16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) - 23 July
23rd July 2023
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) - 23 July
“In all your deeds and words, you should look upon this Jesus as your model. Do so, whether you are walking or keeping silence, or speaking, whether you are alone or with others. He is perfect and thus, you will be, not only irreprehensible but praiseworthy.” - St Bonaventure
A reflection on today's readings by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J Sheen:
"What does the Holy Spirit do to us? It unifies our lives. The Spirit takes possession of the intellect so that we possess the truth of Christ, of the will, so that we have His power, which is grace, and of the body so that it becomes the temple of God. It unifies all our activity. Without the Spirit, we are disjointed, disunited.
"The best psychological explanation of man that was ever given is in the seventh chapter of Romans. Could it have been an autobiography of Paul? We do not know. But this is man without the Holy Spirit. The words I, me, my, myself are used at least thirty times in chapter seven of Romans. ‘We know that the law is spiritual, but I am not. I am unspiritual. I do not even acknowledge my actions as mine. For what I do is not what I want to do but what I detest. But if what I do is against my will’, and so forth. I, I, I. Me, me, my. Myself. Utter confusion. Then he ends the chapter by the invocation of the Spirit.
"In chapter eight, which is about the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, the personal pronouns are used only about three or four times. The I disappears. The psychic, neurotic difficulties of our modern age are due to the effects of the Satanic and the demonic, the disruption of pattern and form. Those who are at peace are so because the Spirit is drawing all the parts of humanity together.
"To illustrate the change the Spirit brings about in us, I think of a boy that I once knew. He would not comb his hair, wash behind his ears, clean his fingernails, or come to the table with clean clothes. When he went out the door, he always slammed it. One day he came down, hair combed, clean clothes, hands well-washed, and clean behind the ears. His parents could not understand it. They had begged, coaxed, pleaded, and bribed to no avail. And when he went out the door, he closed it gently. He had met Suzie. There was a new principle introduced into his life. This is precisely what the Holy Spirit does for us. It is a love principle. Therefore it will result in a kind of spiritual impulsiveness to do good. A man who loves a woman, for example, will not give her a ring of tin instead of gold, because the gold represents a sacrifice. When we love, the Spirit inspires us, because we are possessed by love to that which we would never do from reason. That is one of the reasons, too, why the love of the Holy Spirit is something that will prompt us to pray every day in reparation for the sins of the world." (Through the Year with Fulton Sheen)
Prayer for the Indwelling of the Spirit
Holy Spirit, powerful Consoler, sacred Bond of the Father and the Son, Hope of the afflicted, descend into my heart and establish in it Your loving dominion. Enkindle in my tepid soul the fire of Your Love so that I may be wholly subject to You. We believe that when you dwell in us, You also prepare a dwelling for the Father and the Son. Deign, therefore, to come to me, Consoler of abandoned souls, and Protector of the needy. Help the afflicted, strengthen the weak, and support the wavering. Come and purify me, Let no evil desire take possession of me. You love the humble and resist the proud. Come to me, Glory of the living, and Hope of the dying. Lead me by Your grace that I may always be pleasing to you. Amen. 💖💐🙏
Food for thought
In all things look to the end and how you will appear before God. Nothing is hidden from Him; neither will He accept bribes, nor receive excuses. He will judge all things rightly and truly. What answer will you give God, Who knows all your evil deeds? Provide for that day of judgement now when your tears and sighs are heard and your sorrow and repentance acceptable. No sin will be without its proper punishment. Be sorry for your sins now so that on the day of judgement you may be secure in the company of the blessed. Great will be the confidence of the poor and the humble, while the proud will tremble with dread. Every devout person shall be joyful, while the irreligious will be sad. Therefore, learn to suffer small trials now in order to be saved from greater ones. If you can endure so little pain now, how will you stand everlasting torments? If you lose your patience over a small suffering now, what will the fires of hell do hereafter? You cannot have two heavens: it is impossible to enjoy yourself here and afterward to reign with Christ. All is vanity except loving and serving God. Those who love God with their whole hearts need not fear death or punishment, judgement or hell; for perfect love is a sure path to God. Therefore, strive to mirror Christ in all aspects of your life.