Thursday, July 2, 2009

devoted

Genesis 22:1-19; Psalm 115 I will walk in the presence of the Lord; Matthew 9:1-8

"I know now how devoted you are to God..."

This is the response of the angel of the Lord to Abraham in his willingness to do what the Lord commanded, "I know how devoted you are to God..."


As we think about that response and look in our own lives, what do we do that exhibits our devotion to the Lord.

Often times we think about what God is doing or what  we want God to do in our life, but what do we do...

John F Kennedy once posed this statement to the country, "Ask not what your country can to do for you but ask what you can do for your country," and in a similar manner God speaks to us, "ask not what God can do for us but ask what we can do for God."

What in our life reveals our devotion to the good God?

On thursday I plan on reflecting on the life of St. John Vianney for the Year of the Priest. 

Something that John Vianney grew up with was devotions to the Lord.  His family lived their life devout and seeking to please the lord. 

They would pray together every night.  They would bless their meals before they ate.  His mother, was in the habit of praying every time the clock struck a new hour; she would bless the hour with a simple sign of the cross and one "Hail, Mary."  This habit was picked up by the young John Vianney and he would carry it out the rest of his life.

His family was also very active in assisting the poor.  This also was something John Vianney would take upon himself.

It was the habit of devotion seen in his parents, especially his mother, that encouraged John Vianney on the path of holiness in responding to God's call in his life. 

We should never under estimate the power of small acts of devotion.  In them God sees how devoted we are to him and our hearts and our wills slowly become conformed to His. 

In our acts of devotion, we learn to be true to the one who is true to us.

Words to remember
"When the heart is pure, it cannot help loving, because it has found the source of love, which is God himself." John Vianney 

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