GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Saturday - June 18, 2022

 

Saturday - June 18, 2022

"Seek your place of refuge in the Divine Heart, the haven of tranquility. Within that furnace of saintly love, become evermore inflamed with love for God."

 

~~St. Gaspar del Bufalo

June 18, 2022

SATURDAY OF THE ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Lectionary: 370

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    2 Chr 24:17-25

 

After the death of Jehoiada,

the princes of Judah came and paid homage to King Joash,

and the king then listened to them.

They forsook the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers,

and began to serve the sacred poles and the idols;

and because of this crime of theirs,

wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem.

Although prophets were sent to them to convert them to the LORD,

the people would not listen to their warnings.

Then the Spirit of God possessed Zechariah,

son of Jehoiada the priest.

He took his stand above the people and said to them:

“God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the LORD’s commands,

so that you cannot prosper?

Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.’”

But they conspired against him,

and at the king’s order they stoned him to death

in the court of the LORD’s temple.

Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him

by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and slew his son.

And as Zechariah was dying, he said, “May the LORD see and avenge.”

 

At the turn of the year a force of Arameans came up against Joash.

They invaded Judah and Jerusalem,

did away with all the princes of the people,

and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.

Though the Aramean force came with few men,

the Lord surrendered a very large force into their power,

because Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers.

So punishment was meted out to Joash.

After the Arameans had departed from him,

leaving him in grievous suffering,

his servants conspired against him

because of the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest.

He was buried in the City of David,

but not in the tombs of the kings.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  89:4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34

 

R. (29a) For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

 

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant:

Forever will I confirm your posterity

and establish your throne for all generations.”

R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,

and my covenant with him stands firm.

I will make his posterity endure forever

and his throne as the days of heaven.”

R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“If his sons forsake my law

and walk not according to my ordinances,

If they violate my statutes

and keep not my commands.”

R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“I will punish their crime with a rod

and their guilt with stripes.

Yet my mercy I will not take from him,

nor will I belie my faithfulness.”

R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

 

Alleluia                                              Phil 2:8 2 Cor 8:9   

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,

so that by his poverty you might become rich.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                           Mt 6:24-34

 

Jesus said to his disciples:

“No one can serve two masters.

He will either hate one and love the other,

or be devoted to one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and mammon.

 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,

what you will eat or drink,

or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds in the sky;

they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,

yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are not you more important than they?

Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?

Why are you anxious about clothes?

Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.

They do not work or spin.

But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor

was clothed like one of them.

If God so clothes the grass of the field,

which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,

will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?

So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’

or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’

All these things the pagans seek.

Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given you besides.

Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

 

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HOW TO DEFEAT 3 TRAPS OF FEAR

When we understand what it means to be loved by Abba-Father, fear dissipates. How much anxiety we have is an indicator of how well we understand (or remember) Abba’s love. To overcome anxiety, first identify the misconceptions you’re believing about God, then ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the truth about each misconception.

 

Fear does not want us to know that the Father cares so much about us that he wants what is truly best for us. Examine the role that fear has been playing in your life. Ask yourself, “What’s keeping me from fully trusting in God’s goodness toward me? How does fear play into this?”

 

Then look at Jesus. He readily gave miracles to all who asked for help. Why? Because Abba-Father desired to provide the miracles. Jesus told us that if we have a close relationship with the Father, we will receive whatever we need.

 

Fear says this is not true. Fear says that God will disappoint us. Which voice do you believe?

 

The traps of fear are rampant, but the love of the Father is always abundant.

 

Fear’s trap #1: If you react by taking matters into your own hands, you’re believing lies about God.

 

Defeat the fear: One good way to overcome this is to find scriptures that show God handling a bigger problem. Since he did that for those people in the Bible, he will certainly help you; after all, he gave his Son Jesus to you knowing full well that Jesus would have to suffer and die for you.

 

Fear’s trap #2: If you entrust the problem to God and then take it back by worrying about it, fear is telling you that God can’t or won’t do enough good with it.

 

Defeat the fear: The best way to deal with this is to see yourself as God’s partner in dealing with the problem. What can you do to help solve the problem? Pray about it. Convert the energy of worry into an action plan. Then sit with it for a while before acting upon it, waiting to find out if the Holy Spirit anoints the plan with divine energy. You’ll know when that happens, because divine energy brings with it joy and hope and opportunities to implement the plan.

 

Fear’s trap #3: If you repeatedly complain or lose your temper, you haven’t let Abba heal your wounds. Your complaints are a cry for help. Your temper is a cry of pain.

 

Defeat the fear: Let God heal you through a counselor or a good friend who is solid in the Faith or through a spiritual director.

 

Today's Prayer

 

Thank You, Lord, because You correct me when my heart strays from You and pursues the things of this world. Praised be to You, Lord, for Your love that is guiding me and filling me with Your light. 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!”