Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament

Province of Saint Ann

St Ann Crown red

Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament

Province of Saint Ann

St Ann Crown red
Eymard stained glass window

Daily Eucharistic Reflections

May 16, 2023

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples he is going to the Father. He had prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” But it was not his father’s will, and he accepted that “your will be done.”

In the reading from Acts, Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown in prison. They prayed and sang hymns while other prisoners listened. What did God do? He sent an earthquake, and the prison doors swung open, and their bonds were broken.

These two instances seem inconsistent on the surface. Jesus’ prayer did not receive what he asked for, but the apostles praying got a positive and dramatic response. As I pondered this inconsistency in how these similar circumstances were answered after sincere prayer, I found an answer in divine revelation in the Roman Catholic tradition, “The Economy of Salvation.” “Economy” comes from Greek and means “management of a household” or the Kingdom of God.

I believe God loves us all, especially his son, and wants to make us as happy as possible. But his priority is to get as many to accept his Kingdom as possible. So sometimes, that means personal sacrifice. I also remember a similar circumstance with Saint Maximillian Kolbe. We might have never heard of him if God had chosen to free him through a miracle. But he was put to death by the Nazis. But now, he is an example to millions of people of personal sacrifice.

Jesus, in the gospel, points this out clearly to his apostles. “But I tell you the truth; it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. This is an example of The Economy of Salvation.

Let Us Pray:
And may you, who have already risen with Christ in baptism through faith, by living in a right manner on this earth, be united with him in the homeland of heaven. Amen (from the Easter Blessing)

 

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We are a Catholic religious congregation of priests, deacons and brothers whose mission is to share the riches of God’s love manifested in the Eucharist.

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