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God's Message For You Today
- Thread starter kerstinne25
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Dear Friends
May others see Jesus in you this Friday.
Praying for you,
Kerstinne25
10 August
Friday
GIVE UNTIL IT HURTS?
“God loves a cheerful giver.� 2 Corinthians 9:7
I learned it years ago and believed it to be Bible truth.
“Give until it hurts. When it does, then you know you are truly giving.�
Well, it does have so much truth in it!
But through the years I found a better rule in giving:
“Give until it gives you joy. When it does then you know you are truly giving.�
Because when you give but feel a lump in your throat or a cramp in your stomach or a stab at the back then that’s when you’re not truly giving. Because that’s giving halfheartedly.
And you’re not happy at all for the person you are giving to. In fact, you might even despise him or might just want to get rid of her.
Receiving or feeling something in return for giving is not bad at all. Especially when what you receive or feel is pure joy!
God wants you to be happy when you give.
In fact, He loves a cheerful giver!
So, cheers! Alvin B.
REFLECTION:
Try to give something today experiencing real joy in it and being truly happy for the person you gave to.
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace... For it is in giving that we receive!
**************************
LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES FOR THE TRUTH
St. Lawrence, a deacon of the Early Church died for his beliefs by being roasted over a fire! I do not think any of us would see this as an enjoyable experience so we have to ask ourselves the question, “Why didn’t Lawrence renounce his faith and so avoid such a terrible death?�
When I read the lives of the saints it is quite easy to see that in each of their lives something has happened that they cannot deny even if such a position is the cause of great suffering. In other words, they have come to know the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ not just as a friend but as a Savior and there is nothing that is going to separate them from this relationship with Him! Their conversion to Jesus, their faith, is so strong that they experience an inability to let go of it, even in the face of death by fire.
Each time I think of sainthood or martyrdom in these terms I am inspired to pray for such a grace for myself. However, it seems that I do not have it as I very soon find myself back in the mundane struggle with sin that seems to characterize each of our lives. I am sure Jesus knows this, but I am at a loss to know why He does not do anything definitive about it. Then I remember He has done something about it and the problem rests with me and not with Him. Each time we are tempted with sin it is time for each of us to stand up and be counted for what we believe. This is not and never will be an easy thing to do. All we can do is to begin doing it and hope and pray that we will be humble enough to accept the grace of God which will enable us to be faithful to our convictions. Jesus knows the degree to which we struggle and is a merciful judge of our situation. However, we must be willing to die to ourselves if we are going to achieve victory over sin and temptation. Let us try to develop a devotion to the martyrs, any martyr in order that we might be inspired to more fully lay down our lives for the Gospel in imitation of them. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: What is the biggest struggle in my life? Where do I need the most grace or help from God to achieve victory over sin?
Lord Jesus, send forth the power of Your grace more fully in my life so that what I know to be true in my head will become the reality I live in my life, namely that Your death and resurrection has killed the power of sin in my life.
St. Deusdedit, pray for us.
**************************
1st READING
2 Corinthians 9:6-10
God will never be outdone in generosity. However, this does not necessarily mean that if we give $100 on a collection plate at Mass that we will get more than that back in the near future. What this principle really challenges us to believe is that whatever God gives us in life is the best and all that we need to be saved. After all, it is the gift of salvation that is the most important and precious gift of all! All of the money in the world cannot buy even one person’s salvation.
6 Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written: “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.� 10 The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
P S A L M
Psalm 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9
R: Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
1 Blessed the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commands. 2 His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. (R) 5 Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; 6 he shall never be moved; the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance. (R) 7 An evil report he shall not fear; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. 8 His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear till he looks down upon his foes. (R) 9 Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory. (R)
G O S P E L
John 12:24-26
The breaking open of a seed as it germinates is a wonderful image for the working of God’s grace in our lives. Sometimes the vessel has to be shattered so that the new creation can emerge and take life. As we celebrate the martyrdom of St Lawrence we remember a man who allowed his life to be given in imitation of Jesus for the sake of the Gospel. This witness to the truth of the Gospel would not be possible without Lawrence allowing his earthly life to become forfeit and so speak with so much more clarity and power of the hope he has in the life to come.
24 “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.�
my reflections
think: Sometimes the vessel has to be shattered so that the new creation can emerge and take life.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Jeremiah 19-22
May others see Jesus in you this Friday.
Praying for you,
Kerstinne25
10 August
Friday
GIVE UNTIL IT HURTS?
“God loves a cheerful giver.� 2 Corinthians 9:7
I learned it years ago and believed it to be Bible truth.
“Give until it hurts. When it does, then you know you are truly giving.�
Well, it does have so much truth in it!
But through the years I found a better rule in giving:
“Give until it gives you joy. When it does then you know you are truly giving.�
Because when you give but feel a lump in your throat or a cramp in your stomach or a stab at the back then that’s when you’re not truly giving. Because that’s giving halfheartedly.
And you’re not happy at all for the person you are giving to. In fact, you might even despise him or might just want to get rid of her.
Receiving or feeling something in return for giving is not bad at all. Especially when what you receive or feel is pure joy!
God wants you to be happy when you give.
In fact, He loves a cheerful giver!
So, cheers! Alvin B.
REFLECTION:
Try to give something today experiencing real joy in it and being truly happy for the person you gave to.
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace... For it is in giving that we receive!
**************************
LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES FOR THE TRUTH
St. Lawrence, a deacon of the Early Church died for his beliefs by being roasted over a fire! I do not think any of us would see this as an enjoyable experience so we have to ask ourselves the question, “Why didn’t Lawrence renounce his faith and so avoid such a terrible death?�
When I read the lives of the saints it is quite easy to see that in each of their lives something has happened that they cannot deny even if such a position is the cause of great suffering. In other words, they have come to know the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ not just as a friend but as a Savior and there is nothing that is going to separate them from this relationship with Him! Their conversion to Jesus, their faith, is so strong that they experience an inability to let go of it, even in the face of death by fire.
Each time I think of sainthood or martyrdom in these terms I am inspired to pray for such a grace for myself. However, it seems that I do not have it as I very soon find myself back in the mundane struggle with sin that seems to characterize each of our lives. I am sure Jesus knows this, but I am at a loss to know why He does not do anything definitive about it. Then I remember He has done something about it and the problem rests with me and not with Him. Each time we are tempted with sin it is time for each of us to stand up and be counted for what we believe. This is not and never will be an easy thing to do. All we can do is to begin doing it and hope and pray that we will be humble enough to accept the grace of God which will enable us to be faithful to our convictions. Jesus knows the degree to which we struggle and is a merciful judge of our situation. However, we must be willing to die to ourselves if we are going to achieve victory over sin and temptation. Let us try to develop a devotion to the martyrs, any martyr in order that we might be inspired to more fully lay down our lives for the Gospel in imitation of them. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: What is the biggest struggle in my life? Where do I need the most grace or help from God to achieve victory over sin?
Lord Jesus, send forth the power of Your grace more fully in my life so that what I know to be true in my head will become the reality I live in my life, namely that Your death and resurrection has killed the power of sin in my life.
St. Deusdedit, pray for us.
**************************
1st READING
2 Corinthians 9:6-10
God will never be outdone in generosity. However, this does not necessarily mean that if we give $100 on a collection plate at Mass that we will get more than that back in the near future. What this principle really challenges us to believe is that whatever God gives us in life is the best and all that we need to be saved. After all, it is the gift of salvation that is the most important and precious gift of all! All of the money in the world cannot buy even one person’s salvation.
6 Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written: “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.� 10 The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
P S A L M
Psalm 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9
R: Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
1 Blessed the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commands. 2 His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. (R) 5 Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; 6 he shall never be moved; the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance. (R) 7 An evil report he shall not fear; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. 8 His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear till he looks down upon his foes. (R) 9 Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory. (R)
G O S P E L
John 12:24-26
The breaking open of a seed as it germinates is a wonderful image for the working of God’s grace in our lives. Sometimes the vessel has to be shattered so that the new creation can emerge and take life. As we celebrate the martyrdom of St Lawrence we remember a man who allowed his life to be given in imitation of Jesus for the sake of the Gospel. This witness to the truth of the Gospel would not be possible without Lawrence allowing his earthly life to become forfeit and so speak with so much more clarity and power of the hope he has in the life to come.
24 “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.�
my reflections
think: Sometimes the vessel has to be shattered so that the new creation can emerge and take life.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Jeremiah 19-22
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
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- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #63
thanks
welcome lagi!!!
drop by kau lagi s thread na to para sa food for the soul.
GOD BLESS!!!
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #64
Dear Friends,
This Saturday, let God give you rest in His Spirit.
Praying for you,
kerstinne25
11 August
Saturday
IT’S YOUR FAULT!
“Because of your little faith...� – Matthew 17:20
It’s easy to take this verse and make it the reason for all the tragedies in life.
You pray over a guy and he dies.
You think it’s either because you were not worthy to pray over him or he had sin in his heart that kept him from receiving God’s blessing.
The preacher tells the crowd to raise their hats and money will fill it in the days to come.
But it doesn’t happen to you.
You think it’s because you didn’t believe enough and the blessings were blocked on the way down.
We should know better, though.
It’s not always about us and our lack of faith. Many times, it’s because the Lord has a greater way of making His Spirit manifest. Like maybe a lingering illness will bring a feuding family together.
Or financial distress will humble us.
Or an unanswered prayer increases our dependence on Him and decreases our self-reliance.
In cases like these, we can’t afford to have only a little faith. Victoria L.
REFLECTION:
Does adversity cause you to look more closely for the Lord and thus increase your faith?
Increase my faith, Lord, especially in times of need.
**************
LEARNING HOW TO TRUST GOD MORE
One of the things that characterize the lives of all of the saints is their ability and willingness to entrust their problems into the hands of God. Notice how I use two words here to describe their trust, willingness and ability. Both of these are necessary and, if I am forced to choose which is more important, I think I would choose ‘willingness.’ Trust has more to do with an act of our will that is, to choose to trust, than any innate sort of ability or strength.
Today we celebrate St. Clare of Assisi, a woman who refused to bow to what was expected of her by both her family and social class and chose to throw her life into the hands of God and trust that He would supply her every need. There is absolutely no doubt that God has vindicated her trust as the order of nuns she started, the Poor Clares, is still in existence today, with many women entrusting their lives to God and laying them down for the Church and its mission in intercession.
Trust is often closely linked to faith, a point that is made in today’s Gospel. The disciples were unable to cast out the demon from the little girl due to their lack of faith or their lack of trust that God would act upon their request. I believe that we have here a lesson in how to grow in trust, Jesus tells us that what is needed is prayer and fasting. Fasting here does not necessarily mean just refraining from eating food – it refers also to any acts of self denial that will help teach us that God is the one who is in control of our lives.
Too often we think we are in control and everything rests upon our own abilities. The man or woman who has faith in God, who has learned to entrust his/her life into God’s hand knows very differently! It is not a matter of what I am capable of doing in any given situation but what will make the difference is the degree to which I am willing to let go of having to handle the situation myself and invite God into it with His perfect love and power which is capable of doing all things. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: Do I pride myself in being self-sufficient and not needing to rely on anybody for anything? If so, then it is time to break it down and learn to entrust my life to God and His power – a power far greater than I will ever have.
Holy Spirit, it is Your grace that will see me through the difficulties of my life. Help me to let go of having to do things in my own strength and to entrust my life into Your loving hands.
St. Tiburtius, martyr, pray for us
************
1st READING
Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Today is the Feast of St Clare, the holy friend and counterpart of St. Francis of Assisi. In many ways she epitomizes the Reading today in that there is little doubt that she did her best in giving all to the Lord that she possibly could. Her simplicity of life has inspired thousands and even today she is still doing this. Let us pray for the Poor Clares that their mission of prayer and intercession will continue to be a source of blessing for the church for centuries to come.
4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! 5 Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. 7 Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. 8 Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. 10 When the LORD, your God, brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that he would give you, a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, 11 with houses full of goods of all sorts that you did not garner, with cisterns that you did not dig, with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant; and when, therefore, you eat your fill, 12 take care not to forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. 13 The LORD, your God, shall you fear; him shall you serve, and by his name shall you swear.�
PSALM
Psalm 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51
R: I love you, Lord, my strength.
1 [2] I love you, O LORD, my strength, 2 [3] O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. (R) My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold! 3 [4] Praised be the LORD, I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies. (R) 46 [47] The LORD lives! And blessed be my Rock! Extolled be God my savior. 50 [51] You who gave great victories to your king and showed kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever. (R)
GOSPEL
Matthew 17:14-20
There are times when our faith fails us because it is too weak. In these times all we are left with is the ability to cry out to God for greater faith. Faith is both a gift and a fruit of the Spirit. As such we should never be ashamed to cry out to God for it to be strengthened. Let us resolve to do this every day of our lives so that we will be better able to face and endure the struggles that come our way.
14 When they came to the crowd a man approached, knelt down before him, 15 and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.� 17 Jesus said in reply, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him here to me.� 18 Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured. 19 Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?� 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.�
my reflections
think: Faith is both a gift and a fruit of the Spirit. As such we should never be ashamed to cry out to God for it to be strengthened.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Jeremiah 23-26
This Saturday, let God give you rest in His Spirit.
Praying for you,
kerstinne25
11 August
Saturday
IT’S YOUR FAULT!
“Because of your little faith...� – Matthew 17:20
It’s easy to take this verse and make it the reason for all the tragedies in life.
You pray over a guy and he dies.
You think it’s either because you were not worthy to pray over him or he had sin in his heart that kept him from receiving God’s blessing.
The preacher tells the crowd to raise their hats and money will fill it in the days to come.
But it doesn’t happen to you.
You think it’s because you didn’t believe enough and the blessings were blocked on the way down.
We should know better, though.
It’s not always about us and our lack of faith. Many times, it’s because the Lord has a greater way of making His Spirit manifest. Like maybe a lingering illness will bring a feuding family together.
Or financial distress will humble us.
Or an unanswered prayer increases our dependence on Him and decreases our self-reliance.
In cases like these, we can’t afford to have only a little faith. Victoria L.
REFLECTION:
Does adversity cause you to look more closely for the Lord and thus increase your faith?
Increase my faith, Lord, especially in times of need.
**************
LEARNING HOW TO TRUST GOD MORE
One of the things that characterize the lives of all of the saints is their ability and willingness to entrust their problems into the hands of God. Notice how I use two words here to describe their trust, willingness and ability. Both of these are necessary and, if I am forced to choose which is more important, I think I would choose ‘willingness.’ Trust has more to do with an act of our will that is, to choose to trust, than any innate sort of ability or strength.
Today we celebrate St. Clare of Assisi, a woman who refused to bow to what was expected of her by both her family and social class and chose to throw her life into the hands of God and trust that He would supply her every need. There is absolutely no doubt that God has vindicated her trust as the order of nuns she started, the Poor Clares, is still in existence today, with many women entrusting their lives to God and laying them down for the Church and its mission in intercession.
Trust is often closely linked to faith, a point that is made in today’s Gospel. The disciples were unable to cast out the demon from the little girl due to their lack of faith or their lack of trust that God would act upon their request. I believe that we have here a lesson in how to grow in trust, Jesus tells us that what is needed is prayer and fasting. Fasting here does not necessarily mean just refraining from eating food – it refers also to any acts of self denial that will help teach us that God is the one who is in control of our lives.
Too often we think we are in control and everything rests upon our own abilities. The man or woman who has faith in God, who has learned to entrust his/her life into God’s hand knows very differently! It is not a matter of what I am capable of doing in any given situation but what will make the difference is the degree to which I am willing to let go of having to handle the situation myself and invite God into it with His perfect love and power which is capable of doing all things. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: Do I pride myself in being self-sufficient and not needing to rely on anybody for anything? If so, then it is time to break it down and learn to entrust my life to God and His power – a power far greater than I will ever have.
Holy Spirit, it is Your grace that will see me through the difficulties of my life. Help me to let go of having to do things in my own strength and to entrust my life into Your loving hands.
St. Tiburtius, martyr, pray for us
************
1st READING
Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Today is the Feast of St Clare, the holy friend and counterpart of St. Francis of Assisi. In many ways she epitomizes the Reading today in that there is little doubt that she did her best in giving all to the Lord that she possibly could. Her simplicity of life has inspired thousands and even today she is still doing this. Let us pray for the Poor Clares that their mission of prayer and intercession will continue to be a source of blessing for the church for centuries to come.
4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! 5 Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. 7 Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. 8 Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. 10 When the LORD, your God, brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that he would give you, a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, 11 with houses full of goods of all sorts that you did not garner, with cisterns that you did not dig, with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant; and when, therefore, you eat your fill, 12 take care not to forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. 13 The LORD, your God, shall you fear; him shall you serve, and by his name shall you swear.�
PSALM
Psalm 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51
R: I love you, Lord, my strength.
1 [2] I love you, O LORD, my strength, 2 [3] O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. (R) My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold! 3 [4] Praised be the LORD, I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies. (R) 46 [47] The LORD lives! And blessed be my Rock! Extolled be God my savior. 50 [51] You who gave great victories to your king and showed kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever. (R)
GOSPEL
Matthew 17:14-20
There are times when our faith fails us because it is too weak. In these times all we are left with is the ability to cry out to God for greater faith. Faith is both a gift and a fruit of the Spirit. As such we should never be ashamed to cry out to God for it to be strengthened. Let us resolve to do this every day of our lives so that we will be better able to face and endure the struggles that come our way.
14 When they came to the crowd a man approached, knelt down before him, 15 and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.� 17 Jesus said in reply, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him here to me.� 18 Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured. 19 Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?� 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.�
my reflections
think: Faith is both a gift and a fruit of the Spirit. As such we should never be ashamed to cry out to God for it to be strengthened.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Jeremiah 23-26
- Messages
- 133
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 126
thanks po
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #66
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Meditation
Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Readings
Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
Does this injunction sound like a lot of effort? Does it sound like one more thing to add to a schedule already crammed with demands and commitments? The author of Deuteronomy adds a helpful footnote for those who may misunderstand: “Speak of them [these words] at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Moses is not commanding us to do one more thing but to be mindful of God in all that we are already doing. In other words, we may be able to reorder our priorities without altering our schedules at all.
When I am very busy, I can ask myself, “Who am I doing these things for? Whose strength am I drawing on to accomplish them? Whose name is on my lips and in my heart? Is it possible that, like the Israelites in the Promised Land, I have become so enamored with the gifts that I have forgotten the Giver?”
There should be no conflict between loving God with undivided hearts and loving our families, friends, and co-workers. What better way to love our children than by telling them how we experience God’s loving care together? How better to cultivate awareness of God’s presence than by speaking to others of who he is and the wonders he has done for us? This doesn’t mean limiting our conversations to “spiritual” things alone; it means seeing our daily lives in the light of God’s loving presence.
We can choose to say, “I’m tired from working hard all day,” or, “God gave me this job in order to support my family and build his kingdom.” We can say, “My bike had another flat tire,” or, “Thank God I remembered to bring my repair kit today!” Did I “run into” a neighbor at the grocery store, or did I meet Jesus in my neighbor at the grocery store? How we perceive a situation can make all the difference in the world. So put on the eyes of faith and see everything and everyone bathed in the overwhelming love of God!
“Father, I long to love you with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength. I offer you my daily life and all my relationships. Open my eyes to your constant, loving presence.”
Psalm 18:2-4,47,51; Matthew 17:14-20
Meditation
Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Readings
Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
Does this injunction sound like a lot of effort? Does it sound like one more thing to add to a schedule already crammed with demands and commitments? The author of Deuteronomy adds a helpful footnote for those who may misunderstand: “Speak of them [these words] at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Moses is not commanding us to do one more thing but to be mindful of God in all that we are already doing. In other words, we may be able to reorder our priorities without altering our schedules at all.
When I am very busy, I can ask myself, “Who am I doing these things for? Whose strength am I drawing on to accomplish them? Whose name is on my lips and in my heart? Is it possible that, like the Israelites in the Promised Land, I have become so enamored with the gifts that I have forgotten the Giver?”
There should be no conflict between loving God with undivided hearts and loving our families, friends, and co-workers. What better way to love our children than by telling them how we experience God’s loving care together? How better to cultivate awareness of God’s presence than by speaking to others of who he is and the wonders he has done for us? This doesn’t mean limiting our conversations to “spiritual” things alone; it means seeing our daily lives in the light of God’s loving presence.
We can choose to say, “I’m tired from working hard all day,” or, “God gave me this job in order to support my family and build his kingdom.” We can say, “My bike had another flat tire,” or, “Thank God I remembered to bring my repair kit today!” Did I “run into” a neighbor at the grocery store, or did I meet Jesus in my neighbor at the grocery store? How we perceive a situation can make all the difference in the world. So put on the eyes of faith and see everything and everyone bathed in the overwhelming love of God!
“Father, I long to love you with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength. I offer you my daily life and all my relationships. Open my eyes to your constant, loving presence.”
Psalm 18:2-4,47,51; Matthew 17:14-20
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Sunday, August 12, 2007
Meditation
Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19
Readings
Reading 1
Wis 18:6-9
The night of the passover was known beforehand to our fathers,
that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith,
they might have courage.
Your people awaited the salvation of the just
and the destruction of their foes.
For when you punished our adversaries,
in this you glorified us whom you had summoned.
For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice
and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
R. (12b) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Reading II
Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2, 8-12
Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
—and Sarah herself was sterile—
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was
trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
All these died in faith.
They did not receive what had been promised
but saw it and greeted it from afar
and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,
for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.
If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come,
they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one.
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,
of whom it was said,
“Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”
He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,
and he received Isaac back as a symbol.
or
Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
—and Sarah herself was sterile—
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was
trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
Gospel
Lk 12:32-48 or 12:35-40
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
or
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have the servants recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
**************
What is faith, anyway? Some say it means believing something that you want to be true, yet cannot prove. Others say that it means believing only in what you can see and trust. Still others say that faith is like living in the unknown. There is no explanation, nor can there be. It is a mystery that simply needs to be accepted.
Sadly, too many of us live with weak or inadequate views of faith like these. And the wrong definition of faith leads to a weak experience of faith, which leads to a weak sense of trust and abandonment to the Lord.
Faith is not about believing in some unknown mystery. It’s not about a blind leap. Neither does it have to do with trusting in something we can touch and feel—something that is limited to this world only.
The right definition of faith is found in today’s second reading: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The reading goes on: It means believing that God exists “and that he rewards those who seek him” (11:6).
The Greek word pistis, which we translate as “faith,” more accurately means being trustworthy. Can a person be trustworthy if they do not exist? Can a person be trustworthy if we cannot believe that what they are saying is true?
Our faith does not make God real. Our faith is our response to a real and living God who has made himself known to us through his Son. The church has never said, “Take a leap of faith into the dark.” Rather, the invitation is always to “come into the light.”
In the Book of Isaiah, God tells us: “I am the Lord and there is no other . . . so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun men may know that there is none besides me” (Isaiah 45:5,6). Be certain that God exists. Believe that he reigns on high. Put your hope in him, and he will reward you with strength, wisdom, and love.
“Lord, we ask you to reveal yourself to us. Jesus, we believe in you; help our unbelief.”
Wisdom 18:6-9; Psalm 33:1,12,18-22; Luke 12:32-48
Meditation
Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19
Readings
Reading 1
Wis 18:6-9
The night of the passover was known beforehand to our fathers,
that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith,
they might have courage.
Your people awaited the salvation of the just
and the destruction of their foes.
For when you punished our adversaries,
in this you glorified us whom you had summoned.
For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice
and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
R. (12b) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Reading II
Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2, 8-12
Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
—and Sarah herself was sterile—
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was
trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
All these died in faith.
They did not receive what had been promised
but saw it and greeted it from afar
and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,
for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.
If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come,
they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one.
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,
of whom it was said,
“Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”
He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,
and he received Isaac back as a symbol.
or
Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
—and Sarah herself was sterile—
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was
trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
Gospel
Lk 12:32-48 or 12:35-40
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not be afraid any longer, little flock,
for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your belongings and give alms.
Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,
an inexhaustible treasure in heaven
that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
or
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have the servants recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
**************
What is faith, anyway? Some say it means believing something that you want to be true, yet cannot prove. Others say that it means believing only in what you can see and trust. Still others say that faith is like living in the unknown. There is no explanation, nor can there be. It is a mystery that simply needs to be accepted.
Sadly, too many of us live with weak or inadequate views of faith like these. And the wrong definition of faith leads to a weak experience of faith, which leads to a weak sense of trust and abandonment to the Lord.
Faith is not about believing in some unknown mystery. It’s not about a blind leap. Neither does it have to do with trusting in something we can touch and feel—something that is limited to this world only.
The right definition of faith is found in today’s second reading: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The reading goes on: It means believing that God exists “and that he rewards those who seek him” (11:6).
The Greek word pistis, which we translate as “faith,” more accurately means being trustworthy. Can a person be trustworthy if they do not exist? Can a person be trustworthy if we cannot believe that what they are saying is true?
Our faith does not make God real. Our faith is our response to a real and living God who has made himself known to us through his Son. The church has never said, “Take a leap of faith into the dark.” Rather, the invitation is always to “come into the light.”
In the Book of Isaiah, God tells us: “I am the Lord and there is no other . . . so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun men may know that there is none besides me” (Isaiah 45:5,6). Be certain that God exists. Believe that he reigns on high. Put your hope in him, and he will reward you with strength, wisdom, and love.
“Lord, we ask you to reveal yourself to us. Jesus, we believe in you; help our unbelief.”
Wisdom 18:6-9; Psalm 33:1,12,18-22; Luke 12:32-48
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Dear Friends,
Carry the Lord in your heart this Monday!
Praying for you,
Kerstinne25
13 August
Monday
SCRUPLES
“Doesn’t your Teacher pay Temple tax?”– Matthew 17:24
Silly things have hindered me from maturing in my walk with the Lord. Things like: needing to end my prayer in a fixed format; repenting verbally for every little thing that I have done wrong (to the point that the person next to me hears it!); avoidance due to fear — allowing myself to be hung-up for hours with a negative thought that ran through in my mind... This list goes on and on.
God will always honor the heart with which I do the things I do — no matter how foolish they may seem. In many occasions I felt that He indeed was sensitive and understanding about my spiritual scruples.
But today we are reminded to question why we do the things we do. Is there wisdom in it? The Word of God gives us freedom!
Nevertheless, in enjoying this, we should in turn be sensitive to the scruples of our neighbor.
We should do the most loving thing just as Jesus did. Ariel D.
REFLECTION:
God will always honor the heart by which I do the things I do — no matter how foolish they may seem. And He will do the same for others.
Lord, people are not all alike. May I not impose what I know on others. Teach me to love as You love.
***************
HONORING AND RESPECTING GOD
It is the first commandment that tells us that we must honor and respect God. As we look around the world today it becomes evident that this is where we should begin when it comes to deciding how to live our lives. Everywhere we look, or at least so it seems, there is a challenge to the Lordship of Christ over the world. Very rarely today do we hear prominent people in the media, business or sporting worlds telling us that their faith is at the heart or basis of what they do. In fact, it seems that this reality is about as far from being reality as anything else we care to think about! What does all of this mean for us today?
The author of the Book of Deuteronomy reports Moses exhorting the people to prioritize their lives on God and to ensure that He is honored in all they do. We would do well to listen to and then follow this exhortation today. So much of the activity of our society seems to be in direct contravention of the mind and will of God that it is no laughing matter any more, and to make matters worse, I do not believe that the vocal pressure groups represent a majority of the people – it is just that too many of us are too complacent and lazy to do anything to proclaim the truth and set the record straight. We see moves to have homosexual partnerships placed on the same level as heterosexual relationships; more and more countries are trying to liberalize their abortion laws; divorce is as common an experience as a successful marriage in many countries and nobody seems to want to do anything about it!
There is such a sin as the ‘sin of omission’ and I think Christians today are going very close to being corporately guilty of it! It is time for Christians to speak out in favor of the truth. No, I am not advocating the condemning of those who want to contravene the Christian moral code, but at the same time we cannot stand idly by as people try to dismantle the moral basis upon which society is built. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: Are there times when I have failed to speak the truth into a situation in which I had the opportunity to do so? Why didn’t I speak up?
Father, You have blessed me with a mind to choose right over wrong. Help me to be fearless in my advocacy of all that is true and right according to the Gospel.
St. Benilde, teacher, pray for us.
***************
1st READING
Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Our faith must have an effect upon the way that we live our lives. It is not just an adjunct to our lives but it is the foundation for them. This means that our faith will make certain demands upon us in terms of how we live and things that we do and do not do. Jesus is the example that we seek to follow and the lives of the saints and other holy men and women serve as examples to us as well.
12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, 13 to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD which I enjoin on you today for your own good? 14 Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the LORD, your God, as well as the earth and everything on it. 15 Yet in his love for your fathers the LORD was so attached to them as to choose you, their descendants, in preference to all other peoples, as indeed he has now done. 16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiffnecked. 17 For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods, the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; 18 who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. 19 So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. 20 The LORD, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve; hold fast to him and swear by his name. 21 He is your glory, he, your God, who has done for you those great and terrible things which your own eyes have seen. 22 Your ancestors went down to Egypt seventy strong, and now the LORD, your God, has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.”
P S A L M
Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
R: Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
12 Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. 13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. (R) 14 He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you. 15 He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! (R) 19 He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 17:22-27
Jesus pays the tax in order not to offend others. There are times when it is right to give in to something that is demanded of you even if it does not really apply to you. Of course, if the demand is out and out immoral, then there is no way that you should give in to it. Sometimes these sorts of distinctions can be difficult to discern. In cases like this it is better to err on the side of prudence and love than to make a stand that may not be necessary and you may regret at a later date.
22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief. 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25 “Yes,” he said. When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” 26 When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. 27 But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”
my reflections
think:
Our faith must have an effect upon the way that we live our lives.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Jeremiah 31-32
Carry the Lord in your heart this Monday!
Praying for you,
Kerstinne25
13 August
Monday
SCRUPLES
“Doesn’t your Teacher pay Temple tax?”– Matthew 17:24
Silly things have hindered me from maturing in my walk with the Lord. Things like: needing to end my prayer in a fixed format; repenting verbally for every little thing that I have done wrong (to the point that the person next to me hears it!); avoidance due to fear — allowing myself to be hung-up for hours with a negative thought that ran through in my mind... This list goes on and on.
God will always honor the heart with which I do the things I do — no matter how foolish they may seem. In many occasions I felt that He indeed was sensitive and understanding about my spiritual scruples.
But today we are reminded to question why we do the things we do. Is there wisdom in it? The Word of God gives us freedom!
Nevertheless, in enjoying this, we should in turn be sensitive to the scruples of our neighbor.
We should do the most loving thing just as Jesus did. Ariel D.
REFLECTION:
God will always honor the heart by which I do the things I do — no matter how foolish they may seem. And He will do the same for others.
Lord, people are not all alike. May I not impose what I know on others. Teach me to love as You love.
***************
HONORING AND RESPECTING GOD
It is the first commandment that tells us that we must honor and respect God. As we look around the world today it becomes evident that this is where we should begin when it comes to deciding how to live our lives. Everywhere we look, or at least so it seems, there is a challenge to the Lordship of Christ over the world. Very rarely today do we hear prominent people in the media, business or sporting worlds telling us that their faith is at the heart or basis of what they do. In fact, it seems that this reality is about as far from being reality as anything else we care to think about! What does all of this mean for us today?
The author of the Book of Deuteronomy reports Moses exhorting the people to prioritize their lives on God and to ensure that He is honored in all they do. We would do well to listen to and then follow this exhortation today. So much of the activity of our society seems to be in direct contravention of the mind and will of God that it is no laughing matter any more, and to make matters worse, I do not believe that the vocal pressure groups represent a majority of the people – it is just that too many of us are too complacent and lazy to do anything to proclaim the truth and set the record straight. We see moves to have homosexual partnerships placed on the same level as heterosexual relationships; more and more countries are trying to liberalize their abortion laws; divorce is as common an experience as a successful marriage in many countries and nobody seems to want to do anything about it!
There is such a sin as the ‘sin of omission’ and I think Christians today are going very close to being corporately guilty of it! It is time for Christians to speak out in favor of the truth. No, I am not advocating the condemning of those who want to contravene the Christian moral code, but at the same time we cannot stand idly by as people try to dismantle the moral basis upon which society is built. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: Are there times when I have failed to speak the truth into a situation in which I had the opportunity to do so? Why didn’t I speak up?
Father, You have blessed me with a mind to choose right over wrong. Help me to be fearless in my advocacy of all that is true and right according to the Gospel.
St. Benilde, teacher, pray for us.
***************
1st READING
Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Our faith must have an effect upon the way that we live our lives. It is not just an adjunct to our lives but it is the foundation for them. This means that our faith will make certain demands upon us in terms of how we live and things that we do and do not do. Jesus is the example that we seek to follow and the lives of the saints and other holy men and women serve as examples to us as well.
12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, 13 to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD which I enjoin on you today for your own good? 14 Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the LORD, your God, as well as the earth and everything on it. 15 Yet in his love for your fathers the LORD was so attached to them as to choose you, their descendants, in preference to all other peoples, as indeed he has now done. 16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiffnecked. 17 For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods, the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; 18 who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. 19 So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. 20 The LORD, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve; hold fast to him and swear by his name. 21 He is your glory, he, your God, who has done for you those great and terrible things which your own eyes have seen. 22 Your ancestors went down to Egypt seventy strong, and now the LORD, your God, has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.”
P S A L M
Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
R: Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
12 Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. 13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. (R) 14 He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you. 15 He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! (R) 19 He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 17:22-27
Jesus pays the tax in order not to offend others. There are times when it is right to give in to something that is demanded of you even if it does not really apply to you. Of course, if the demand is out and out immoral, then there is no way that you should give in to it. Sometimes these sorts of distinctions can be difficult to discern. In cases like this it is better to err on the side of prudence and love than to make a stand that may not be necessary and you may regret at a later date.
22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief. 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25 “Yes,” he said. When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” 26 When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. 27 But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”
my reflections
think:
Our faith must have an effect upon the way that we live our lives.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Jeremiah 31-32
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #69
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Reading 1
Dt 31:1-8
When Moses had finished speaking to all Israel, he said to them,
“I am now one hundred and twenty years old
and am no longer able to move about freely;
besides, the LORD has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan.
It is the LORD, your God, who will cross before you;
he will destroy these nations before you,
that you may supplant them.
It is Joshua who will cross before you, as the LORD promised.
The LORD will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og,
the kings of the Amorites whom he destroyed,
and with their country.
When, therefore, the LORD delivers them up to you,
you must deal with them exactly as I have ordered you.
Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them,
for it is the LORD, your God, who marches with you;
he will never fail you or forsake you.”
Then Moses summoned Joshua and in the presence of all Israel
said to him, “Be brave and steadfast,
for you must bring this people into the land
which the LORD swore to their fathers he would give them;
you must put them in possession of their heritage.
It is the LORD who marches before you;
he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.
So do not fear or be dismayed.”
Responsorial Psalm
Deuteronomy 32:3-4ab, 7, 8, 9 and 12
R. (9a) The portion of the Lord is his people.
For I will sing the LORD’s renown.
Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God!
The Rock–how faultless are his deeds,
how right all his ways!
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
Think back on the days of old,
reflect on the years of age upon age.
Ask your father and he will inform you,
ask your elders and they will tell you.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage,
when he parceled out the descendants of Adam,
He set up the boundaries of the peoples
after the number of the sons of Israel.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
While the LORD’s own portion was Jacob,
his hereditary share was Israel.
The LORD alone was their leader,
no strange god was with him.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
Gospel
Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
*********************
With great love, Jesus told his disciples about the privileges of being the smallest of his flock. He welcomes with open arms everyone who becomes like little children. What is it these children have? Absolute, innocent, unquestioning trust. They believe without a doubt that they will be taken care of, and so they give themselves with great willingness to the one who leads them.
As loving as his words are concerning little children, Jesus spoke very sharply against anyone who would try to take advantage of the innocence of these little ones. He went so far as to say that he would leave ninety-nine “grown-ups” just to find one lost child. This is how valuable they are to him! And this is how valuable they should be to us.
In a world that delights in sophistication and exalts the worldly-wise, children are more endangered now than ever before. If they survive their time in the womb, they will face an onslaught of philosophies and expectations that will tempt them to want to grow up too quickly—to leave behind the simplicity and innocence of their youth.
Even we who are adults face similar temptations to take on a “mature” approach to life that leaves little room for the innocence of faith. But Jesus tells us that unless we find a way to recapture our innocence, we will find it hard to enter his kingdom (Matthew 18:3). That’s not because he will keep us out. No, it’s because without a childlike heart, we will find it hard to see the attraction of Jesus and the life he is offering us. Put simply, we won’t enter the kingdom because we won’t want it.
Brothers and sisters, today’s gospel is both a challenge and an invitation. It is a challenge to step away from the cynicism and weariness that living in this world can produce in us. And it is an invitation to discover the freedom that comes from innocent, humble trust in Jesus. What will you choose today? To let the Good Shepherd find you? Or to continue in the illusion that you don’t need to surrender to anyone?
“Dear Jesus, you know my heart. Please come shepherd me into your kingdom today. I know I fall short in so many ways, but come with your mercy and restore my innocence and trust. Come, Lord, and have your way in me.”
Deuteronomy 31:1-8; (Psalm) Deuteronomy 32:3-4,7-9,12
Reading 1
Dt 31:1-8
When Moses had finished speaking to all Israel, he said to them,
“I am now one hundred and twenty years old
and am no longer able to move about freely;
besides, the LORD has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan.
It is the LORD, your God, who will cross before you;
he will destroy these nations before you,
that you may supplant them.
It is Joshua who will cross before you, as the LORD promised.
The LORD will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og,
the kings of the Amorites whom he destroyed,
and with their country.
When, therefore, the LORD delivers them up to you,
you must deal with them exactly as I have ordered you.
Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them,
for it is the LORD, your God, who marches with you;
he will never fail you or forsake you.”
Then Moses summoned Joshua and in the presence of all Israel
said to him, “Be brave and steadfast,
for you must bring this people into the land
which the LORD swore to their fathers he would give them;
you must put them in possession of their heritage.
It is the LORD who marches before you;
he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.
So do not fear or be dismayed.”
Responsorial Psalm
Deuteronomy 32:3-4ab, 7, 8, 9 and 12
R. (9a) The portion of the Lord is his people.
For I will sing the LORD’s renown.
Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God!
The Rock–how faultless are his deeds,
how right all his ways!
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
Think back on the days of old,
reflect on the years of age upon age.
Ask your father and he will inform you,
ask your elders and they will tell you.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage,
when he parceled out the descendants of Adam,
He set up the boundaries of the peoples
after the number of the sons of Israel.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
While the LORD’s own portion was Jacob,
his hereditary share was Israel.
The LORD alone was their leader,
no strange god was with him.
R. The portion of the Lord is his people.
Gospel
Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
What is your opinion?
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,
will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills
and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it
than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father
that one of these little ones be lost.”
*********************
With great love, Jesus told his disciples about the privileges of being the smallest of his flock. He welcomes with open arms everyone who becomes like little children. What is it these children have? Absolute, innocent, unquestioning trust. They believe without a doubt that they will be taken care of, and so they give themselves with great willingness to the one who leads them.
As loving as his words are concerning little children, Jesus spoke very sharply against anyone who would try to take advantage of the innocence of these little ones. He went so far as to say that he would leave ninety-nine “grown-ups” just to find one lost child. This is how valuable they are to him! And this is how valuable they should be to us.
In a world that delights in sophistication and exalts the worldly-wise, children are more endangered now than ever before. If they survive their time in the womb, they will face an onslaught of philosophies and expectations that will tempt them to want to grow up too quickly—to leave behind the simplicity and innocence of their youth.
Even we who are adults face similar temptations to take on a “mature” approach to life that leaves little room for the innocence of faith. But Jesus tells us that unless we find a way to recapture our innocence, we will find it hard to enter his kingdom (Matthew 18:3). That’s not because he will keep us out. No, it’s because without a childlike heart, we will find it hard to see the attraction of Jesus and the life he is offering us. Put simply, we won’t enter the kingdom because we won’t want it.
Brothers and sisters, today’s gospel is both a challenge and an invitation. It is a challenge to step away from the cynicism and weariness that living in this world can produce in us. And it is an invitation to discover the freedom that comes from innocent, humble trust in Jesus. What will you choose today? To let the Good Shepherd find you? Or to continue in the illusion that you don’t need to surrender to anyone?
“Dear Jesus, you know my heart. Please come shepherd me into your kingdom today. I know I fall short in so many ways, but come with your mercy and restore my innocence and trust. Come, Lord, and have your way in me.”
Deuteronomy 31:1-8; (Psalm) Deuteronomy 32:3-4,7-9,12
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #70
Dear Friends,
This Saturday, follow the Spirit of God leading you.
Praying for you,
KERSTINNE25
18 August
Saturday TODAY'S READINGS:
ARM’S LENGTH MINISTRY
Little children were brought for Jesus to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. “Don’t bother him,� they said. – Matthew 19:13
We entered the compound and immediately children began to swarm all over us. Sick children. Dirty children. Children with mucous dripping down their noses or wounds on their skin. And a couple of the little ones extended their arms to us,
hungry for hugs and wanting to be carried. My companion and I, both of us supposedly veteran fulltime servants of the Lord, looked at each other. The stench alone was overwhelming for us who had been used to “arm’s length� ministry. All we could muster were pats on the head of the dirty little ones.
That happened many years ago. And while there have been other chances to interact with the poor in the course of serving the Lord, I’m light years away from the path that Mother Teresa took.
Imagine if Jesus chose to minister to us at arm’s length?
“I don’t want to be like one of them!� He would say to the Father,�“They’re too sinful and evil and sinister.�
But He not only became man, He even allowed us to condemn Him to a shameful death. He didn’t mind the stench of our sin, the wounds of our offenses, the dirt of our wrongdoings. Rissa S.
REFLECTION:
Is ministry a bother to you? Does it move you out of your comfort zone? It should!
Lord, teach me to serve You whether it’s convenient or inconvenient.
**************************************
IT IS ALL ABOUT MAKING A DECISION
There is no way we can get around the issue – we have to decide whether or not we are going to live for the Lord or not! We will never be comfortable doing a half-half sort of thing; it is either one or the other. Joshua lays it on the line before the People of God and tells them that he and his household are going to serve the Lord. What are they going to do? The response is very positive in that all commit themselves to following the way of the Lord and serving Him.
However, it does not take much time for us to discover that it is very easy to say something but far more difficult to actually live it out. This is why it is important that we have conviction when we commit ourselves to serving God. This is why encounters with God in the Scriptures and the lives of the saints often take on an extraordinary aspect to them – in order to help us build a conviction that will support us in our decision to follow God’s will for our lives. Even so, there will always be struggles and suffering involved with such a decision. The notion of a supposed prosperity Gospel where there is no suffering for those who truly have faith in God is a lie and a dangerous one at that!
It is very simple to see that it is just not true! Jesus does not always heal those who are sick. We all know people who have died young from one sort of sickness or another through no fault of their own. God is not the sort of God who punishes sinners with sickness! If He is, I do not want to know Him as He is not a God of love! Sickness may be a result of sin in some circumstances but is definitely not all caused by sin.
As we seek to follow the Lord we need to learn to embrace whatever comes to us and when there is suffering, persevere in holiness until God brings about good through the suffering! Jesus suffered for our sake, so how can we think we will be able to avoid it if we are to follow Him?! Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: How do I view suffering or the potential of suffering to come in my life? Will it be an obstacle to my faith or will I be mature enough to be able to embrace it and trust that God is doing something good in me through the suffering?
Lord Jesus, as You suffered on the cross and bore the pain due to my sin You brought to me the gift of salvation. Help me to imitate You in all things according to Your will for the sake of my salvation and the salvation of all.
Sts. Florus and Laurus, martyrs, pray for us.
*****************************
1st READING
Joshua 24:14-29
Joshua wants to make it very clear to the Israelites that if they commit themselves to following the Lord, then the journey in front of them will probably be difficult. The same is still true today. To live a life worthy of our Christian title is to live a life apart from many of the cares and concerns of the world. We need to pray for the grace to be able to make the right choices when engaging the world in dialogue and interacting with it. If we make the wrong choices here, we can very quickly be led astray.
14 “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. 16 But the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. 17 For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 At our approach the LORD drove out [all the peoples, including] the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.� 19 Joshua in turn said to the people, “You may not be able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If, after the good he has done for you, you forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, he will do evil to you and destroy you.� 21 But the people answered Joshua, “We will still serve the LORD.� 22 Joshua therefore said to the people, “You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the LORD.� They replied, “We are, indeed!� 23 “Now, therefore, put away the strange gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.� 24 Then the people promised Joshua, “We will serve the LORD, our God, and obey his voice.� 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem, 26 which he recorded in the book of the law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was in the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “This stone shall be our witness, for it has heard all the words which the LORD spoke to us. It shall be a witness against you, should you wish to deny your God.� 28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his own heritage. 29 After these events, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten.
P S A L M
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11
R: You are my inheritance, O Lord.
1 Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; 2 I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.� 5 O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. (R) 7 “I bless the LORD who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me. 8 I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. (R) 11 You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 19:13-15
There is never a time when Jesus does not want to bless us with His grace and gifts. Even when we sin, He wants to give us the gift of repentance. Unfortunately we are often not in the right place to be able to receive such a gift. It is up to us whether or not we create the right environment to receive His blessing. It is here that the example of children shows us the way. They are always willing to entrust themselves to their loving parents; they are naive and always willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. Let us try to cultivate such a relationship with Jesus.
13 Children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.� 15 After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
my reflections
think: To live a life worthy of our Christian title is to live a life apart from many of the cares and concerns of the world.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Jeremiah 49-50
This Saturday, follow the Spirit of God leading you.
Praying for you,
KERSTINNE25
18 August
Saturday TODAY'S READINGS:
ARM’S LENGTH MINISTRY
Little children were brought for Jesus to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. “Don’t bother him,� they said. – Matthew 19:13
We entered the compound and immediately children began to swarm all over us. Sick children. Dirty children. Children with mucous dripping down their noses or wounds on their skin. And a couple of the little ones extended their arms to us,
hungry for hugs and wanting to be carried. My companion and I, both of us supposedly veteran fulltime servants of the Lord, looked at each other. The stench alone was overwhelming for us who had been used to “arm’s length� ministry. All we could muster were pats on the head of the dirty little ones.
That happened many years ago. And while there have been other chances to interact with the poor in the course of serving the Lord, I’m light years away from the path that Mother Teresa took.
Imagine if Jesus chose to minister to us at arm’s length?
“I don’t want to be like one of them!� He would say to the Father,�“They’re too sinful and evil and sinister.�
But He not only became man, He even allowed us to condemn Him to a shameful death. He didn’t mind the stench of our sin, the wounds of our offenses, the dirt of our wrongdoings. Rissa S.
REFLECTION:
Is ministry a bother to you? Does it move you out of your comfort zone? It should!
Lord, teach me to serve You whether it’s convenient or inconvenient.
**************************************
IT IS ALL ABOUT MAKING A DECISION
There is no way we can get around the issue – we have to decide whether or not we are going to live for the Lord or not! We will never be comfortable doing a half-half sort of thing; it is either one or the other. Joshua lays it on the line before the People of God and tells them that he and his household are going to serve the Lord. What are they going to do? The response is very positive in that all commit themselves to following the way of the Lord and serving Him.
However, it does not take much time for us to discover that it is very easy to say something but far more difficult to actually live it out. This is why it is important that we have conviction when we commit ourselves to serving God. This is why encounters with God in the Scriptures and the lives of the saints often take on an extraordinary aspect to them – in order to help us build a conviction that will support us in our decision to follow God’s will for our lives. Even so, there will always be struggles and suffering involved with such a decision. The notion of a supposed prosperity Gospel where there is no suffering for those who truly have faith in God is a lie and a dangerous one at that!
It is very simple to see that it is just not true! Jesus does not always heal those who are sick. We all know people who have died young from one sort of sickness or another through no fault of their own. God is not the sort of God who punishes sinners with sickness! If He is, I do not want to know Him as He is not a God of love! Sickness may be a result of sin in some circumstances but is definitely not all caused by sin.
As we seek to follow the Lord we need to learn to embrace whatever comes to us and when there is suffering, persevere in holiness until God brings about good through the suffering! Jesus suffered for our sake, so how can we think we will be able to avoid it if we are to follow Him?! Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: How do I view suffering or the potential of suffering to come in my life? Will it be an obstacle to my faith or will I be mature enough to be able to embrace it and trust that God is doing something good in me through the suffering?
Lord Jesus, as You suffered on the cross and bore the pain due to my sin You brought to me the gift of salvation. Help me to imitate You in all things according to Your will for the sake of my salvation and the salvation of all.
Sts. Florus and Laurus, martyrs, pray for us.
*****************************
1st READING
Joshua 24:14-29
Joshua wants to make it very clear to the Israelites that if they commit themselves to following the Lord, then the journey in front of them will probably be difficult. The same is still true today. To live a life worthy of our Christian title is to live a life apart from many of the cares and concerns of the world. We need to pray for the grace to be able to make the right choices when engaging the world in dialogue and interacting with it. If we make the wrong choices here, we can very quickly be led astray.
14 “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. 16 But the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. 17 For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 At our approach the LORD drove out [all the peoples, including] the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.� 19 Joshua in turn said to the people, “You may not be able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If, after the good he has done for you, you forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, he will do evil to you and destroy you.� 21 But the people answered Joshua, “We will still serve the LORD.� 22 Joshua therefore said to the people, “You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the LORD.� They replied, “We are, indeed!� 23 “Now, therefore, put away the strange gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.� 24 Then the people promised Joshua, “We will serve the LORD, our God, and obey his voice.� 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem, 26 which he recorded in the book of the law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was in the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “This stone shall be our witness, for it has heard all the words which the LORD spoke to us. It shall be a witness against you, should you wish to deny your God.� 28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his own heritage. 29 After these events, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten.
P S A L M
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11
R: You are my inheritance, O Lord.
1 Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; 2 I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.� 5 O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. (R) 7 “I bless the LORD who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me. 8 I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. (R) 11 You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 19:13-15
There is never a time when Jesus does not want to bless us with His grace and gifts. Even when we sin, He wants to give us the gift of repentance. Unfortunately we are often not in the right place to be able to receive such a gift. It is up to us whether or not we create the right environment to receive His blessing. It is here that the example of children shows us the way. They are always willing to entrust themselves to their loving parents; they are naive and always willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. Let us try to cultivate such a relationship with Jesus.
13 Children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.� 15 After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
my reflections
think: To live a life worthy of our Christian title is to live a life apart from many of the cares and concerns of the world.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Jeremiah 49-50
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #71
Dear Friends,
Reflect God's love to every person you meet this Tuesday.
Praying for you,
kerstinne25
21 August
Tuesday TODAY'S READINGS:
NEVER ALONE
“If I may ask, why has all this happened to us if the Lord is with us?” – Judges 6:13
The following are some things I’ve seen happen to my community members, or people who “have Jesus” in their lives...
The son of one of our elders fell into drugs.
Recently one of our members lost his business.
Long-time couple servants went through a divorce.
A friend of mine in our singles ministry had a stroke at a young age.
A youth member failed the board exam.
My mom had breast cancer and a tumor in her uterus. She had to undergo an operation and had them removed.
Some people might look at these people and say, “I thought they knew the Lord... why do those things still happen to them?”
The answer is that Jesus didn’t come to take away the troubles in life. But He did come so that we wouldn’t have to face them on our own. These people I mentioned got through their situations. They survived. They emerged victorious. Their prayers were eventually answered. They were healed.
They weren’t spared from what everyone else goes through. The difference is they knew they weren’t alone. George G.
REFLECTION:
Going through a trial? Imagine how it would be if you didn’t know the Lord.
Thank You for the trials that make me stronger.
______________________
THE CURSE OF BEING RICH
Well, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit in the heading I gave to this reflection, but I am not totally in jest! With riches or wealth comes great responsibility. We cannot pretend to think that we deserve riches and wealth no matter how hard we might have worked for it without giving credence to the fact that without God’s blessing we would be as poor as the poorest person we know! Everything, down to the last scrap of clothing we own to cover our nakedness is a gift from God to us. The question any rich person must ask themselves is, “What is God’s will for the riches He has given to me? How am I supposed to use this wealth in the service of those who have so little?” These questions and the answers to them take on greater significance the more there is a great disparity in the way wealth is distributed in the place where you live.
For the Jews wealth is a direct sign of one’s holiness and God’s subsequent blessing. Jesus debunks this view quite clearly when He challenges the notion that the rich will find an easy path to heaven. Each of us must ask ourselves what this means for our own response to God. I am not saying that it is wrong to be rich, far from it. I am saying that wealth brings with it enormous responsibility to the point that in many cases it may well be better to dispose of the wealth in a good way and live simply rather than risk the seductions and sin that often quickly follow wealth.
The critical point of our earthly pilgrimage is to develop a faith and trust relationship with God. The primary problem with wealth is that it always threatens to become the master and not the servant of our lives. If it can be kept in control there is no problem and it is quite all right to enjoy the benefits of wealth provided such enjoyments do not create a scandal in relation to comparative lifestyles. I recently read about a wedding that cost $50 million. There is no way that this can be justified when there is the level of suffering that still exists in the world today. It is simply sinful in terms of selfishness and ostentation in the first place, not to mention all the rest. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: How do I use the resources I have at my disposal to build the Kingdom of God? Do I need to make changes in this area of my life? If so, what am I going to do?
Holy Spirit, help me to learn to trust more in the providence of God for without this trust I am never going to know the gift of salvation in all its fullness.
St. Paternus, martyr, pray for us.
______________________
1st READING
Judges 6:11-24
The story of Gideon and his insistence upon receiving signs from the Lord before acting illustrates another stage through which our faith should grow. We ought to know and believe that the Word of God is enough for us to act. He has demonstrated the power and truth of His Word without failure throughout history. Why should we allow ourselves to have any doubts now? While asking for a sign may not be sinful in itself, it often indicates a weakness of faith and a certain unwillingness to trust in the Lord’s Word.
11 The angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. While his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to save it from the Midianites, 12 the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, O champion!” 13 “My lord,” Gideon said to him, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers told us when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ For now the LORD has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian.” 14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you.” 15 But he answered him, “Please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the meanest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.” 16 “I shall be with you,” the LORD said to him, “and you will cut down Midian to the last man.” 17 He answered him, “If I find favor with you, give me a sign that you are speaking with me. 18 Do not depart from here, I pray you, until I come back to you and bring out my offering and set it before you.” He answered, “I will await your return.” 19 So Gideon went off and prepared a kid and an ephah of flour in the form of unleavened cakes. Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock; then pour out the broth.” When he had done so, 21 the angel of the LORD stretched out the tip of the staff he held, and touched the meat and unleavened cakes. Thereupon a fire came up from the rock which consumed the meat and unleavened cakes, and the angel of the LORD disappeared from sight. 22 Gideon, now aware that it had been the angel of the LORD, said, “Alas, Lord GOD, that I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!” 23 The LORD answered him, “Be calm, do not fear. You shall not die.” 24 So Gideon built there an altar to the LORD and called it Yahweh-shalom.
P S A L M
Psalm 85:9, 11-12, 13-14
R: The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
8 [9] I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD — for he proclaims peace. To his people, and to his faithful ones, and to those who put in him their hope. (R) 10 [11] Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. 11 [12] Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. (R) 12 [13] The LORD himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. 13 [14] Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 19:23-30
Again Jesus warns us of the dangers of wealth. Wealth in itself is not evil. It is the way it can consume a person that is sinful. Following on from the story of the rich young man, this saying astonishes those who hear it as they believe that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing and to hear Jesus speak of it as a danger to faith dumbfounds them. One way to try to avoid wealth becoming a hindrance to our faith is to place it at the service of the Gospel. God has been generous to you. Now it is your time to exercise the ministry of generosity towards the Church and others.
23 Jesus said to his disciples,“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
my reflections
think: God has been generous to you, now it is your time to exercise the ministry of generosity towards the Church and others.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Lamentations 3-5
GETTING TO KNOW THE SAINTS
Saint Gamaliel
Gamaliel of the first century was one of the great teachers of the Mosaic Law. He was called Rabban, a title given by the rabbinical circles as a form to honor the teacher.
He was a Pharisee during the time of Jesus. But according to an ancient tradition, he converted into Christianity ahead of Saint Paul. He was actually the one responsible in teaching the saint about the law in Jerusalem.
Gamaliel advised the Sanhedrin not to refute the will of God by secretly killing Peter and the Apostles. He was an eloquent speaker that the body released them, only with flogging as their form of punishment.
Saint Gamaliel s remains were buried in his estate, 20 miles outside Jerusalem. This was found together with the relics of Saint Stephen and his sons, Saints Abibas and Nicodemus.
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0803.htm#rufi
Saint John Gualbert
John Gualbert of the late 10th century was born in Florence, Italy.
When he and his father learned about the death of John s brother Hugh, the two thought of avenging his death. So one Good Friday, when John met his brother s assailant in a narrow passageway, the man thought of killing the latter. Without hesitation, John drew his sword and headed towards him. His brother s murderer fell on his knees and begged for forgiveness. With all his might, John dropped his sword and embraced him.
John saw a monastery church. He went in and knelt before the crucifix. To his amazement, Christ on the cross bowed His head. John immediately felt the Lord forgive him for all his sins. Such was the effect on him that the man went to the abbot of the monastery and asked if he could join them. His father was so furious upon learning about what happened that he threatened to burn down the whole monastery if his son would not come out. The monks didn t know what to do. John resolved the issue by cutting off his hair and borrowing a habit from one of the monks. When his father saw him, his heart softened that he allowed him to stay.
Years later, John began his own community of monks. He cared for the poor who came to the monastery gate. The Lord blessed him with the gift of wisdom that even Pope Leo IX sought for his advice.
Saint John died on July 12, 1073 and was canonized in 1193 by Pope Celestine III.
Reflect God's love to every person you meet this Tuesday.
Praying for you,
kerstinne25
21 August
Tuesday TODAY'S READINGS:
NEVER ALONE
“If I may ask, why has all this happened to us if the Lord is with us?” – Judges 6:13
The following are some things I’ve seen happen to my community members, or people who “have Jesus” in their lives...
The son of one of our elders fell into drugs.
Recently one of our members lost his business.
Long-time couple servants went through a divorce.
A friend of mine in our singles ministry had a stroke at a young age.
A youth member failed the board exam.
My mom had breast cancer and a tumor in her uterus. She had to undergo an operation and had them removed.
Some people might look at these people and say, “I thought they knew the Lord... why do those things still happen to them?”
The answer is that Jesus didn’t come to take away the troubles in life. But He did come so that we wouldn’t have to face them on our own. These people I mentioned got through their situations. They survived. They emerged victorious. Their prayers were eventually answered. They were healed.
They weren’t spared from what everyone else goes through. The difference is they knew they weren’t alone. George G.
REFLECTION:
Going through a trial? Imagine how it would be if you didn’t know the Lord.
Thank You for the trials that make me stronger.
______________________
THE CURSE OF BEING RICH
Well, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit in the heading I gave to this reflection, but I am not totally in jest! With riches or wealth comes great responsibility. We cannot pretend to think that we deserve riches and wealth no matter how hard we might have worked for it without giving credence to the fact that without God’s blessing we would be as poor as the poorest person we know! Everything, down to the last scrap of clothing we own to cover our nakedness is a gift from God to us. The question any rich person must ask themselves is, “What is God’s will for the riches He has given to me? How am I supposed to use this wealth in the service of those who have so little?” These questions and the answers to them take on greater significance the more there is a great disparity in the way wealth is distributed in the place where you live.
For the Jews wealth is a direct sign of one’s holiness and God’s subsequent blessing. Jesus debunks this view quite clearly when He challenges the notion that the rich will find an easy path to heaven. Each of us must ask ourselves what this means for our own response to God. I am not saying that it is wrong to be rich, far from it. I am saying that wealth brings with it enormous responsibility to the point that in many cases it may well be better to dispose of the wealth in a good way and live simply rather than risk the seductions and sin that often quickly follow wealth.
The critical point of our earthly pilgrimage is to develop a faith and trust relationship with God. The primary problem with wealth is that it always threatens to become the master and not the servant of our lives. If it can be kept in control there is no problem and it is quite all right to enjoy the benefits of wealth provided such enjoyments do not create a scandal in relation to comparative lifestyles. I recently read about a wedding that cost $50 million. There is no way that this can be justified when there is the level of suffering that still exists in the world today. It is simply sinful in terms of selfishness and ostentation in the first place, not to mention all the rest. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: How do I use the resources I have at my disposal to build the Kingdom of God? Do I need to make changes in this area of my life? If so, what am I going to do?
Holy Spirit, help me to learn to trust more in the providence of God for without this trust I am never going to know the gift of salvation in all its fullness.
St. Paternus, martyr, pray for us.
______________________
1st READING
Judges 6:11-24
The story of Gideon and his insistence upon receiving signs from the Lord before acting illustrates another stage through which our faith should grow. We ought to know and believe that the Word of God is enough for us to act. He has demonstrated the power and truth of His Word without failure throughout history. Why should we allow ourselves to have any doubts now? While asking for a sign may not be sinful in itself, it often indicates a weakness of faith and a certain unwillingness to trust in the Lord’s Word.
11 The angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. While his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to save it from the Midianites, 12 the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, O champion!” 13 “My lord,” Gideon said to him, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers told us when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ For now the LORD has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian.” 14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you.” 15 But he answered him, “Please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the meanest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.” 16 “I shall be with you,” the LORD said to him, “and you will cut down Midian to the last man.” 17 He answered him, “If I find favor with you, give me a sign that you are speaking with me. 18 Do not depart from here, I pray you, until I come back to you and bring out my offering and set it before you.” He answered, “I will await your return.” 19 So Gideon went off and prepared a kid and an ephah of flour in the form of unleavened cakes. Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock; then pour out the broth.” When he had done so, 21 the angel of the LORD stretched out the tip of the staff he held, and touched the meat and unleavened cakes. Thereupon a fire came up from the rock which consumed the meat and unleavened cakes, and the angel of the LORD disappeared from sight. 22 Gideon, now aware that it had been the angel of the LORD, said, “Alas, Lord GOD, that I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!” 23 The LORD answered him, “Be calm, do not fear. You shall not die.” 24 So Gideon built there an altar to the LORD and called it Yahweh-shalom.
P S A L M
Psalm 85:9, 11-12, 13-14
R: The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
8 [9] I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD — for he proclaims peace. To his people, and to his faithful ones, and to those who put in him their hope. (R) 10 [11] Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. 11 [12] Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. (R) 12 [13] The LORD himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. 13 [14] Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 19:23-30
Again Jesus warns us of the dangers of wealth. Wealth in itself is not evil. It is the way it can consume a person that is sinful. Following on from the story of the rich young man, this saying astonishes those who hear it as they believe that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing and to hear Jesus speak of it as a danger to faith dumbfounds them. One way to try to avoid wealth becoming a hindrance to our faith is to place it at the service of the Gospel. God has been generous to you. Now it is your time to exercise the ministry of generosity towards the Church and others.
23 Jesus said to his disciples,“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
my reflections
think: God has been generous to you, now it is your time to exercise the ministry of generosity towards the Church and others.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Lamentations 3-5
GETTING TO KNOW THE SAINTS
Saint Gamaliel
Gamaliel of the first century was one of the great teachers of the Mosaic Law. He was called Rabban, a title given by the rabbinical circles as a form to honor the teacher.
He was a Pharisee during the time of Jesus. But according to an ancient tradition, he converted into Christianity ahead of Saint Paul. He was actually the one responsible in teaching the saint about the law in Jerusalem.
Gamaliel advised the Sanhedrin not to refute the will of God by secretly killing Peter and the Apostles. He was an eloquent speaker that the body released them, only with flogging as their form of punishment.
Saint Gamaliel s remains were buried in his estate, 20 miles outside Jerusalem. This was found together with the relics of Saint Stephen and his sons, Saints Abibas and Nicodemus.
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0803.htm#rufi
Saint John Gualbert
John Gualbert of the late 10th century was born in Florence, Italy.
When he and his father learned about the death of John s brother Hugh, the two thought of avenging his death. So one Good Friday, when John met his brother s assailant in a narrow passageway, the man thought of killing the latter. Without hesitation, John drew his sword and headed towards him. His brother s murderer fell on his knees and begged for forgiveness. With all his might, John dropped his sword and embraced him.
John saw a monastery church. He went in and knelt before the crucifix. To his amazement, Christ on the cross bowed His head. John immediately felt the Lord forgive him for all his sins. Such was the effect on him that the man went to the abbot of the monastery and asked if he could join them. His father was so furious upon learning about what happened that he threatened to burn down the whole monastery if his son would not come out. The monks didn t know what to do. John resolved the issue by cutting off his hair and borrowing a habit from one of the monks. When his father saw him, his heart softened that he allowed him to stay.
Years later, John began his own community of monks. He cared for the poor who came to the monastery gate. The Lord blessed him with the gift of wisdom that even Pope Leo IX sought for his advice.
Saint John died on July 12, 1073 and was canonized in 1193 by Pope Celestine III.
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #72
Dear friends,
God will never leave you. This Wednesday is no different.
Praying for you,
kerstinne25
22 August
Wednesday TODAY'S READINGS:
OBEDIENT TO WHOM?
“Then all the trees finally turned to the thorn bush.“‘You be our king!’” – Judges 9:14
There’s a Christian group that refrained from teaching their youth about obedience to parents. Instead, they emphasized and drilled obedience to their elders in that group.
Consequently, some of the youth didn’t see anything wrong with defying their parents “in the name of the Lord.” If their parents didn’t allow them to attend prayer meetings because it ended late at night and affected their studies, the young people would interpret it as “persecution” from their families and go to the service anyway. If parents gave good advice to their children that opposed the counsel that came from the group, the young people would disregard what their father or mother said.
God Himself instituted parental authority.
He included honoring our parents in the Ten Commandments.
An American preacher said that youth pastors do not have the mandate from God that He gave to parents. So for those who minister to the youth, take care that you do not usurp their parents’ authority. And parents, take care not to relinquish your authority to others who have clout and influence over your kids. Rissa S.
REFLECTION:
“If one man says to another, ‘You must,’ and ’You shall,’ he breaks the human spirit and unfits it for God.” (Oswald Chambers)
Lord, teach me to honor my parents and to obey those who have been rightly placed above me.
*******************
MOTIVES ARE IMPORTANT
This parable concerning being wary about those who seek positions of influence and power is very instructive in terms of examining the issue of the motives for which we do things. At first we hear of olive, fig and vine that refuse to take the position of king in the garden as they do not want to sacrifice something that is dear to their independent existence. (We will return to this in a moment.) The thorn, however, is eager to have the role as king as he knows that there is nothing attractive in his normal appearance so being king will give him status and power. Thus, we are warned to be careful of those who seek power as they have no other way of gaining influence in life unless others cede it to them. So often we will discover that those who want to be leaders do not make the best leaders as their motives are far from pure.
There is another issue at stake here that I alluded to earlier and that is the one of the first three plants refusing the role as king because they were unwilling to give up something they held dear to themselves. Any good leader will know that such sacrifices are essential if they are going to be good and successful leaders. I am not saying that a leader will have to let go of everything they hold dear but a good leader will have to be ready to put the benefit of the community or the common good before his or her own preferences. Only then will a community be able to move forward on principles that are going to benefit the majority and support the weak in the midst of the strong.
Thus we can see that perhaps all plants in this parable are at fault in one way or another concerning their motives towards service! Sometimes our fault is expressed in a reluctance to serve and at other times in over eagerness. Let us be careful to look at the motives of our hearts as we lay down our lives in the service of the Kingdom Of God. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: What are the things that motivate me to serve? Do they need to be purified a little or maybe a lot!? How can I seek to purify my motives?
Holy Spirit, open my heart to the purifying power of Your love and let me open my mind to the truth as to why I make the choices I do. Help me to always choose to act in a spirit of humble service of God and neighbor.
St. Andrew, monk, pray for us.
************************
1st READING
Judges 9:6-15
This prophecy is from the tradition that did not want Israel to move towards the path of a constitutional monarchy. Basically it argues that the only person who is willing to be king is someone who will do little good. The olive, fig and grape refuse the role as they want to concentrate on their proper functions. The thorn bush, however, is willing to take up the role, as it has nothing better to do. It is not qualified for the job, but it takes it up anyway. The prophecy predicts that the monarchy will ultimately be corrupt and dissolute. Time will vindicate the truth of this prediction.
6 All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together and proceeded to make Abimelech king by the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem. 7 When this was reported to him, Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim, and standing there, cried out to them in a loud voice, “Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you! 8 Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves. So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ 9 But the olive tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my rich oil, whereby men and gods are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ 10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come; you reign over us!’ 11 But the fig tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ 12 Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ 13 But the vine answered them, ‘Must I give up my wine that cheers gods and men, and go to wave over the trees?’ 14 Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, ‘Come; you reign over us!’ 15 But the buckthorn replied to the trees, ‘If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith, come and take refuge in my shadow. Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’”
P S A L M
Psalm 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R: Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
1 [2] O Lord, in your strength the king is glad; in your victory how greatly he rejoices! 2 [3] You have granted him his heart’s desire; you refused not the wish of his lips. (R) 3 [4] For you welcomed him with goodly blessings, you placed on his head a crown of pure gold. 4 [5] He asked life of you: you gave him length of days forever and ever. (R) 5 [6] Great is his glory in your victory; majesty and splendor you conferred upon him. 6 [7] For you made him a blessing forever; you gladdened him with the joy of your face. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 20:1-16
Sometimes we may not understand why God does what He does, but this does not stop us from remaining faithful to His call. God always has a reason behind the things that He does. Faith is sometimes all we have to cling to if we cannot immediately understand what He is doing. This is not God’s special verse/thought for me today necessarily a bad thing as it deepens our trust and can take us to a deeper level of faith as well! It is only in stretching our faith that we will grow in our relationship with God.
1 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ 5 So they went off. [And] he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. 6 Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ 8 When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ 9 When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. 10 So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ 13 He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? 15 Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
my reflections
think: It is only in stretching our faith that we will grow in our relationship with God.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Baruch 1-3
God will never leave you. This Wednesday is no different.
Praying for you,
kerstinne25
22 August
Wednesday TODAY'S READINGS:
OBEDIENT TO WHOM?
“Then all the trees finally turned to the thorn bush.“‘You be our king!’” – Judges 9:14
There’s a Christian group that refrained from teaching their youth about obedience to parents. Instead, they emphasized and drilled obedience to their elders in that group.
Consequently, some of the youth didn’t see anything wrong with defying their parents “in the name of the Lord.” If their parents didn’t allow them to attend prayer meetings because it ended late at night and affected their studies, the young people would interpret it as “persecution” from their families and go to the service anyway. If parents gave good advice to their children that opposed the counsel that came from the group, the young people would disregard what their father or mother said.
God Himself instituted parental authority.
He included honoring our parents in the Ten Commandments.
An American preacher said that youth pastors do not have the mandate from God that He gave to parents. So for those who minister to the youth, take care that you do not usurp their parents’ authority. And parents, take care not to relinquish your authority to others who have clout and influence over your kids. Rissa S.
REFLECTION:
“If one man says to another, ‘You must,’ and ’You shall,’ he breaks the human spirit and unfits it for God.” (Oswald Chambers)
Lord, teach me to honor my parents and to obey those who have been rightly placed above me.
*******************
MOTIVES ARE IMPORTANT
This parable concerning being wary about those who seek positions of influence and power is very instructive in terms of examining the issue of the motives for which we do things. At first we hear of olive, fig and vine that refuse to take the position of king in the garden as they do not want to sacrifice something that is dear to their independent existence. (We will return to this in a moment.) The thorn, however, is eager to have the role as king as he knows that there is nothing attractive in his normal appearance so being king will give him status and power. Thus, we are warned to be careful of those who seek power as they have no other way of gaining influence in life unless others cede it to them. So often we will discover that those who want to be leaders do not make the best leaders as their motives are far from pure.
There is another issue at stake here that I alluded to earlier and that is the one of the first three plants refusing the role as king because they were unwilling to give up something they held dear to themselves. Any good leader will know that such sacrifices are essential if they are going to be good and successful leaders. I am not saying that a leader will have to let go of everything they hold dear but a good leader will have to be ready to put the benefit of the community or the common good before his or her own preferences. Only then will a community be able to move forward on principles that are going to benefit the majority and support the weak in the midst of the strong.
Thus we can see that perhaps all plants in this parable are at fault in one way or another concerning their motives towards service! Sometimes our fault is expressed in a reluctance to serve and at other times in over eagerness. Let us be careful to look at the motives of our hearts as we lay down our lives in the service of the Kingdom Of God. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: What are the things that motivate me to serve? Do they need to be purified a little or maybe a lot!? How can I seek to purify my motives?
Holy Spirit, open my heart to the purifying power of Your love and let me open my mind to the truth as to why I make the choices I do. Help me to always choose to act in a spirit of humble service of God and neighbor.
St. Andrew, monk, pray for us.
************************
1st READING
Judges 9:6-15
This prophecy is from the tradition that did not want Israel to move towards the path of a constitutional monarchy. Basically it argues that the only person who is willing to be king is someone who will do little good. The olive, fig and grape refuse the role as they want to concentrate on their proper functions. The thorn bush, however, is willing to take up the role, as it has nothing better to do. It is not qualified for the job, but it takes it up anyway. The prophecy predicts that the monarchy will ultimately be corrupt and dissolute. Time will vindicate the truth of this prediction.
6 All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together and proceeded to make Abimelech king by the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem. 7 When this was reported to him, Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim, and standing there, cried out to them in a loud voice, “Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you! 8 Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves. So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ 9 But the olive tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my rich oil, whereby men and gods are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ 10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come; you reign over us!’ 11 But the fig tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ 12 Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ 13 But the vine answered them, ‘Must I give up my wine that cheers gods and men, and go to wave over the trees?’ 14 Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, ‘Come; you reign over us!’ 15 But the buckthorn replied to the trees, ‘If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith, come and take refuge in my shadow. Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’”
P S A L M
Psalm 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R: Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
1 [2] O Lord, in your strength the king is glad; in your victory how greatly he rejoices! 2 [3] You have granted him his heart’s desire; you refused not the wish of his lips. (R) 3 [4] For you welcomed him with goodly blessings, you placed on his head a crown of pure gold. 4 [5] He asked life of you: you gave him length of days forever and ever. (R) 5 [6] Great is his glory in your victory; majesty and splendor you conferred upon him. 6 [7] For you made him a blessing forever; you gladdened him with the joy of your face. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 20:1-16
Sometimes we may not understand why God does what He does, but this does not stop us from remaining faithful to His call. God always has a reason behind the things that He does. Faith is sometimes all we have to cling to if we cannot immediately understand what He is doing. This is not God’s special verse/thought for me today necessarily a bad thing as it deepens our trust and can take us to a deeper level of faith as well! It is only in stretching our faith that we will grow in our relationship with God.
1 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ 5 So they went off. [And] he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. 6 Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ 8 When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ 9 When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. 10 So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ 13 He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? 15 Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
my reflections
think: It is only in stretching our faith that we will grow in our relationship with God.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Baruch 1-3
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
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- 128
- Thread Starter
- #73
Dear friends,
Be blessed by His Creative Word this Thursday!
Praying for you,
kerstinne25
23 August
Thursday TODAY'S READINGS:
GIVE IT UP FOR JESUS
She was his only child – Judges 11:34
Jepthah won over the Ammonites, Israel’s enemy. But before the victory, Jepthah prayed and promised to God he’d burn as an offering anyone who would come out first from his house to meet him. When he arrived home, his daughter greeted him first. It made Jepthah tear his clothes in grief. He had to offer his only child.
When success comes your way, what is it that you have to sacrifice for its sake and to continue enjoying it?
Thankfully, in our culture it does not mean you have to literally kill someone.
Perhaps, you need to sacrifice your time or your family.
Or you surrender many luxuries just to reach your goal.
Jepthah sacrificed his prized daughter for his faith. Can you give up the road to success for your faith?
Don’t think twice.
Whatever you give up for your faith still puts you on the road to success.
A much greater one than you can imagine. RosAnn J.
REFLECTION:
Choose wisely what you need to sacrifice.
You, Oh Lord, are my delight.
*******************
TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT COMES OR ELSE
When I reflect upon the day that I will stand before the Lord in judgment, I am certain of at least one thing and that is I do not want to be saying to myself, “If only I had taken that opportunity when it came to me...� I find it difficult to conceive of a more frustrating reality than that – namely knowing that the possibility for something was there for the taking but I did not take it. Have you ever thought about this? The Gospel today tells us of a similar situation as various people refuse an invitation to a banquet and when they change their mind find that it is too late to take up the original invitation. God is always generous to us – He is always offering us graces for the situations we face in life. The question that remains to be answered is whether or not we are humble enough to take up the offer. And there is the critical point – do we have the humility to be a true disciple of Jesus, following His will for our lives wherever it may lead us?
There are times and seasons in life and there are moments of grace offered by the Holy Spirit that come around only once in a lifetime! It is a bit like Alphonsus de Ligouri reflecting that if we waste a minute of our lives doing nothing, we never get that minute back again. Likewise, if we refuse to take up a particular grace then we may never get that opportunity again and we will be left wondering ‘what might have been’ had we been obedient and accepted that offer of grace. A famous poet once wrote about ‘seizing the day.’ Well, I think we as Christians should reflect on this concept often in terms of taking up the offer of grace when it arises in our lives and not delaying until the moment of opportunity has passed us by! Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: What graces are being offered to me by God at this moment of my life? How am I disposed towards them? Should I be doing anything to accept them into my life right now?
Father, You have promised to be with us until the end of time. Your grace for salvation is permanently available to all. Help us to take it up and live it to the full.
St. Zacchaeus, bishop, pray for us.
********************
1st READING
Judges 11:29-39
Once again we are witnesses to an act that ought to disgust us! How can a man sacrifice his only child for any reason whatsoever? Does God accept such a sacrifice or even condone it? No! What we are dealing with here is a society that is yet to develop the fuller moral sense that we have. The culture of the time practiced child sacrifice and the Israelites, being part of the culture, did as well! Over time, the moral sense of the people developed until we got to the present. Faithfulness to one’s word or commitment to God was more important than the dignity of life to this culture 3100 years ago. It is obvious we cannot accept the literal meaning of this text and apply it to our present day.
29 The spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and through Mizpah-gilead as well, and from there he went on to the Ammonites. 30 Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. “If you deliver the Ammonites into my power,� he said, 31 “whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the LORD. I shall offer him up as a holocaust.� 32 Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his power, 33 so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them, from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all) and as far as Abel-keramin. Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection by the Israelites. 34 When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came forth, playing the tambourines and dancing. She was an only child he had neither son nor daughter besides her. 35 When he saw her, he rent his garments and said, “Alas, daughter, you have struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract.� 36 “Father,� she replied, “you have made a vow to the LORD. Do with me as you have vowed, because the LORD has wrought vengeance for you on your enemies the Ammonites.� 37 Then she said to her father, “Let me have this favor. Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains to mourn my virginity with my companions.� 38 “Go,� he replied, and sent her away for two months. So she departed with her companions and mourned her
virginity on the mountains. 39 At the end of the two months she returned to her father, who did to her as he had vowed.
P S A L M
Psalm 40:5, 7-8, 8-9, 10
R: Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
4 [5] Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust; who turns not to idolatry or to those who stray after falsehood. (R) 6 [7] Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt-offerings or sin-offerings you sought not; 7 [8] then said I, “Behold I come.� (R) “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, 8 [9] to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!� (R) 9 [10] I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 22:1-14
Again, we should not seek a literal interpretation or following of today’s Gospel in the sense that we punish those who do not accept an invitation to dinner! Jesus tells the story in order to encourage us to consider carefully any of the offers of salvation or otherwise that God gives to us! Is there anything more important to us than responding to God’s invitation to accept the gift of eternal life and to feasts with Him in His heavenly banquet?
1 Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. 4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, “Tell those invited: ‘Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.’� 5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. 9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ 10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. 12 He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. 13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ 14 Many are invited, but few are chosen.�
my reflections
think: Is there anything more important to us than responding to God’s invitation to accept the gift of eternal life and to feast with Him in His heavenly banquet?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Baruch 4-6
GETTING TO KNOW THE SAINTS
Saint Dominic of Guzman
Dominic was born to a wealthy Spanish family in 1170 in Castile. He was influenced by his uncle who served as a priest. Thus, Dominic obtained his degrees in philosophy and theology at the University of Palencia. Eventually, he too was ordained a priest.
Dominic lived a quiet life of prayer and obedience with other virtuous priests. But God had amazing plans for Dominic. He was meant to begin a new religious order. It would be called the Order of Preachers or Dominicans, after St. Dominic. The Dominicans preached the faith. They helped correct false teachings called heresies. It all began when Dominic was on a trip through southern France. He realized that the heresy of Albigensianism was doing great harm. St. Dominic felt such pity for the people who had joined it. He wanted to help them. The Dominicans conquered that dangerous heresy with prayer, especially the Holy Rosary. Dominic also encouraged the people to be humble and to make sacrifices. Once, someone asked St. Dominic what book he used to prepare his wonderful sermons. The only book I use is the book of love, he said. He always prayed to be filled with true love of neighbor. He urged the Dominicans to be devoted to the study of the Bible and to prayer. No one did more than St. Dominic and his preachers to spread the beautiful practice of saying the Rosary. St. Dominic was a brilliant preacher, while St. Francis of Assisi was a humble beggar. Yet, they were close friends. Their two orders of Dominicans and Franciscans helped Christians become holier. Dominic s friars opened centers in Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; Rome and Bologna, Italy. He lived to see his order spread to Poland, Scandinavia and Palestine. The friars also went to Canterbury, London, and Oxford, England. Dominic died in Bologna on August 7, 1221. His great friend, Cardinal Ugolino of Venice became Pope Gregory IX. He proclaimed Dominic a saint in 1234.
Be blessed by His Creative Word this Thursday!
Praying for you,
kerstinne25
23 August
Thursday TODAY'S READINGS:
GIVE IT UP FOR JESUS
She was his only child – Judges 11:34
Jepthah won over the Ammonites, Israel’s enemy. But before the victory, Jepthah prayed and promised to God he’d burn as an offering anyone who would come out first from his house to meet him. When he arrived home, his daughter greeted him first. It made Jepthah tear his clothes in grief. He had to offer his only child.
When success comes your way, what is it that you have to sacrifice for its sake and to continue enjoying it?
Thankfully, in our culture it does not mean you have to literally kill someone.
Perhaps, you need to sacrifice your time or your family.
Or you surrender many luxuries just to reach your goal.
Jepthah sacrificed his prized daughter for his faith. Can you give up the road to success for your faith?
Don’t think twice.
Whatever you give up for your faith still puts you on the road to success.
A much greater one than you can imagine. RosAnn J.
REFLECTION:
Choose wisely what you need to sacrifice.
You, Oh Lord, are my delight.
*******************
TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT COMES OR ELSE
When I reflect upon the day that I will stand before the Lord in judgment, I am certain of at least one thing and that is I do not want to be saying to myself, “If only I had taken that opportunity when it came to me...� I find it difficult to conceive of a more frustrating reality than that – namely knowing that the possibility for something was there for the taking but I did not take it. Have you ever thought about this? The Gospel today tells us of a similar situation as various people refuse an invitation to a banquet and when they change their mind find that it is too late to take up the original invitation. God is always generous to us – He is always offering us graces for the situations we face in life. The question that remains to be answered is whether or not we are humble enough to take up the offer. And there is the critical point – do we have the humility to be a true disciple of Jesus, following His will for our lives wherever it may lead us?
There are times and seasons in life and there are moments of grace offered by the Holy Spirit that come around only once in a lifetime! It is a bit like Alphonsus de Ligouri reflecting that if we waste a minute of our lives doing nothing, we never get that minute back again. Likewise, if we refuse to take up a particular grace then we may never get that opportunity again and we will be left wondering ‘what might have been’ had we been obedient and accepted that offer of grace. A famous poet once wrote about ‘seizing the day.’ Well, I think we as Christians should reflect on this concept often in terms of taking up the offer of grace when it arises in our lives and not delaying until the moment of opportunity has passed us by! Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: What graces are being offered to me by God at this moment of my life? How am I disposed towards them? Should I be doing anything to accept them into my life right now?
Father, You have promised to be with us until the end of time. Your grace for salvation is permanently available to all. Help us to take it up and live it to the full.
St. Zacchaeus, bishop, pray for us.
********************
1st READING
Judges 11:29-39
Once again we are witnesses to an act that ought to disgust us! How can a man sacrifice his only child for any reason whatsoever? Does God accept such a sacrifice or even condone it? No! What we are dealing with here is a society that is yet to develop the fuller moral sense that we have. The culture of the time practiced child sacrifice and the Israelites, being part of the culture, did as well! Over time, the moral sense of the people developed until we got to the present. Faithfulness to one’s word or commitment to God was more important than the dignity of life to this culture 3100 years ago. It is obvious we cannot accept the literal meaning of this text and apply it to our present day.
29 The spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and through Mizpah-gilead as well, and from there he went on to the Ammonites. 30 Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. “If you deliver the Ammonites into my power,� he said, 31 “whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the LORD. I shall offer him up as a holocaust.� 32 Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his power, 33 so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them, from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all) and as far as Abel-keramin. Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection by the Israelites. 34 When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came forth, playing the tambourines and dancing. She was an only child he had neither son nor daughter besides her. 35 When he saw her, he rent his garments and said, “Alas, daughter, you have struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract.� 36 “Father,� she replied, “you have made a vow to the LORD. Do with me as you have vowed, because the LORD has wrought vengeance for you on your enemies the Ammonites.� 37 Then she said to her father, “Let me have this favor. Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains to mourn my virginity with my companions.� 38 “Go,� he replied, and sent her away for two months. So she departed with her companions and mourned her
virginity on the mountains. 39 At the end of the two months she returned to her father, who did to her as he had vowed.
P S A L M
Psalm 40:5, 7-8, 8-9, 10
R: Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
4 [5] Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust; who turns not to idolatry or to those who stray after falsehood. (R) 6 [7] Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt-offerings or sin-offerings you sought not; 7 [8] then said I, “Behold I come.� (R) “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, 8 [9] to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!� (R) 9 [10] I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 22:1-14
Again, we should not seek a literal interpretation or following of today’s Gospel in the sense that we punish those who do not accept an invitation to dinner! Jesus tells the story in order to encourage us to consider carefully any of the offers of salvation or otherwise that God gives to us! Is there anything more important to us than responding to God’s invitation to accept the gift of eternal life and to feasts with Him in His heavenly banquet?
1 Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. 4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, “Tell those invited: ‘Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.’� 5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. 9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ 10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. 12 He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. 13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ 14 Many are invited, but few are chosen.�
my reflections
think: Is there anything more important to us than responding to God’s invitation to accept the gift of eternal life and to feast with Him in His heavenly banquet?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Baruch 4-6
GETTING TO KNOW THE SAINTS
Saint Dominic of Guzman
Dominic was born to a wealthy Spanish family in 1170 in Castile. He was influenced by his uncle who served as a priest. Thus, Dominic obtained his degrees in philosophy and theology at the University of Palencia. Eventually, he too was ordained a priest.
Dominic lived a quiet life of prayer and obedience with other virtuous priests. But God had amazing plans for Dominic. He was meant to begin a new religious order. It would be called the Order of Preachers or Dominicans, after St. Dominic. The Dominicans preached the faith. They helped correct false teachings called heresies. It all began when Dominic was on a trip through southern France. He realized that the heresy of Albigensianism was doing great harm. St. Dominic felt such pity for the people who had joined it. He wanted to help them. The Dominicans conquered that dangerous heresy with prayer, especially the Holy Rosary. Dominic also encouraged the people to be humble and to make sacrifices. Once, someone asked St. Dominic what book he used to prepare his wonderful sermons. The only book I use is the book of love, he said. He always prayed to be filled with true love of neighbor. He urged the Dominicans to be devoted to the study of the Bible and to prayer. No one did more than St. Dominic and his preachers to spread the beautiful practice of saying the Rosary. St. Dominic was a brilliant preacher, while St. Francis of Assisi was a humble beggar. Yet, they were close friends. Their two orders of Dominicans and Franciscans helped Christians become holier. Dominic s friars opened centers in Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; Rome and Bologna, Italy. He lived to see his order spread to Poland, Scandinavia and Palestine. The friars also went to Canterbury, London, and Oxford, England. Dominic died in Bologna on August 7, 1221. His great friend, Cardinal Ugolino of Venice became Pope Gregory IX. He proclaimed Dominic a saint in 1234.
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #74
Dear friends,
This Friday, work with Him at your side.
Praying for you,
Kerstinne25
24 August
Friday
Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle
WHO DO YOU SEE?
“How do you know me?” – John 1:48
A Kia Pride car parked on the front side of the showroom of an automotive company. A man dressed in t-shirt, shorts and slippers stepped down from the car and made his way inside the showroom. He looked very simple, like somebody who came from the province and who couldn’t afford to buy a new car.
It took a long time before a sales representative approached him. “May I help you sir?” The man answered, “If you give me a good price for this vehicle, I will give you my old car.” The sales rep just laughed thinking it was a joke. He gave the customer the last price for the car. “Okay, I’ll take it and pay in full.” The sales rep asked the customer to come back after three days for the release of the vehicle.
When the customer came for the car, he threw the keys of his old car toward the sales rep. “It’s all yours, as promised!”
In my experience, first impressions don’t always last. We need to go beyond the surface to really know who a person really is. So before you go dismissing someone as unimportant or not worth your time, think again. He might just be an angel in disguise. Judith C.
REFLECTION:
Do you judge a book by its cover?
Allow me to see You in all who come my way.
*********************
COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF
Our God is a God who desires to encounter each one of us in a personal way! He does not want to remain distant and aloof from our existence. His decision to become incarnate as a man is proof of this desire and the source of our hope for a personal relationship with Him. Nathaniel (Bartholomew according to tradition) is doubtful that anything good can have its origin in Nazareth. He is about to discover how wrong he can be! The invitation to ‘come and see’ will change his life forever; in the same way if we are open to encountering the living God in a personal way it will change our lives forever.
Before my conversion experience as an 18-year-old God was more of a concept in my mind than a living being who wanted to be in relationship with me; it was as though He was ‘out there somewhere’ and tolerated my existence. I had little or no sense of His desire to be in relationship with me like my parents or siblings or friends. This all changed when I attended a youth group and saw that they had something in their relationship with God that I immediately saw was good and I knew straightaway that I had to have what they had! This was the beginning of my active and personal relationship with Jesus. This experience changed the way I viewed my faith and reset the priorities of my life, giving me a new reason for living.
This may sound exaggerated but it is not. I think I would have drifted through life basically enjoying it to a limited degree and living what would be described at my death as an ordinary but good life. With my conversion to a personal relationship with Jesus so many more possibilities have been opened up to me. Even my calling to become a priest came alive to the point that I knew without a doubt that this is what God wanted of me. I cannot even imagine what sort of a priest I would have been if I had not come into the reality of a personal relationship with Jesus. To me now, faith only really makes any sense if it is accompanied by the knowledge that God desires to be in personal contact with us every moment of every day. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: What understanding do I have of my relationship with God? Do I experience Him as desiring a personal relationship with me? If not, am I willing to open my life to Him in this way?
Father, You created me in love and desire to walk with me all the days of my life. Help me to remain open to your love and will so that I will walk according to your ways and know the fullness of Your love for me all the time.
St. Sandratus, abbot, pray for us.
*******************
1st READING
Revelation 21:9-14
In the Jewish understanding, the number 12 carried with it the meaning of fullness or completeness. Thus it was imperative for the apostles to replace Judas after his betrayal and death. Twelve occurs repeatedly in today’s text for the feast of Bartholemew as though to remind us that there is nothing lacking in the ministry of the Apostles as they carry on where Jesus has left off. There is continuity in the 12 Apostles with the 12 tribes of Israel, the full complement of the People of God. Let us pray that the work of the successors of the Apostles, today’s bishops, will continue in the same tradition of proclaiming the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
9 One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came and said to me,“Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, [the names] of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. 13 There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
P S A L M
Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R: Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
10 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. (R) 12 Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. (R) 17 The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R)
G O S P E L
John 1:45-51
This is a somewhat mysterious story – the call of Nathaniel. I like to reflect upon it in terms of God’s freedom to choose and call His servants in whatever way is pleasing to Him! Who are we to question the mind of the Lord? I do not think that I could do a better job than God at bringing salvation to all, do you? The crucial role of Nathaniel, as in all conversion stories, is his willingness to surrender all to Jesus. This is what will ultimately give him the strength and grace to be obedient to God’s call upon his life.
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” 46 But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
my reflections
think: Who are we to question the mind of the Lord?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 1-5
This Friday, work with Him at your side.
Praying for you,
Kerstinne25
24 August
Friday
Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle
WHO DO YOU SEE?
“How do you know me?” – John 1:48
A Kia Pride car parked on the front side of the showroom of an automotive company. A man dressed in t-shirt, shorts and slippers stepped down from the car and made his way inside the showroom. He looked very simple, like somebody who came from the province and who couldn’t afford to buy a new car.
It took a long time before a sales representative approached him. “May I help you sir?” The man answered, “If you give me a good price for this vehicle, I will give you my old car.” The sales rep just laughed thinking it was a joke. He gave the customer the last price for the car. “Okay, I’ll take it and pay in full.” The sales rep asked the customer to come back after three days for the release of the vehicle.
When the customer came for the car, he threw the keys of his old car toward the sales rep. “It’s all yours, as promised!”
In my experience, first impressions don’t always last. We need to go beyond the surface to really know who a person really is. So before you go dismissing someone as unimportant or not worth your time, think again. He might just be an angel in disguise. Judith C.
REFLECTION:
Do you judge a book by its cover?
Allow me to see You in all who come my way.
*********************
COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF
Our God is a God who desires to encounter each one of us in a personal way! He does not want to remain distant and aloof from our existence. His decision to become incarnate as a man is proof of this desire and the source of our hope for a personal relationship with Him. Nathaniel (Bartholomew according to tradition) is doubtful that anything good can have its origin in Nazareth. He is about to discover how wrong he can be! The invitation to ‘come and see’ will change his life forever; in the same way if we are open to encountering the living God in a personal way it will change our lives forever.
Before my conversion experience as an 18-year-old God was more of a concept in my mind than a living being who wanted to be in relationship with me; it was as though He was ‘out there somewhere’ and tolerated my existence. I had little or no sense of His desire to be in relationship with me like my parents or siblings or friends. This all changed when I attended a youth group and saw that they had something in their relationship with God that I immediately saw was good and I knew straightaway that I had to have what they had! This was the beginning of my active and personal relationship with Jesus. This experience changed the way I viewed my faith and reset the priorities of my life, giving me a new reason for living.
This may sound exaggerated but it is not. I think I would have drifted through life basically enjoying it to a limited degree and living what would be described at my death as an ordinary but good life. With my conversion to a personal relationship with Jesus so many more possibilities have been opened up to me. Even my calling to become a priest came alive to the point that I knew without a doubt that this is what God wanted of me. I cannot even imagine what sort of a priest I would have been if I had not come into the reality of a personal relationship with Jesus. To me now, faith only really makes any sense if it is accompanied by the knowledge that God desires to be in personal contact with us every moment of every day. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: What understanding do I have of my relationship with God? Do I experience Him as desiring a personal relationship with me? If not, am I willing to open my life to Him in this way?
Father, You created me in love and desire to walk with me all the days of my life. Help me to remain open to your love and will so that I will walk according to your ways and know the fullness of Your love for me all the time.
St. Sandratus, abbot, pray for us.
*******************
1st READING
Revelation 21:9-14
In the Jewish understanding, the number 12 carried with it the meaning of fullness or completeness. Thus it was imperative for the apostles to replace Judas after his betrayal and death. Twelve occurs repeatedly in today’s text for the feast of Bartholemew as though to remind us that there is nothing lacking in the ministry of the Apostles as they carry on where Jesus has left off. There is continuity in the 12 Apostles with the 12 tribes of Israel, the full complement of the People of God. Let us pray that the work of the successors of the Apostles, today’s bishops, will continue in the same tradition of proclaiming the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
9 One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came and said to me,“Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, [the names] of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. 13 There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
P S A L M
Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R: Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
10 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. (R) 12 Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. (R) 17 The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R)
G O S P E L
John 1:45-51
This is a somewhat mysterious story – the call of Nathaniel. I like to reflect upon it in terms of God’s freedom to choose and call His servants in whatever way is pleasing to Him! Who are we to question the mind of the Lord? I do not think that I could do a better job than God at bringing salvation to all, do you? The crucial role of Nathaniel, as in all conversion stories, is his willingness to surrender all to Jesus. This is what will ultimately give him the strength and grace to be obedient to God’s call upon his life.
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” 46 But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
my reflections
think: Who are we to question the mind of the Lord?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 1-5
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #75
Dear Friends,
Conquer this new week with God's Word in your heart!
Praying for you,
kerstinne25
27 August
Monday
SACRED GIFT
“Which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?” – Matthew 23:19
I have long ago consecrated to God all the talents that He has given me. “All for Your glory, Lord.”
It may not count as much to others – you know, sitting here by the computer, pounding the keys, stringing words into lines, lines into paragraphs, paragraphs into stories. But God has a way of affirming me in what I am doing. Strangers send e-mails and friends send text messages — to say that this or that article I wrote touched them, eased their sorrow, uplifted them, gave them hope. An interviewee in one of my articles even said that an ex-member of their community returned after reading a testimony that I wrote. The gift of writing thus becomes even more sacred because the Giver uses it to bless other people. Tess VA.
REFLECTION:
What is the one gift that God has given you to bless His people?
Lord, I offer You this gift – use it for Your glory!
******************
WHAT IS THE PLACE OF THE LAW IN OUR FAITH?
Throughout Christian history there has been a struggle to understand the relationship between the Law of God and the Spirit of God. Perhaps it is more correct to situate the struggle in the living out of the tension between the two; however, for today’s reflection this dispute need not worry us. Let us examine the tension as it stands and how we live it in our own situations.
The Church is at the same time institutional and charismatic; one aspect without the other is destined to failure as the two need each other in order to survive. The charismatic dimension of our spirituality will run amok if there are no rules or authority to train it in the right direction; similarly the institutional Church will become moribund and ultimately die if it is not constantly being challenged to renew itself by the Spirit of God.
Jesus upbraids the Pharisees for their insistence on making obedience to the law the absolute essence of faith. They had little or no room for allowing the Spirit of God to work in their lives. This is a danger for us even today if we insist on allowing only those expressions of faith that will not challenge the status quo. I am not advocating expressions of faith that are unorthodox, though I do want to challenge us to be open to new expressions and experiences of our faith that may not find too many precedents in our recent Church history. It is only with this sort of openness to the Spirit of God will He be able to use us to renew His Church and find the suitable expressions of the Gospel that will successfully take the Good News to the ends of the earth.
Jesus Himself tells us parables about new wine and new wineskins. It is up to us to be open to becoming the new wine of which He spoke. This will entail struggle as we seek to explain and justify ourselves to some authorities, but if God is behind what we are doing then we can be sure that He will be working with us to protect the work He has begun in us. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: Am I the sort of person who is always content to accept the status quo and not be a part of ‘rocking the boat’ in search of something new in our experience of God? What about stepping out of the boat just this once and seeking something new in my faith walk?
Holy Spirit, You are the Spirit of life and You are always calling me deeper into yourself. Open my heart to the new things God wants to do in me and help me to surrender to them.
St. John, bishop, pray for us.
****************
1st READING
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5, 8-10
We live in a time when there is all sorts of idolatry around to tempt us. Even something as simple and common as modern technology can easily become an idol for us. One of the key things that an idol does is that it distracts us from the responsibility of offering worshipand praise to God. In this it is easy to see how modern technology consumes us and thus takes the place of God in our lives. Let us ensure that we are not distracted from our primary purpose of giving praise and thanks to God at all times.
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly 3 calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, 4 knowing, brothers loved by God, how you were chosen. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake. 8 In every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.
P S A L M
Psalm 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 9
R: The Lord takes delight in his people.
1 Sing to the LORD a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2 Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king. (R) 3 Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. 4 For the LORD loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. (R) 5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; 6 let the high praises of God be in their throats. 9 This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia! (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 23:13-22
Today we celebrate the life of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. Here is a woman who persevered in faith for more than 30 years praying for the salvation of her brilliant son. The Church rejoices with her and her success in that Augustine became arguably the greatest theologian that the Church has ever had. She did not waver in her commitment to her faith and the Lord worked the miracle of conversion that she sought. Let us follow her example of perseverance even when it seems our cause may be hopeless.
13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. [14] 14 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’ 17 Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’ 19 You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; 21 one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; 22 one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.”
my reflections
think: Let us ensure that we are not distracted from our primary purpose of giving praise and thanks to God at all times.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 15-18
Conquer this new week with God's Word in your heart!
Praying for you,
kerstinne25
27 August
Monday
SACRED GIFT
“Which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?” – Matthew 23:19
I have long ago consecrated to God all the talents that He has given me. “All for Your glory, Lord.”
It may not count as much to others – you know, sitting here by the computer, pounding the keys, stringing words into lines, lines into paragraphs, paragraphs into stories. But God has a way of affirming me in what I am doing. Strangers send e-mails and friends send text messages — to say that this or that article I wrote touched them, eased their sorrow, uplifted them, gave them hope. An interviewee in one of my articles even said that an ex-member of their community returned after reading a testimony that I wrote. The gift of writing thus becomes even more sacred because the Giver uses it to bless other people. Tess VA.
REFLECTION:
What is the one gift that God has given you to bless His people?
Lord, I offer You this gift – use it for Your glory!
******************
WHAT IS THE PLACE OF THE LAW IN OUR FAITH?
Throughout Christian history there has been a struggle to understand the relationship between the Law of God and the Spirit of God. Perhaps it is more correct to situate the struggle in the living out of the tension between the two; however, for today’s reflection this dispute need not worry us. Let us examine the tension as it stands and how we live it in our own situations.
The Church is at the same time institutional and charismatic; one aspect without the other is destined to failure as the two need each other in order to survive. The charismatic dimension of our spirituality will run amok if there are no rules or authority to train it in the right direction; similarly the institutional Church will become moribund and ultimately die if it is not constantly being challenged to renew itself by the Spirit of God.
Jesus upbraids the Pharisees for their insistence on making obedience to the law the absolute essence of faith. They had little or no room for allowing the Spirit of God to work in their lives. This is a danger for us even today if we insist on allowing only those expressions of faith that will not challenge the status quo. I am not advocating expressions of faith that are unorthodox, though I do want to challenge us to be open to new expressions and experiences of our faith that may not find too many precedents in our recent Church history. It is only with this sort of openness to the Spirit of God will He be able to use us to renew His Church and find the suitable expressions of the Gospel that will successfully take the Good News to the ends of the earth.
Jesus Himself tells us parables about new wine and new wineskins. It is up to us to be open to becoming the new wine of which He spoke. This will entail struggle as we seek to explain and justify ourselves to some authorities, but if God is behind what we are doing then we can be sure that He will be working with us to protect the work He has begun in us. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: Am I the sort of person who is always content to accept the status quo and not be a part of ‘rocking the boat’ in search of something new in our experience of God? What about stepping out of the boat just this once and seeking something new in my faith walk?
Holy Spirit, You are the Spirit of life and You are always calling me deeper into yourself. Open my heart to the new things God wants to do in me and help me to surrender to them.
St. John, bishop, pray for us.
****************
1st READING
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5, 8-10
We live in a time when there is all sorts of idolatry around to tempt us. Even something as simple and common as modern technology can easily become an idol for us. One of the key things that an idol does is that it distracts us from the responsibility of offering worshipand praise to God. In this it is easy to see how modern technology consumes us and thus takes the place of God in our lives. Let us ensure that we are not distracted from our primary purpose of giving praise and thanks to God at all times.
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly 3 calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, 4 knowing, brothers loved by God, how you were chosen. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake. 8 In every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 10 and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.
P S A L M
Psalm 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 9
R: The Lord takes delight in his people.
1 Sing to the LORD a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2 Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king. (R) 3 Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. 4 For the LORD loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. (R) 5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; 6 let the high praises of God be in their throats. 9 This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia! (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 23:13-22
Today we celebrate the life of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. Here is a woman who persevered in faith for more than 30 years praying for the salvation of her brilliant son. The Church rejoices with her and her success in that Augustine became arguably the greatest theologian that the Church has ever had. She did not waver in her commitment to her faith and the Lord worked the miracle of conversion that she sought. Let us follow her example of perseverance even when it seems our cause may be hopeless.
13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. [14] 14 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’ 17 Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’ 19 You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; 21 one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; 22 one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.”
my reflections
think: Let us ensure that we are not distracted from our primary purpose of giving praise and thanks to God at all times.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 15-18
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #76
Dear friends
Get empowered by His message to you this Tuesday!
Praying for you,
KERSTINNE25
28
August
Tuesday
TODAY'S READINGS:
HORN-TOOTING
“...we speak, not as trying to please human beings, but rather God, who judges our hearts.” – 1 Thessalonians 2:4
“I wish you’d change your bad attitudes...you know what they are.” This was written in one of my retreat letters back in high school. This left me a bit dumbfounded. I kind of considered myself one of the popular girls back then. People knew me because I was a part of the batch’s Top 10 students, the Student Council and because of my active service in CFC Youth for Christ (YFC).
However, no matter how “popular” I was, I wasn’t as well loved by my batchmates as I thought. Why was that? Because I was known to have this “judging eye.” Yes, I was a good girl, but my being “good” brought out the self-righteous in me. I never had any vices, and I looked down on other people who smoked and drank. While others cheated during exams, I was very vocal about not cheating to the point that I condemned those who did. I sort of considered myself “better” because of my affiliation with YFC and because I claimed to know God more than other people.
I was being good because I wanted people to praise me, not God. I realize now that my works of goodness will never count as anything, especially when my intentions aren’t pure. Because God wouldn’t care about what I did, am doing or what I plan to do. True to the cliché, it’s the inside that counts — it’s the heart that God sees. Tina M.
REFLECTION:
Your actions and words reflect what’s in your heart.
I am not righteous, Lord, because of all I do. My heart is pure because You have created it to be like Your heart and have purified it with Your blood.
*********************
GOING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER
Jesus is again speaking against the Pharisees, this time for their ability to focus on the things that do not matter rather than those that are important. This is one of the great ruses of Satan. Quite often when he wants to disrupt our service of God he will attempt to focus us in on some incident that is virtually irrelevant and make a great big affair of it. How often have we seen this happen in our lives? How destructive of relationships can it be! If we want to know the truth of any matter, we need to go back to God and seek His mind and heart on the issue. Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Augustine, to my mind the greatest theologian the Church has produced when all things are considered. An idea that appears on the first page of his Confessions is that our hearts will remain unsatisfied until we return them to Him. The wisdom present in this idea is that because we have been created by God, it is only in adherence to His will that we will discover true fulfillment. Augustine had plenty of experience seeking fulfillment in other ways, so he speaks with some authority on this matter.
Ultimately, if we place our lives within this ambit of God’s love, we will discover that at the heart of all things is the call to love God and our neighbor. This reality is always going to be at the heart of all that we do in God’s service and it will be a necessary component of a fulfilling life. Let us not allow ourselves to get consumed by the peripheral concerns of the world that will never bring us fulfillment that will last. Satan would love us to consume our lives in chasing after dreams and issues that do not really matter. Let us fix our eyes on the prize of eternal life with God and not allow ourselves to falter in this quest. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: How much of my time is spent pursuing goals or things that do not really matter in the final scheme of things? Let us seek to focus our lives and energies on the important matters of life and not waste our times with the ones that are passing away!
Father, You give us one lifetime to achieve what we want to achieve. Help me to focus on seeking the things that are going to endure unto eternal life.
St. Pelagius, martyr, pray for us.
*************
1st READING
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
It seems that Paul was a cunning evangelist. He seemed to be able to sum up a situation easily and discern how best to proceed with the proclamation of the Gospel such that it would have the greatest appeal to the listener. Even if this meant greater hardship, cost or effort on his part, he was willing to do it because the most important thing for him was the proclamation of the Gospel. All else besides this comes a distant second in importance. If only we would develop the same commitment as Paul in the way we serve the Kingdom of God.
1 You yourselves know, brothers, that our reception among you was not without effect. 2 Rather, after we had suffered and been insolently treated, as you know, in Philippi, we drew courage through our God to speak to you the gospel of God with much struggle. 3 Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives, nor did it work through deception. 4 But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please human beings, but rather God, who judges our hearts. 5 Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you know, or with a pretext for greed — God is witness — 6 nor did we seek praise from human beings, either from you or from others, 7 although we were able to impose our weight as apostles of Christ. Rather, we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. 8 With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us.
P S A L M
Psalm 139:1-3, 4-6
R: You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
1 O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; 2 you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. 3 My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. (R) 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it. 5 Behind me and before, you hem me in and rest your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 23:23-26
St. Augustine, the man who reportedly prayed, “Lord make me chaste but not yet!” became the greatest theologian the Church has and, maybe, will ever see. As a guide in faith, after his conversion of course, he was exemplary – fighting all sorts of heresies and reforming the life of the clergy in his diocese in Northern Africa. He obviously came to the point where he was finally committed to the Lord and the “not yet” of his earlier prayer was deleted! Let us pray that we become as committed as Augustine was to living our faith to the full.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
my reflections
think: Let us pray that we become as committed as Augustine was to living our faith to the full.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 19-21
Get empowered by His message to you this Tuesday!
Praying for you,
KERSTINNE25
28
August
Tuesday
TODAY'S READINGS:
HORN-TOOTING
“...we speak, not as trying to please human beings, but rather God, who judges our hearts.” – 1 Thessalonians 2:4
“I wish you’d change your bad attitudes...you know what they are.” This was written in one of my retreat letters back in high school. This left me a bit dumbfounded. I kind of considered myself one of the popular girls back then. People knew me because I was a part of the batch’s Top 10 students, the Student Council and because of my active service in CFC Youth for Christ (YFC).
However, no matter how “popular” I was, I wasn’t as well loved by my batchmates as I thought. Why was that? Because I was known to have this “judging eye.” Yes, I was a good girl, but my being “good” brought out the self-righteous in me. I never had any vices, and I looked down on other people who smoked and drank. While others cheated during exams, I was very vocal about not cheating to the point that I condemned those who did. I sort of considered myself “better” because of my affiliation with YFC and because I claimed to know God more than other people.
I was being good because I wanted people to praise me, not God. I realize now that my works of goodness will never count as anything, especially when my intentions aren’t pure. Because God wouldn’t care about what I did, am doing or what I plan to do. True to the cliché, it’s the inside that counts — it’s the heart that God sees. Tina M.
REFLECTION:
Your actions and words reflect what’s in your heart.
I am not righteous, Lord, because of all I do. My heart is pure because You have created it to be like Your heart and have purified it with Your blood.
*********************
GOING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER
Jesus is again speaking against the Pharisees, this time for their ability to focus on the things that do not matter rather than those that are important. This is one of the great ruses of Satan. Quite often when he wants to disrupt our service of God he will attempt to focus us in on some incident that is virtually irrelevant and make a great big affair of it. How often have we seen this happen in our lives? How destructive of relationships can it be! If we want to know the truth of any matter, we need to go back to God and seek His mind and heart on the issue. Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Augustine, to my mind the greatest theologian the Church has produced when all things are considered. An idea that appears on the first page of his Confessions is that our hearts will remain unsatisfied until we return them to Him. The wisdom present in this idea is that because we have been created by God, it is only in adherence to His will that we will discover true fulfillment. Augustine had plenty of experience seeking fulfillment in other ways, so he speaks with some authority on this matter.
Ultimately, if we place our lives within this ambit of God’s love, we will discover that at the heart of all things is the call to love God and our neighbor. This reality is always going to be at the heart of all that we do in God’s service and it will be a necessary component of a fulfilling life. Let us not allow ourselves to get consumed by the peripheral concerns of the world that will never bring us fulfillment that will last. Satan would love us to consume our lives in chasing after dreams and issues that do not really matter. Let us fix our eyes on the prize of eternal life with God and not allow ourselves to falter in this quest. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: How much of my time is spent pursuing goals or things that do not really matter in the final scheme of things? Let us seek to focus our lives and energies on the important matters of life and not waste our times with the ones that are passing away!
Father, You give us one lifetime to achieve what we want to achieve. Help me to focus on seeking the things that are going to endure unto eternal life.
St. Pelagius, martyr, pray for us.
*************
1st READING
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
It seems that Paul was a cunning evangelist. He seemed to be able to sum up a situation easily and discern how best to proceed with the proclamation of the Gospel such that it would have the greatest appeal to the listener. Even if this meant greater hardship, cost or effort on his part, he was willing to do it because the most important thing for him was the proclamation of the Gospel. All else besides this comes a distant second in importance. If only we would develop the same commitment as Paul in the way we serve the Kingdom of God.
1 You yourselves know, brothers, that our reception among you was not without effect. 2 Rather, after we had suffered and been insolently treated, as you know, in Philippi, we drew courage through our God to speak to you the gospel of God with much struggle. 3 Our exhortation was not from delusion or impure motives, nor did it work through deception. 4 But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please human beings, but rather God, who judges our hearts. 5 Nor, indeed, did we ever appear with flattering speech, as you know, or with a pretext for greed — God is witness — 6 nor did we seek praise from human beings, either from you or from others, 7 although we were able to impose our weight as apostles of Christ. Rather, we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. 8 With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us.
P S A L M
Psalm 139:1-3, 4-6
R: You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
1 O LORD, you have probed me and you know me; 2 you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. 3 My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar. (R) 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know the whole of it. 5 Behind me and before, you hem me in and rest your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; too lofty for me to attain. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 23:23-26
St. Augustine, the man who reportedly prayed, “Lord make me chaste but not yet!” became the greatest theologian the Church has and, maybe, will ever see. As a guide in faith, after his conversion of course, he was exemplary – fighting all sorts of heresies and reforming the life of the clergy in his diocese in Northern Africa. He obviously came to the point where he was finally committed to the Lord and the “not yet” of his earlier prayer was deleted! Let us pray that we become as committed as Augustine was to living our faith to the full.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
my reflections
think: Let us pray that we become as committed as Augustine was to living our faith to the full.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 19-21
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #77
Dear friends,
Be blessed by His Creative Word this Thursday!
Praying for you
kerstinne25
30 August
Thursday
HIS FAITHFUL TEACHERS
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant?” – Matthew 24:45
You and I have seen talented people, famous and ordinary alike, who wasted their lives by being addicted to the pleasures of the world. You and I have also seen talented people who wasted their talents by not using them. Now I admire those who use their talents for His glory like Bro. Bo and Kerygma editor, Rissa Singson.
But I admire more the lesser known people who, without getting any recognition, continue to use and cultivate whatever talents they have received from God.
In our village, a brother and a sister, both very good-looking and talented, chose to put up a pre-school instead of pursuing less stressful but financially rewarding careers. They both love kids, and I have seen that the kids relate to them superbly. Shy kids bloom in their care. My own nieces and nephews, now in highschool, still regard them as their “Teacher Charo and Teacher Joey.”
What they are doing may not be recorded in the newspapers, but to the children whose young minds they nurtured, they have well made their mark. For that, I am sure many parents are grateful. But more than anybody else, I believe that Someone up there is smiling at His faithful servants. Tess VA.
REFLECTION:
How are you using your God-given talents?
Lord, may I rejoice in the talents You have given me by using them for Your greater glory.
**************
VIGILANCE: AN ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF FAITH
Vigilance is an essential and often forgotten aspect of our walk of faith. If we fail to be vigilant, Satan will find it very easy to infect our lives with his lies and lead us astray from the truth. Vigilance is primarily a function of prayer and reading the Scriptures and any other sort of true spiritual formation as being grounded fully in the truths of our faith is the best defense against the lies of Satan.
It takes a lot of effort to develop a truly vigilant lifestyle that will protect us against the lies of sin. The best place to begin is with a committed prayer-life. If we pray daily and truly allow God to form our hearts in His ways, we will have begun to develop a protection against temptation. If we further this with meditating on the Word of God in the Scriptures, we will reinforce all that the Spirit of God is teaching us in prayer. If we then add the Teachings of the Church to this, we will soon develop an impenetrable armor to the fiery darts and lies of Satan. The only way that armor will be pierced is if we choose to let down our guard and allow him in.
Another aspect of vigilance is preparing ourselves for the Second Coming of Christ. Our faith is meant to be active, that is, we should always be seeking ways in which we can put our faith into action and live it out on a daily basis. In this way we both present a living witness of the truth to the world and we prepare our lives to welcome Jesus when He comes again.
We should not develop an unhealthy focus on the Second Coming which would lead us to seeking times and dates. Suffice it to say it will happen. For all intents and purposes, the latest date for the Second Coming is our death, as after that time we no longer can choose to change our way of life. When we die, that is it as far as preparing for eternal life is concerned. Let us make every moment of our lives count as we prepare for the gift of eternal life. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: Have I established a regular and healthy practice of praying daily and meditating upon the Word of God? If not, what am I going to do to put these things in place in my life?
Father, You gently call me to Yourself every day. Let me hear Your call and grant me the grace to consistently respond to it.
St. Peter of Trevi, priest and confessor, pray for us.
**************
1st READING
1 Thessalonians 3:7-13
It seems Paul encountered many difficulties and trials in his work as an apostle. He thanks the Thessalonians for the support they have been to him. Life in the service of the Church will always have its struggles and trials, but these tend to be nothing in comparison with the benefits and the joys associated with seeing people converted and growing in their faith. 7 We have been reassured about you, brothers, in our every distress and affliction, through your faith. 8 For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 What thanksgiving, then, can we render to God for you, for all the joy we feel on your account before our God? 10 Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith. 11 Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, 13 so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
P S A L M
Psalm 90:3-4, 12-13, 14, 17
R: Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
3 You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R) 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. 13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! (R) 14 Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. 17 And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands! (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 24:42-51
Always be ready for the unexpected. This is great advice for anyone working in the service of the Kingdom of God. I think that God is one, if not the most unpredictable, of masters. He always seems to be able to bring something unexpected out of the most predictable situations. There is nothing that we can do about this except try to adapt when necessary. One thing is for sure, working for the Lord is never going to be boring!
42 “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 43 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. 44 So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. 45 “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. 47 Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, 50 the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour 51 and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
my reflections
think: Always be ready for the unexpected.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 25-28
Be blessed by His Creative Word this Thursday!
Praying for you
kerstinne25
30 August
Thursday
HIS FAITHFUL TEACHERS
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant?” – Matthew 24:45
You and I have seen talented people, famous and ordinary alike, who wasted their lives by being addicted to the pleasures of the world. You and I have also seen talented people who wasted their talents by not using them. Now I admire those who use their talents for His glory like Bro. Bo and Kerygma editor, Rissa Singson.
But I admire more the lesser known people who, without getting any recognition, continue to use and cultivate whatever talents they have received from God.
In our village, a brother and a sister, both very good-looking and talented, chose to put up a pre-school instead of pursuing less stressful but financially rewarding careers. They both love kids, and I have seen that the kids relate to them superbly. Shy kids bloom in their care. My own nieces and nephews, now in highschool, still regard them as their “Teacher Charo and Teacher Joey.”
What they are doing may not be recorded in the newspapers, but to the children whose young minds they nurtured, they have well made their mark. For that, I am sure many parents are grateful. But more than anybody else, I believe that Someone up there is smiling at His faithful servants. Tess VA.
REFLECTION:
How are you using your God-given talents?
Lord, may I rejoice in the talents You have given me by using them for Your greater glory.
**************
VIGILANCE: AN ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF FAITH
Vigilance is an essential and often forgotten aspect of our walk of faith. If we fail to be vigilant, Satan will find it very easy to infect our lives with his lies and lead us astray from the truth. Vigilance is primarily a function of prayer and reading the Scriptures and any other sort of true spiritual formation as being grounded fully in the truths of our faith is the best defense against the lies of Satan.
It takes a lot of effort to develop a truly vigilant lifestyle that will protect us against the lies of sin. The best place to begin is with a committed prayer-life. If we pray daily and truly allow God to form our hearts in His ways, we will have begun to develop a protection against temptation. If we further this with meditating on the Word of God in the Scriptures, we will reinforce all that the Spirit of God is teaching us in prayer. If we then add the Teachings of the Church to this, we will soon develop an impenetrable armor to the fiery darts and lies of Satan. The only way that armor will be pierced is if we choose to let down our guard and allow him in.
Another aspect of vigilance is preparing ourselves for the Second Coming of Christ. Our faith is meant to be active, that is, we should always be seeking ways in which we can put our faith into action and live it out on a daily basis. In this way we both present a living witness of the truth to the world and we prepare our lives to welcome Jesus when He comes again.
We should not develop an unhealthy focus on the Second Coming which would lead us to seeking times and dates. Suffice it to say it will happen. For all intents and purposes, the latest date for the Second Coming is our death, as after that time we no longer can choose to change our way of life. When we die, that is it as far as preparing for eternal life is concerned. Let us make every moment of our lives count as we prepare for the gift of eternal life. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: Have I established a regular and healthy practice of praying daily and meditating upon the Word of God? If not, what am I going to do to put these things in place in my life?
Father, You gently call me to Yourself every day. Let me hear Your call and grant me the grace to consistently respond to it.
St. Peter of Trevi, priest and confessor, pray for us.
**************
1st READING
1 Thessalonians 3:7-13
It seems Paul encountered many difficulties and trials in his work as an apostle. He thanks the Thessalonians for the support they have been to him. Life in the service of the Church will always have its struggles and trials, but these tend to be nothing in comparison with the benefits and the joys associated with seeing people converted and growing in their faith. 7 We have been reassured about you, brothers, in our every distress and affliction, through your faith. 8 For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 What thanksgiving, then, can we render to God for you, for all the joy we feel on your account before our God? 10 Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith. 11 Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, 13 so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.
P S A L M
Psalm 90:3-4, 12-13, 14, 17
R: Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
3 You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. (R) 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. 13 Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! (R) 14 Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. 17 And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands! (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 24:42-51
Always be ready for the unexpected. This is great advice for anyone working in the service of the Kingdom of God. I think that God is one, if not the most unpredictable, of masters. He always seems to be able to bring something unexpected out of the most predictable situations. There is nothing that we can do about this except try to adapt when necessary. One thing is for sure, working for the Lord is never going to be boring!
42 “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. 43 Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. 44 So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. 45 “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. 47 Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, 50 the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour 51 and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
my reflections
think: Always be ready for the unexpected.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 25-28
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #78
Dear Friends
May others see Jesus in you this Friday.
Praying for you,
KERSTINNE25
31
August
Friday
MYRZEN DYCHENGCO
“Watch out then, because you do not know the day or the hour.� – Matthew 25:13
I remember vividly when she bagged the first prize in our Biblical Character Contest in 2000, where she excelled in portraying Samson.As a lesbian, she was popularly called “Daddy.� She had a girlfriend and she would boast of her escapades before she was jailed. But “Daddy� had a conversion experience and from then on, she wanted to be called Tita, Ate or Sis. Myrzen.
She was at her spiritual peak when cancer of the breast and diabetes gnawed at her health. Amidst her pains, she kept on singing, praising, and reciting Psalm 91 – her full trust in Yahweh. And when she was very near death, she was overheard asking, “Jesus, are You now taking me? Thank You, Jesus, I’m coming with You.� She kept on uttering those words, waving her hand, and stretching out to someone we couldn’t see.
Sis. Myrzen Dychengco succumbed to death on December 9 in the Grace of our Lord. Beth C.
REFLECTION:
Let us be prepared at all times. Death comes at a very unexpected moment.
My Lord, my God, take me to Yourbosom when I die.
******************
THE CALL TO GROW IN HOLINESS
Sometimes I think we are tempted, and too often we give in, to believe that the call to holiness is for the ‘big-timers’ who toil constantly in the work of the Kingdom of God. This is a lie! By baptism all Christians have received the call to grow in holiness daily and to seek to remove from their lives everything that would hinder this goal! The call to holiness is the universal call upon every member of the Church and even the human race if you want to think of it in those terms.
St. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to put behind them the ways of their past life. We all know the struggle to combat the sin in our lives once we have allowed it to enter in. How often have we rued the day we first allowed a particular sin into our lives? It would be so much easier to combat the sin if I had not allowed it in that very first time. Well, let us pray that we learn from our mistakes and do not allow any new sins to become problems for us. We already have more than enough to deal with as it is.
St. Paul is aware of his own struggle against sin. He knows what it is like to be tempted (Rom. 7). However, he is not a man to make excuses for sin and nor is he going to let us off easily either! Let us seek out the grace of God in this battle against sin and seek to overcome it sooner rather than later. We have received the Holy Spirit into our hearts precisely for this purpose – to root out sin and replace it with holiness and virtue. This is one of the critical dynamics at work here – namely that when we remove sin from our lives it is just as important to replace it with something holy–– a virtue so that there is no room for the sin to come back after we have banished it. One practical aspect of this is to choose to avoid the situations where we might be tempted in order that we do not play around with temptation to that sin anymore. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: How serious am I in my fight against the various sins in my life? Am I willing to do everything necessary to overcome sin? If not, then I had better start praying for that precise grace right now!
Holy Spirit, never allow me to take sin and temptation too lightly. Help me to have a healthy fear of sin so that I will never willingly place myself in the path of temptation.
St. Paulinus of Trier, bishop, pray for us.
********************
1st READING
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Holiness is the key to a life of faith. If we are not growing in holiness, we cannot be growing in faith! The fruit of our lives, as indicated by the depth of our holiness, is the measuring standard for our faith. This is why we should always be giving attention to rooting out the sin in our lives and seeking to grow in the life of virtue. The Holy Spirit is a key reference point here as He will convict us of our sin as well as give us the grace to repent and the strength to grow in our imitation of Jesus.
1 Brothers, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God — and as you are conducting yourselves — you do so even more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality, 4 that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honor, 5 not in lustful passion as do the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 not to take advantage of or exploit a brother in this matter, for the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you before and solemnly affirmed. 7 For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness. 8 Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
P S A L M
Psalm 97:1, 2, 5-6, 10, 11-12
R: Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
1 The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. 2 Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. (R) 5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. (R) 10 The LORD loves those that hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful ones; from the hand of the wicked he delivers them. (R) 11 Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. 12 Be glad in the LORD, you just, and give thanks to his holy name. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 25:1-13
The image used in this parable is a powerful one if you have ever been caught for an extended period of time in the dark without the means to see. It can get quite frightening. The parable teaches us that we need never be apart from the means to see the way in our walk of faith if we are willing to make the right preparations. If we have put a decent effort into doing what we can to ensure that we are ready to move forward with Christ, we can be sure that He will not leave us in the dark!
1 “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, 4 but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. 11 Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 12 But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.�
my reflections
think: If we are not growing in holiness, we cannot be growing in faith!
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 29-32
May others see Jesus in you this Friday.
Praying for you,
KERSTINNE25
31
August
Friday
MYRZEN DYCHENGCO
“Watch out then, because you do not know the day or the hour.� – Matthew 25:13
I remember vividly when she bagged the first prize in our Biblical Character Contest in 2000, where she excelled in portraying Samson.As a lesbian, she was popularly called “Daddy.� She had a girlfriend and she would boast of her escapades before she was jailed. But “Daddy� had a conversion experience and from then on, she wanted to be called Tita, Ate or Sis. Myrzen.
She was at her spiritual peak when cancer of the breast and diabetes gnawed at her health. Amidst her pains, she kept on singing, praising, and reciting Psalm 91 – her full trust in Yahweh. And when she was very near death, she was overheard asking, “Jesus, are You now taking me? Thank You, Jesus, I’m coming with You.� She kept on uttering those words, waving her hand, and stretching out to someone we couldn’t see.
Sis. Myrzen Dychengco succumbed to death on December 9 in the Grace of our Lord. Beth C.
REFLECTION:
Let us be prepared at all times. Death comes at a very unexpected moment.
My Lord, my God, take me to Yourbosom when I die.
******************
THE CALL TO GROW IN HOLINESS
Sometimes I think we are tempted, and too often we give in, to believe that the call to holiness is for the ‘big-timers’ who toil constantly in the work of the Kingdom of God. This is a lie! By baptism all Christians have received the call to grow in holiness daily and to seek to remove from their lives everything that would hinder this goal! The call to holiness is the universal call upon every member of the Church and even the human race if you want to think of it in those terms.
St. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to put behind them the ways of their past life. We all know the struggle to combat the sin in our lives once we have allowed it to enter in. How often have we rued the day we first allowed a particular sin into our lives? It would be so much easier to combat the sin if I had not allowed it in that very first time. Well, let us pray that we learn from our mistakes and do not allow any new sins to become problems for us. We already have more than enough to deal with as it is.
St. Paul is aware of his own struggle against sin. He knows what it is like to be tempted (Rom. 7). However, he is not a man to make excuses for sin and nor is he going to let us off easily either! Let us seek out the grace of God in this battle against sin and seek to overcome it sooner rather than later. We have received the Holy Spirit into our hearts precisely for this purpose – to root out sin and replace it with holiness and virtue. This is one of the critical dynamics at work here – namely that when we remove sin from our lives it is just as important to replace it with something holy–– a virtue so that there is no room for the sin to come back after we have banished it. One practical aspect of this is to choose to avoid the situations where we might be tempted in order that we do not play around with temptation to that sin anymore. Fr. Steve T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: How serious am I in my fight against the various sins in my life? Am I willing to do everything necessary to overcome sin? If not, then I had better start praying for that precise grace right now!
Holy Spirit, never allow me to take sin and temptation too lightly. Help me to have a healthy fear of sin so that I will never willingly place myself in the path of temptation.
St. Paulinus of Trier, bishop, pray for us.
********************
1st READING
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Holiness is the key to a life of faith. If we are not growing in holiness, we cannot be growing in faith! The fruit of our lives, as indicated by the depth of our holiness, is the measuring standard for our faith. This is why we should always be giving attention to rooting out the sin in our lives and seeking to grow in the life of virtue. The Holy Spirit is a key reference point here as He will convict us of our sin as well as give us the grace to repent and the strength to grow in our imitation of Jesus.
1 Brothers, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God — and as you are conducting yourselves — you do so even more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality, 4 that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honor, 5 not in lustful passion as do the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 not to take advantage of or exploit a brother in this matter, for the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you before and solemnly affirmed. 7 For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness. 8 Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
P S A L M
Psalm 97:1, 2, 5-6, 10, 11-12
R: Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
1 The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. 2 Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. (R) 5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. (R) 10 The LORD loves those that hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful ones; from the hand of the wicked he delivers them. (R) 11 Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. 12 Be glad in the LORD, you just, and give thanks to his holy name. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 25:1-13
The image used in this parable is a powerful one if you have ever been caught for an extended period of time in the dark without the means to see. It can get quite frightening. The parable teaches us that we need never be apart from the means to see the way in our walk of faith if we are willing to make the right preparations. If we have put a decent effort into doing what we can to ensure that we are ready to move forward with Christ, we can be sure that He will not leave us in the dark!
1 “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, 4 but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. 11 Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 12 But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.�
my reflections
think: If we are not growing in holiness, we cannot be growing in faith!
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 29-32
- Messages
- 875
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 128
- Thread Starter
- #80
Dear friends,
Be filled with God?s joy this Saturday.
Praying for you,
KERSTINNE25
1 September
Saturday TODAY'S READINGS:
DON’T LET THEM TURN TO FLAB
“I went and hid your talent in the ground.� – Matthew 25:25
Phillip was a body builder.
And his body was pure 100% muscle.
I saw his photo of 18 years ago, and I said to myself, Man, I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with this guy. He was like a bull in his tight shirt. Steel arms. Iron legs. Brass belly. A chest like a tank.
Sadly, that was 18 years ago.
Today, I’d pick a fight with him anytime.
He’s all flab, has a tummy the size of a grand piano, and tiny legs. Nudge him slightly with your little finger and he falls on the ground.
The reason? One day, he decided he’d had enough with body building and stopped lifting weights. In other words, he stopped using his muscles. So the muscles disappeared and fat took over.
When we stop using anything, we lose it.
Friends, keep using all the talents and skills and gifts that God has given you. Increase them. Develop them.
Don’t let them turn to flab. Bo S.
REFLECTION:
Volunteer. Take more responsibility. Take more service. It will make you grow more!
Lord, thank You for all the gifts and talents You have given to me. I will use all of them to bless the world!
******************
AFRAID TO COMMIT SIN BUT NOT AFRAID TO OMIT GOOD?
The 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew is divided into three parables. “The Ten Virgins,� “The Talents,� “The Last Judgment�. Evidently, this chapter of Matthew reminds us of three things: first, that the Lord Jesus will come again at the end of time; second, that we shall give an accounting of the lives to the Lord when He comes again on the Last Day, and third, that the Lord will judge us according to our deeds.
But what seems to be striking about the three parables that constitute the 25th chapter of Matthew is that those who are condemned in all three parables are not explicitly described as wicked, immoral, sinful people. The five virgins in the first parable are simply foolish. The third servant in the parable today, who went off after being entrusted with one talent by his master and dug a hole on the ground where he buried the talent, was simply lazy and afraid of his master. And the Parable of the Last Judgment does not paint the condemned as a gang of notorious people. In the third parable, it is very clear that the focus is not on the bad deeds committed but on the good deeds omitted.
As regards the parable today, we may ask, “What immoral thing did the third servant do to deserve the punishment he got from his master? Is burying his talent under the ground for safekeeping sinful? What wicked deed did he do to be so severely penalized? The answers are clear. The third servant did nothing immoral. No, burying his talent under the ground for safekeeping is not sinful. He did nothing evil. But the problem is that he also did nothing good. For fear of his master, the third servant failed to do the good he is supposed to do: invest the talent entrusted to him. The message relative to the final judgment is clear: we shall be judged not only based on the evil we do but also equally, if not more heavily, on the basis of the good we fail, or worse, refuse to do.
As far as sin is concerned, there are two kinds. One is the sin of commission where we actually do something evil. The other is the sin of omission where we omit doing the good we are supposed to do. Thus, in the final analysis, salvation is not merely a matter of avoiding evil. It is also very much a matter of doing good. Let us avoid doing evil. But let us not forget to do good. If we fear committing sin, should we not also be equally, if not more, afraid to omit good? Fr. Bobby T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: Is there any good I intentionally failed or freely refused to do today?
Father, thank You for entrusting us with Your gifts. May we always use them for the glory of Your name and the salvation of souls. Help us to avoid evil and to do good. Amen.
St. Victorious, bishop, pray for us.
*****************************
1st READING
1 Corinthians 1:17-25
Paul is adamant that he never wants to lose the simplicity of the Gospel message of preaching Jesus Christ crucified for the forgiveness of our sins. He may not be able to present a perfectly argued philosophical defense of his understanding of the nature of the cross. But he does not think that this matters since the power of the message of the cross speaks for itself and will defend itself through the experience of those who allow its power free reign in their lives. Have we opened our hearts to the mystery of the cross at this level?
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning. 18 The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the learning of the learned I will set aside.� 20 Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
P S A L M
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
R: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
1 Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. 2 Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises. (R) 4 For upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy. 5 He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full. (R) 10 The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations; he foils the designs of peoples. 11 But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 25:1-13
We simply do not know when Jesus is going to return. For all we know, He could return before you finish reading this reflection. Anyone who claims to know when Jesus is returning can be dismissed as not telling the truth as the Scriptures are clear that only the Father knows the date. How do we prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming? We should ensure that we are prepared to welcome Him whenever He comes, whether tomorrow or in a million years’ time. Let us all ensure that we are growing in holiness and service of the Church as this is the best preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus.
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, 4 but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. 11 Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 12 But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.�
my reflections
think: How do we prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 33-36
Be filled with God?s joy this Saturday.
Praying for you,
KERSTINNE25
1 September
Saturday TODAY'S READINGS:
DON’T LET THEM TURN TO FLAB
“I went and hid your talent in the ground.� – Matthew 25:25
Phillip was a body builder.
And his body was pure 100% muscle.
I saw his photo of 18 years ago, and I said to myself, Man, I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with this guy. He was like a bull in his tight shirt. Steel arms. Iron legs. Brass belly. A chest like a tank.
Sadly, that was 18 years ago.
Today, I’d pick a fight with him anytime.
He’s all flab, has a tummy the size of a grand piano, and tiny legs. Nudge him slightly with your little finger and he falls on the ground.
The reason? One day, he decided he’d had enough with body building and stopped lifting weights. In other words, he stopped using his muscles. So the muscles disappeared and fat took over.
When we stop using anything, we lose it.
Friends, keep using all the talents and skills and gifts that God has given you. Increase them. Develop them.
Don’t let them turn to flab. Bo S.
REFLECTION:
Volunteer. Take more responsibility. Take more service. It will make you grow more!
Lord, thank You for all the gifts and talents You have given to me. I will use all of them to bless the world!
******************
AFRAID TO COMMIT SIN BUT NOT AFRAID TO OMIT GOOD?
The 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew is divided into three parables. “The Ten Virgins,� “The Talents,� “The Last Judgment�. Evidently, this chapter of Matthew reminds us of three things: first, that the Lord Jesus will come again at the end of time; second, that we shall give an accounting of the lives to the Lord when He comes again on the Last Day, and third, that the Lord will judge us according to our deeds.
But what seems to be striking about the three parables that constitute the 25th chapter of Matthew is that those who are condemned in all three parables are not explicitly described as wicked, immoral, sinful people. The five virgins in the first parable are simply foolish. The third servant in the parable today, who went off after being entrusted with one talent by his master and dug a hole on the ground where he buried the talent, was simply lazy and afraid of his master. And the Parable of the Last Judgment does not paint the condemned as a gang of notorious people. In the third parable, it is very clear that the focus is not on the bad deeds committed but on the good deeds omitted.
As regards the parable today, we may ask, “What immoral thing did the third servant do to deserve the punishment he got from his master? Is burying his talent under the ground for safekeeping sinful? What wicked deed did he do to be so severely penalized? The answers are clear. The third servant did nothing immoral. No, burying his talent under the ground for safekeeping is not sinful. He did nothing evil. But the problem is that he also did nothing good. For fear of his master, the third servant failed to do the good he is supposed to do: invest the talent entrusted to him. The message relative to the final judgment is clear: we shall be judged not only based on the evil we do but also equally, if not more heavily, on the basis of the good we fail, or worse, refuse to do.
As far as sin is concerned, there are two kinds. One is the sin of commission where we actually do something evil. The other is the sin of omission where we omit doing the good we are supposed to do. Thus, in the final analysis, salvation is not merely a matter of avoiding evil. It is also very much a matter of doing good. Let us avoid doing evil. But let us not forget to do good. If we fear committing sin, should we not also be equally, if not more, afraid to omit good? Fr. Bobby T.
REFLECTION QUESTION: Is there any good I intentionally failed or freely refused to do today?
Father, thank You for entrusting us with Your gifts. May we always use them for the glory of Your name and the salvation of souls. Help us to avoid evil and to do good. Amen.
St. Victorious, bishop, pray for us.
*****************************
1st READING
1 Corinthians 1:17-25
Paul is adamant that he never wants to lose the simplicity of the Gospel message of preaching Jesus Christ crucified for the forgiveness of our sins. He may not be able to present a perfectly argued philosophical defense of his understanding of the nature of the cross. But he does not think that this matters since the power of the message of the cross speaks for itself and will defend itself through the experience of those who allow its power free reign in their lives. Have we opened our hearts to the mystery of the cross at this level?
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning. 18 The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the learning of the learned I will set aside.� 20 Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
P S A L M
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
R: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
1 Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. 2 Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises. (R) 4 For upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy. 5 He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full. (R) 10 The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations; he foils the designs of peoples. 11 But the plan of the LORD stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations. (R)
G O S P E L
Matthew 25:1-13
We simply do not know when Jesus is going to return. For all we know, He could return before you finish reading this reflection. Anyone who claims to know when Jesus is returning can be dismissed as not telling the truth as the Scriptures are clear that only the Father knows the date. How do we prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming? We should ensure that we are prepared to welcome Him whenever He comes, whether tomorrow or in a million years’ time. Let us all ensure that we are growing in holiness and service of the Church as this is the best preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus.
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, 4 but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. 11 Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 12 But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.�
my reflections
think: How do we prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today________________
_________________________________________________________
T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 33-36
