All the Guardian Angels

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

Baruch 4:5-12,27-29
Psalm 69:33-37
Matthew 18:1-5,10


A reflection on today's Scripture:

It appears that the most important, basic truth humanity refuses to learn is that we are not our own. Insistence on autonomy, fueled by pride, perpetuates human suffering, drives people to claim ascendancy over God by ignoring or harming His messengers, human and angelic, sent to guide us or warn us of danger.

Trying to become our own gods, we break the bond of love between ourselves and the One who created us to live in Him. Once separated from Him, our souls languish; we cease distinguishing right from wrong. As world conditions show, apart from God's life, we increasingly are dealing death to one another.

Lovelessness creates classes, divisions; and since most prefer to follow the world's elite, they despise the lowly, obedient servants of God. Ears grow deaf to God's couriers, and should their voices dare become insistent, speak irrefutable truths, those threatened silence them by destroying reputations and even lives.

Christ, the divine King, was sent by the Father to re-establish the love relationship between Himself and humanity. An exemplar of humility, Jesus came as a lowly child. His acceptance of rejection, torture and death while still loving and forgiving us, stands in stark contrast to the perennial acts of hatred and unforgiveness we humans commit against one another.

Heavenly Father,
continue sending your holy messengers to chasten and enlighten our errant hearts.
Amen.

- Marie L. Bocko OCDS