18 Also he is head of the Body, the Messianic Community — he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might hold first place in everything. 19 For it pleased God to have his full being live in his Son 20 and through his Son to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through him, through having his Son shed his blood by being executed on a stake.
22nd Week in Ordinary TimeChrist Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Colossians 1:15)
Health experts recommend taking a five-minute break from work every hour as a way of decreasing stress and increasing concentration and productivity. Not only can breaks like these increase your productivity in the short term, but they can also improve your overall health.
If this is true for your physical life, imagine how much more true it can be for your spiritual life! So try it today. Every hour, make it a point to take a short break to refocus yourself. Maybe stretch or take a short walk; and as you’re doing it, take just one line from today’s first reading, and ponder it.
In prayer, see if one verse leaps out at you. Perhaps it’s that Jesus is the image of God; perhaps it’s that all things hold together in him; perhaps it’s that he has made peace by the blood of the cross. Or it may be something from the Gospel reading instead. Whatever it is, write it down, and keep it with you. At each hour break, take out that verse, and read it over again. If you’re near a computer, do a web search on its meaning. If you’re out working in the field, repeat the verse to yourself over and over just as you would a decade of the Rosary. If you’re surrounded by friends or co-workers, just take a quick break, and go somewhere quiet, where you can mull it over more. Try to understand the meaning of the passage better, and memorize it; or just sit quietly in God’s presence, and let the words sink into your heart.
Your doctor might call it a “five-minute stress-busting break,” but our spiritual ancestors called it “practicing the presence of God.” No matter what you call it, the benefits are undeniable. You are touching base with the Lord at regular intervals, making the effort to be aware of his presence throughout the day. As you do, you’ll get to know Jesus better, you’ll develop your “spiritual muscles” more fully, and you’ll be more aware of God’s constant presence. Even more important, you will be better equipped to handle the stresses and demands of your day because you are in touch with your heavenly Father.
“Father, help me stay in touch with you today!” Amen!
Psalm 100:(0) A psalm of thanksgiving:
(1) Shout for joy to Adonai, all the earth!
2 Serve Adonai with gladness.
Enter his presence with joyful songs.
3 Be aware that Adonai is God;
it is he who made us; and we are his,
his people, the flock in his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
enter his courtyards with praise;
give thanks to him, and bless his name.
5 For Adonai is good, his grace continues forever,
and his faithfulness lasts through all generations.
Luke 5:33 Next they said to him, “Yochanan’s talmidim are always fasting and davvening, and likewise the talmidim of the P’rushim; but yours go on eating and drinking.” 34 Yeshua said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is still with them? 35 The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; and when that time comes, they will fast.” 36 Then he gave them an illustration: “No one tears a piece from a new coat and puts it on an old one; if he does, not only will the new one continue to rip, but the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 Also, no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins too will be ruined. 38 On the contrary, new wine must be put into freshly prepared wineskins. 39 Besides that, after drinking old wine, people don’t want new; because they say, ‘The old is good enough.’”____________________________
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