Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. Psalm 19:2a

God reveals to us in Genesis 1:27 God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. In today’s gospel, Jesus uses the metaphor of a clean cup on the outside but dirty on the inside. As a child, I thought no one could see my inside, my inner thoughts and desires. As I grew older, I recognized that my parents were somehow aware of my innermost desires, giving me little pleasant surprises and sometimes unpleasant admonishments. How could they know what I was desiring? But even as a small child, I realized that I revealed myself in my actions, just as God reveals himself in his actions throughout history. We are created in God’s image and must contemplate what a great responsibility it is and the meaning it must give our lives.

In 1867, Saint Peter Julian Eymard gave a retreat for the religious in his new community. The retreat theme was on the Eucharist and Christian Perfection. During this retreat, he defined concupiscence this way: Your sensual heart does not love God; It only loves itself. Do you believe that your body likes mortification? It is an animal which sees both sides of the road bordered with all the things it covets… God wants us to be like him. That is the true meaning of being created in his image. We cannot obtain fulfillment until we make this our primary desire. This will always be a prayerful effort as we mature in our faith.

Prayer

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”