Friday - October 20, 2017
In so far as divine love beautifies our souls. And makes us pleasing to His divine Majesty, it is called grace; in so far as it gives us strength to do good, it is called charity; but when it reaches such a degree of perfection, that it makes us not only do the good, but do so carefully, frequently and readily, then it is called devotion.
–St. Francis de Sales
TODAY'S READINGS
October 20, 2017
Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 471
Reading 1ROM 4:1-8
Brothers and sisters:What can we say that Abraham found,
our ancestor according to the flesh?
Indeed, if Abraham was justified on the basis of his works,
he has reason to boast;
but this was not so in the sight of God.
For what does the Scripture say?
Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
A worker's wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due.
But when one does not work,
yet believes in the one who justifies the ungodly,
his faith is credited as righteousness.
So also David declares the blessedness of the person
to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven
and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not record.
Responsorial PsalmPS 32:1B-2, 5, 11
R. (see 7) I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
AlleluiaPS 33:22
R. Alleluia, alleluia.May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us;
who have put our hope in you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 12:1-7
At that time:So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
"Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.
"There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows."
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Dare to speak the truth
What truths are you whispering about behind closed doors because you're afraid to make them known publicly? Are you afraid of the repercussions? Have you been told to keep silent by someone who's frightened you?
Perhaps you're not afraid but you simply do not have the opportunity to be heard by those who need to learn the truth.
Sometimes the fear is: "What if I don't ever get to say it?"
Any fear can be very unsettling. It robs us of the peace that God has given us. But in today's Gospel reading, Jesus says: "Fear nothing!"
His first promise in this scripture is a good fear-buster. He assures us that we can rely on God to reveal whatever truth needs to come out into the open. We can pray: "Lord Jesus, You are the light of the world. Expose the truth in Your holy light so that the people who need to know about it will become aware of it. Use the circumstances and the other people in their lives to make the truth plainly obvious to them."
Life is so much easier when God chooses to reveal difficult truths through others, so we won't have to face rejection and persecution, right? Yet he tells us not to be afraid to expose the truth. Yes, we might experience hardships from it, but we should not be afraid of that. What we should fear are the consequences of remaining silent when God gives us something to say.
For the sake of my readers who live in countries where persecution against Christianity is very strong, let us all join in prayer right now for their protection as they worship Jesus and serve his kingdom. I praise God for allowing me the opportunity to share these Good News Reflections with them, especially when they do not have Bibles, churches, priests, or freedom to share their faith publicly. The support I receive for my ministry enables me to continue providing the Good News to them.
The second promise that Jesus gives us in this scripture is another fear-buster. We are so very, very important -- precious! -- to God that he will always take good care of us, no matter how bad or scary a situation gets. Even if we become martyrs for the faith, our murderers cannot claim any victory over us. If their persecution makes daily life difficult, we will become more aware of Jesus, more aware of our how connected we are to his trials and his redemptive passion. If they kill our bodies, our souls are embraced by God and we immediately enjoy eternal rewards in heaven.
Do not be afraid! From persecution comes greater holiness than we would otherwise achieve. Persecution is not fun, but it's the mark of a real Christian. If we're not being persecuted by anyone, we're not speaking the truth loudly and boldly enough.
Prayer
I want to fix my eyes on You, my savior, my rock and my stronghold. Give me the grace to trust Your love fully, and may my lips and my heart give the same message: Jesus Christ is The Lord. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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