lord
"As He moved on, Jesus saw a man named Matthew at his post where taxes were collected. He said to him, 'Follow Me.' " —Matthew 9:9
When your spouse dies, Jesus is there as Lord of the burial. As with Sarah's burial, He wants to use this occasion to prepare others to enter the promised land (see Gn 23:20). When you're attracted to someone of the opposite sex and even contemplating marriage, Jesus is there as Lord of the courtship. When you're thinking about getting a job or changing jobs, Jesus is there to be Lord of your employment and unemployment.
Jesus wants to become Lord of your eating, sleeping, entertainment, conversation, money, time, education, shopping, parenting, thinking, feeling, sexuality, etc. If He's not Lord of all, He's not Lord at all.
We Christians keep talking about Jesus being Lord of our lives (see Mt 7:21), but practically "it just ain't so." If it were, Christian funerals would be noticeably different from non-Christian ones. If Jesus were accepted as Lord, most young Christians getting married would be virgins, and some Christian workers would stay on or change to low-paying jobs despite more profitable opportunities.
If Jesus were accepted as Lord, Christians would repeatedly do things impossible for those in the world to understand unless they come to believe in Jesus' cross and resurrection.
Prayer: Jesus, be Lord of areas of my life which I've never even thought of turning over to You.
Promise: "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His kindness endures forever." —Ps 106:1
Praise: St. Maria Goretti did what was humanly impossible and prayed for her killer's soul. Years later, this man was converted to the faith.
Rescript: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 22, 2007
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