July 19, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.-- Psalm 23:1

Mass readings: Jeremiah 23:1-6 / Ephesians 2:13-18 / Mark 6:30-34

Love is Magnetic!

There's something about love that's magnetic. People gravitate toward it. In today's Gospel, such huge crowds followed Jesus that He barely had time to eat. The saints' lives were similar. St. John Vianney sometimes spent 18 hours daily in the confessional. Like moths to light, people were drawn to his sanctity. San Giovanni Rotunda, where St. Padre Pio served, was and still is a bustling hub for pilgrims. Though St. Catherine Labouré kept secret her identity as the visionary to whom Our Lady appeared and requested the striking of the Miraculous Medal, the nun's love and holiness gave her away. People went to great lengths to see her. I notice this same phenomenon at the local Carmelite monastery. People flock there for solace. Genuine love is universally desired, universally sought.

Prayer: I have need of a heart to love me, and that heart, Lord, is Yours.