SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Friday - July 24, 2020

Friday - July 24, 2020

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, 

be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.

-- St. Francis of Assisi

 

July 24 2020

 

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Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 399

Reading 1JER 3:14-17

Return, rebellious children, says the LORD,
for I am your Master;
I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan,
and bring you to Zion.
I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart,
who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.
When you multiply and become fruitful in the land,
says the LORD,
They will in those days no longer say,
“The ark of the covenant of the LORD!”
They will no longer think of it, or remember it,
or miss it, or make another.

At that time they will call Jerusalem the LORD’s throne;
there all nations will be gathered together
to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem,
and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.

Responsorial PsalmJER 31:10, 11-12ABCD, 13

R. (see 10d) The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

AlleluiaSEE LK 8:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 13:18-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

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JOURNEY OF FAITH

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my heart so that I might receive your Word and hear it in a new way today. Come Holy Spirit, help me learn what you want to teach me through this parable.
Encountering Christ:
1. Learn Something New: We may have heard this parable many times, but God is speaking to us anew each time we hear it. We can ask God what he is trying to reveal to us today, at this very moment. Praying with Scripture changes our hearts: “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). How is the Holy Spirit calling me to deeper conversion by hearing Jesus explain this Gospel? How can I increase my love of God and my neighbor by praying with this parable today?
2. Our Faith Journey: After reading this parable, we might be tempted to think, “I’m so glad that I have good soil. Mission accomplished!” Not so fast, though. Most of us have been through all the stages of the path in the parable. Our hearts were once on the path of ignorance and did not understand what God was teaching us through his Word. Our hearts have had rocky soil when we have questioned our faith or fallen away during a time of trial. We have dealt with the weeds and thorns of our own distractions and anxieties, which can choke out the fruits of our good works. Our Lord asks us to reflect once again on the state of our soil and, by the light of the Holy Spirit, to repent and be converted.
3. Bear One Another’s Burdens: Remembering our own faith journey helps us to be more compassionate when we notice others struggling with rocks, weeds, and thorns. It’s our Christian duty to help one another: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). When we encounter someone who questions his or her faith–be it because of a persecution, a trial, or worldly distractions, or anxieties–simply sharing our Christ-filled presence and compassion may be enough to help that person remove the obstacle that is keeping him or her from bearing fruit.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, till the soil in my heart and help me to bear good fruit for you, fruit that will last (John 15:16). Help me to recall my own faith journey and give me the grace to draw from my experiences when it can help others grow and flourish in their lives of faith.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace, I will look for an opportunity to bear the burdens of someone close to me. I will listen with compassion, praying silently as he or she speaks.

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God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”