Daily Reflection – Sep 20, 2016
Tuesday 20 September 2016
First Reading: Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13
Responsorial Psalm:
Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands
Psalm 118(119):1, 27, 30, 34-35, 44
Gospel Reading: Luke 8:19-21
Today’s Saint: St Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and St Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs (Memorial)
Gospel Reading:
The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Reflection:
Lead me in the path of your commands, for in it I delight. (Psalm 119:35)
We’ve all been in situations in which we were being trained for something. Perhaps it was a new job, a lesson in school, or a military commission. In the course of our training, some commands became so internalised that we still follow them years later: “Say please and thank you.” “Stand up straight.” “Look both ways before you cross the street.” They become second nature to us.
This is how most commands work. Whether to teach us manners, good habits, or independent living skills, rules are drilled into us so that we won’t break them. We probably become thankful for them over time, but rarely would people say that they delight in commands at the moment they are given. But there’s one possible exception: guidance given by a revered mentor.
This is what makes today’s psalm so compelling. The psalmist recognises that God is the perfect mentor, the perfect parent. He understands that this divine teacher knows his strengths and weaknesses and knows how to help him along. He sees that God’s plans are only for his good, that they are lovingly designed to put him on the right path to happiness. It’s a path that he can truly delight in.
What about you? Can you see God’s love in the commands he has given? You don’t have an absentee father! Almighty God walks beside you every day; he is always ready to help and teach you and to mould you into his image. He is committed to keeping you on the right path and to showing you how to find delight in his ways.
Why does God do all of this? Because he loves you. It’s that simple. He considers you worth the time and effort.
Today, spend time thanking God for his faithfulness to you. Ask him to show you just one “command” that he wants you to delight in. Is it to serve your family? To spend time with him in prayer? To forgive someone who has hurt you? Embrace this command, confident in your Father’s power to transform you.
“Father, thank you for never giving up on me! I place myself on the path of your commands today. Teach me, mould me, and empower me so that I can find delight in your will.”
