Thought of the Day

To those who seek you, Christ Jesus, you give peace of heart. This peace is there, close at hand, in the compassion with which you regard each of our lives.

Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch

Romans 4:13, 16-18

Psalm 105:6-7, 8-9, 42-43

L uke 12:8-12 "And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; (9) but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (10) And every one who speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. (11) And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; (12) for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

Meditation by Don Schwager

W hat is the unforgivable sin which Jesus warns us to avoid? Jesus knows that his disciples will be tested and he assures them that the Holy Spirit will give them what they need in their time of adversity. He warns them, however, that it's possible to reject the grace of God and to fall into apostasy (giving up the faith) out of cowardice or disbelief. The scriptural expression to deny someone means to disown them. Jesus also speaks against blaspheming the Holy Spirit. What is blasphemy and why is it reprehensible? Blasphemy consists in uttering against God, inwardly or outwardly, words of hatred, reproach, or defiance. It's contrary to the respect due God and his holy name. Jesus speaks of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin. Jesus spoke about this sin immediately after the scribes and Pharisees had attributed his miracles to the work of the devil instead of to God.

A sin can only be unforgivable if repentance is impossible. If someone repeatedly closes his heart to God and shuts his ears to his voice, he comes to a point where he can no longer recognize God even when God makes himself known. Such a person ends up perceiving evil as good and good as evil (Isaiah 5:20). To fear such a sin, however, signals that one is not dead to God and is conscious of the need for God's grace and mercy. There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who refuses to accept God's mercy by repenting of wrongdoing, rejects the forgiveness of their sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. God gives grace and help to all who humbly call upon him. Giving up on God and refusing to turn away from sin and disbelief results from pride and the loss of hope in God.

What is the basis of our hope and confidence in God? John the Evangelist tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Jesus' death on the cross won for us our salvation and adoption as the children of God. The love and mercy of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit are freely given to those who acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Is your hope securely placed in Christ and his victory on the cross?

"Lord Jesus, you are my hope and salvation. May I trust you at all times and rely on your grace in times of testing and temptation. Let the fire of your Holy Spirit burn in my heart and fill me with a consuming love for you."

Supplementary Reading

lITTlE oNES

Whoever receives this child in my name receives me. – Luke 9:48

V incent lumbered up to me with a smile. He looked at the swing and made an unintelligible sound that seemed to mean, “Please take me there.” He sat there for the rest of the morning, happily swinging and giggling.

Vincent is a child with Down Syndrome, one of 72 children I met at the Missionaries of Charity’s Home of Joy in Tayuman, Manila. When I talked to Sr. Trinidad, their Mother Superior, I learned that the congregation tries to follow Mother Teresa’s exhortation not to do fund campaigns for their community’s needs but to rely only on providence. I ommented how ironic it was that, despite how Mother shunned it, she became a media personality. Sr. Trinidad answered, “Ah, but that was God’s work, not hers. She became even more famous than those who did fund campaigns.”

In retrospect, I realize the Lord indeed takes care of His own. Despite the challenges they face, the congregation continues in their work, providing for the needy children and their families in various areas of the country, even as far-flung as Basilan.

God loves chidren and “little ones,” those who keep the trusting simplicity of little kids. Would God find that in us when He looks at our hearts?Joy Sosoban

REFLECTION:

The soul is healed by being with children. -- Fyodor Dostoevsky

Lord, soften my hardened heart and make it like a little child’s — full of trust and faith in You.