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Monday of the Twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time

Commentary of the day
Catechism of the Catholic Church
§ 27-30

Jesus finds faith in a Roman centurion

The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for... In many ways, throughout history down to the present day, men have given expression to their quest for God in their religious beliefs and behaviour: in their prayers, sacrifices, rituals, meditations, and so forth. These forms of religious expression, despite the ambiguities they often bring with them, are so universal that one may well call man a religious being... But this "intimate and vital bond of man to God" can be forgotten, overlooked, or even explicitly rejected by man. Such attitudes can have different causes: revolt against evil in the world; religious ignorance or indifference; the cares and riches of this world (Mt 13,22); the scandal of bad example on the part of believers; currents of thought hostile to religion; finally, that attitude of sinful man which makes him hide from God out of fear (Gn 3,8f.) and flee his call (Jon 1,3).

"Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice," (Ps 105[104],3) Although man can forget God or reject him, He never ceases to call every man to seek him, so as to find life and happiness. But this search for God demands of man every effort of intellect, a sound will, "an upright heart" (Ps 97[96],11), as well as the witness of others who teach him to seek God.

“You are great, O Lord, and greatly to be praised: great is your power and your wisdom is without measure” (Ps 145[144],3; 147[146],5) and man, so small a part of your creation, wants to praise you: this man, though clothed with mortality and bearing the evidence of sin and the proof that “you withstand the proud” (Jas 4,6). Despite everything, man, though but a small a part of your creation, wants to praise you. You yourself encourage him to delight in your praise, for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you,” (St Augustine, Confessions 1,1,1).