The heart of a holy king is in the hand of God. That means a holy king keeps his life centered within the will of God. If a king does not conduct himself in such a way that his heart senses the slightest movements of the finger of God – the Holy Spirit – he cannot be a holy king. We may not all be kings, but we must all govern our hearts and lives in a similar way. How can we become sensitive to the will of God? By daily practicing the commandments and daily listening to his Word.
Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“If you have received worthily, you are what you have received.” – St. Augustine. That is why we celebrate today the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Eucharistic mystery certainly pertains to how a divine food nourishes and transforms us without our consciously understanding how. It is also the mystery of how Christ is born in our hearts through faith and grows to full stature without our understanding how. Grace comes to the help of our human nature, making it capable of living the divine life of God – if we are willing. We become worthy of the Eucharistic bread in the same way that Mary became worthy to bear the Son of God: willingness. “Let it be done unto me according to thy Word.” Mary did not understand what would be happening to her when she consented to the Father’s Word delivered to her by the angel Gabriel. We do not understand what will happen to us when we say “Amen – so be it” to the Eucharistic Bread we receive at Mass. Our willingness – like Mary’s – does not require us to see in advance exactly where this Bread, this Word, will take us. Yet we know that it is the way of the Cross and the way of Resurrection. “A sword will pierce your heart also.”
Friday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
AMBROSIASTER:
The servant sent by the Lord does what he has to do even if he is not willing, because if he does not do it he will suffer for it. Moses preached to Pharaoh even though he did not want to, and Jonah was forced to preach to the Ninevites.
ORIGEN:
The fact that he is completely free makes Paul the exemplary apostle. For it is possible to be free of immorality but a slave to anger, to be free of greed but a slave to boasting, to be free of one sin but a slave to another.
AUGUSTINE:
It is not from the one who wills nor from the one that runs but from God who has mercy that we obtain what we hope for and reach what we desire. Esau was unwilling and did not run. Had he been willing and had he run, he would have obtained the help of God who by calling him would have given him the power both to will and to run.