GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Friday - July 01, 2022

Friday - July 01, 2022

He who wants to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come in conflict with it.

~~Blessed Titus Brandsma

July 1, 2022

Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 381 

           

Reading I                                          Am 8:4-6, 9-12

 

Hear this, you who trample upon the needy

and destroy the poor of the land!

“When will the new moon be over,” you ask,

“that we may sell our grain,

and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat?”

We will diminish the containers for measuring,

add to the weights,

and fix our scales for cheating!

We will buy the lowly man for silver,

and the poor man for a pair of sandals;

even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!”

 

On that day, says the Lord GOD,

I will make the sun set at midday

and cover the earth with darkness in broad daylight.

I will turn your feasts into mourning

and all your songs into lamentations.

I will cover the loins of all with sackcloth

and make every head bald.

I will make them mourn as for an only son,

and bring their day to a bitter end.

 

Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD,

when I will send famine upon the land:

Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water,

but for hearing the word of the LORD.

Then shall they wander from sea to sea

and rove from the north to the east

In search of the word of the LORD,

but they shall not find it.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131

 

(Matthew 4:4) One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

 

Blessed are they who observe his decrees,

who seek him with all their heart.

R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

With all my heart I seek you;

let me not stray from your commands.

R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

My soul is consumed with longing

for your ordinances at all times.

R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

The way of truth I have chosen;

I have set your ordinances before me.

R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Behold, I long for your precepts;

in your justice give me life.

R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

I gasp with open mouth

in my yearning for your commands.

R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

 

Alleluia                                              Phil 2:8 Mt 11:28    

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                           Mt 9:9-13

 

As Jesus passed by,

he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.

He said to him, “Follow me.”

And he got up and followed him.

While he was at table in his house,

many tax collectors and sinners came

and sat with Jesus and his disciples.

The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,

“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

He heard this and said,

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.

Go and learn the meaning of the words,

I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

 

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Getting Ready for Mercy

Rituals, fasting, and sacrifices -- what good are they if they don't come from a heart full of mercy?

 

When Jesus asked the Pharisees in today's Gospel passage to go and learn the meaning of the words, "It is mercy I desire and not sacrifice," he was quoting Hosea 6:6. The Prophet Hosea had been sent by God to warn the Israelites that the only way to prevent disaster was by returning to the Holy Covenant, i.e., to a committed, true and faithful relationship with God.

 

By choosing to use the words of Hosea, Jesus drew a clear line between true followers, who walk in the ways of God day after day, and those who only run to God when they're in trouble.

 

When our hearts are not fully devoted to God, we are not truly committed to being holy. Any remorse that we feel because of the troubles we've caused, and any acts of repentance that we do, are basically just a theatrical performance: We're trying to convince God and the people around us (really, to convince ourselves) that we deserve mercy, a second chance, or a third or fourth or fortieth chance, so that we're relieved of the feelings of guilt. We get the business of holiness out of the way and soon return to whatever caused the trouble in the first place.

 

This attitude is like a man with an ulcer; he runs to the doctor for a cure, but he does not change the stressful lifestyle that created the ulcer. We reap what we sow. It's like the friend who apologizes in order to get invited over again; it's only a matter of time before he or she stirs up trouble again.

 

When selfish gain is our motive, rather than concern about how our sins have affected others, we stay in the cycle of sinfulness. We remain outside the realm of God's mercy.

 

This is so important, read that last paragraph again! Until we're actually concerned about how our sins have affected others, we stay in a cycle of sinfulness and we remain outside the realm of God's mercy.

 

Jesus said, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." We can do all the right things and still be far from God. We can ask for something in prayer and back it up with fasting, but if we don't care about how our sins affect others and we don't use the fast to discipline the weaknesses of our flesh, we're only using the food sacrifice as an attempt to bribe God into answering our prayers.

 

To be a follower of Christ, God's mercy has to enter into our whole being, right down to the core, deep in the heart where real change occurs. It has to become a living, growing gift that exudes outward toward everyone else.

 

Today's Prayer

 

My Lord, may my greatest wish be to remain near You, and may I always look for You with all my strength. Fill me with Your mercy, Jesus, to give it to others. Amen.

 

 God Bless You.....

TheRosary Family

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

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Thursday - June 30, 2022

 

Thursday - June 30, 2022

Never address your words to God

while you are thinking of

something else.

-- Teresa of Avila

June 30, 2022

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 380

 

           

Reading I                                          Am 7:10-17

 

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam,

king of Israel:

“Amos has conspired against you here within Israel;

the country cannot endure all his words.

For this is what Amos says:

Jeroboam shall die by the sword,

and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land.”

 

To Amos, Amaziah said:

“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!

There earn your bread by prophesying,

but never again prophesy in Bethel;

for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”

Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet,

nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;

I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.

The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,

‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

Now hear the word of the LORD!”

 

You say: prophesy not against Israel,

preach not against the house of Isaac.

Now thus says the LORD:

Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city,

and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword;

Your land shall be divided by measuring line,

and you yourself shall die in an unclean land;

Israel shall be exiled far from its land.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  19:8, 9, 10, 11

 

R. (10cd) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

 

The law of the LORD is perfect,

refreshing the soul;

The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,

giving wisdom to the simple.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

The precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

The command of the LORD is clear,

enlightening the eye.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever;

The ordinances of the LORD are true,

all of them just.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

They are more precious than gold,

than a heap of purest gold;

Sweeter also than syrup

or honey from the comb.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

 

Alleluia                                              Phil 2:8 2 Cor 5:19 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ

and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                           Mt 9:1-8

 

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.

And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,

“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,

“This man is blaspheming.”

Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,

“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?

Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’

or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?

But that you may know that the Son of Man

has authority on earth to forgive sins”–

he then said to the paralytic,

“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

He rose and went home.

When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe

and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

 

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Overcoming Obstacles 

What obstacles seem insurmountable in your life? Or scary? Or at least extremely annoying?

 

In today's first reading, the prophet Amos was told to quit doing God's work: Get out or shut up. Yet he had a mission to do; he knew that he'd been sent by God. Should he worry about the reaction he was getting and turn away from his assignment? No, of course not. He should listen to God and obey him no matter what the personal cost. And that's exactly what he did.

 

Look at the obstacles faced by the paralytic in today's Gospel reading. A more detailed description of this event is given in Luke 5:17-26. The crippled man needed a healing, but his first obstacle was his disease. He could not get to Jesus by himself. So, he accepted the help of his friends. He accepted their rather bizarre method of solving the problem. Was he worried about what others would think if he let his friends chop up a roof that didn't belong to them? No, all that mattered was getting to Jesus, regardless of any obstacles.

 

How often do we remain in misery because we don't feel comfortable accepting help from others? Or because we don't like their methods? How readily do we give up because the task seems impossible or the dream unrealistic? How stuck are we behind regulations and policies that in general are good but now they're hurting an individual?

 

If the task or the dream is a calling from God, no obstacle is insurmountable. It merely requires innovation and determination! The paralytic's friends thought "outside the box" of what's familiar and comfortable and acceptable. In doing this, they faced the most intimidating obstacle of all. It's the same obstacle that Amos faced. Jesus faced it, too, when he forgave the man of his sins in front of the critical eyes of the scribes. "What will people think of me? Will they disapprove?"

 

The paralytic's friends were about to damage someone else's property. Would they be stopped by people who were more concerned about the value of the house than the value of the man?

 

The most important question is: What did God want them to do? When you face the disapproval of others, how does Jesus feel about you? Does he approve of what you're doing? That's all that really matters!

 

We cannot face obstacles alone, at least not well. We all need a support group of Holy Spirit-filled friends who will help us identify what's paralyzing us and will carry us forward when we're too weak to move on our own. We need friends who will help us discern God's will and find innovative ways around obstacles. We need prayer partners who are not afraid of the consequences of obedience. Do you belong to a community like this? If not, get over the obstacles that are keeping you from it.

 

Obstacles are really just illusions, not the end of the path. They are merely tests of our determination to move forward with God.

 

Today's Prayer

 

Lord, May my faith open the way to the wonders You want to work in me and in the people around me. 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!”