Monday - October 30, 2017
"Let, then, the life of Mary be as it were virginity itself, set forth in a likeness, from which, as from a mirror, the appearance of chastity and the form of virtue is reflected. From this you may take your pattern of life, showing, as an example, the clear rules of virtue: what you have to correct, to effect, and to hold fast. The first thing which kindles ardour in learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of God?"
~ Saint Ambrose
TODAY'S READINGS
October 30, 2017
Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 479
Reading 1ROM 8:12-17
Brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a spirit of adoption,
through which we cry, "Abba, Father!"
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a spirit of adoption,
through which we cry, "Abba, Father!"
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.
Responsorial PsalmPS 68:2 AND 4, 6-7AB, 20-21
R. (21a) Our God is the God of salvation.
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
Blessed day by day be the Lord,
who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation.
God is a saving God for us;
the LORD, my Lord, controls the passageways of death.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
Blessed day by day be the Lord,
who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation.
God is a saving God for us;
the LORD, my Lord, controls the passageways of death.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
AlleluiaJN 17:17B, 17A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
"Woman, you are set free of your infirmity."
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
"There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day."
The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?"
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 13:10-17
Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
"Woman, you are set free of your infirmity."
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
"There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day."
The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?"
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.
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The Spirit of Adoption
What does Saint Paul mean when he says, in today's first reading, that we received a "spirit of adoption"?
The Holy Spirit of God, he says, bears witness -- testifies -- that we are God's children. We are his heirs, which implies a wonderful inheritance. We were born as mere humans, totally lacking God's supernatural nature, but we have been adopted into his loving family with all the riches of our Father's kingdom -- the gifts and talents, wealth of love, abundance of goodness, generous stewardship of earthly treasures, and everything else that belongs to our Father.
In the Creed, we say that we believe in one God and that he is the Father of all. He was our Father since the moment he created us in our human mother's womb. We were made in his image. He's the only true (i.e., perfectly loving) Father that we've ever had. So -- why do we need a spirit of adoption?
When we sin, we break the spiritual connection between us and our Creator. It's like the rebellious son who rejects the teachings of his parents and adopts a contrary lifestyle. He cannot break the birth bond. He cannot put an end to his blood connection with his parents, not even if he changes his name. However, the family's spiritual connection has been broken. When the son finally reconciles with his parents, the spiritual bond must be restored: Trust has to be rebuilt and hearts need to be healed.
When we reconcile with God, how can we rebuild trust? He knows that we'll sin again. Although we sincerely want to be good children, he knows he cannot trust us to remain sinless. So he gave us a spirit of adoption. It's a gift from the Father's tremendous, unconditional love for us. Because of this spirit of adoption, it doesn't matter that we cannot be trusted. The Father trusts his own Holy Spirit, and "the Spirit bears witness that we are God's children."
Our Father does not hold our past sins against us. He does not base our future with him on how we treated him in the past nor on what we're capable of doing again. The past has nothing to do with his acceptance of us or his desire to partner with us in ministry. Rather, our Father bases everything on the spirit of adoption.
Were we sincere in wanting to reconcile with him? That's all that matters.
If we stay connected to him through the spirit of adoption, as true children of our Daddy-God, we treat others with the same mercy. Like our Daddy-God, when we suffer in a relationship where the bond has been broken and trust has not yet been rebuilt, if that person sincerely wants to reconcile with us, we have to place our trust in the spirit of adoption -- not on human flesh, but on God's own Spirit. It's the only way we can be healthy and holy in our dealings with those who have hurt us and now hope to restore a good relationship with us.
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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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