Daily Mass Readings and Daily Meditation ”The Word Among Us” ~ Friday, 25 October 2013

Daily Mass Readings and Daily Meditation ”The Word Among Us” ~ Friday, 25 October 2013

Meditation: Romans 7:18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good. 19 For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice. 20 But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. 21 I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present. 22 For I delight in God’s Torah after the inward man, 23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God’s Torah, but with the flesh, the sin’s law.(Messianic WEB)

29th Week in Ordinary Time

Who will deliver me from this mortal body? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 7:24-25)

Sometimes it’s hard to be honest with ourselves. There are some truths about us that we really don’t want to face. And one of those truths is that our good intentions are not always enough when it comes to following God’s laws. Part of us doesn’t like facing the fact that we need Jesus and his grace. We’d rather forget that our ability to be righteous or holy comes through the cross and not through our efforts or good intentions alone.

Paul provides a good dose of honesty in today’s passage. In no uncertain terms, he tells us that even though we may want to do good, we can’t if we rely only on ourselves. In fact, we find ourselves at times doing the very things we don’t want to do—the things we know aren’t right. And so we end up crying out with Paul, “What’s wrong with me?”

Of course, we know what is wrong. Sin is a very powerful force, and the simple fact of our baptism isn’t enough for us to be completely free of its grasp. Yes, God has freed us from slavery to sin. We are all a new creation in Christ, and his life in us has changed everything. But that change won’t take root and flourish in us unless we choose to yield to him and the new life he has given us. It’s only as we practice leaning on Christ and drawing our strength from his love and grace that we will find true freedom from sin, not just good intentions.

What sinful areas in your life are the most stubborn? What do you do when you become frustrated by your failures to follow God? Are you tempted to grit your teeth and try harder to fix it yourself? Don’t do it! Rather, confess the truth about yourself, and turn to Christ. Thank him in the midst of your powerlessness, and surrender to him as Paul did. Come to him, and trust him to bring this good work in you to completion.

“Father, thank you for saving me. Help me to keep trusting in your saving power.”AMEN!

Psalm 119:66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge,

for I believe in your commandments.

68 You are good, and do good.

Teach me your statutes.

76 Please let your loving kindness be for my comfort,

according to your word to your servant.

77 Let your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;

for your Torah is my delight.

93 I will never forget your precepts,

for with them, you have revived me.

94 I am yours.

Save me, for I have sought your precepts.(Messianic WEB)

Luke 12:54  He said to the multitudes also, “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens. 55  When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56  You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don’t interpret this time? 57  Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58  For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59  I tell you, you will by no means get out of there, until you have paid the very last penny.§”(Messianic WEB)

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