Mulberry Tree – Reflection on Luke 17:1-6
We all have friends that are a little rough around the edges. Maybe they flare up in situations they do not like, have a streak of stubbornness, or are opinionated. To counter all these failures in your relationships, God invites you to pray and work with them when they need reminding. If they apologize no matter how frequently they have had a transgression, then God asks you to accept and forgive them. We do this because we know they are on a path to receive grace from God to learn from their mistakes and reduce the intensity of occurrences. As a young adult, if not for compassionate friends who believed in me and my faith in God, I may have continued to be rougher around the edges. Even though this conversion began over 40 years ago, it feels like I am still in the dawn of my transformation. Now, this single thought keeps me humble and the edges smoother. True love from Christ has emerged enough to say I am the mulberry tree that has moved.
Jesus Discourses with His Disciples, James Tissot, (full resolution)
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Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Luke 17:1-6 – Scripture*
Some Sayings of Jesus
Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2 It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4 And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel and reading this Lectio Divina on Luke 17:1-6 Reflection – Mulberry Tree.
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Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite the world’s distractions.
Attributions
This site has written permission from New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) to use the Luke 18 Bible passage.
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Discussion group on St. John of the Cross.