All You Need is Love (Mt 23:27) by Carmen Schmidt

27 Aug All You Need is Love (Mt 23:27) by Carmen Schmidt

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.  You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.” ~ Mt 23:27 (full readings)
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Carmen’s Reflections:  These are tough readings today.  In the first reading, Paul calls us to imitate his obedience to work.  He exhorts the Thessalonians to follow the teachings of the Apostles, of our Lord Jesus Christ.  How are we to understand this?  Do we not already work?  It seems as if we are constantly working.  As Life Runners, we stand up for the unborn every time we wear our running gear, we pray and make sacrifice for the unborn, and we help the ministries whose mission it is to help women and their children.  We may or may not be called to physically do more.  We are definitely called to do whatever we are doing with more love.  In the gospel, Jesus calls out the Pharisees as hypocrites.  Yet, I know that sometimes I am busy working on the wrong things.  I am working on my own plan, not God’s plan.  When I do that I become like the Pharisees who are like white washed tombs which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones.  The answer is LOVE.  When our bodies work, we must be filled with love on the inside.  We are called to both good works and faith – the two are inseparable.
* Carmen Schmidt is a home-schooling mother of seven children and a LIFE Runner.

Faith Challenge:  Take the time to plan your work before you execute it.  Set aside time to pray and discern God’s will so you may accomplish it with the greatest of love.

Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel..
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Our Prayers: Pray LIFE Runners Creed to End Abortion.  Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, unceasingly. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day:  St. Monica
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Faith Quote:  “Not all of us can do great things but we can do small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa
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Through Christ our Lord,
Carmen