Daily Retreat 02/11/09

2009 Feb 11 Wed: Ordinary Weekday/ Our Lady of Lourdes
Gn 2: 4b-9. 15-17/ Ps 103(104): 1-2a. 27-28. 29bc-30/ Mk 7: 14-23

From today’s readings:  “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil....  O bless the Lord, my soul!...  From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly....”

Catalogs of Vices

There’s a number of passages in scripture that catalog and put together lists of various vices,  lists of the different diseases of the soul and their sinful symptoms.  One such list is found in the final verses of today’s Gospel reading.  The other New Testament lists include:
Romans 1:29-31;
1 Corinthians 5:11 & 6:9-10;
Galatians 5:19-21;
Ephesians 5:3-4;
Colossians 3:5;
1 Timothy 1:9-10;
2Timothy 3:2-4;
1Peter 4:4;
Apocalypse 21:8 & 22:15.

As these lists are read, each of us will note many vices that we do not possess, and we give thanks to God for that!  But, each of us will also, if we are honest, see at least some of these sinful symptoms in our own lives, alerting us of the need  to call upon our Lord to help us address them squarely and aggressively with the help of  His grace.