Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.” - Psalm 119:105 

“Rather, the law of the Lord is his joy; and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever he does prospers.” Psalm 1:2-3 

Prayer: Lord, in all circumstances You give grace and increase to those who place their trust in You. Give us the grace to love you in our strengths, to not lay claim to successes that come our way nor let us be cast down under trial and distress. Help us to see how Your commands keep us firmly rooted in You and that these days whether good or ill are only a blink of an eye. Help our love to be firmly rooted in You that it may grow beyond our imaginings. Amen. 

Lord I Love Your Commands 

I love the LORD my God. He has taken captive my heart. And what I have learned over and over again is the blessing of God’s commandments.  

There may be times in our own lives where we despise rules and commands. When rules are unjustified then our despising these rules might be a reasonable response. And we would want to work toward justice. But for God His ways are perfect and just. His laws are perfect and just. They are there to help us grow. To open up the human heart that it properly prospers. God's laws help us to know the truth, to see the beauty of God’s plan.  

In our sinfulness we may see God’s law as burdensome. When we are tempted God’s law may seem like a barrier or a glass wall keeping us from what we think we want. Ah … but when we are in love with God, His commands are our foundation, our rock, the ground on which we walk. Or to use another analogy from Psalm 1 above, if we are a blessed one who meditates on the law of God, then we are like the tree planted by God. As we let the commands of God take deeper and deeper root in us, then we grow tall and strong. The more we know and love them, the more one with God we are, and the more roots we have the more stable we will be. 

This is why Jesus emphasizes paying attention to even the smallest letter of the law when He says: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” (Mt 5:17)  

Even the smallest part helps us to be united with God. Actually, if we reject the smallest letter then we act against being united with God and therefore become divided from Him. That is why Jesus gives us the second clarification in His teaching, “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 5:18-19) 

The question for today is, will you let God lead and guide you to a deeper understanding of His law, that you may grow tall and strong united with Him? 

May God richly bless you! 

-Fr. Jeremy