Daily Reflection for Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners!
We encourage you to reflect on Tuesday’s readings at this link:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/tuesday-sixth-week-easter
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Acts 16:22-34
Responsorial: Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8
Gospel: John 16:5-11
Our reflection on Tuesday’s readings:
“Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.” Acts 16:28
In today’s verses from Acts, Paul and Silas are beaten and jailed. While they were praying and singing there is a severe earthquake that opened the jail doors and pulled their chains loose. They were freed.
But they did not flee the prison – they had compassion for the jailer who would have been executed had the prisoners escaped. They used their freedom to stay and help the jailer. The jailer became a convert due to this most eloquent demonstration of evangelizing by actions rather than by words. They used their new freedom to continue spreading the Word.
In the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, freedom from addiction and drink can be found and people find a new freedom – the freedom not to drink or use instead of being compelled to have another one. They have discovered that they can stop and think clearly. And when they do stop, they are encouraged to tell their story to others so we can help others as we have been helped.
The format of our stories is simple: we tell what we did and how it affected others and ourselves, what we did to stop, and what has happened since we stopped. Sounds like confession, doesn’t it?
What we do before this is to make a soul-searching inventory of our part in what has happened: our fears, resentments, and so on. And then we must turn our lives and problems over to GOD and ask for His guidance. It took me several years to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk. When I did do that, I found that I could finally accept my wife Gail’s dementia and listen to what GOD wanted me to do. And He answered my prayers in His way, not mine. I was accepting and at peace at last.
When we find freedom from sin, we also can choose a richer and fuller life and share that with others.
Peace,
Al Ammons
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.