Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Intention: That our Lasallian schools will continue to be places where the sinfulness of exclusion and marginalization is dispelled by the light of acceptance and respect.
Today’s Gospel | Mark 3:22-30
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
From the Meditation on Saint Thomas Aquinas | Saint John Baptist de La Salle
Your profession commits you to teach children the science of salvation, and you are bound to do this with total disinterestedness. Do you do this with the sole view of procuring the glory of God and your neighbor’s salvation? Declare to God that you will never have any other intention than that.
Prayer
Eternal Father, so often in life we choose to be guided by the things that we want even if they take us away from you. Help us to see and to accept each day the wonder of your truth. Lead us away from selfishness and hypocrisy, and help us to realize our need for faith. Teach us that your creation holds many gifts and that if our eyes and hearts are open to your presence in life, then we can learn all that we need to learn from you. We ask this of you who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.