What a comfort it is this way of love! You may stumble on it, you may fail to correspond with grace given, but always love knows how to make the best of everything; whatever offends our Lord is burnt up in its fire, and nothing is left but a humble, absorbing peace deep down in the heart.
--St. Therese of Lisieux
TODAY'S READINGS
THURSDAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Lectionary: 337
Jas 2:1-9
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality
as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person with shabby clothes also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say, “Sit here, please,”
while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,”
have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?
Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?
But you dishonored the poor.
Are not the rich oppressing you?
And do they themselves not haul you off to court?
Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?
However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well.
But if you show partiality, you commit sin,
and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Responsorial Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Alleluia John 6:63c, 68c
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mk 8:27-33
Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
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PREFERENCES OR FAVORITES?
Do you prefer some people over others? Sure! We prefer those who bring out the best in us. We prefer those who make our lives easier more than those who cause us grief. We prefer those who come to us bearing gifts and favors and special advantages.
Using the example of wealth, today's first reading points out that favoritism is a sin. But favoritism is not the same as having preferences. Preferences are natural; even Jesus had his preferences. He pulled Peter and James and John aside to join him privately on the mountain of his transfiguration and in the garden of Gethsemane.
Favoritism is more than a preference. Favoritism denies love to those who are not favored.
St. Teresa of Avila wrote: "For the love of God, keep free from partialities however holy they may be ... they are like poison ...." She explained that favoring a friend prevents us from loving everyone equally and unconditionally. "These friendships rarely serve to forward the love of God" (from "The Way of Perfection", Chap. IV,5).
James reminds us of Christ's command to "love your neighbor as yourself." The poison of favoritism is the toxin of not loving everyone equally. Special friends are good to have -- and necessary. Jesus embraced Peter, James and John as his closest friends. But when we deliberately ignore the needs of those who are not in our circle of friends, excluding them from our gift of love, we are committing the sin of favoritism.
The easiest way to learn what God's love for us is like is by experiencing unconditional love from close, Christ-centered friends. But as helpful and holy as good friendships are, to grow in holiness we must extend our love to others -- to those we prefer not to be with, who are outside our circle of preferred companions -- and we should make sure that we treat them with the same generous caring as we have been giving to those on the inside.
This goes against our natural desires. We need to continually ask the Holy Spirit to advise us on how be balanced. How much time should we give to our dear friends? Is there someone else who could benefit from our love and attention? How can we best serve them without neglecting our own genuine needs?
When we're truly trying to love everyone equally, our open attitude will attract many to us. They will see an example of what God's love is really like, and Jesus will embrace us as close friends. He already loves you as much as he loved Peter, James and John. Now become someone he prefers.
Today's Prayer
To follow You, Lord, is a battle I must fight every day, but I want no other battle than this one. Your love is the award, the victory, and my reason for living. Amen.
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The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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