Daily Reflection for Wednesday, March 30 2022
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Wednesday’s readings at this link:
www.bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/033022.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Isaiah 49:8-15
Responsorial: Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18
Gospel: John 5:17-30
Our reflection on Wednesday’s readings:
“My father is at work until now, so I am at work. For this reason, they tried all the more to kill him because he not only broke the sabbath, but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.” John 5:17-18
Early childhood educators advise keeping rules for children simple and positive. Instead of saying, “Don’t run! Don’t leave toys out! Don’t lie!” (and on and on), almost everything can be covered with three simple expectations:
Be safe. Be responsible. Be respectful.
This is good for kids because everyone responds better to positive reinforcement than nagging. It’s good for teachers (and parents) because we often get so bogged down by The Rules that we forget why we made them in the first place. Opportunities to connect and learn are missed because too much emphasis is placed on blind obedience to authority.
The Jews persecuting Jesus in today’s gospel were so obsessed with and distracted by The Rules that they missed the miracle. Moments earlier, Jesus cured a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years, and they were ready to kill him. Red tape made them blind to the Son of God.
It's easy for me to be judgmental and oversimplify the situation from centuries in the future. That would also be missing the point. I get tired and cranky and “point out the speck in my neighbor’s eye while ignoring the beam in my own.” (Matthew 7:3). Fortunately, God never takes a day off. Prayerfully, I will try to spend more time in awe of and gratitude for God’s unending love and less time obsessing about inconsequential nonsense.
What is distracting you from appreciating the miracles and beauty in the unending work of God?
May God’s Peace Be with You,
Trina Wurst