Daily Gospel Reflection for June 1, 2016 - St. Justin

Today's Gospel: Mark 12, 18-27 - St. Justin, Martyr

Jesus said, “Are you not misled because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” This was the problem for the Sadducees in today’s Gospel passage, and it is often the issue for us today. How well do we really know Sacred Scripture? Have we truly experienced the power of God in our lives? The two are intimately linked. There is no better way to experience God in our lives than by reading His own words, than by reading the Word.

St. Justin, whose feast day is celebrated today, said that Christ’s words “possess a terrible power in themselves [and] are sufficient to inspire those who turn aside from the path of rectitude with awe; while the sweetest rest is afforded those who make a diligent practice of them.”

There is both power and peacefulness in the words of Christ. If we want the power of God to manifest in our lives, we have to know who God is! We must be diligent in studying Scripture because our God “is not God of the dead, but the living,” and He wants us to be alive and on fire for Him and His Word. Sacred Scripture must animate our lives. If it doesn’t, we risk falling into the error of the Sadducees who grounded all of their beliefs in this earthly world.

How many hours a day do we spend of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc? How many hours a day do we spend watching television? And how many hours a day do we spend reading the Word of God?

God is alive and working in our lives, if only we would realize this. He wants to know us even more than we want to know Him. God desires us! God desires you!

Ponder:

When is the last time you sat down to pray with Sacred Scripture? How have you seen God manifest Himself in your life today?

Pray:

Lord, give us the grace to desire You more through the reading of Your Word. As we walk this earthly journey, may our eyes be fixed heavenward, hoping and trusting in Your love, mercy, and power.

Copyright 2016 Adam Nowak

Adam Nowak is a seminarian for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, currently in his first year of theological studies. He loves traveling, drinking coffee, and breaking open the Word of God. You can follow his musing on Twitter @Adam_Nowak.