Prayer:
Holy Jesus, draw us to yourself, gently when possible, lovingly always, and when necessary, be tough on us when we get stubborn, but please, don’t give up on us and let us go our own ways. We need you. Amen.
Bible Reading:
Luke 18:18-30
Silence:
one to two minutes
Reflection:
We are masters of self denial. It’s not that we are so well versed at denial or that we can do the mental work of redefining reality, we just find all sorts of ways of covering the realities that define us. Some choose the obvious – drinking, drugs, moral disrepute – on both sides – engagement or self-righteous avoidance; some fill their lives with activity, work, business; some act with arrogance and bravo, some are quiet and unobtrusive. But under all the surfaces, there is a reality which offends even our own sensibilities, and so we cover up in what turns out to be the “behavior of self-denial”. Usually, we either turn people off from looking under the surface, or we appear so much better than we really are. In the presence of Jesus all facades become transparent. Come to him, if you dare. The marvelous thing is, you will find unconditioned acceptance in him – the freedom to live without denial!
Action – Repentance and Creation:
Look at that list of 168 hours in your week. In noting what is there, make a list of what is not there, things that you know are valuable and important to you. Are you denying significant parts of yourself?