Monday of the Fourth Week

Reflection

After reading this Scripture passage, I was immediately filled with an inner sense of peace. I am the type of person who is constantly worrying and reliving any negative experiences of the past. However, in this reading, it reminds us that “the things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what [God] create[d].” In other words, we should not dwell on or even mourn the sins of our past. Rather, we should learn from our sins with humility and gentleness and celebrate as we look to the future of the joyful opportunity to follow the path of God’s will. There is a great amount of comfort to think that God does not hold grudges for our past. There is also a slight amount of discomfort when we think of the blank slate in front of us that we have the ability to transform. Nevertheless, just as the responsorial psalm says: “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me,” we should rejoice in the fact that if we put God at the center of our lives, He will not abandon us. In fact, as long as we strive to follow God and reject Satan, we can be confident that God will guide us down the right path.

Prayer

Almighty God, please help us not to dwell on our faults of the past but instead, to focus on the present moment and how we can put You at the center of our lives. Help us to spread the Kingdom of God on earth and to always remember that if we praise You and reject evil, our lives will be in Your hands. Amen.

Caitlin Shea, ’16

 

Scripture

First Reading: Isaiah 65:17-21
Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-12a, 13b
Gospel: John 4:43-54

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website