How can I remain truly open to “receiving” the gifts God offers—whether through the earth that nourishes me, the Synod’s teachings now part of the ordinary Magisterium, or the lambs and piglets I anticipate at The Glenn—while still praying for a miracle for Daniel through the intercession of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen and simultaneously receiving God’s will by preparing for his funeral arrangements, as Jesus proclaims in today’s Gospel, “Whoever #receives a child”❓
Gospel
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way❓”
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”
Lectio Divina on the Word “receive“
Each day, I receive countless blessings, though I do not always recognize them as such. I receive the gift of life, the air I breathe, the water that nourishes me, and the land that sustains me. Pope Francis reminds me that I am made from the dust of the earth, bound to it in ways deeper than I often acknowledge. And yet, how often do I take these gifts for granted instead of receiving them with gratitude and humility❓
In essence, Rita Ora’s track can be seen as a contemporary, more worldly take on the same posture of hopeful openness this reflection encourages: asking boldly while remaining ready to receive in whatever form grace or blessing might appear.
At The Glenn, I prepare to receive new life in the form of lambs and piglets, a reminder of the rhythm of creation and the ongoing generosity of God. Each season brings new lessons in patience, care, and responsibility. In the same way, the Synod on Synodality invites me to receive the wisdom of the Church, to welcome its guidance with an open heart, trusting that the Holy Spirit moves through it, shaping me in ways I do not yet fully understand.
1; CCC 892), and as such, I ask that it be welcomed and received.
I receive the weight of my prayers for Daniel with both longing and surrender. I cry out for a miracle through the intercession of the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, believing in the power of God to heal. At the same time, I receive the reality before me, walking the difficult path of preparing for his funeral arrangements, holding onto hope even as I make peace with uncertainty.
Ultimately, Payment Received (2019) can be seen as a reminder that while the world often measures everything in transactions, the most profound aspects of our lives—faith, miracles, love, and self-giving—are not reducible to a simple “payment” or “credit.” They reflect a higher economy of grace, where true fulfillment comes not through exact exchanges but through openness, generosity, and trust in God’s providence.
Faith calls me not only to pray but to receive whatever answer comes, even when it is not the one I desire. Christ himself teaches that in receiving the least among us, we welcome Him. In every act of love, in every moment of trust, in every acceptance of both joy and sorrow, I am invited to grow in faith.
We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.
FROM PARAGRAPH 106 OF THE ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME