Thursday - October 31, 2019
The rosary is said not with the lips alone, muttering Hail Marys one after the other. … For a Christian vocal prayer must spring from the heart, so that while the rosary is said, the mind can enter into contemplation of each one of the mysteries.
-- St. Josemaria Escriva
October 31 2019
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 482
Reading 1ROM 8:31B-39
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:
For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:
For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Responsorial PsalmPS 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31
R. (26b) Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
Do you, O GOD, my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake;
in your generous mercy rescue me;
For I am wretched and poor,
and my heart is pierced within me.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
Help me, O LORD, my God;
save me, in your mercy,
And let them know that this is your hand;
that you, O LORD, have done this.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
I will speak my thanks earnestly to the LORD,
and in the midst of the throng I will praise him,
For he stood at the right hand of the poor man,
to save him from those who would condemn his soul.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
Do you, O GOD, my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake;
in your generous mercy rescue me;
For I am wretched and poor,
and my heart is pierced within me.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
Help me, O LORD, my God;
save me, in your mercy,
And let them know that this is your hand;
that you, O LORD, have done this.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
I will speak my thanks earnestly to the LORD,
and in the midst of the throng I will praise him,
For he stood at the right hand of the poor man,
to save him from those who would condemn his soul.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
AlleluiaSEE LK 19:38; 2:14
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 13:31-35
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
"Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you."
He replied, "Go and tell that fox,
'Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.'
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
"Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you."
He replied, "Go and tell that fox,
'Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.'
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
******************************
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
Do you feel overwhelmed? Is a problem causing you anguish, or distress, or persecution, or a famine of unmet needs, or a feeling of being too vulnerable, or danger?
In today's first reading, Saint Paul assures us that, in reality, it's not the problems that are overwhelming. It's our victory over the problems: "We conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us."
While in the midst of trials, it's difficult to feel the closeness of God and see his plan of action and understand why he's allowing us to suffer. We miss seeing this truth because we're focused on who's causing the problem and what's happening in the visible world.
We need to put our focus back on Jesus! Since he loved us so much that he sacrificed his life for us, we have proof that his love is so strong it will always embrace us. Jesus will always take good care of us, doing what's best for us as well as for all those who are involved in the same situation (he loves your trouble-makers as much as he loves you).
When it seems like God has abandoned us or neglected our needs or ignored our prayer requests, that's when we most need to put our eyes back on Jesus and take a good look at who God really is and what his personality is really like. God is love, and it's impossible for love to stop loving.
Whatever is causing us to feel anguish or distress, whatever we're worried about, thanks to our relationship with God it's really never as bad as it seems. Evil will not defeat us. No troubles can come between us and our Lord. God's love won't fail to intervene and protect us and guide us to the best solutions. Even while it seems to take "too long", he is helping us.
We certainly can fail to receive his help, we can make bad decisions that lead us into more trouble, and we can let others control our moods if we depend on them for our joy, but God's love never stops ministering to us, never stops providing us with everything we need, never stops being a cause for joy.
The only thing that's impossible for love to do is to stop loving us. The only way for evil to defeat this love is for us to believe -- whole-heartedly -- that such undying love isn't really what we want. And that's how people end up in hell.
Evil creates a false illusion that it's going to win against God's power. Evil has momentary victories when we take our eyes off of Jesus and let the sources of our troubles control our faith. (Thus, we become our own worst enemies.) Yet, even before we reclaim our faith by choosing to trust God, God's love is covering us, surrounding us, seeking a way into our hearts so it can fill us, always making itself available.
God's love overwhelms all strategies of evil and all potentials for disaster. Our trust in this love overwhelms our negative emotions and produces lasting joy. Choose to trust!
Today's Prayer
Lord, forgive me, because my words towards others have not always been words of hope and encouragement. Give me the grace of looking at problems through Your eyes. Amen.
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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