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The Love that Compels

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Daily Reflections

Daily Scripture, July 12, 2025

Scripture:

Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
Matthew 10:24-33

Reflection:

Sparrows are small birds found in most parts of the world.  They have a typical length of 6.3 inches and weigh a mere .85 to 1.39 ounces.  Sparrows are native to Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and a large part of Asia.  Sparrows’ intentional or accidental introduction to many regions, including parts of Australasia, Africa, and the Americas, make them the most widely populated wild bird in the world.  Jesus relates today’s gospel message in the context of the Father’s attention to sparrows: “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?  Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.”.

Jesus admonishes his Apostles in today’s gospel reading not to allow their egos to swell in the context of their ministry.  No disciple is above his teacher and no slave is above his master.  It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher and for the slave to become like his master.  This seems to imply that in the context of the love of God, no one in our society is greater than any other.  Like the sparrow, none of us can fall to the ground without the Father’s knowledge.  Jesus tells us that we are each worth more than many sparrows.

So, I ask myself in whatever circumstance I find myself, how often do I compare myself to others in my family, my Parish, my community, my workplace, etc.  When the Father looks across the entire network of people that I know and associate with, all members of his same creation, does he ever consider me better than anyone else that I know?  I know the answer to that question.  Unfortunately, all too often, my psyche tries to tell me otherwise.  We realize intuitively that God loves every person on the planet with infinite love, which means that love has no bounds.  We are all loved with that infinite love as if we were the only person that he created.  That’s why not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without God’s knowledge. 

This is not to suggest that God condones sinfulness in any one of his creatures.  In fact he advises us to turn away from the house in which the master is called Beelzebul, since, if we cannot turn away, we are inherently destined to be thrown into Gehenna.  However, even in the context of our sinful lives, God continues to love us with an infinite love.  He cannot help himself.  He is our creator, and we are members of his loving creation.  At the end of our earthly journey, if we fail to achieve heavenly glory, it is not because God did not love us for every moment of our life with such infinite love.  “Even all the hairs of your head are counted”. 

Jesus gives us strong advice about how to stay in the Father’s good graces.  “Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.  But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before by heavenly Father.  In either case, it is not for lack of God’s infinite love that we might be thrown into Gehenna.  It will obviously be because of our own sinfulness, turning away from that infinite love that will seal our fate. 

Dear Lord God, teach me to love others more than I love myself.  Let me come to realize that we are each and everyone like common and equal sparrows in your loving creation and therefore deserving of equal and abundant love. 

May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!

Bill Berger has had a lifelong relationship with the Passionist Family.  Bill and his wife, Linda, are currently leaders of the Community of Passionist Partners (CPPs) in Houston, Texas.

Daily Scripture, July 23, 2023

Scripture: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19Romans 8:26-27Matthew 13:24-43 Reflection: Wheat Out of Weeds In Our Gospel reading Jesus tells the Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat. In the parable, the enemy » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, July 22, 2023

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene Scripture: Song of Songs 3:1-4b or 2 Corinthians 5:14-17John 20: 1-2, 11-18 Reflection: While all the gospels tell of finding Christ’s tomb empty on the » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, July 21, 2023

Scripture: Exodus 11:10-12:14Matthew 12:1-8 Reflection: When I was a child, learning the ten commandments, I was taught the third commandment as “Keep Holy the Sabbath Day.  That meant going to » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, July 20, 2023

Scripture: Exodus 3: 13-20Matthew 11: 28-30 Reflection: What would you say to your child or grandchild or inquiring friend if they approached you and asked you what you thought the » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, July 19, 2023

Scripture: Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12Matthew 11:25-27 Reflection: The Bible tells us indispensable truths about God and indispensable truths about ourselves, and this is especially the case with today’s reading from Exodus. » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, July 18, 2023

Scripture: Exodus 2:1-15aMatthew 11:20-24 Reflection: It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon and for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you… This gospel » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, July 17, 2023

Scripture: Exodus 1:8-14, 22Matthew 10:34-11:1 Reflection It is easy to dismiss today’s gospel as “crazy talk” because what Jesus asks of us seems not only excessive and unfair, but downright » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, July 16, 2023

Scripture: Isaiah 55:10-11Romans 8:18-23Matthew 13:1-23 Reflection: My hope is that each person reading this is able to be more intensely conscious of God’s fertile Word always present with you and » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, July 15, 2023

Scripture: Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26aMatthew 10:24-33 Reflection: A Happy Ending Just Out of Reach We conclude today our reading of the Book of Genesis. It’s ending is the ending of the » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, July 14, 2023

Scripture: Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30Matthew 10:16-23 Reflection: I am always struck by the number of people in the Old and New Testament who respond so decisively to the call of the Lord.  » Continue Reading.

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