THE GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Saturday - August 13, 2022

Saturday - August 13, 2022

“Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.” 

―St. Thérèse de Lisieux

August 13, 2022

SATURDAY OF THE NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Lectionary: 418

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32

 

The word of the LORD came to me:

Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb

that you recite in the land of Israel:

 

"Fathers have eaten green grapes,

thus their children's teeth are on edge"?

 

As I live, says the Lord GOD:

I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you

who will repeat this proverb in Israel.

For all lives are mine;

the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine;

only the one who sins shall die.

 

If a man is virtuous—if he does what is right and just,

if he does not eat on the mountains,

nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel;

if he does not defile his neighbor's wife,

nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period;

if he oppresses no one,

gives back the pledge received for a debt,

commits no robbery;

if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked;

if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury;

if he holds off from evildoing,

judges fairly between a man and his opponent;

if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances,

that man is virtuous—he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.

 

But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer,

or lends at interest and exacts usury–

this son certainly shall not live.

Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die;

his death shall be his own fault.

 

Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel,

each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD.

Turn and be converted from all your crimes,

that they may be no cause of guilt for you.

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed,

and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

Why should you die, O house of Israel?

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,

says the Lord GOD. Return and live!

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

 

R. (12a) Create a clean heart in me, O God.

 

A clean heart create for me, O God;

and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence,

and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,

and a willing spirit sustain in me.

I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners shall return to you.

R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

For you are not pleased with sacrifices;

should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;

a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

 

Alleluia                                              Phil 2 Mt 11:25        

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;

you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                           Mt 19:13-15

 

Children were brought to Jesus

that he might lay his hands on them and pray.

The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said,

"Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them;

for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

 

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Here’s the Secret Reason Why Sinfulness Prevails

The Father always has our best interests at heart. The teachings of Christ are an embrace by Abba-Father’s love, and it is felt by those who want to be holy. Then why is there so much unholiness in today’s world?

When we think of God as The Punisher, our natural inclination is to live in self-protection mode. We convince ourselves and others that what we’re doing that feels wrong is really not wrong. To avoid punishment (or so we think), we choose to believe that sin is not sin — which is the heresy of moral relativism. When we sin, we justify ourselves, blame others for our mistakes, and hide from our need to repent.

The word “repent” usually carries with it the feeling of condemnation: We are bad. This works against our need to believe that we are okay and we are loved no matter what we’ve done. But “repent” actually means “to change direction” after realizing that where we’ve been going (or what we’ve been doing) isn’t good after all.

In other words (and it’s healing to know this), it’s the direction we’re headed that’s bad, not us.

God made each of us good! Yes, even you and even the worst person in the world. Holiness is our core nature, our true nature. On the sixth day of creation, God said, “Let us make humans next — in our image, in our likeness.” God’s traits are at the core of our nature! He looked over everything he had created — including you — and declared it “very good.” (See Genesis 1:26-31.)

Sin — even when we don’t believe it’s a sin — interrupts our goodness. It interrupts our relationship with our Good Father, so he sent Jesus the Savior to redirect us away from the path to Hell and toward the path to Heaven. Jesus took our sins upon his sinless self and nailed them to the Cross with his Body. He conquered sin for us by letting our sins destroy him, dying for us. Then he overcame this destruction through his resurrection. When we embrace this truth, we are set free to be who we really are (made in the image of our Father).

What does embracing the truth look like? Repentance. Changing direction. Going to the Sacrament of Confession and receiving the supernatural grace we need to overcome our sinful tendencies.

The reason why sinfulness prevails so widely in our world today is because our cultures have abandoned the true meaning of fatherhood. In this environment, ideas about God’s Fatherhood are filled with wrong images that come from poor examples of fatherhood. (Even the best of dads are imperfect.) How can we trust God as our Father when we don’t know what a truly good father is?

Sin prevails because repentance is scary. Repentance is scary because it’s natural to (i.e., without conscious deliberation) project onto God the fatherhood traits of humans who have caused us pain. It’s vitally important to heal from those wrong images and see God as he truly is. 

The Father is holding out his hands, arms open wide, to pull you into his heart safely, securely, tenderly and forgivingly. Jesus is with you on this journey.

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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!”