Easter Fifth Week Tuesday, May 19 2003

Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory. (Ps 115:1) In today's first reading after Paul and Barnabas cure the crippled man, lame from birth, the priest of Zeus and the people of Lystra want to offer sacrifices to them as Gods. Paul and Barnabas insist to the crippled man that they share the same nature as him, human nature. They proclaim to him good news that he should turn from idol worship to the living God.

We want to give all the glory to God. In the Gospel of today's Mass, Jesus tells the disciples: The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name-he will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you. The Holy Spirit helps us to fulfill the command of Jesus: "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him." No matter what we are doing, we want to keep his word and be united with the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit.

To maintain this union, we must have right intention in all that we do. Whether it is our work or our recreation, social obligations or religious duties, we do all for the glory of God. St. Josemaria Escriva wrote in The Forge: "Rectitude of intention consists in seeking 'only and in all things' the glory of God." (No. 921) We should aim to renew our intention many times a day, as we work, when we are dealing with the persons around us, in our successes, but also in our failures, to carry everything out for the glory of God. Our tendency is to do things for our own glory, for praise or prestige, to make money or to be in command. But we want to seek "only and in all things" the glory of God and we must say that to God many times a day.

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