June 14
Our Lady of the Wayside
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Gospel: Matthew 9:36-10:8
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| Photo created by Google AI Image Creator. |
He looked at the crowd, and
His heart broke. The gospel says He saw them troubled and abandoned, like sheep
with no shepherd, and something moved inside Him that could not look away.
Then He turned to His
disciples and said, The harvest is abundant. The workers are few. Ask the
master to send workers into the harvest.
He didn't just feel it. He
did something about it.
God said to Moses on that
mountain, I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. God carried
them, every step and through every mile of the desert. Every impossible moment. I
was underneath you the whole time.
And Paul said it plainly to
the Romans, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Yes, while we were
still a mess, He was already on the cross for us. That is love with no
conditions and no fine print.
My heart breaks for the
people around me who are so shackled to this world, its things, its money, its
power, its lust, its endless noise, that there is not one moment available for
God the Father or Jesus His Son. He has blessed so many tremendously in a
variety of ways, and so many couldn't care less. I pray for them daily, and I
think about them often. And closer to home, I pray for my own children every
single day. They were raised in a deeply Catholic home, all cradle Catholics.
All were brought up surrounded by faith and rosaries and the love of Our Lady. And
somewhere along the way, it became too much. They pulled back. I always hoped my
influence would draw them closer to the Lord. Instead, I think I overwhelmed
them. That is this father's quiet heartbreak that never fully goes away. All I
can do is pray, love them completely, and trust that the seeds planted in their
childhood don't die; they just take longer than we hoped to bloom.
Our Lady stood at the foot of
that cross and watched the harvest of her Son's love poured out for every
single soul that would ever live, including the ones who walked away. Her heart
broke, too. It still does. And she still intercedes for every lost sheep by
name.
Yes, every single one.
Something to sit with today:
Is there someone in your
life, a child, a friend, a family member, whose name you need to bring back to
the Lord today? Someone you hope draws closer to Jesus.
It could be someone all
tangled up in the noise and distraction of success and wealth. Success and wealth
often become their god. If they have been so richly blessed, they could
help people, families, ministries, and communities. Sadly, most protect and keep a
tight grip on their riches. Let us keep these people in our prayers and ask our
Lord to soften their hearts and help them to see how much good they can do.
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
