Word to the Wise
Tuesday, October 1, 2013 - Tuesday in the 26th Week in Ordinary Time
[Zech 8:20-23 and Luke 9:51-56]In those days ten men of every nationality, speaking different tongues, shall take hold, yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment and say, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2013 ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS [The Little Flower - Virgin and Doctor of the Church]
Zechariah is prophesying about times ahead for the Jewish community returning from exile in Babylonia. It is a kind of "Happy Days are here again!" type of hope. History tells us that the period of the Second Temple had its ups and downs, depending on who the major military and political power was in the region. However, it is the power of Zechariah's words that catch my attention because they almost speak of a kind of Pentecost. "We have heard that God is with you."
I am thinking also of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, whose autobiography, THE STORY OF A SOUL, is one of the great classics of Catholic spirituality and earned her the title, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH, even though she died at the age of 24 in the Carmelite monastery. Consider the enormous number of people who have read her work and were attracted by what they saw in her simple way. People could see that God was with her and followed Jesus in Therese's words and actions. I recommend taking her by the edge of her autobiography and going with her! AMEN