Reflection
The Lord heard my voice.
The Lord always hears our voices. And He always not only hears what we’re saying, but understands, too, because He understands what it’s like to be human. He understands what I’m feeling when “those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine” because Jesus, too, had stones thrown at Him from all directions, and by His own people. That’s what makes Jesus the greatest protector of them all; the Lord is “like a mighty champion” because of His humility. But does this mean we should wait in the wings and wait to “witness the vengeance [He] take[s] on them”? What does this look like?
More often than not, it doesn’t look a whole lot like anything. Not immediately, at least. We may even think at first that God doesn’t actually understand what we’re asking from Him because we don’t see any angels with swords swooping in to the rescue, but we would be mistaken. The Gospel explains that we, too, have power, which God has given us to guide us through our trials. It’s inside. Our strength—as well as the strength of persecutors—comes from God and resides within our spirits.
What happens next is up to us: we can either use our God-given power to hurl stones further and harder at those around us, or we can follow the example set by Jesus, to grow closer to God and lay stones, instead, to build the foundation of God’s kingdom on Earth.
Prayer
Lord, hear my voice, and help me listen to Yours. Help me find and use the strength that You give me each and every day.
Mackenzie Faber, ’18
Scripture
First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13
Psalm 18:2-7
Gospel: John 10:31-42
Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website
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