May 22 2024 5 mins
Thursday 7th week in ordinary time "Mk 9:41-50"
"For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea ... For every one will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." It is a great consolation, Lord, that everything we do for You – no matter how little - will be rewarded. Something as small as a cup of water, My Jesus, will never be forgotten by You. One cold winter's day, when St Martin was a young soldier, he met a shivering beggar in rags. As he had nothing to give him he took his sword and divided his cape in two, giving half to the beggar. That night in a dream he saw Jesus covered with half of his cape... It is not a valid excuse to say that we can only give a little. As St Teresa of Calcutta said, "If you can't feed a hundred... then feed just one." In actual fact, what we can do for the others is usually very little. The great deeds of the saints were, very often, a large number of little deeds. Venerable Pope John Paul I taught: "I have never had an opportunity to throw myself into the waters of a rushing stream to save someone whose life was in danger; very often I have been asked to lend something, to write letters, to give simple little directions. I have never run into a mad dog in the street; on the other hand, I have encountered any number of tiresome flies and mosquitoes; I have never had persecutors who beat me, but many people disturb me by speaking loudly in the street, by turning up the volume of their TV, or even by making certain noises while eating soup. To help others as best you can, to avoid losing your temper, to be understanding, to keep calm and smiling on these occasions (as much as possible!) is loving your neighbour, without fancy talk, but in a practical way." And all that will never be forgotten by Our Lord who will reward us as if we did it to Him. That's the salt of Christians: when we can help, we do help. Even if it is a little thing. Because there is nothing little for God. Our Lady, how many times you helped your friends and neighbours! Mother, teach me to serve!
"For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea ... For every one will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." It is a great consolation, Lord, that everything we do for You – no matter how little - will be rewarded. Something as small as a cup of water, My Jesus, will never be forgotten by You. One cold winter's day, when St Martin was a young soldier, he met a shivering beggar in rags. As he had nothing to give him he took his sword and divided his cape in two, giving half to the beggar. That night in a dream he saw Jesus covered with half of his cape... It is not a valid excuse to say that we can only give a little. As St Teresa of Calcutta said, "If you can't feed a hundred... then feed just one." In actual fact, what we can do for the others is usually very little. The great deeds of the saints were, very often, a large number of little deeds. Venerable Pope John Paul I taught: "I have never had an opportunity to throw myself into the waters of a rushing stream to save someone whose life was in danger; very often I have been asked to lend something, to write letters, to give simple little directions. I have never run into a mad dog in the street; on the other hand, I have encountered any number of tiresome flies and mosquitoes; I have never had persecutors who beat me, but many people disturb me by speaking loudly in the street, by turning up the volume of their TV, or even by making certain noises while eating soup. To help others as best you can, to avoid losing your temper, to be understanding, to keep calm and smiling on these occasions (as much as possible!) is loving your neighbour, without fancy talk, but in a practical way." And all that will never be forgotten by Our Lord who will reward us as if we did it to Him. That's the salt of Christians: when we can help, we do help. Even if it is a little thing. Because there is nothing little for God. Our Lady, how many times you helped your friends and neighbours! Mother, teach me to serve!