“There will be those who will say to you,
luke 17:23
‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.”
Reflection
The Pharisees ask when the Kingdom of God will come, and Jesus replies that it is already among them. He then tells his disciples they will long to, but not see, the days of the Son of Man. He tells them not to listen to those who declare Jesus is here or there; before all this happens, he must suffer greatly.
There are many distractions in our world today. Not only do these distractions affect our work or family life, but they also affect our spiritual lives too. Social media, politics, sports, etc. can all distract us on numerous occasions. Jesus tells his disciples to not get distracted by those who declare Christ is here or there. In the same way, we can sometimes get steered off course from truly finding Christ by listening to too many voices.
When we are searching for Christ is our own lives, it is good to pray quietly and look interiorly first. Taking time to listen to his voice and discern his will are good practices. While it is a good thing to get advice from others about the faith, there are many voices and they can cause us to get distracted, potentially looking for Christ in the wrong places.
Instead of frantically looking and listening to others, take time to pray, reflect, and thoughtfully discern where our Lord is leading you. We don’t need to look in a thousand places to find him – he resides in our own hearts.
Saint of the Day
St. Francis Xavier Cabrini: 1850 – 1917
| “If you are in danger, if your hearts are confused, turn to Mary; she is our comfort, our help; turn towards her and you will be saved.” St. Francis Xavier Cabrini |
The Healing Word 