THE GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Tuesday - August 08 2023

 

Tuesday - August 08 2023

Perfect love leads a man on to perfect fear. Such a man fears and keeps to God's will, not from fear of punishment, not to avoid condemnation, but because he has tasted the sweetness of being with God; he fears he may fall away from it.

-- St. Dorotheos of Gaza

August 8, 2023

Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest

Lectionary: 408

 

Reading I     

                                                                                                                        Nm 12:1-13

 

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses on the pretext

of the marriage he had contracted with a Cushite woman.

They complained, "Is it through Moses alone that the LORD speaks?

Does he not speak through us also?"

And the LORD heard this.

Now, Moses himself was by far the meekest man on the face of the earth.

So at once the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and Miriam,

"Come out, you three, to the meeting tent."

And the three of them went.

Then the LORD came down in the column of cloud,

and standing at the entrance of the tent,

called Aaron and Miriam.

When both came forward, he said,

"Now listen to the words of the LORD:

 

Should there be a prophet among you,

in visions will I reveal myself to him,

in dreams will I speak to him;

not so with my servant Moses!

Throughout my house he bears my trust:

face to face I speak to him;

plainly and not in riddles.

The presence of the LORD he beholds.

 

Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant Moses?"

 

So angry was the LORD against them that when he departed,

and the cloud withdrew from the tent,

there was Miriam, a snow-white leper!

When Aaron turned and saw her a leper, he said to Moses,

"Ah, my lord! Please do not charge us with the sin

that we have foolishly committed!

Let her not thus be like the stillborn babe

that comes forth from its mother's womb

with its flesh half consumed."

Then Moses cried to the LORD, "Please, not this! Pray, heal her!"

 

Responsorial Psalm                                                                                  Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 6cd-7, 12-13

 

R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;

in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt

and of my sin cleanse me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

For I acknowledge my offense;

and my sin is before me always:

"Against you only have I sinned;

and done what is evil in your sight."

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

That you may be justified in your sentence,

vindicated when you condemn.

Indeed, in guilt was I born,

and in sin my mother conceived me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

A clean heart create for me, O God,

and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not off from your presence,

and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

 

Alleluia         

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Rabbi, you are the Son of God;

you are the King of Israel.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                                                               Mt 14:22-36

 

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat

and precede him to the other side of the sea,

while he dismissed the crowds.

After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

When it was evening he was there alone.

Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,

was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.

During the fourth watch of the night,

he came toward them, walking on the sea.

When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.

"It is a ghost," they said, and they cried out in fear.

At once Jesus spoke to them, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."

Peter said to him in reply,

"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

He said, "Come."

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.

But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;

and, beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,

and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

After they got into the boat, the wind died down.

Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,

"Truly, you are the Son of God."

 

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.

When the men of that place recognized him,

they sent word to all the surrounding country.

People brought to him all those who were sick

and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,

and as many as touched it were healed.

 

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

Come With Your Fears 

“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.”  Matthew 14:27–29

 

Peter and the other disciples were frightened. They were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, the wind was strong, and the waves were crashing. This scene took place “during the fourth watch of the night,” which meant the time was early in the morning, between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m., when it was still dark. Jesus had been alone on a mountain praying during that night and now came walking on the water toward the disciples. When they saw our Lord, they cried out, “It is a ghost!” But then Jesus spoke the words quoted above to them, calming them and calling them to courage and trust.

 

Imagine yourself being with the disciples as Jesus approached. How would you react? Would you, too, be filled with fear? Perhaps it is best to answer that question from two perspectives. One is from the perspective of our fallen human nature. The other comes from the perspective of Truth. First, from the perspective of our fallen human nature, there are many things in this life that tempt us to fear. Therefore, this Gospel passage should be seen as a prophetic action of our Lord by which He tells you that He wants to come to you and meet you in your fears. What is it that gives you the most fear in your life right now? Oftentimes fear has to do with the future and the unknown. What if this or that were to happen? Fear ultimately results from a lack of faith in God and His protective care.

 

The second perspective from which we might see this passage is that of the full Truth. The truth is that the disciples not only had no need to fear, they actually had every reason to rejoice and be at peace. While on that boat, in the middle of the sea, in the middle of the night, during strong winds, it was God Himself, the Great I AM, Who was coming to protect them, care for them, and lead them safely to shore. Jesus’ “it is I” could actually be translated more literally “I AM” in reference to Jesus’ divinity.

 

The last word in the passage quoted above is what Jesus speaks to all of us when we fall into fear and worry. Jesus says, “Come.” This word is a command and is a word spoken to you. It’s a good word to prayerfully meditate upon and hear spoken to you during every struggle and fear you endure.

 

Reflect, today, upon this Gospel passage and try to insert yourself into it. See the waves, wind, and darkness as symbols of whatever it is that troubles you the most. As you do, close your eyes and see Jesus, the Great I AM, coming to you. Gaze at Him and hear Him tell you to trust Him. Hear Him say to you, “Come.” Peter initially trusted and began to walk on water when he came to Jesus, but he quickly allowed his fear to set in and took his eyes off Jesus. As soon as he did, he began to sink. Turn your eyes to Jesus, keep them firmly fixed on Him, ignore the temptations in life that lead you to fear, and trust in God. He commands you to do so out of love.

 

Prayer

 

My Lord, Help me to recognize your presence when the storms whip my life. Strengthen my faith and my trust, so with my eyes fixed in You, I may help those brothers and sisters who, in the middle of their trials, can’t see You near them. 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!”