6 Oct Fri 26th Week in Ordinary Time St Bruno, priest Job 38:1, 12-21, 40:3-5 Ps. 139:1-3, 7-10, 13-14 Lk. 10:13-16 How To Pray With Shalom Home Page of Shalom Index of This Month        In today's readings, we are cautioned about our insensitivity to God's ongoing labours in our lives. Fettered by his sufferings, Job is unable to discern God's provident hand. Job is reminded that it is not Yahweh who has forgotten him but it is he who has failed to recognise God's presence. Similarly, Jesus rejects those who are blinded by their social conditioning and who refuse to see God in Him.     Today, we too suffer from the blinding influence and conditioning of contemporary social forces. Contemporary societal forces sway us to place our security on material wealth and on our own efforts to seize control of our lives. We crave for increasing dominion over our environment. We strive to create and control our lives independent of God. Just like Job and the Jews of Jesus' time, our present day desire to be in charge blinds us from an appreciation of God labouring for us everyday.     How much of an important role does God play in the decisions I make to direct my own life? Am I able to recognise His labours for me everyday?      Lord, help me to be attentive to Your presence in my life journey. DAILY OFFERING Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen. PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH INTENTION That young married couples may be sustained by the example and assistance of their parents and other families MORE
- END - P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H     INTENTION : That young married couples may be sustained by the example and assistance of their parents and other families The testimony and help that parents and other families must offer to sustain young married couples finds its place in the ambit of post-matrimonial pastoral care. Parents and other families are the most suited to offer this assistance to young spouses because clearly they have lived personally the values which they must transmit. These parents show faithfulness through living in the best possible way the commitments assumed during their marriage. One could ask, but why is it necessary for young couples to be sustained by the testimony of their parents and other families? The answer is, because today there are many negative attitudes which scandalise and discourage young people. Being new to the condition of matrimonial life they need advice, encouragement, moral support, correction and prayer. They cannot be left alone or abandoned in this phase of their lives. Couples need to take advantage of the wealth of the experience and wisdom of their parents. "The pastoral action of the Church must be progressive, also in the sense that it must accompany the family, following it step by step in the various stages of its formation and development," (Familiaris Consortio n65, 69). - END -