The Feast of St. Mary Magdalen

Lectio Divina for July 22, 2024

Read II Corinthians 5:15

He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Meditation

The society and the culture in which we live tends to emphasize the individual. "Be all that you can be!" "Go for the gusto!" Employment that is service oriented does not attract many young people today. This is not only so for the consecrated men and women of the various religious orders or the ordained men who pursue the priesthood. For instance, hospitals are in need of nurses and certified nursing assistants. 

So when St. Paul that Jesus died for us so that we might no longer live for ourselves, his message does not play well. This line from the Second Letter to the Corinthians is quoted in the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer. (Because of its length, it is not used as often as the Second and Third Eucharistic Prayers.) After reviewing God's plan of salvation, the prayer makes the point that Jesus redeemed us so that we might serve one another. On the night before he died, he washed the feet of his disciples, a task that would have ordinarily been performed by a servant. It is his example that St. Paul has in mind when he makes this point to the members of the Church in Corinth.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, give me a heart devoted to serve others, to place my needs second and the needs of others first. Fill my heart with gratitude for all that you have done for me. Amen.

Contemplate