GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Saturday - September 24, 2022

 

Saturday - September 24, 2022

A piece of advice I have insisted on repeatedly: "BE CHEERFUL, ALWAYS CHEERFUL. SADNESS IS FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO BE CHILDREN OF GOD."

 

--Saint Josemaria Escriva    

September 24, 2022

SATURDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Lectionary: 454

 

Reading 1                                                     ECCL 11:9—12:8

 

Rejoice, O young man, while you are young

and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.

Follow the ways of your heart,

the vision of your eyes;

Yet understand that as regards all this

God will bring you to judgment.

Ward off grief from your heart

and put away trouble from your presence,

though the dawn of youth is fleeting.

 

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,

before the evil days come

And the years approach of which you will say,

I have no pleasure in them;

Before the sun is darkened,

and the light, and the moon, and the stars,

while the clouds return after the rain;

When the guardians of the house tremble,

and the strong men are bent,

And the grinders are idle because they are few,

and they who look through the windows grow blind;

When the doors to the street are shut,

and the sound of the mill is low;

When one waits for the chirp of a bird,

but all the daughters of song are suppressed;

And one fears heights,

and perils in the street;

When the almond tree blooms,

and the locust grows sluggish

and the caper berry is without effect,

Because man goes to his lasting home,

and mourners go about the streets;

Before the silver cord is snapped

and the golden bowl is broken,

And the pitcher is shattered at the spring,

and the broken pulley falls into the well,

And the dust returns to the earth as it once was,

and the life breath returns to God who gave it.

 

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,

all things are vanity!

 

Responsorial Psalm                                              PS 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 AND 17

 

R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

 

You turn man back to dust,

saying, “Return, O children of men.”

For a thousand years in your sight

are as yesterday, now that it is past,

or as a watch of the night.

R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

You make an end of them in their sleep;

the next morning they are like the changing grass,

Which at dawn springs up anew,

but by evening wilts and fades.

R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Teach us to number our days aright,

that we may gain wisdom of heart.

Return, O LORD! How long?

Have pity on your servants!

R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,

that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.

And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;

prosper the work of our hands for us!

Prosper the work of our hands!

R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

 

Alleluia                                                                      2 TIMOTHY 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death

and brought life to light through the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel                                                                       LK 9:43B-45

 

While they were all amazed at his every deed,

Jesus said to his disciples,

“Pay attention to what I am telling you.

The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”

But they did not understand this saying;

its meaning was hidden from them

so that they should not understand it,

and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

 

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Meaning in Suffering

 

So why was the meaning of this “hidden from them?”  Interesting.  Here Jesus tells them to “pay attention to what I am telling you.”  And then begins to explain He will suffer and die.  But they did not get it.  They did not understand what He meant and “they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.” 

The truth is that Jesus was not offended by their lack of understanding.  He realized that they would not immediately understand.  But this did not stop Him from telling them anyway.  Why?  Because He knew that they would come to understand in time.  But, at first, the Apostles just listened in a bit of confusion. 

When did the Apostles come to understand?  They understood once the Holy Spirit descended upon them leading them into all Truth.  It took the workings of the Holy Spirit to understand such deep mysteries. 

The same is true with us.  When we face the mystery of Jesus’ sufferings, and when we face the reality of suffering in our own lives or the lives of those we love, we can often be confused at first.  It takes a gift from the Holy Spirit to open our minds to understand.  Suffering is most often inevitable.  We all endure it.  And if we do not allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, suffering will lead us to confusion and despair.  But if we allow the Holy Spirit to open our minds, we will begin to understand how God can work in us through our sufferings just as He brought salvation to the world through the sufferings of Christ. 

Reflect, today, upon how well you understand both Jesus’ sufferings and your own.  Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the meaning and even the value of suffering?  Say a prayer to the Holy Spirit asking for this grace and let God lead you into this profound mystery of our faith.

Today’s Prayer

Lord, I know You suffered and died for my salvation.  I know that my own suffering can take on new meaning in Your Cross.  Help me to more fully see and understand this great mystery and to find even greater value in Your Cross as well as mine.  Jesus, I trust in You.

 

 

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!”