Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Intention: For all who seek roles of leadership and advocacy in society, that their hearts and minds will be open to God’s wisdom and guidance.
Today’s Gospel | Luke 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them–do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”
From the Tenth Meditation for the Time of Retreat | Saint John Baptist de La Salle
You must not be satisfied with keeping the children in your care from doing evil. You must also lead them to practice well all the good of which they are capable. Take care of this, then, and see to it that they always speak the truth and that when they want to affirm something, they limit themselves to saying that it is or is not so. Help them understand that they will be believed more readily when they use few words than when they swear great oaths, because people will consider that it is in a Christian spirit that they do not use more words.
Help them put into practice what our Lord says when he commands us to love our enemies, to do good to those who do evil to us and who persecute us and speak unjustly against us. Help them completely avoid rendering evil for evil, injury for injury, and taking revenge.
Prayer
Eternal Father, your Son called us to live our lives faithfully and virtuously. He also reminded us that we are to encourage and inspire one another to do the same. Place in us humble and caring hearts, and guide the work of our hands to serve others. Help us to be instruments of your presence to those who seek your comfort and healing. We ask this of who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.