GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Saturday - August 27, 2022

Saturday - August 27, 2022

In darkness, at times of tribulation and distress of the spirit, Jesus is with you. In such a state you see nothing but darkness, but I can assure you on God's behalf that the light of the Lord is all around you and pervades your spirit. . .You see yourself forsaken and I assure you that Jesus is holding you tighter than ever to His divine Heart. 

-- Saint Padre Pio

August 27, 2022

MEMORIAL OF SAINT MONICA

Lectionary: 430

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    1 Cor 1:26-31

 

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.

Not many of you were wise by human standards,

not many were powerful,

not many were of noble birth.

Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,

and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,

and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,

those who count for nothing,

to reduce to nothing those who are something,

so that no human being might boast before God.

It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,

who became for us wisdom from God,

as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,

so that, as it is written,

Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                           Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21

 

R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

 

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.

From heaven the LORD looks down;

he sees all mankind.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

 

But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,

upon those who hope for his kindness,

To deliver them from death

and preserve them in spite of famine.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

 

Our soul waits for the LORD,

who is our help and our shield,

For in him our hearts rejoice;

in his holy name we trust.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

 

Alleluia                                              Phil 2 Jn 13:34        

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I give you a new commandment:

love one another as I have loved you.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                           Mt 25:14-30

 

Jesus told his disciples this parable:

"A man going on a journey

called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.

To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one–

to each according to his ability.

Then he went away.

Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,

and made another five.

Likewise, the one who received two made another two.

But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground

and buried his master's money.

After a long time

the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.

The one who had received five talents

came forward bringing the additional five.

He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents.

See, I have made five more.'

His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Since you were faithful in small matters,

I will give you great responsibilities.

Come, share your master's joy.'

Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,

'Master, you gave me two talents.

See, I have made two more.'

His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Since you were faithful in small matters,

I will give you great responsibilities.

Come, share your master's joy.'

Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,

'Master, I knew you were a demanding person,

harvesting where you did not plant

and gathering where you did not scatter;

so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.

Here it is back.'

His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant!

So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant

and gather where I did not scatter?

Should you not then have put my money in the bank

so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?

Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.

For to everyone who has,

more will be given and he will grow rich;

but from the one who has not,

even what he has will be taken away.

And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

 

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Why It’s Important to Turn Smallness-Thinking into Greatness

“Smallness thinking” is the decision (often made unconsciously) to reduce what is possible by down-sizing God to our level. How do we do that? By projecting human limitations onto God.

 

Smallness thinking is ruled by fear: “I’m afraid that striving for a bigger goal will be disastrous.” Why? Because we experienced it before or we witnessed disasters that happened to other people who should have succeeded but failed.

 

Did you seek God’s will? Were those other people guided by God? The answer might be, “Yes, I thought so.” This can make trying again become very intimidating.

 

Smallness thinking is often powered by the idea that “I’m too insignificant for God to do anything great though me.” Is this really what God thinks of us?

 

Smallness thinking is not humility. It works against the plans of God, because God is in no way small. God’s thoughts are much higher than our thoughts; he sees a bigger picture. He knows how great is the need for big plans enacted by big thinkers to make a big difference in the world.

 

We can choose greatness – the greatness that comes from linking ourselves closely to our Great God through whom we can do anything that he wants us to do and without whom we can do nothing good. Or we can choose smallness.

 

When we settle for smallness, we miss the reality of who God really is and what God really wants. To glimpse the bigness of what God really wants, all we need to do is look around. The need to spread God’s kingdom is huge. Think it’s too big a need for you to handle? Yes it is if you think you have do it all by yourself. That’s why we are all called to participate in building the faith of others. We do it together! God’s great plans require joint effort.

 

God’s greatness is in you. It’s evidenced in how you give of yourself.

 

Today's Prayer

 

My Lord, it is difficult for me to be humble for the sake of my neighbors beyond my own interests, but I know that with Your grace and my daily effort I’ll be the instrument of love that You want me to be. 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!”