Rejoicing in the Word of God

The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday, Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest & Doctor of the Church, 30 September 2021
Nehemiah 8:1-4, 5-6, 7-12  ><]]]]*> + ><]]]]*> + ><]]]]*>   Luke 10:1-12
Photo by author (2017), mosaic at the Chapel of St. Jerome beneath the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem where the saint had lived and died in 420; many years later, his bones were transferred to the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
What a blessed Thursday 
you have given us today, 
our dear loving God the Father
as we celebrate the Memorial 
of St. Jerome who taught us that
"ignorance of the scriptures is
ignorance of Jesus Christ".
In him we find hope and consolation
to tame our cantankerous attitudes
in this age of too much means of 
communication that lead to more  
quarrels and division than peace and unity;
give us the grace, O Lord
that like St. Jerome we may assiduously
pray, study, and most of all, live 
the Sacred Scriptures so we may be emptied 
of our many impurities to be filled with
your humility and kindness.
How wonderful that on this day
the first reading describes to us the 
great joy your words have brought to
your exiles upon their return to Jerusalem;
let us give the proper respect due to your
words, dear God, for they are life!

Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people: “Today is holy to the Lord your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep,” for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our Lord. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!”

Nehemiah 8:9-10
Bless us your priests, Father,
who are supposed to be men of the Word
according to Vatican II that we may
"enflesh" your holy words like Jesus
the eternal Word who became flesh
so that indeed, as your Son had said 
in today's gospel, people would pray
for more laborers in the field than
anything else to feed their hunger
and thirst for meaning in this life.
Amen.

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