Wednesday 28 August 2019
St Augustine
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13. Psalm 138(139)7-12. Matthew 23:27-32.
You have searched me and you know me, Lord – Psalm 138(139)7-12.
‘We treated each one of you as a father treats his children.’
Today’s readings offer two conflicting images of parenthood. The gospel reminds us that misunderstandings can be passed from generation to generation. There is a type of parent who, perhaps inadvertently, limits and prejudices the growth of the child. The first reading presents an alternative: parenthood is not only teaching but also calling. There is a gulf between calling and demanding. Demands are often insensitive to the point of stifling one partner in a relationship. Calling always implies freedom, encouragement and the offer of support.
God parents each one of us by calling us to a fuller, freer life. Christian vocation is never a matter of being cornered without choice. It is the challenge to seek God’s gentle guidance between thousands of possibilities and to be invited perhaps where we would rather not go. Let us ask for the courage to listen to God’s encouragement today.
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