11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) - 16 June
16th June 2024
“Know that the greatest service that man can offer to God is to help convert souls.” - St Rose of Lima
A reflection on today's scriptural readings by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J Sheen:
"We have three different ways of living, only three. One, make your own self the guide of everything. Second, follow rules and commandments. Third, make Christ the law of life.
"First, be like Narcissus, who looked into the pool, saw his own image and fell in love with it. The first way of living says, I am the rule; I’ve got to be me; I’ve got to do my thing; selfishness; egotism. As Sartre, who was the philosopher of these people said, ‘My neighbour is hell.’ Why? Because he stands opposite me.
"The second way of living is to follow the commandments and rules of life. This is a very commendable way of living, but it is very difficult to fall in love with an abstraction. Honesty is the best policy, yes. We know what is right, but we sometimes lack the power to do what is right. Since there is no person involved, it becomes rather difficult to embrace the rule of life, something that is so far away from love itself.
"That brings us to the third way of governing our lives. That is: I will try to repay Christ’s love for me by living His life. I know that He loved me, because He died for me, as if I were the only person in the world who ever lived. Because He died for me, I will do whatever He wants me to do. I will put on the Christ-mind. My actions will reflect Christ. I will speak about Him when another heart is empty. I will dream about Him. He is my dream, my love. When Christ becomes the rule of life, then His life becomes ours.
"I once asked Mother Teresa how she converted 15,000 men out of the gutters of Calcutta. ‘How, after dragging these poor mortals into your hospice could you ever evangelise them and teach them the gospel?’
"‘Well,’ she said, ‘I didn’t. When I took care of them and showed them love, I would say to them, “Would you like to hear about Christ?” And they would say, “Is Christ like you?” “No,” I would say, “but I try to be like Him.” “Then I want to be a Christian.”’ It was that simple. That is the way we should act. So that the world will, without ever hearing a word from us, know about us and what we stand for.
"When we stay close to the good Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we will see the flesh of all the poor people that we meet as an extension of the body of Christ. That outlook will come through to them. Then we will be Christians. Then we will not be in the mountain of ecstasy nor in the valley, impotent and ineffective. But we will be the kind of Christians the world is looking for."
(Through the Year with Fulton Sheen)
Prayer to Christ the King
O Jesus Christ, I acknowledge Thee as universal King. All that has been made, has been created for Thee. Exercise all Thy rights over me. I renew my baptismal vows, renouncing Satan, his pomps and his works; and I promise to live as a good Christian. In particular do I pledge myself to labour, to the best of my ability, for the triumph of the rights of God and Thy Church.
Divine Heart of Jesus, to Thee do I proffer my poor services, labouring that all hearts may acknowledge Thy Sacred Kingship, and that thus the reign of Thy peace be established throughout the whole universe. Amen. 💐💖🙏