THE GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Friday - September 01, 2023

 

Friday - September 01, 2023

If we are, in fact, now occupied in good deeds, we should not attribute the strength with which we are doing them to ourselves. We must not count on ourselves, because even if we know what kind of person we are today, we do not know what we will be tomorrow.

--Saint Gregory the Great

September 1, 2023

Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 429

 

Reading I     

                                                                                                            1 Thes 4:1-8

 

Brothers and sisters,

we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,

as you received from us

how you should conduct yourselves to please God–

and as you are conducting yourselves–

you do so even more.

For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

 

This is the will of God, your holiness:

that you refrain from immorality,

that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself

in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion

as do the Gentiles who do not know God;

not to take advantage of or exploit a brother or sister in this matter,

for the Lord is an avenger in all these things,

as we told you before and solemnly affirmed.

For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.

Therefore, whoever disregards this,

disregards not a human being but God,

who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                                                      Ps 97:1 and 2b, 5-6, 10, 11-12

 

R. (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

 

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;

let the many isles be glad.

Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the LORD of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his justice,

and all peoples see his glory.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The LORD loves those who hate evil;

he guards the lives of his faithful ones;

from the hand of the wicked he delivers them.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Light dawns for the just;

and gladness, for the upright of heart.

Be glad in the LORD, you just,

and give thanks to his holy name.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

 

Alleluia         

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Be vigilant at all time and pray,

that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                                       Mt 25:1-13

 

Jesus told his disciples this parable:

"The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins

who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,

brought no oil with them,

but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.

Since the bridegroom was long delayed,

they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight, there was a cry,

'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

The foolish ones said to the wise,

'Give us some of your oil,

for our lamps are going out.'

But the wise ones replied,

'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.

Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'

While they went off to buy it,

the bridegroom came

and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.

Then the door was locked.

Afterwards the other virgins came and said,

'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'

But he said in reply,

'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'

Therefore, stay awake,

for you know neither the day nor the hour."

 

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

Carrying a torch for Jesus

Are you carrying a torch for Jesus? Today’s Gospel reading reminds me of the modern-day metaphor for a special love relationship. To “carry a torch” for a friend means that we have a warm spot in our heart for him or her, and we won’t let it dim. It’s like the Olympic torch that’s carried by runners around the world until it lights up the opening ceremonies of the games; we’ll run anywhere and for as long as necessary for the one we love.

 

Do you have this kind of love for Jesus? If you do, then what’s the fuel that lights your torch? And what keeps your torch from running out of this fuel?

 

Perhaps your torch is lit by your prayer life and you keep it lit by taking time every day to quietly connect with God. Or maybe it’s the suffering you’ve endured for the sake of unconditionally loving someone who doesn’t love you back equally, and you’ve offered your heart-breaks to Jesus as a sacrifice that unites you to his cross. Or it’s the joy of using your gifts and talents in the Church. Or it’s all of the above and more.

 

We’re like the foolish bridesmaids if we do little more than pick up our torch and run without taking into consideration that a seemingly short sprint might become a long marathon. We need to stock up.

 

What fuels your love for Jesus when you get tired? Or when you get discouraged and feel hurt and disappointed? Or when your patience burns out?

 

We can’t make it through one single day without losing at least some of our holiness and spiritual strength! What makes us think that we don’t need to start each day in prayer asking for supernatural help? Or that we don’t need to take time to seek hope and guidance from scripture? Or that we don’t need to put effort into studying the teachings of the Church to receive more wisdom from the Holy Spirit?

 

As Jesus points out in the parable, the Master cannot recognize us (i.e., we don’t look like we belong to him) if we’re claiming to be Christian but we’re buzzing through life doing whatever feels good and looks good. True Christian living requires major effort — and sometimes it’s unpleasant! When we’re not forcing ourselves to move ahead in holiness, we slip into sin. There’s no such thing as standing still. Either we’re pushing ourselves forward in spiritual growth or we’re swept backward by the winds of the world and we’re pushed backward by demons who take advantage of our laziness.

 

Reading this reflection has given you some fuel. What else will you do today to add fuel to the fire of your love for Jesus?

 

Prayer

 

My Lord and my God: Forgive me for those times when laziness has won a place in my heart. May the certainty of our meeting at the end of times always be my aim and my help so that I persevere till the end. 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!”