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Browsing Reflections Archive

May 6, 2021

Daily Reflection for Thursday May 06, 2021
 

Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,

We encourage you to reflect on Thursday's readings at this link:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050621.cfm 

If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Acts 15:7-21
Responsorial:  Psalm  96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10
Gospel: John 15:9-11

Our reflection on Thursday’s readings:
Remain in my love.  (John 15:9)

If I was able to efficiently count how many decisions on any given day, I wonder what that number would be?  It seems as soon as my eyes open to greet the morning, my mind races and the decision-making process begins.  Some are automatic and very subtle and, on some days, those decisions are life changing.

I receive such strength from today’s Gospel. Jesus continues to provide insightful wisdom to His disciples as they continue following Jesus.  Jesus simply states, remain in my love.  Jesus suggests a simple approach that when followed, the disciples are able to stay in right relationship with themselves, their neighbors and with God.  “Remain in my love”-- a powerful message in four words.  A mantra in discerning daily decisions.

I just finished a book club on the topic of forgiveness.  In one of the sessions, the facilitator asked, “In which garden do you spend more time?”  The choices were between a garden that is planted in good soil and a garden that is planted on dried land.  In my journal, I drew a picture of a garden.  I didn’t divide it or label them as good-soil-garden versus bad-soil-garden.  I just drew one garden; in that garden, there is good soil and there also exists a patch of dried soil.  As I reflect on my days in my journal, this image helps me assess where I spend most of my day.

There are so many decisions in my daily life that I know are grounded in good soil.  They are decisions that are rooted in God’s love.  Yet I must admit, there are decisions that I make that are rooted in dried land.  Decisions are often made, distant from the love that Jesus tells me to remain in, in today’s reading.  I don’t live in two gardens, a good garden or a bad garden.  I live in one garden with so many decisions to make in a given day.  Jesus, the Master Gardener, guides me in my daily decisions as I tend to my garden.  And as I remain in God’s love throughout the day, I am keenly aware that I stay longer on the side of the garden that produces good fruit.

May you remain in God’s love as you make decisions today,

Margarita Solis Deal

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