October 13 - One Bread, One Body
October 13, Twenty-Eighth Sunday Ordinary Time
Cycle C Readings:
1) 2 Kings 5:14-17
2 Timothy 2:8-13
2) Psalm 98:1-4
Gospel) Luke 17:11-19
Love's ground-breaking
"Please let me ,your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the Lord " — 2 kings 5:17
When Naaman, the healed Syrian general and leper, took two mule-loads of Jewish dirt back home with him, he was literally breaking new ground in his relationship with the Lord. We too must guard against "getting in a rut" in our love for the Lord. We must always be seeking to grow more deeply in love with Him, or we put ourselves in danger of falling away from loving Him with all our hearts and becoming lukewarm (see Rv 3:16). Hosea prophesied: "Break up for yourselves a new field, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain down justice upon you" (Hos 10:12).
"Our God is a consuming Fire" (Heb 12:29), and we who are in love with Him want to be consumed by Him more and more. The Lord commands us: "Grow rather in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pt 3:18). The Lord has taught us to pray to "experience this love which surpasses all knowledge" so that we "may attain to the fullness of God" (Eph 3:19).
The nature of love is always to seek a deeper love. May we pray: "O God, You are my God Whom I seek; for You my flesh pines and my soul thirsts" (Ps 63:2), and "Your kindness is a greater good than life" (Ps 63:4). By His grace, enter a new dimension of the mystery of God, Who is Love (1 Jn 4:8).
Prayer: Father, I surrender myself to You and worship You, Who are Love (1 Jn 4:8).
Promise: "One of them, realizing that he had been cured, came back praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself on his face at the feet of Jesus and spoke His praises." —Lk 17:15-16
Praise: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory! All creation exults in Your merciful love. Alleluia!
Rescript: In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Imprimatur ("Permission to Publish") for One Bread, One Body covering the period from October 1, 2019 through November 30, 2019.
†Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, March 11, 2019.
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.