Daily Reflections From Higher Things®

Today's Reading: Introit for the 17th Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 119:1-2, 5-6; antiphon: vs. 137, 124) Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 4:1-20; Matthew 7:13-29 Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, And teach me Your statutes. (From the Introit for the 17th Sunday after Trinity) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christians desire that the Lord deal with us according to His mercy. That is, we acknowledge our sinfulness and know there is no hope of forgiveness apart from Jesus and what He has done for us. So we pray for the Lord's mercy in Jesus and we hear the Good News that for Jesus' sake we are forgiven. Having heard God's mercy, as a new creation in Christ, we also desire to learn the Lord's statutes, His laws, His commandments. We desire to keep and follow them not to impress God, but for the good of our neighbor. We want them to see Christ's light shining through us and we want our words and actions to be helpful and loving and good for others. This is why we go to church: to hear of God's mercy