Opening Prayer
I confess that I have often spent myself in “fruitless toil,” craving transient things that can never quiet my longings. Deliver me from the greed that counts what I have as nothing while coveting what is beyond my grasp. I recognize that my rest is in God alone and that no peace exists in this world apart from Thee.
I petition Thee for the “rest” that is found in Thee alone. Grant me the grace to turn away from a perverted will that seeks satisfaction in devious ways. Lead me to the “consummation of all desire” by centering my heart on Thy eternal stability.
Amen.
Matthew 5:20-24
20For I tell you, that unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. 22But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23If therefore thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee; 24Leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother: and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
St. Bernard of Clairvaux notes that “no one can ever hope to own everything,” yet we weary ourselves with fruitless efforts. Our “true rest” is in God alone. This Church Father perspective emphasizes that in the Mystical Body, we must be “emptied of all created things” to find spiritual rest. This rest is the “Sabbath of the land” celebrated in the Liturgy, where the Eucharist satisfies our hunger as “food for the soul”. Our “perverted will” must be redirected from “unreal pleasures” to the Almighty God.
Bernard observes that we “sigh for new possessions” in our greediness, losing the pleasure of what we have by coveting what we lack. He warns that we will lose everything we clutch at on the appointed day for us to die. He calls us to find the “goal” in God, where there is no disturbance.
“Discontented, we spend ourselves in fruitless toil, finding only weariness in the transient and unreal pleasures of the world… Our rest is in God alone.”
— St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Mary and the Magisterium
Mary is the “Star of the Sea” who guides us through the “tempest” of greed and ambition. The Magisterium, through the Bishop, ensures the Church remains the “Refuge and strength”. The Bishop preserves the unity of the flock by pointing away from the “transient” to the Eternal. Mary, who “pondered all things in her heart”, reached the consummation of all desire. She teaches us to take “refuge from this world” even while in the body.
- What "unreal pleasure" has recently left me feeling "weary and discontented"?
- How can I "empty" my heart of that thing today to find "spiritual rest" in God?
Closing Prayer
Father, you’ve given me so much, and yet at times I go seeking more for myself. Help me to turn my eyes back toward you.
Amen.
