Tuesday Reflection written by Sr. Rosemary Finnegan, O.P.
Readings from: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083022.cfm
St. Paul’s last phrase in our first reading is: “but we have the mind of Christ.”
Truly, when we think about it, our minds are amazing: it is the base of our intelligence, reasoning, and making judgements. It’s where our creativity comes from and stores our conscious and subconscious. It’s where our dreams drift and our memory is kept. St. Paul knows, too, that the mind is where we form our personal character. Wanting us to be strong followers of Christ, he said: “but we have the mind of Christ.”
If we don’t know what the mind of Christ encompasses, we have only to look at today’s responsorial psalm. Almost every line gives a quality of Christ:
- The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness.
- The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.
- The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works.
- The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
When we take on the mind of Christ, we look at life from a heavenly perspective and begin to understand what this demands of us:
- We begin to think, feel, and act as Christ does,
- Love and forgive others as Jesus did,
- And, of course, serve others, especially the poor.
If anyone had the ‘mind of Christ’, it was Mother Teresa. The following verses, called ‘Do It Anyway' were reportedly written on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India, and are widely attributed to her. May they inspire us to renew our commitment to take on the ‘mind of Christ’.
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
- If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
- If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
- If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
- What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
- If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
- The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
- Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
- In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
https://www.prayerfoundation.org/mother_teresa_do_it_anyway.htm
