GOD DOES NOT FORGET THE POOR SINNERS - 7/16/22 (Memorial of Our Lady of Carmel)
Matthew 12:14
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death.
For the full readings, click here:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071622.cfm
For more information on the Memorial of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, click here:
https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/july-16---our-lady-of-mount-carmel/
For the examination of conscience and guide to confession, click here:
https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/
For more information on how to pray the rosary, click here:
https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/the-most-holy-rosary/
Blessed Memorial of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel! God came to earth because of His love for all of us, including the Pharisees. The Pharisees were knowledgeable of the Scriptures, and they were always praying to God. And yet, despite the blessings that God gave to them, they did not recognize Him. Instead of loving Jesus back, they even planned to kill Him. This surely hurt and offends the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It's because they were wasting the mercy that God offered to them. At the same time, it's important to see that the Pharisees committed grave sin, even prior to the act of crucifying Jesus Christ.
When we look at the example of the Pharisees, we may think that we will do better if we are in their situation. But, the reality is that we may have acted like them. Our Lord bore our sins on the cross. As such, when we entertain sinful thoughts, we are hurting our Savior. When we decide, even prior to committing the act, of engaging in grave sins, His compassionate heart is deeply wounded. It is good and pleasing to the Lord for us to pray to Him and worship Him. However, there may be instances when we forget that God is present with us by committing sins. These are the times that we forget to show love to Him by obeying His commandments and following His will despite the blessings He gives to us, especially the gift of salvation.
When our Savior knew the evil thoughts in the minds of the Pharisees, He withdrew from them. This does not mean that God intentionally wants to be separated from them. Rather, by committing grave sins, they made an act that they did not want to be with the Lord. In the same way, when we are guilty of grave sins, we are pushing Jesus away from our lives. It is painful for Him to withdraw from us, but He respects our freedom. Despite our sinfulness, He still loves us, and He is patient with us. Even though He withdrew from the Pharisees, He still spoke to them through their conscience to follow Him. Jesus was waiting for them to follow Him and for them to be cured of their spiritual illnesses. This is why Jesus offers to us the sacrament of confession for us to be reconciled with Him and have a new beginning, especially after falling from grace.
Meditating on the mercy of the Lord towards us, poor sinners, will help us to be merciful towards other people. Even in our own families, there may be people who are thinking of negative things with one another. If we receive harsh words from our own family, what do we do? Let's imitate the mercy of Christ. May we tell God our feelings and our pains after seeing the sins by our loved ones. This will help us to open our hearts to be healed by Christ, and this will lead us to forgive them and be patient with them. Like Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, does nor forget us. She always prays for the conversion of sinners, and she invites us to pray for one another, especially through the rosary. Let's also discern if God is calling us to give scapulars, as promoted by Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, to our loved ones since this is one of many instruments that lead to miraculous conversions of people. Through the mercy of God and the intercession of Mary, our hearts have the hope of salvation.
Amen +
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +
May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +
Reflection by: Dominic
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