September 5, 2020 Saturday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time-A

1 Corinthians 4:6-15

Psalm 145

Luke 6:1-5

The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.  Ps. 145:18

When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we respond gently.  1 Cor. 4:12

Lord, St. Paul wasn’t bragging about how he responded to difficulties and suffering. He was guiding the readers of his letter to a better way to carry their cross. In your Sermon on the Mount you described how blessed we are when insulted, persecuted and slandered because of you. You even went so far as to say we should rejoice keeping our heavenly reward in mind. Joy is not the normal human way of reacting to suffering. You have led me to understand that a blessing, prayer or kind word can stop the endless cycle of revenge, retribution and retaliation. Lord, I pray today for the grace to live like I’ve been saved. We each are so blessed with talents, opportunities and experiences that can bring us close to you. Remove any pride you find in my heart and replace it with a gentle spirit looking out for the good of those who hate me. I lift up in prayer those who are trying to tear our country apart. I ask you, dear Jesus, to rescue us from the snares of the devil and restore a love of freedom for our nation and bring us together in unity.  Amen.