SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Sunday - September 01, 2019

Sunday - September 01, 2019

If we are, in fact, now occupied in good deeds, we should not attribute the strength with which we are doing them to ourselves. We must not count on ourselves, because even if we know what kind of person we are today, we do not know what we will be tomorrow.

--Saint Gregory the Great

 

September 1 2019

 

« August 31  |  September 2 »

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 126

Reading 1SIR 3:17-18, 20, 28-29

My child, conduct your affairs with humility,
 and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.
 Humble yourself the more, the greater you are,
 and you will find favor with God.
 What is too sublime for you, seek not,
 into things beyond your strength search not.
 The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs,
 and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise.
 Water quenches a flaming fire,
 and alms atone for sins.

Responsorial PsalmPS 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11

R. (cf. 11b)  God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
The just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
Sing to God, chant praise to his name;
whose name is the LORD.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
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. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.
A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance;
you restored the land when it languished;
your flock settled in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy.
R. God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.

Reading 2HEB 12:18-19, 22-24A

Brothers and sisters:
You have not approached that which could be touched
and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness
and storm and a trumpet blast
and a voice speaking words such that those who heard
begged that no message be further addressed to them.
No, you have approached Mount Zion
and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and countless angels in festal gathering,
and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven,
and God the judge of all,
and the spirits of the just made perfect,
and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

AlleluiaMT 11:29AB

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord,
and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 14:1, 7-14

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor. 
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
'Give your place to this man,'
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place. 
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
'My friend, move up to a higher position.'
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. 
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." 
Then he said to the host who invited him,
"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

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Doing good for the sake of -- what?  

This Sunday's Gospel reading raises the question: What are my expectations (my motivations) when I do good? How other-centered are they? How self-centered?

If benefiting others is done for the sake of receiving something in return, our motive is not Christ-like.

Jesus explains this with the example of inviting to a banquet those who cannot return the favor. He's not saying that we have to do this to be holy. That interpretation would be too literal; it misses the point.

The real message is that whatever we do, we should do it for the sake of love, rather than for repayment, i.e., for our own gain. We should do good to others for the sake of the benefit it will give to them. This seems like a no-brainer, but stop for a minute to think about how much you'd like to be thanked and appreciated. What else do you hope to get from the good you do?

Even when someone sins against us and we pray for them to repent, our prayer should be offered out of concern for their souls. Sure, we also wish they would change so that our own lives will be easier, but that should not be our primary concern.

As followers of Christ, if we receive any blessings in return for the good we do, that's our bonus, not our motive. We can rightly look forward to such bonuses, but our joy does not depend on them.

By becoming aware of our motives and expectations, we gain the freedom to choose to be more like Jesus. As he promised, "You will receive your reward at the resurrection of the righteous." The fulfillment of this promise begins now, in the moment that we decide to be like the Resurrected One, our Lord Jesus.

The reward he gives us here and now is the grace that enables us to do whatever he asks and to do it generously and cheerfully. We'll receive other blessings besides, but that's not our main motive.

Questions for Personal Reflection

How upset do you get when others treat you unkindly after you've been nice to them? When the give-and-take in a relationship is unequal, do you withhold goodness from that person? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you notice your selfish motives this week. Take your anger to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and ask Jesus to empower you to care more about those people who have been upsetting you.

Today's Prayer

My Lord, give me the grace to be willing and strong to pay the price of being Your witness and disciple. 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!”

SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Saturday - August 31, 2019

Saturday - August 31, 2019

Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. 

-- Saint Francis de Sales  

 

August 31 2019

 

« August 30  |  September 1 »

Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 430

Reading 11 THES 4:9-11

Brothers and sisters:
On the subject of fraternal charity
you have no need for anyone to write you,
for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia.
Nevertheless we urge you, brothers and sisters, to progress even more,
and to aspire to live a tranquil life,
to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your own hands,
as we instructed you.

Responsorial PsalmPS 98:1, 7-8, 9

R.(9) The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

AlleluiaJN 13:34

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 25:14-30

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"A man going on a journey 
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– 
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master's money.
After a long time 
the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents
came forward bringing the additional five.
He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,
'Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
'Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.'
His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then!  Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

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Why does God favor the ungodly?  

You might have noted that people we consider to be ungodly are thriving in all their undertakings. They hold high positions in societies, have more than enough money in their bank accounts, etc. while the 'God-fearing' ones are wallowing in abject poverty. In your opinion:

1. What is behind the success of 'bad' people?
2. Do you think God has any merit for loving such people?
3. What should the 'God-fearing' people do to earn the Creator's grace such as that being lavished on 'bad' people?

In my answer, first, I'd like to explain that God does not favor sinners. However, there are times when we who are followers of Christ feel let down by God. We expect to be favored more than sinners. We assume that if we are good, if we are obedient to God, if we follow Christ, if we pray for help, then of course God should reward us with the answers to our prayers and with prosperity and other good things. But we cannot manipulate God. No one can earn God's favor nor his help. It is a sin to try, because it's thinking of ourselves as "better" than God. It's treating God as if we should be able to manipulate him by our good deeds.

What happens when we seek God's help but it doesn't work out the way we expect? When we see non-believers having more success than us in the same things we were hoping God would help us with? We feel like God is treating us less favorably than others. That's a very limited view of what's really happening.  Now I will address the three questions specifically.

1. What is behind the success of 'bad' people? We have all been created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). We are all God's children. Therefore, all have talents that, when put to use, help us become successful. Those non-believers who are very prosperous have been using the talents that God gave them. The same principle is available to believers as much as to non-believers. God wants us to use the talents he gave us, regardless of whether or not we recognize him as the Father of our talents. Of course he wants us to glorify him with our talents, because then we become his partner in making the world into a better place. But when someone fails to glorify him, he doesn't make the sinner talent-less. Some of the things they do with their talents will inadvertently glorify him!

2. Do you think God has any merit for loving such people? God is love, and it is impossible for God to be unloving. It is impossible for God to stop loving anyone. Love is not love if it withholds itself from anyone. And therefore, God is not God if he withholds himself from anyone. See? It is quite impossible for God to not love such people!

It's not about "merit". God is not trying to earn anyone's approval -- not the sinner's nor ours. If by the word "merit" you mean "reason" or "purpose", then yes, he has a purpose: His reason for loving sinners is to be true to himself. He loves because he is love. Beyond that, he loves because love can heal, love can promote change, love can convert hearts. No one is converted -- truly changed -- without love influencing them. No one embraces God and his ways out of fear of God and fear of going to hell. Fear can stop a person in his tracks, but it doesn't turn him toward love.

3. What should the 'God-fearing' people do to earn the Creator's grace such as that being lavished on 'bad' people? It cannot be earned! Grace is -- by its very nature -- a freely given gift by God that helps us grow closer to him. It is withheld from no one, but in fact, followers of Christ are more aware of the grace that he makes available and therefore live in the Creator's grace more than non-believers do.

Keep your eyes on Jesus!
And when you have to look at others, see them through his eyes.  

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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!”

SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Friday - August 30 2019

Friday - August 30 2019

Religious pictures themselves will not make a family good. Only when they are contemplated upon, are they a practical way to help true Christian sentiment, and to a true Christian way of living in the family.

-- St. John Vianney

 

August 30 2019

 

« August 29  |  August 31 »

Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 429

Reading 11 THES 4:1-8

Brothers and sisters,
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.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

This is the will of God, your holiness:
that you refrain from immorality,
that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself
in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion
as do the Gentiles who do not know God;
not to take advantage of or exploit a brother or sister in this matter,
for the Lord is an avenger in all these things,
as we told you before and solemnly affirmed.
For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.
Therefore, whoever disregards this,
disregards not a human being but God,
who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Responsorial Psalm PS 97:1 AND 2B, 5-6, 10, 11-12

R.(12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just! 
The LORD loves those who hate evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful ones;
from the hand of the wicked he delivers them.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

AlleluiaLK 21:36

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 
Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!’ 
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’ 
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.’ 
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.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

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Carrying a Torch for Jesus  

Are you carrying a torch for Jesus? Today's Gospel reading reminds me of the modern-day metaphor for a special love relationship. To "carry a torch" for a friend means that we have a warm spot in our heart for him or her, and we won't let it dim. It's like the Olympic torch that's carried by runners around the world until it lights up the opening ceremonies of the games; we'll run anywhere and for as long as necessary for the one we love.

Do you have this kind of love for Jesus? If you do, then what's the fuel that lights your torch? And what keeps your torch from running out of this fuel?

Perhaps your torch is lit by your prayer life and you keep it lit by taking time every day to quietly connect with God. Or maybe it's the suffering you've endured for the sake of unconditionally loving someone who doesn't love you back equally, and you've offered your heart-breaks to Jesus as a sacrifice that unites you to his cross. Or it's the joy of using your gifts and talents in the Church. Or it's all of the above and more.

We're like the foolish bridesmaids if we do little more than pick up our torch and run without taking into consideration that a seemingly short sprint might become a long marathon. We need to stock up.

What fuels your love for Jesus when you get tired? Or when you get discouraged and feel hurt and disappointed? Or when your patience burns out?

We can't make it through one single day without losing at least some of our holiness and spiritual strength! What makes us think that we don't need to start each day in prayer asking for supernatural help? Or that we don't need to take time to seek hope and guidance from scripture? Or that we don't need to put effort into studying the teachings of the Church to receive more wisdom from the Holy Spirit?

As Jesus points out in the parable, the Master cannot recognize us (i.e., we don't look like we belong to him) if we're claiming to be Christian but we're buzzing through life doing whatever feels good and looks good. True Christian living requires major effort -- and sometimes it's unpleasant! When we're not forcing ourselves to move ahead in holiness, we slip into sin. There's no such thing as standing still. Either we're pushing ourselves forward in spiritual growth or we're swept backward by the winds of the world and we're pushed backward by demons who take advantage of our laziness.

Reading this reflection has given you some fuel. What else will you do today to add fuel to the fire of your love for Jesus?

Today's Prayer

My Lord and my God: Forgive me for those times when laziness has won a place in my heart. May the certainty of our meeting at the end of times always be my aim and my help so that I persevere till the end. 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!”