Proper 18 (C, E)
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle B
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 (C)
The overall emphasis of the passages for this Sunday urges generosity toward the poor and the avoidance of imperious self-importance on the part of the rich. We shall have to ask ourselves what constitutes being rich later, but I would focus on the opening verse: ñA good name is to be chosen rather than great riches....'' I myself find that as the years go by, my history in terms of how I have treated people, especially members of my own family, increases in importance, and that so-called riches, if by that we mean excess possessions and finances over and above those needed for a meaningful life, become less important. One author likened the end of life to an airline trip. Limited luggage. Leave your home and car behind. No room for fine furniture and impressive wardrobe. Just carry-on luggage: Your love for friends and family, your kindness and generosity, your history, in other words. Your reputation. In a word, your name. These you can keep. I am fortunate. My father was a businessman widely known for his unimpeachable honesty and his kindness to everyone he met. He never made a great deal of money because he was devoid of what some cynics call a killer instinct. He just worked hard and honestly. His father was a circuit court judge in a small town in northern Indiana. When he died, the funeral director remarked that attendance at the funeral was the largest ever recorded in Jay County. To me, one of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is to leave behind a sterling reputation. Children tend to live up to those.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 35:4-7a (RC, E)
Lesson 2: James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 (C); James 2:1-5 (RC)
There was clearly a well-defined class system in the time of James. It seems to have been based mainly on material wealth, and there was a tendency on the part of the wealthy people to stick to their own kind. I have a friend who has a habit I donÍt like. When he and some of his other wealthy friends travel, they have a code word: ñNOC.'' If they enter a restaurant, for example, and one of their party says those letters, they all turn and leave. As you may guess, those letters stand for ñNot Our Class.'' They would never be found in the same restaurant as working people.
James would be appalled at my friend. Jesus would quite possibly be angered by that, if Jesus ever got angry. It happens my friend is generous with other people, which somewhat mitigates his bad habit, but James is urging that a true Christian makes every effort to purge himself or herself of such superior feelings.
What constitutes being rich? If material possessions do, then I will guess that I, along with nearly all of my readers, are wealthy. We may not feel wealthy when the VISA bill arrives, but by any reasonable world standard, we are. And we have a problem. Our society, with all its luxuries, easily leads to such self-importance. When I was serving a small church getting ready to build a larger building, our architect arrived at a meeting laughing. He said he had just come from a consultation with a young couple who were building a mansion. The man had just inherited a fortune. His instructions to the architect were these: ñI want you to design a home that is so impressive that our neighbors will know that we have more money than they do.''
Another problem we may not wish to mention but which nevertheless is real is the fact that some zealous Christians overdo their efforts to appear equal to the poor and become insufferably patronizing in the process. I had an acquaintance in seminary who was headed off to the mission field in Africa. He was an unhappy man and finally one evening, in a moment of creditable honesty, admitted that he felt low self-esteem and liked being with the very poor because it made him feel superior to them, and thus worthy in his own eyes. I donÍt condemn that man, I simply realize that like the rest of us, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Lesson 2: James 1:17-27
(See Proper 17)
Gospel: Mark 7:24-37 (C); Mark 7:31-37 (RC, E)
There are actually two sermons here. First, we find Jesus having left his home territory to visit the territory of Tyre and Sidon, as I might go to Florida to get away from the pressures of my work. Probably exhausted psychically, Jesus needed rest. But a woman comes to him asking him to heal her sick daughter. The following exchange allows for more than one interpretation. Jesus replies to her pleading by observing that it isnÍt right to take the bread from the children and give it to the dogs. Now one way to read that is to suspect that Jesus was a little bit irritated, and was telling this Gentile woman that his ministry was to the Jews. After all, havenÍt you had a call from a non-church member at a time when youÍre overwhelmed with work, asking if you do marriage counseling for non-members?
I like another interpretation in one commentary, that this was a bit of first century humor which suffers terribly in the translation. Imagine trying to tell your favorite joke to a Chinese gentleman through an interpreter.
Anyway, the woman perseveres with a bit of clever repartee of her own: ñYes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the childrenÍs crumbs.'' Now thatÍs admirable. Who knows what she would like to have said. The point is she loved her daughter dearly, and was willing to do or say whatever was necessary to save her if she could. My own guess is that Jesus would never have let her leave without helping her, and this was all friendly conversation. Anyway, if preaching on this, I would point out that the woman was willing to humble herself, was persistent in her plea, and was grateful for the final response. So, thereÍs a pattern for prayer.
The other sermon is in the latter verses, which report that Jesus, having returned to Galilee, is presented with a man who is deaf and has a speech problem. With rather strange treatment, Jesus restores the man, then asks that this fact be kept secret. That, of course was most unlikely, and the word quickly spread, much to JesusÍ credit.
I wonder about the report that Jesus wanted this healing kept secret. Perhaps Jesus was so besieged with supplicants he had no time to carry out his teaching ministry. Like the professor of surgery who has an all-day surgical schedule and begins to realize that by doing a few surgeries a day, he is prevented from training dozens of doctors from doing hundreds, perhaps someday thousands of surgeries a day. Anyone in a helping profession is familiar with the fact that the time comes when you have to say, ñNo!'' or destroy your family, your own mental health, and the work you are trying to do.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñWhatÍs In A Name?''
Text: Proverbs 22:1-2
Theme: We recall that in ancient times, a personÍs name was the very inner person himself or herself. Actually, we probably lack the vocabulary in Western culture to express adequately this idea, which still prevails in many third world cultures. WeÍre told that some tribes in Africa inscribe their names in a capsule worn around the neck, then use a different name in social interactions. Only in death is the true name to be revealed so the deity will recognize them.
Thus, to ancient humanity, a name was the person in the most total, ultimate sense. Our counterpart today has three elements: reputation, inner self-esteem, and family inheritance. A name, once lost, is almost never regained. That isnÍt to say we canÍt repent, nor to say we arenÍt forgiven. We are by God. Sometimes we are by those we may hurt. Usually, the person who finds it most difficult to forgive us is ourselves. I remember reading a book by psychologist Theodore Reich, the title of which is The Compulsion To Confess. He explains why so many criminals seem to make such stupid mistakes. ItÍs because of a subconscious need to be caught and punished.
1. Our greatest possession is our good name. Preserving it is essential for a happy life.
2. Doing so requires courage. Paul Tournier wrote: ñIt takes plenty of courage to live according to oneÍs convictions. That is why it is always difficult to break away from social conformity, to act differently from everybody else.''
3. We will, of course, suffer setbacks. None of us dares cast the first stone. But true faithfulness takes the form of never giving up the effort to live by the highest, the best that we know.
4. The reward of a faithful life is always rich in the end. It will include healthy self-regard, grateful relatives, and friends who regard you with honor. It also must surely please God.
Title: ñStruggling With Myself''
Text: James 22:1-2, 11-17
Theme: WeÍre not all alike, of course, so the struggle may be more difficult for some than for others. But donÍt we all find ourselves somewhat guilty as charged in this passage? Is there a pastor who doesnÍt feel a certain sense of pride that some high-visibility, high-status person attends his or her church? Is there not a little bit of tendency to feel impressed by successful, wealthy people? Likewise, are there not times when we must stifle judgments of some people who appear to live in poverty because they are too lazy to work? Oh, I know full well that childhood experiences of abuse, especially emotional abuse, can deprive people of motivation and self-confidence. I also know that repeated failure can cause some people to give up on life. Still, as we view those who have the courage and initiative to make something of their lives, as contrasted with those who have long since caved in, most of us have a strong tendency to make judgments accordingly.
James has warned us that we must struggle with any such tendency. I have been a little bit negative, I suppose, in suggesting above that even some people who battle on behalf of the poor are working from motives not always quite so bright and lovely as they suppose. Dr. Tournier points out that ñIn every encounter ... arguments are put forward in apparently objective and rational debate; but in reality each speaker is taking up and defending positions dictated by his instincts, his affectivity and his archetypal tendencies. Beneath the intellectual discussion we are moved all the time by fears, jealousies, childish admiration, unconscious projections.''
I once had a minister friend (whom I admired then and still do) confess that his reputation for gallant battle on behalf of the poor and the downtrodden is in part related to his own deprived childhood, and his persistent jealousy of people who have a lot of money. I can accept that because I think God prepares and raises up people for that kind of ministry, and a deprived childhood may be part of that preparation.
Because we are all sinners, we nearly all have a tendency to do the very thing James is warning against. ItÍs pointless to browbeat ourselves for a perfectly natural human inclination, and itÍs hypocritical to condemn someone else for the very thing we fight within ourselves. Better that we admit the need for battle, engage in it, accept forgiveness for failures, and do what we know is right, even when thereÍs an impulse within which leads us the other way. God will then help us. I know there was Saint Francis and a few others. IÍm not one of those, and I doubt that I know one.
Title: ñA Wise Woman Shows The Way''
Text: Mark 7:24-30
Theme: I love this story and also imagine it confuses some people when they read it. LetÍs preach on the theme. To review: Jesus was engaging in a bit of repartee with the woman, indicating that the human side of Jesus was not above a bit of fun-loving kidding around. ThatÍs how I choose to see this. It also helps us see that human side of our Lord and be reminded that his sacrifice was not only the Cross. It was the day-to-day devotion of all his resources to the people he loved. ItÍs easy to forget how tired he must have often been, and how there must have been a part of the man that would just like to go off for a yearÍs sabbatical where no one knew him. One of my busy clergy friends says there are times when he wants to tell a counselee, ñGet a life.'' But Jesus never turned anyone away. His kindness was deep and unlimited. As for the woman, she approached Jesus just as we should.
1. The woman was respectful, humble. She didnÍt take anything for granted. Yet she had complete faith that Jesus would be able to heal her child. So when we turn to our Lord, we are to do so in awesome wonder. We are to rely on what faith we have been given. But we are free to turn to him with our deepest needs.
2. The woman persevered. Maybe Jesus was testing her, wanting to be sure she was totally sincere. In any event, she was not going to give up, and Jesus respected that. Jesus taught such perseverance. Stop and think: if every time I wanted something I asked God for it and, presto, there it was, IÍd be unhealthily dependent in no time. Maybe I will have to be patient a lot longer that the woman in the story.
3. The woman was ready to accept JesusÍ response. Her child was healed. We donÍt always get that answer. People die despite fervent prayer. But if only we could see beyond the near horizon, faith tells us that whatever result our prayers produce will be better than anything we could have conceived. I fully believe that, so I can preach that.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Max Beerbohm wrote the story of The Happy Hypocrite. It was the story of a man who was totally depraved, a completely selfish man. His name is George Hell. But one day he falls in love with a young woman. In an effort to win her love, he dons a handsome mask of a saint to cover his bloated, leering face. The woman falls in love with George and they live together happily, until the day a hateful woman from George HellÍs past exposes his deception and charges him to remove the mask and reveal his ugliness. Unhappily, George removes the mask. But to his amazement, his face has become that of the saint he was pretending to be. The point, of course, is that by sincerely trying to emulate the saint he pretended to be, George Hell became a good man.
____________
Somewhere I read the fanciful tale of a young child born to a king many centuries ago. But the childÍs body was terribly deformed. After a few years of life, it became apparent the boy would always be unable to walk, always badly crippled. One day, the king ordered that all mirrors be removed from the palace. He commissioned a famous sculptor to carve a statue with a face that would be that of the boy when grown to manhood. But the statue was of a strong, healthy young athlete. It was placed in the garden, and every day the boy was wheeled there in his little chair to look upon the idealized image of himself. As the prince would look at the statue, he would try to straighten his bent back, try to stretch crippled legs, try to be as the beautiful statue.
Twenty years passed. One day a large, gold-framed mirror was brought to the palace. The prince entered the room and viewed himself for the first time. To his amazed joy, he stood tall and beautiful, just like the statue.
That, of course, could never happen in the physical world. But that story is an allegory. If we visualize ourselves as fine and good and pure, if we try to stand a little taller in our hearts each day, one day we shall discover that we have become like that picture in our minds. All of us are deformed at the start of life. Selfish striving is common to us all. But those who see in Jesus the image of the person we ourselves wish to be will one day find that we can be like him. One day.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 125 (C) „ ñThose who trust in the Lord.''
Psalm 145 (RC) „ ñI will extol you, my God and King.''
Psalm 146 (E) „ ñPraise the Lord.''
Prayer Of The Day
What a joy it will be at dayÍs end to believe that we have been faithful. Encourage us through the heat of the day, then, O Lord, that in the face of trial and temptations, we might stand firm in what you have shown us to be good and right. In ChristÍs name we pray. Amen.
Lesson 1: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 (C)
The overall emphasis of the passages for this Sunday urges generosity toward the poor and the avoidance of imperious self-importance on the part of the rich. We shall have to ask ourselves what constitutes being rich later, but I would focus on the opening verse: ñA good name is to be chosen rather than great riches....'' I myself find that as the years go by, my history in terms of how I have treated people, especially members of my own family, increases in importance, and that so-called riches, if by that we mean excess possessions and finances over and above those needed for a meaningful life, become less important. One author likened the end of life to an airline trip. Limited luggage. Leave your home and car behind. No room for fine furniture and impressive wardrobe. Just carry-on luggage: Your love for friends and family, your kindness and generosity, your history, in other words. Your reputation. In a word, your name. These you can keep. I am fortunate. My father was a businessman widely known for his unimpeachable honesty and his kindness to everyone he met. He never made a great deal of money because he was devoid of what some cynics call a killer instinct. He just worked hard and honestly. His father was a circuit court judge in a small town in northern Indiana. When he died, the funeral director remarked that attendance at the funeral was the largest ever recorded in Jay County. To me, one of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is to leave behind a sterling reputation. Children tend to live up to those.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 35:4-7a (RC, E)
Lesson 2: James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 (C); James 2:1-5 (RC)
There was clearly a well-defined class system in the time of James. It seems to have been based mainly on material wealth, and there was a tendency on the part of the wealthy people to stick to their own kind. I have a friend who has a habit I donÍt like. When he and some of his other wealthy friends travel, they have a code word: ñNOC.'' If they enter a restaurant, for example, and one of their party says those letters, they all turn and leave. As you may guess, those letters stand for ñNot Our Class.'' They would never be found in the same restaurant as working people.
James would be appalled at my friend. Jesus would quite possibly be angered by that, if Jesus ever got angry. It happens my friend is generous with other people, which somewhat mitigates his bad habit, but James is urging that a true Christian makes every effort to purge himself or herself of such superior feelings.
What constitutes being rich? If material possessions do, then I will guess that I, along with nearly all of my readers, are wealthy. We may not feel wealthy when the VISA bill arrives, but by any reasonable world standard, we are. And we have a problem. Our society, with all its luxuries, easily leads to such self-importance. When I was serving a small church getting ready to build a larger building, our architect arrived at a meeting laughing. He said he had just come from a consultation with a young couple who were building a mansion. The man had just inherited a fortune. His instructions to the architect were these: ñI want you to design a home that is so impressive that our neighbors will know that we have more money than they do.''
Another problem we may not wish to mention but which nevertheless is real is the fact that some zealous Christians overdo their efforts to appear equal to the poor and become insufferably patronizing in the process. I had an acquaintance in seminary who was headed off to the mission field in Africa. He was an unhappy man and finally one evening, in a moment of creditable honesty, admitted that he felt low self-esteem and liked being with the very poor because it made him feel superior to them, and thus worthy in his own eyes. I donÍt condemn that man, I simply realize that like the rest of us, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Lesson 2: James 1:17-27
(See Proper 17)
Gospel: Mark 7:24-37 (C); Mark 7:31-37 (RC, E)
There are actually two sermons here. First, we find Jesus having left his home territory to visit the territory of Tyre and Sidon, as I might go to Florida to get away from the pressures of my work. Probably exhausted psychically, Jesus needed rest. But a woman comes to him asking him to heal her sick daughter. The following exchange allows for more than one interpretation. Jesus replies to her pleading by observing that it isnÍt right to take the bread from the children and give it to the dogs. Now one way to read that is to suspect that Jesus was a little bit irritated, and was telling this Gentile woman that his ministry was to the Jews. After all, havenÍt you had a call from a non-church member at a time when youÍre overwhelmed with work, asking if you do marriage counseling for non-members?
I like another interpretation in one commentary, that this was a bit of first century humor which suffers terribly in the translation. Imagine trying to tell your favorite joke to a Chinese gentleman through an interpreter.
Anyway, the woman perseveres with a bit of clever repartee of her own: ñYes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the childrenÍs crumbs.'' Now thatÍs admirable. Who knows what she would like to have said. The point is she loved her daughter dearly, and was willing to do or say whatever was necessary to save her if she could. My own guess is that Jesus would never have let her leave without helping her, and this was all friendly conversation. Anyway, if preaching on this, I would point out that the woman was willing to humble herself, was persistent in her plea, and was grateful for the final response. So, thereÍs a pattern for prayer.
The other sermon is in the latter verses, which report that Jesus, having returned to Galilee, is presented with a man who is deaf and has a speech problem. With rather strange treatment, Jesus restores the man, then asks that this fact be kept secret. That, of course was most unlikely, and the word quickly spread, much to JesusÍ credit.
I wonder about the report that Jesus wanted this healing kept secret. Perhaps Jesus was so besieged with supplicants he had no time to carry out his teaching ministry. Like the professor of surgery who has an all-day surgical schedule and begins to realize that by doing a few surgeries a day, he is prevented from training dozens of doctors from doing hundreds, perhaps someday thousands of surgeries a day. Anyone in a helping profession is familiar with the fact that the time comes when you have to say, ñNo!'' or destroy your family, your own mental health, and the work you are trying to do.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: ñWhatÍs In A Name?''
Text: Proverbs 22:1-2
Theme: We recall that in ancient times, a personÍs name was the very inner person himself or herself. Actually, we probably lack the vocabulary in Western culture to express adequately this idea, which still prevails in many third world cultures. WeÍre told that some tribes in Africa inscribe their names in a capsule worn around the neck, then use a different name in social interactions. Only in death is the true name to be revealed so the deity will recognize them.
Thus, to ancient humanity, a name was the person in the most total, ultimate sense. Our counterpart today has three elements: reputation, inner self-esteem, and family inheritance. A name, once lost, is almost never regained. That isnÍt to say we canÍt repent, nor to say we arenÍt forgiven. We are by God. Sometimes we are by those we may hurt. Usually, the person who finds it most difficult to forgive us is ourselves. I remember reading a book by psychologist Theodore Reich, the title of which is The Compulsion To Confess. He explains why so many criminals seem to make such stupid mistakes. ItÍs because of a subconscious need to be caught and punished.
1. Our greatest possession is our good name. Preserving it is essential for a happy life.
2. Doing so requires courage. Paul Tournier wrote: ñIt takes plenty of courage to live according to oneÍs convictions. That is why it is always difficult to break away from social conformity, to act differently from everybody else.''
3. We will, of course, suffer setbacks. None of us dares cast the first stone. But true faithfulness takes the form of never giving up the effort to live by the highest, the best that we know.
4. The reward of a faithful life is always rich in the end. It will include healthy self-regard, grateful relatives, and friends who regard you with honor. It also must surely please God.
Title: ñStruggling With Myself''
Text: James 22:1-2, 11-17
Theme: WeÍre not all alike, of course, so the struggle may be more difficult for some than for others. But donÍt we all find ourselves somewhat guilty as charged in this passage? Is there a pastor who doesnÍt feel a certain sense of pride that some high-visibility, high-status person attends his or her church? Is there not a little bit of tendency to feel impressed by successful, wealthy people? Likewise, are there not times when we must stifle judgments of some people who appear to live in poverty because they are too lazy to work? Oh, I know full well that childhood experiences of abuse, especially emotional abuse, can deprive people of motivation and self-confidence. I also know that repeated failure can cause some people to give up on life. Still, as we view those who have the courage and initiative to make something of their lives, as contrasted with those who have long since caved in, most of us have a strong tendency to make judgments accordingly.
James has warned us that we must struggle with any such tendency. I have been a little bit negative, I suppose, in suggesting above that even some people who battle on behalf of the poor are working from motives not always quite so bright and lovely as they suppose. Dr. Tournier points out that ñIn every encounter ... arguments are put forward in apparently objective and rational debate; but in reality each speaker is taking up and defending positions dictated by his instincts, his affectivity and his archetypal tendencies. Beneath the intellectual discussion we are moved all the time by fears, jealousies, childish admiration, unconscious projections.''
I once had a minister friend (whom I admired then and still do) confess that his reputation for gallant battle on behalf of the poor and the downtrodden is in part related to his own deprived childhood, and his persistent jealousy of people who have a lot of money. I can accept that because I think God prepares and raises up people for that kind of ministry, and a deprived childhood may be part of that preparation.
Because we are all sinners, we nearly all have a tendency to do the very thing James is warning against. ItÍs pointless to browbeat ourselves for a perfectly natural human inclination, and itÍs hypocritical to condemn someone else for the very thing we fight within ourselves. Better that we admit the need for battle, engage in it, accept forgiveness for failures, and do what we know is right, even when thereÍs an impulse within which leads us the other way. God will then help us. I know there was Saint Francis and a few others. IÍm not one of those, and I doubt that I know one.
Title: ñA Wise Woman Shows The Way''
Text: Mark 7:24-30
Theme: I love this story and also imagine it confuses some people when they read it. LetÍs preach on the theme. To review: Jesus was engaging in a bit of repartee with the woman, indicating that the human side of Jesus was not above a bit of fun-loving kidding around. ThatÍs how I choose to see this. It also helps us see that human side of our Lord and be reminded that his sacrifice was not only the Cross. It was the day-to-day devotion of all his resources to the people he loved. ItÍs easy to forget how tired he must have often been, and how there must have been a part of the man that would just like to go off for a yearÍs sabbatical where no one knew him. One of my busy clergy friends says there are times when he wants to tell a counselee, ñGet a life.'' But Jesus never turned anyone away. His kindness was deep and unlimited. As for the woman, she approached Jesus just as we should.
1. The woman was respectful, humble. She didnÍt take anything for granted. Yet she had complete faith that Jesus would be able to heal her child. So when we turn to our Lord, we are to do so in awesome wonder. We are to rely on what faith we have been given. But we are free to turn to him with our deepest needs.
2. The woman persevered. Maybe Jesus was testing her, wanting to be sure she was totally sincere. In any event, she was not going to give up, and Jesus respected that. Jesus taught such perseverance. Stop and think: if every time I wanted something I asked God for it and, presto, there it was, IÍd be unhealthily dependent in no time. Maybe I will have to be patient a lot longer that the woman in the story.
3. The woman was ready to accept JesusÍ response. Her child was healed. We donÍt always get that answer. People die despite fervent prayer. But if only we could see beyond the near horizon, faith tells us that whatever result our prayers produce will be better than anything we could have conceived. I fully believe that, so I can preach that.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Max Beerbohm wrote the story of The Happy Hypocrite. It was the story of a man who was totally depraved, a completely selfish man. His name is George Hell. But one day he falls in love with a young woman. In an effort to win her love, he dons a handsome mask of a saint to cover his bloated, leering face. The woman falls in love with George and they live together happily, until the day a hateful woman from George HellÍs past exposes his deception and charges him to remove the mask and reveal his ugliness. Unhappily, George removes the mask. But to his amazement, his face has become that of the saint he was pretending to be. The point, of course, is that by sincerely trying to emulate the saint he pretended to be, George Hell became a good man.
____________
Somewhere I read the fanciful tale of a young child born to a king many centuries ago. But the childÍs body was terribly deformed. After a few years of life, it became apparent the boy would always be unable to walk, always badly crippled. One day, the king ordered that all mirrors be removed from the palace. He commissioned a famous sculptor to carve a statue with a face that would be that of the boy when grown to manhood. But the statue was of a strong, healthy young athlete. It was placed in the garden, and every day the boy was wheeled there in his little chair to look upon the idealized image of himself. As the prince would look at the statue, he would try to straighten his bent back, try to stretch crippled legs, try to be as the beautiful statue.
Twenty years passed. One day a large, gold-framed mirror was brought to the palace. The prince entered the room and viewed himself for the first time. To his amazed joy, he stood tall and beautiful, just like the statue.
That, of course, could never happen in the physical world. But that story is an allegory. If we visualize ourselves as fine and good and pure, if we try to stand a little taller in our hearts each day, one day we shall discover that we have become like that picture in our minds. All of us are deformed at the start of life. Selfish striving is common to us all. But those who see in Jesus the image of the person we ourselves wish to be will one day find that we can be like him. One day.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 125 (C) „ ñThose who trust in the Lord.''
Psalm 145 (RC) „ ñI will extol you, my God and King.''
Psalm 146 (E) „ ñPraise the Lord.''
Prayer Of The Day
What a joy it will be at dayÍs end to believe that we have been faithful. Encourage us through the heat of the day, then, O Lord, that in the face of trial and temptations, we might stand firm in what you have shown us to be good and right. In ChristÍs name we pray. Amen.
