Wednesday - August 12, 2020
Do you realize that Jesus is there
in the tabernacle expressly for you,
for you alone?
He burns with the desire
to come into your heart.
-- St Therese of Lisieux
Do you realize that Jesus is there
in the tabernacle expressly for you,
for you alone?
He burns with the desire
to come into your heart.
-- St Therese of Lisieux
August 12 2020
Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 415
Reading 1EZ 9:1-7; 10:18-22
The LORD cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city!
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer’s case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the LORD say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city.
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer’s case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the LORD say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city.
Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the LORD’s house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the LORD’s house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.
Responsorial Psalm113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (4b) The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia2 CORINTHIANS 5:19
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 18:15-20
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”
******************************
What to do when Others Refuse to Repent
In the vision of slaughter in our first reading today, the only ones who were saved from death were those who hated the abominations of evil. The destruction of evil-doers began in the sanctuary, where the glory of God had dwelled before the people chased him out.
It's just as true today when our sanctuaries are taken over by clergy who abuse their authority or when parish ministries are taken over by laity who cause division and strife. And it's equally true when we chase God out of the personal sanctuaries of our hearts by sinning and rebelling.
When God is expelled, a venial sin becomes a mortal sin. But when we seek healing through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God brings us back home from the place of our enslavement.
Are there people who are causing you problems because of their unGodly ways? Do you have a spouse who's broken the covenant of your marriage vows? Is there a friend whose addictions are destroying your relationship? Do you know a priest who is causing his flock to suffer?
Jesus tells us what to do about it in today's Gospel reading. We are to give sinners the opportunity to see the truth by speaking to them privately -- compassionately, of course, while standing firm in the truth.
If that doesn't work, we're to try again with an intermediary who understands the situation. This should be someone who loves God and loves you and cares about the offender, too. And if that fails, we have to escalate the call for help. God works through the larger Church and, when necessary, through avenues of help offered by civil society.
If the personal approach fails, we must report the offense to whomever can stop the abuses, regardless of the consequences, or else we're contributing to the sin. We're to treat these people as members of God's family who have left home. This is what "ex-communication" means. And if it's a situation where we cannot make them leave, we have to leave. We have to go to where we can be safe.
But remember how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors: He never stopped caring about them, and when they were willing to listen to him, he dined with them.
This escalation of intervention works, because we are not alone in our efforts to stop the sin. This is why Jesus adds that we are to pray together. There is great supernatural strength in the prayers of the faithful who are united in taking a stand against evil. We must never give up hoping and praying, never stop reaching out when we can, and never try to handle it by our isolated selves.
Today's Prayer
Enlighten, Lord, my mind with the light of Your Holy Spirit, to act with wisdom, strength and generosity. Amen.
------------------------------
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!”
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