MONDAY, NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Memorial of Saint Clare
Dt 10:12-22 Ps 147:12-15,19-20 Mt 17:22-27
LIFE’S LIKE A GARDEN!
“What does the Lord your God ask of you?” For the Israelites then and for us today, this question calls us to pause and reflect, not only on what God expects of us but also on the purpose of our existence which is, for God’s glory. The reading is not a list of demands but a loving invitation to nurture a life deeply rooted in His care.
To grasp this invitation more fully, let us imagine our hearts as a garden. The foundation of this garden is reverence, described as ‘the fear of the Lord.’ This fear can be described as a readiness to be shaped and moulded by God’s wisdom and love. Like soft, fertile soil prepared to receive seeds, our hearts must be tender and willing. Nothing good can flourish within us when pride hardens our hearts. God also calls us to walk in His ways, love Him, and serve Him with all our heart. These are not one-time actions but daily commitments, much like watering, pruning, and tending to a garden with care and patience. It is through this steady, faithful attention that our spiritual lives begin to flourish in rich and beautiful ways.
God’s commandments act as protective boundaries, like fences around a garden. They are not meant to restrict but to safeguard. When God tells us to ‘circumcise your hearts,’ He invites us to allow Him to remove the deep-rooted weeds of pride, selfishness, and bitterness so that love, humility, and faith can grow freely. We are also called to love the foreigner, remembering that Israel, too, was once a stranger in a foreign land. The mercy God has shown us is meant to overflow in our lives, producing fruit that nourishes others and extends kindness beyond ourselves. May our hearts be living gardens cultivated for God’s glory.
Response: O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!
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