GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Thursday - June 01, 2023

  

Thursday - June 01, 2023

Love overcomes, love delights, those who love the Sacred Heart rejoice.

 

- St. Bernadette Soubirous

June 1, 2023

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

Lectionary: 350

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    Sir 42:15-25

 

Now will I recall God’s works;

what I have seen, I will describe.

At God’s word were his works brought into being;

they do his will as he has ordained for them.

As the rising sun is clear to all,

so the glory of the LORD fills all his works;

Yet even God’s holy ones must fail

in recounting the wonders of the LORD,

Though God has given these, his hosts, the strength

to stand firm before his glory.

He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart;

their innermost being he understands.

The Most High possesses all knowledge,

and sees from of old the things that are to come:

He makes known the past and the future,

and reveals the deepest secrets.

No understanding does he lack;

no single thing escapes him.

Perennial is his almighty wisdom;

he is from all eternity one and the same,

With nothing added, nothing taken away;

no need of a counselor for him!

How beautiful are all his works!

even to the spark and fleeting vision!

The universe lives and abides forever;

to meet each need, each creature is preserved.

All of them differ, one from another,

yet none of them has he made in vain,

For each in turn, as it comes, is good;

can one ever see enough of their splendor?

 

Responsorial Psalm                                              PS 33:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

 

R. (6a) By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

 

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;

with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.

Sing to him a new song;

pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.

R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

For upright is the word of the LORD

and all his works are trustworthy.

He loves justice and right;

of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made;

by the breath of his mouth all their host.

He gathers the waters of the sea as in a flask;

in cellars he confines the deep.

R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

Let all the earth fear the LORD;

let all who dwell in the world revere him.

For he spoke, and it was made;

he commanded, and it stood forth.

R. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

 

Alleluia         

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

whoever follows me will have the light of life.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                                       Lk 1:39-56

 

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,

Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,

sat by the roadside begging.

On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,

he began to cry out and say,

“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”

And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.

But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man, saying to him,

“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”

He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.

Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”

Jesus told him, ‘Go your way; your faith has saved you.”

Immediately he received his sight

and followed him on the way.

 

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Is it foolish to trust God?

Have you ever been ridiculed for how you pray or what you ask God to provide? The blind man in today’s Gospel story was scolded when he boldly called out to Jesus for help. Probably, he annoyed the heck out of the people around him. They thought he was foolish to draw so much attention to himself. They thought, “What a pity. Somebody shut him up!”

 

In those days, people assumed that physical ailments and deformities were a punishment from God. Bartimaeus asked for his eyes to be healed — how foolish! But his rebukers were the blind ones. They could not see the true nature of Jesus. They missed the loving compassion that he gave to everyone who sought his help.

 

Have you been called a fanatic for trusting in God’s help? Would you dare to make a public witness of calling out to Jesus? Undoubtedly, you’d seem quite foolish against the facts of “reality”. But God’s reality isn’t the world’s reality.

 

Often, the person who ridicules us the most is us. “Shhh, don’t look foolish,” we warn ourselves. “Remember that guy you snickered at because he made a fool of himself? I don’t want to be laughed at, too.”

 

Look at the blind man’s enthusiasm: After he received healing, he immediately followed Jesus up the road. How do you respond to a blessing that God has given to you? Most of us deliberately subdue our joy, afraid of what others might think. But if the blind man had been concerned about the opinions of those who scolded him, he would not have received his miracle.

 

Of course we should not draw people’s attention onto ourselves unnecessarily. We become sinfully foolish if we’re bold in order to give ourselves glory at the expense of distracting people away from Jesus. But if our enthusiasm can bring others to Jesus, then we’re sinning if we keep our faith private.

 

We have much to be enthusiastic about. Today’s first reading presents a list of works that God has done. What’s on your list? Surely you could write your own “scripture” of what God has done in your life and your reasons for being enthusiastic about following Christ.

 

Such a list could be a great tool for lifting up your spirit when you feel discouraged or disappointed. It can also be a great witness to those who are going through trials that are similar to yours.

 

What do you need from Jesus? You should be willing to do anything to get it. Often we lack what we need because we haven’t tried hard enough to find God’s help. We’re too easily defeated, content to be victims of our circumstances, because we might look foolish or because we’re afraid of failure if we trust God in big ways. Now, that attitude is foolish!

 

Today's Prayer

 

My Lord, give me the grace of being aware of what I need to pray for, and may no human reason intimidate me or distract me from turning to You. 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!”