I know a man who is an exconvict. He came into our center for the homeless with a lot of pride. He acted like he knew it all and didn’t need guidance from anyone. He signed up but said our formation program was not for him—that there was nothing more to be molded or formed in him.

But the daily immersion in prayer, God’s Word, and the kindness and compassion of formators and staff changed him. He began to treat his enemies with love. And while the years on the streets taught him to stay tough and only look out for his own interests, he allowed God’s Word to direct his path.

Today, he serves as an inspiration in our center as one who has turned away from sin and selfishness. Just like Saint Paul in our First Reading, he speaks freely of his life’s ongoing transformation through God’s grace.

While this man seeks to restore self-worth by gaining proper employment, he has already reclaimed his identity as God’s beloved child. 

Geraldine G. Catral (ggabrielcatral@gmail.com)

reflect

Can you say that others praise God because of the transformation ongoing in your life?

Almighty God, I need You. Change me, mold, me, and help me to proclaim You in my life. Amen.

Saint Bruno, priest, pray for us. 

Paul admits the errors of his past life when proclaiming the Gospel. In fact, he uses them to his advantage by illustrating the stark difference between the old way of life and the new one under God’s grace. Let us be as brave as Paul in proclaiming the Gospel. Let us do whatever it takes to convince people of the Gospel truth and the power it has to change our lives for the better.

¹³ Brothers and sisters: You heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it, ¹⁴ and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions. ¹⁵ But when he, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, ¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me; rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus. ¹⁸ Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I did not see any other of the Apostles, only James the brother of the Lord. ²⁰ (As to what I am writing to you, behold, before God, I am not lying.) ²¹ Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² And I was unknown personally to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; ²³ they only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ So they glorified God because of me.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 139:1-3, 13-14, 14-15

R: Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

¹ O Lord, you have probed me and you know me; ² you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. ³ My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. (R) ¹³ Truly, you have formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; wonderful are your works. (R) My soul also you knew full well; ¹⁵ nor was my frame unknown to you when I was made in secret, when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth. (R)

Gospel | Luke 10:38-42

Life is a balance between activity and contemplation, so it is important for us to discover harmony between the two. We should not try to be someone we are not, because we think it might be better than who we really are. God’s grace is at work in us. Let us discover His grace and cooperate with it as best we can.

Gospel Acclamation

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.

³⁸ Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. ³⁹ She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. ⁴⁰ Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. ⁴² There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Reflect

“Action and contemplation are very close companions; they live together in one house on equal terms. Martha and Mary are sisters.” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux)

Read the Bible in one year! Read SONG OF SONGS 1 - 4 today.

Actions, Not Just Words

Jesus was praying. The disciples saw Him and observed His every move. When He had finished, they were ready with a request that apparently could not wait. They had to tell Him then and there: “Teach us how to pray.” They were apparently motivated to make that request, for they saw their Master deep in prayer.

But the rest of their request makes it more meaningful. They asked Him to teach them how to pray “just as John the Baptist taught his followers.” The Lord’s answer was immediate and to the point. He gave a total of four petitions: on bread, forgiveness from God, forgiveness for others, and temptations.

Without downplaying the words He uttered in answer to the request, I would like us to focus on what happened. First, they saw the Lord at prayer. Second, they wanted to know how to pray too. Third, they also saw the disciples of John the Baptist at prayer, taught by their leader John. They were moved, not by words but by deeds.

Last year, I saw a post about a certain pet pig named Bacon who lived for 13 years. He was separated from the litter of the sow early on as a piglet and was taken care of by a dog lover who had newborn puppies to care for. Bacon, the piglet-puppy, grew up with the puppies and imitated what he saw from his pup “siblings.” He thought he was a dog.

At the risk of sounding a little facetious, I would like to think that Bacon’s story illustrates what spiritual writers called imitation (mimesis) of Christ.

Back in the day, spiritual gurus taught us one important aspect of following Christ. They spoke of imitating Christ, becoming like Christ, and following His footsteps to Calvary onwards to glory. Mimesis is the shortest path towards holiness, following Him both in word and in deed. 

Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB 

reflection question

Which part of the Lord’s Prayer do you find most hard to live out in your life?

Pray the Lord’s Prayer now—slowly and from the heart.

Today, I pray for: ___________________________________