July 11, 2022

Saint Benedict

Is 1:10-17

Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. 

When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation— I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Just Try

Every now and then, the Bible offers us pretty clear-cut instruction: “… cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim …”

Really, it can’t be clearer, but how do we apply this challenge in our daily lives? Providentially, on the day I was to write this reflection, I listened to the Sons of Ignatius podcast featuring Jesuit Fathers David Lugo and Niall Leahy. The topic of the day was Catholic Social Teaching and hope, and Fr. Leahy made the comment, “God is not asking you to solve the problem. God is asking you to resist evil and work for the good.” 

And how do we do this? We try to do good in our little corner of the world. We care for the people in front of us. We defend the rights of the vulnerable. And we respond out of love, always out of love. If we do this, we still won’t be perfect, but we’ll have tried. And I think that’s all God is asking of us.

—Therese Fink Meyerhoff is the provincial assistant for communication for the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province.

Prayer

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.

Amen.

—St. Augustine of Hippo