Daily Reflection for Tuesday, September 06, 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/090622.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Responsorial: Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
Gospel: Luke 6:12-19
Our reflection on Tuesday’s readings:
Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12
On the Feast of Saint Lawrence earlier this month, my wife and I found ourselves in the chapel of Our Lady of Fatima retreat house. St Lawrence was the first Deacon of the Church, and we were praying the Liturgy of the Hours Evening Prayer with Archbishop Thompson along with dozens of other Deacons and their wives. Deacons must pray the Liturgy of the Hours twice daily, morning and evening. The Liturgy of the Hours is a part of our daily prayer practice and keeps us anchored in prayer. I also pray at other times, especially when I see an email prayer request from the St Monica prayer tree or the Cursillo prayer chain. But still, my Catholic guilt seeps in when I remember that Saint Paul encouraged us in 1 Thessalonians 5: 17 to “pray unceasingly.”
In today’s Gospel reading, Luke tells us that Jesus retreated to a mountain and spent the night in prayer to God. In the morning following this night in prayer, Jesus chooses his twelve Apostles. We can assume that Jesus prayed for strength and guidance in choosing the twelve. Did he fret over the inclusion of Judas Iscariot? We don’t know, but we do know he prayed through the night. Perhaps you also have prayed into the night for an ill family member or an adolescent who is out too late. But Jesus is the Son of God. He even told us that he and the Father are one. So why was Jesus praying? Was he praying to be an example to us? Or is being human in a three-dimensional world a handicap to which even the incarnate Lord was also bound? I believe that could be true, so we need to use our free will and pray, just like Jesus.
Lord, help us to pray like you until we are all one in Christ.
Peace and Blessings,
Deacon John McShea