Feast of St. Juniperro Siera
Amos 8:4-6, 9-12 |Ps. 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131 |Mt. 9:9-13
Amos continues to talk to the people who are living unjustly and causing evil to fall upon the poor and the weak. He predicts that a day will come when there will be no prophets to speak to their hearts since they refuse to listen to him and to others who came before him. Indeed the time came when the Jewish people cried out: “we have no priests, prophets, etc. to lead us”. God asks us to listen to those who surround us each day. Jesus came to preach the word as well. He tried to reach the hearts of all people. Yet those with hardened hearts will not listen to him. When he is criticized for eating with sinners, he responds that he came to heal the sick and that those who are well do not need a doctor. Likewise the righteous cannot be healed because they do not see their own need.
Today, God calls each of us to open our hearts to hear the words of love, peace, joy and forgiveness that are offered to us. We need to let go of our defenses in order to hear God’s words of love. Take time to let God speak to your heart. Look for God through the people and events of the day. Give thanks to God for these great deeds of love.