Today we greet our Sr Sheila Mary, celebrating her Golden Jubilee of Profession. We give thanks for her life of quiet givenness, and pray for her.

Here is part of today’s reading, from Tobit: ‘Tobit started toward the door, and stumbled. But his son ran to him and took hold of his father, and he sprinkled the gall upon his father’s eyes, saying, “Be of good cheer, father.” And when his eyes began to smart he rubbed them, and the white films scaled off from the corners of his eyes. Then he saw his son and embraced him, and he wept and said, “Blessed art thou, O God, and blessed is thy name for ever, and blessed are all thy holy angels. For thou hast afflicted me, but thou hast had mercy upon me; here I see my son Tobias!”’

The question for us is, what do we see? There is a quality of vision which is interior, perceptive. St Clare of Assisi wrote this to St Agnes of Prague: ‘Look upon Him who became contemptible for you, and follow Him, making yourself contemptible in the world for him. Your Spouse, though more beautiful than the children of men, became, for your salvation, the lowest of men, despised, struck, scourged untold times throughout His whole body, and then died amid the sufferings of the cross. O most noble Queen, gaze upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him.

Today, may we ‘gaze upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him’, Whom we seek to love and adore above all. May God bless you this day.