Daily Reflection Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

In today’s first reading, we hear the story of the serpent and Eve and how she picked the fruit from the one tree they were told to avoid. We all know how that story came out. Eve, with help from the serpent, decided she knew better. She could bend the rules. I’m not blaming Eve. Her reaction is very human and very familiar. I, all too often, am not honest with myself. I think I can get by this one time. I deserve to get what I want. I know what God says, but, really, I think this is a good decision. And, those decisions are not good decisions. I’ve often heard: Let go and let God. But that’s hard sometimes. God asks that we try. St. Ignatius has a prayer that fits this theme. I always find it a hard prayer, hard for me to surrender. It is what we are asked to do.

Suspice (St. Ignatius of Loyola)
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
My memory, my understanding and my entire will.
All I have and call my own,
You have given to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.
In the Gospel, Jesus cures the deaf man with the speech impediment and tries to do it in private. He tells people to not tell anyone. Of course, they do. I think Jesus wants the crowd and us to focus on his words, the message. I need to focus on the message. Love your neighbor as yourself. Give me only your love and grace.