Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 29: Year 1
Psalm 106:1to 18; Evening, Psalm 106:19 to 48
Joel 3:1-2,9-17; 1 Peter 1:1-12; Matthew 19:1to 12
“His disciples said to him, ‘If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.’ But he said to them, ‘Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given” (Matthew 19:10 and 11).
There are many people who perhaps should not marry, both men and women. Jesus himself did not marry. There is a lot of societal pressure exerted on us to get married but once we do, that same pressure is not there to help us maintain our marital relationships.
Too many young men and women are not aware of the option of monastic or, religious life – a life dedicated to the service of the Lord. It would be wonderful if brothers and sisters from monasteries and convents could have their turn in high schools and universities explaining the monastic way of life. How many young people would accept a call to this vocation rather than the military, or college, or work and marriage, or gang involvement and incarceration or perhaps too early a death?
As our Lord Jesus says, only those to whom it is given can accept such a vocation. I believe that we should make available to our young folk every possible way of honorable life, including and also beyond marriage, as they may have been given such a call. Life is not one size fits all. And our communities need the variety of all sorts of dedicated discernments.
As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 