Thursday - December 13, 2018
The devil will try to upset you by accusing you of being unworthy of the blessings that you have received. Simply remain cheerful and do your best to ignore the devil's nagging. If need be even laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Satan, the epitome of sin itself, accuses you of unworthiness! When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future!
-- St. Teresa of Avila
The devil will try to upset you by accusing you of being unworthy of the blessings that you have received. Simply remain cheerful and do your best to ignore the devil's nagging. If need be even laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Satan, the epitome of sin itself, accuses you of unworthiness! When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future!
-- St. Teresa of Avila
December 13, 2018
Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
Lectionary: 184
Reading 1IS 41:13-20
I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, "Fear not,
I will help you."
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and double-edged,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off
and the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, "Fear not,
I will help you."
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and double-edged,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off
and the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Responsorial PsalmPS 145:1 AND 9, 10-11, 12-13AB
R. (8) The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let them make known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let them make known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
AlleluiaSEE IS 45:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the clouds rain down the Just One,
and the earth bring forth a Savior.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the clouds rain down the Just One,
and the earth bring forth a Savior.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 11:11-15
Jesus said to the crowds:
"Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
"Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."
******************************
TO HAVE FAITH, HEED CAREFULLY WHAT YOU HEAR
Think of a mountain you've been facing: What overwhelming problem has burdened you? What need is unmet? What have you been waiting for that would make life better? In other words, why do you need a Messiah? From what do you need to be delivered?
Isaiah says, "The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain." What have you been praying for in vain?
Look at Jesus' last words in today's Gospel reading from Matthew: "Heed carefully what you hear!" God has already been telling you how to thresh the mountains in your life and crush them. He has been sending you a storm that will scatter the particles of your crushed-down mountain. But OH! Sometimes we don't like God's solutions to our problems!
God's solution to a divided relationship is for you to do good to the person who has sinned against you, even if they don't repent. That's what Jesus did on the cross: He died even for those who never accept his gift of mercy.
God's solution to financial problems is tithing (donating 10% of our total income) even if it seems that we cannot afford to give that much.
God's solution to the mountain of misery we're enduring from physical illness or a bad situation in life is to praise him in all circumstances and to offer up our sufferings as a penance for someone else's sins.
God's solution to unfair treatment is to love our enemies, do good to those who persecute us, go the extra mile when something is demanded from us, and let go when someone steals from us instead of demanding it back (see the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6 and 7).
Always, when we do things God's way, the harder it is to do, the better the results will be. By bridging divisions we gain renewed friendships. By giving generously we discover that we cannot outdo God in generosity. By imitating Christ, misery is converted to faith and then joy. Unfair treatment no longer bothers us. God says, "Fear not, I will help you" and faith tells us this is true, even before we see anything improve.
Heed carefully what you hear. God's solutions are often not easy. This is why Jesus said, "The kingdom of God has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force." We cannot bring God's kingdom into our problems without opposing our normal tendencies and forcing ourselves to quit trying to solve problems the way we want to do it. Such violence to ourselves requires extra help -- help that comes from the Holy Spirit.
In scripture, water usually symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Re-read today's first scripture to see the Holy Spirit offering help to you:
Their tongues are parched with thirst (for the Holy Spirit). I, the Lord, will answer them... I will open up rivers of the Holy Spirit's power.....
Heed carefully what you hear! If you do things God's way, You shall rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Yes God!
Today's Prayer
Beloved Lord, May doing good be for me an everyday practice, sustained and guided by Your Spirit of love. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
Rosary Family
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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