GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY - Wednesday - October 19, 2022

Wednesday - October 19, 2022

"In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal."

 

- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

October 19, 2022

MEMORIAL OF SAINTS JOHN DE BRÉBEUF AND ISAAC JOGUES, PRIESTS, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS

Lectionary: 475

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    EPH 3:2-12

 

Brothers and sisters:

You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace

that was given to me for your benefit,

namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation,

as I have written briefly earlier.

When you read this

you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

which was not made known to human beings in other generations

as it has now been revealed

to his holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit,

that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same Body,

and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

 

Of this I became a minister by the gift of God’s grace

that was granted me in accord with the exercise of his power.

To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given,

to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,

and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery

hidden from ages past in God who created all things,

so that the manifold wisdom of God

might now be made known through the Church

to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.

This was according to the eternal purpose

that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

in whom we have boldness of speech

and confidence of access through faith in him.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  IS 12:2-3, 4BCD, 5-6

 

R. (see 3)  You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

 

God indeed is my savior;

I am confident and unafraid.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

and he has been my savior.

With joy you will draw water

at the fountain of salvation.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

among the nations make known his deeds,

proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;

let this be known throughout all the earth.

Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,

for great in your midst

is the Holy One of Israel!

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

 

Alleluia                                              Phil 2:8          MT 24:42A, 44

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Stay awake!

For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                           LK 12:39-48

 

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Be sure of this:

if the master of the house had known the hour

when the thief was coming,

he would not have let his house be broken into.

You also must be prepared,

for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

 

Then Peter said,

“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”

And the Lord replied,

“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward

whom the master will put in charge of his servants

to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.

Truly, I say to you, he will put him

in charge of all his property.

But if that servant says to himself,

‘My master is delayed in coming,’

and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,

to eat and drink and get drunk,

then that servant’s master will come

on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour

and will punish the servant severely

and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

That servant who knew his master’s will

but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will

shall be beaten severely;

and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will

but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating

shall be beaten only lightly.

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,

and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

 

**********************************

 

Eternally Busy Servanthood

What complaints do you have? What are you doing to improve each situation that has caused you to grumble?

 

Whenever we’re unhappy, it’s a sign that we need to do something — take action — to make a change. The feeling of being irritated and displeased is a grace-filled urge to make changes by using the gifts and training and insights that God has given us. It’s not supposed to make us cranky; it’s meant to motivate us off our lazy seats and do whatever we can, with God’s help, following his guidance, always alert to his timing.

 

Change starts by pointing the finger of responsibility at ourselves. Are we unhappy with others? We cannot change them, but we can improve something in our own lives to relieve the misery. Are we actively searching for alternate ways to get our needs met? Are we humble enough to change ourselves when wishing that others would change?

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus warns about the unfaithfulness of those who claim to be Christian yet disregard the Lord’s will. When we know what needs to be done for the kingdom of God and we have the ability to do something about it, but do nothing, this is the grievous sin of apathy compounded by disobedience.

 

Sometimes we’re unaware of what needs to be done or how to get it done. As Jesus said, we’re only accountable for what we understand. This is why a person who breaks a Church law without understanding it is to be given patience and time, along with evangelization and education – by those who do understand.

 

Woe are we if we see a need and understand its importance and have the ability to fix it and neglect to take action! Jesus wants to find us busy serving the kingdom of God in our daily lives all the way up to the hour of our deaths: in our secular workplaces and other positions in the world, not just in church. Remember, we don’t have to look religious to be serving God.

 

The “Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity” from Vatican Council II was written to remind us that we are all called and gifted to “renew the temporal order”. We are enabled and required to restore the temporary world to the condition that God wants for it, which is a reflection of the eternal world of heaven.

 

Society tells us that our goal for aging is to live longer and enjoy lots of restful retirement years with plenty of time to play and cater to ourselves. But Jesus did not say, “Blessed is the servant whom his Master finds busy when he returns, unless he’s retired.” There’s always a way to serve God, even if our bodies become totally disabled.

 

Christian servanthood is the greatest possible lifestyle, because it has eternal results. Why would we want to give that up to do crossword puzzles and watch TV all day?

 

God has gifted you with the means to serve him. You can make the world a better place — and he is relying on you! Amidst the increasing crises of our world today, your service is all the more necessary.

 

Today's Prayer

 

Lord, you’ve shown me Your mercy and Your love. I want to be always willing to share them with generosity. 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!”