THE GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Saturday - August 26, 2023

 

Saturday - August 26, 2023

Virtues are formed by prayer.
Prayer preserves temperance.
Prayer suppresses anger.
Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy.
Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.

-- St Ephraem

August 26, 2023

Saturday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 424

 

Reading I     

                                                                                                Ru 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17

 

Naomi had a prominent kinsman named Boaz,

of the clan of her husband Elimelech.

Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi,

"Let me go and glean ears of grain in the field

of anyone who will allow me that favor."

Naomi said to her, "Go, my daughter," and she went.

The field she entered to glean after the harvesters

happened to be the section belonging to Boaz

of the clan of Elimelech.

 

Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter!

Do not go to glean in anyone else's field;

you are not to leave here.

Stay here with my women servants.

Watch to see which field is to be harvested, and follow them;

I have commanded the young men to do you no harm.

When you are thirsty, you may go and drink from the vessels

the young men have filled."

Casting herself prostrate upon the ground, Ruth said to him,

"Why should I, a foreigner, be favored with your notice?"

Boaz answered her:

"I have had a complete account of what you have done

for your mother-in-law after your husband's death;

you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth,

and have come to a people whom you did not know previously."

 

Boaz took Ruth.

When they came together as man and wife,

the LORD enabled her to conceive and she bore a son.

Then the women said to Naomi,

"Blessed is the LORD who has not failed

to provide you today with an heir!

May he become famous in Israel!

He will be your comfort and the support of your old age,

for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you.

She is worth more to you than seven sons!"

Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became his nurse.

And the neighbor women gave him his name,

at the news that a grandson had been born to Naomi.

They called him Obed.

He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                                          Ps 128:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

 

R. (4) See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

 

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,

who walk in his ways!

For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

You wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the recesses of your home;

Your children like olive plants

around your table.

R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

 

Alleluia         

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You have but one Father in heaven;

you have but one master, the Christ.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                                                   Mt 23:1-12

 

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,

"The scribes and the Pharisees

have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.

Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,

but do not follow their example.

For they preach but they do not practice.

They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry

and lay them on people's shoulders,

but they will not lift a finger to move them.

All their works are performed to be seen.

They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,

greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'

As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'

You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.

Call no one on earth your father;

you have but one Father in heaven.

Do not be called 'Master';

you have but one master, the Christ.

The greatest among you must be your servant.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;

but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

 

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

Humility...the Path to Greatness 

“The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11–12

 

If you were to plan out the ideal future for yourself, what would it look like? Imagine if you were not constrained by budget or resources. Imagine if you could pick to do anything you wanted, to go anywhere you wanted, and enjoy any activity that you wanted. Imagine the greatest experience you could possibly have. What would that be? Most people would immediately think about indulging in the greatest pleasures imaginable. A life of the most luxurious accommodations, the best food, the most beautiful scenery and the most relaxing and enjoyable time possible. But would that truly be the “ideal future for yourself?”

 

The Gospel passage above is very clear. Greatness is found in servanthood. Exaltation is enjoyed only through humility. Is the ideal lifestyle one that is filled with indulgence, entertainment, luxury, and the like? Certainly not. The ideal life, the greatest life, the most exalted life is the life of the most humble service of others as possible. That’s essentially what Jesus tells us in this passage. Do you believe that?

 

Note that Jesus uses the words “greatest” and “must” in the same sentence. These two words are both quite definitive. There is no one greater than the “greatest,” and the path to that greatness requires, without exception, that the greatest be a servant of everyone else. In many ways, this truth defies most human conceptions of greatness. Most often, if someone is considered “great,” then they are served and treated with an honor and respect not given to most. For example, if you had someone of great importance over to your home for dinner, you would most likely wait on them. Of course, service in this context is much more than waiting on tables or providing a meal. Though that is a blessed way to serve others and to express love, Jesus’ concept of service goes far beyond this. How do we serve as one who is truly great? We do so especially by humbling ourselves. Humility is the greatest form of service we can render another.

 

Jesus was, without question, the humblest person to ever live. Only His mother shared perfectly in this holy virtue. Humility enables a person to break out of every selfish tendency and turn their love to the good of the other. Jesus did this first by becoming Incarnate in the womb of His dear mother. The Eternal Son of God did not become man because it somehow benefited Him in a self-centered way. He did it because He loved us and His Incarnation benefited us. The Son of God did not allow others to mock Him, ridicule Him and ultimately murder Him because it somehow benefitted Him. He did it so that He could enter death and destroy it so that we could rise with Him. He did it for us. And we could go through every passage of the Gospels and see that everything Jesus did was done for others and never done out of a selfish desire. This self-giving service our Lord offered every day was a fruit of the incredible humility that He lived. Jesus did everything He did out of His love for others and with humility so as to bring salvation and transformation to their eternal souls.

 

In our lives, we need to make a fundamental choice. Am I going to live for myself? Or am I going to live for others? It seems as though very few people live fully for others. It is difficult to take our eyes off ourselves and turn them only to the good of others. But if we realize that living for others is also the path to our own greatness and ultimate exaltation, then it becomes much easier. Serving others, especially in a spiritual way by which you do all you can to help them grow closer to God, is what will make you great. Nothing else can do so. Believe that and live it.

 

Reflect, today, upon a life of true greatness. Reflect, especially, upon how you can live such a life. How can you more completely serve others? How can you make their holiness your primary goal? How can you help others grow in their love of God? Humble yourself and turn your eyes from yourself to others. Doing so will make an eternal difference for others and also for yourself.

 

Prayer

 

My exalted Lord, You are exalted far above all others. You are Greatness Itself. The life You lived, dear Lord, was one of the greatest humility. But it was in this humility that You accomplished the salvation of the world. Help me to imitate Your greatness by making the service of others my most central mission in life. I love you, my Lord. May I love and serve others with You. Jesus, I trust in 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!”