak to you intimately and bring you peace, love of the Supreme Good, and mutual charity. The spirit of contemplation from the time of the Novitiate must always be kept in the heart of our soul; we were not called to the cloistered life, but to the active life; nevertheless, a life of prayer is the spirit of our Carmelite Order, and we must nourish our union with God in order to gain strength in our actions.
Jesus in the Eucharist lives in your house day and night; you always have the Divine Spouse who enlightens you and gives you strength in prayer and, within your heart, stands among you, watches over you always and asks for your love. Love the Immaculate Host, be watchful sentinels of the Tabernacle, always keep your heart, even during your work, in adoration of the Host of Love which is closed in that little house for our love. Blessed are the souls which succeed in finding the secret of true holiness in Him who alone can make saints!
Copyright © 1996-2022 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.