THE GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Saturday - July 29, 2023

 

Saturday - July 29, 2023

Those who imagine they can attain to holiness by any wisdom or strength of their own will find themselves after many labors, and struggles, and weary efforts, only the farther from possessing it, and this in proportion to their certainty that they of themselves have gained it.

~~St. John of Avila

July 29, 2023

Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus

Lectionary: 400/607

 

Reading I     

                                                                                                Ex 24:3-8

 

When Moses came to the people

and related all the words and ordinances of the LORD,

they all answered with one voice,

"We will do everything that the LORD has told us."

Moses then wrote down all the words of the LORD and,

rising early the next day,

he erected at the foot of the mountain an altar

and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.

Then, having sent certain young men of the children of Israel

to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice young bulls

as peace offerings to the LORD,

Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls;

the other half he splashed on the altar.

Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people,

who answered, "All that the LORD has said, we will heed and do."

Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying,

"This is the blood of the covenant

that the LORD has made with you

in accordance with all these words of his."

 

Responsorial Psalm                                                          Ps 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15

 

R. (14a) Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

 

God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth,

from the rising of the sun to its setting.

From Zion, perfect in beauty,

God shines forth.

R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

"Gather my faithful ones before me,

those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

And the heavens proclaim his justice;

for God himself is the judge.

R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

"Offer to God praise as your sacrifice

and fulfill your vows to the Most High;

Then call upon me in time of distress;

I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me."

R. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

 

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                                                                       Jn 11:19-27

 

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary

to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,

she went to meet him;

but Mary sat at home.

Martha said to Jesus,

"Lord, if you had been here,

my brother would not have died.

But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,

God will give you."

Jesus said to her,

"Your brother will rise."

Martha said to him,

"I know he will rise,

in the resurrection on the last day."

Jesus told her,

"I am the resurrection and the life;

whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,

and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?"

She said to him, "Yes, Lord.

I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,

the one who is coming into the world."

 

 

Lk 10:38-42

 

Jesus entered a village

where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.

She had a sister named Mary

who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,

"Lord, do you not care

that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?

Tell her to help me."

The Lord said to her in reply,

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.

There is need of only one thing.

Mary has chosen the better part

and it will not be taken from her."

 

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PROACTIVE PRAYER AND CONTEMPLATIVE LISTENING    

The sisters Martha and Mary had two different ways of seeking help from Jesus. Martha was proactive: She told Jesus exactly what she wanted from him, which bad situation needed to be corrected and who should be healed. And Mary was contemplative: She quietly listened.

In one of today's options for the Gospel reading (John 11:19-27), Jesus arrives after Lazarus has died. Martha hurries out to Jesus to tell him in no uncertain terms that her brother's life could have been spared if only he had come sooner. Mary, however, stays home.

In the other option for today's Gospel reading (Luke 10:38-42), Martha is being a good hostess. She takes care of everyone as a kindness, a gift for Jesus, while Mary sits at his feet to learn from him. Martha the doer tells him that she needs help and Mary isn't doing her fair share.

Speaking to God about injustices, telling him our needs, and asking for his help is right and good. But when the asking comes with the implication that God doesn't already understand the situation, we're being anxious like Martha. When we think God is late, we're not trusting him. When we pray repeatedly and persistently in an ongoing state of worry, it's time to sit still and listen, like the quiet Mary.

Notice what Martha did after she made her demands. She, too, listened. And then she realized that Jesus understood much more of the situation than she ever could.

During the intercessory prayers of Mass when we say, "Lord hear our prayer" or "Hear us, O Lord," I feel like I'm telling God to listen, as if he wasn't already. In truth, he's trying to get me to listen. He never stops listening and caring. He knows our needs long before we begin to ask. We need to remember that "Lord hear our prayer" really means "Lord, receive this gift of prayer. Thank you for hearing us. Help us to hear your reply."

Anxiety and worry lead to: "God isn't convinced yet, so I have to keep begging, and if he doesn't act fast enough, oops, too late, Lazarus died." Look at the confidence Jesus tried to instill in Martha when he arrived four days late. Look at the loving way he handled her anxiety, and see him treating you the same way.

God is never late! His timing is always perfect. His answers to our prayers are always exactly when and what is best and most loving. To calm down and rest in this truth, we have to sit still and listen in quiet awareness of God's goodness.

Hush .......... Sit still ........... Listen .......... He's here! ..............................

Today's Prayer

Lord, increase my faith and help me to cling to it during trials. Amen.

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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!”