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Friday, July 30, 2021

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St. Peter Chrysologus


Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34-37
Psalm 81:3-6, 10-11
Matthew 13:54-58

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much too much

“They were filled with amazement.” —Matthew 13:54

We want God to help us, bless us, and be there when we need Him. However, He wants us to help Him, bless Him, and be there when He needs us. We want to tell God what to do, but He wants to tell us what to do and take over our lives. That’s much more than we had in mind.

Like the people of Nazareth, we find Jesus “altogether too much” for us (Mt 13:57). If only Jesus would stay in His place, come when He’s called, speak only when spoken to, and visit occasionally...

But, no, He wants to run our entire lives and be with us constantly. We can’t go anywhere without Him tagging along. We can’t go on a date, watch TV, or even go to the bathroom without Him being there, all the time. We might feel like dwelling on sexual fantasies, committing sexual sins, or getting high. Yet with Jesus there all the time, we can’t have any “fun.”

We have no privacy. We can’t do as we please. Jesus is too much. He’s too concerned about our actions. He spends too much time with us. Twenty-four hours a day, every day, is excessive. Jesus refuses to be Lord of anything in our lives unless He can be Lord of everything.

Is He asking too much?

Prayer:  Jesus, because You died for me, I give my life to You unreservedly.

Promise:  “When you come into the land which I am giving you, and reap your harvest, you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.” —Lv 23:10

Praise:  St. Peter Chrysologus was Bishop of Ravenna during the Fifth Century. Many of his sermons have survived and can be read today. He endorsed learning as an obligation to develop God-given talents.

Reference:  

Rescript:  "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the period from June 1, 2021 through July 31, 2021. Reverend Steve J Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio January 20, 2021"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.