Day 18 - Sunday

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

What an encouragement we have in today’s Mass readings, and the Gospel commentary by St. Maximilian Kolbe, great champion of the Immaculata!

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Commentary - Saint Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941) - Unpublished spiritual conversations
“Their hearts are far from me”

The interior life is primordial… The active life is the consequence of the interior life and has no value unless it depends upon it. We should like to do everything to the best of our ability, perfectly. But if it isn’t linked to our interior life it is to no purpose. All the value of our life and activity stems from our interior life, the life of love for God and the Virgin Mary, the Immaculate: not in theories or sweetness but in the practice of a love that consists in the union of our will with the will of the Immaculate Virgin.

Above and over all we must deepen this interior life. If it is truly a case of spiritual life then supernatural means are required. Prayer, prayer, and prayer alone is what is needed to undertake the interior life and its flowering. Interior recollection is necessary.

Let us not be anxious about unnecessary things but gently, peacefully, let us try to preserve recollection of spirit and be attentive to God’s grace. That is why silence helps us. (Underlining is mine for emphasis)

As our journey through this first week is coming to an end tomorrow, how grateful I am to Jesus speaking in the Gospel and for His faithful St. Maximilian encouraging us to hear and do as Jesus tells us. The second reading from St. James also tells us to be doers of His Word and not hearers only. God is Faithful. He has continued to reveal Himself to mankind from the beginning and even when our first parents were unfaithful to Him, God remains Faithful – His Love endures forever.

Today is the Lord’s Day, so let us spend more time in silence to listen to Him that we might hear from Him what we need of true self-knowledge. Seeing in faith whatever is opposing His work in us, let us renounce whatever faults He reveals to us and repent with true contrition and purpose of amendment. Let us trust in the power of God to bring us continually into His Light that we may cooperate with all the graces He gives. Let us, by His grace, depend on the Holy Spirit to bring us into the complete Truth of Jesus and see in Jesus and Mary how we are to live on this earth. Litany of the Holy Spirit HERE

Mary, our Mother, intercede for us that we may be completely open to the Holy Spirit’s work in our sanctification. In the silence of our hearts, let us hear God’s Truth and keep His Word-- Jesus-- as you did. By His grace, may we learn to be Meek and Humble of Heart as Jesus is and as you learned from Him. True knowledge of ourselves will bring us to our knees. Lend us your Heart, Mother, to receive Jesus in Holy Communion today. Ave Maris Stella HERE Litany of Our Lady HERE