THE GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY : Tuesday - September 19, 2023

 

Tuesday - September 19, 2023

Think well. 

Speak well. 

Do well. 

These three things, 

through the mercy of God, 

will make a man go to Heaven.

-- St. Camillus de Lellis

September 19, 2023

Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 444

 

Reading I     

                                                                                                                        1 Tm 3:1-13

 

Beloved, this saying is trustworthy:

whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task.

Therefore, a bishop must be irreproachable,

married only once, temperate, self-controlled,

decent, hospitable, able to teach,

not a drunkard, not aggressive, but gentle,

not contentious, not a lover of money.

He must manage his own household well,

keeping his children under control with perfect dignity;

for if a man does not know how to manage his own household,

how can he take care of the Church of God?

He should not be a recent convert,

so that he may not become conceited

and thus incur the Devil's punishment.

He must also have a good reputation among outsiders,

so that he may not fall into disgrace, the Devil's trap.

 

Similarly, deacons must be dignified, not deceitful,

not addicted to drink, not greedy for sordid gain,

holding fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

Moreover, they should be tested first;

then, if there is nothing against them,

let them serve as deacons.

Women, similarly, should be dignified, not slanderers,

but temperate and faithful in everything.

Deacons may be married only once

and must manage their children and their households well.

Thus those who serve well as deacons gain good standing

and much confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                                                                  Ps 101:1b-2ab, 2cd-3ab, 5, 6

 

R.(2) I will walk with blameless heart.

 

Of mercy and judgment I will sing;

to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

I will persevere in the way of integrity;

when will you come to me?

R. I will walk with blameless heart.

I will walk with blameless heart,

within my house;

I will not set before my eyes

any base thing.

R. I will walk with blameless heart.

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,

him will I destroy.

The man of haughty eyes and puffed up heart

I will not endure.

R. I will walk with blameless heart.

My eyes are upon the faithful of the land,

that they may dwell with me.

He who walks in the way of integrity

shall be in my service.

R. I will walk with blameless heart.

 

Alleluia         

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A great prophet has arisen in our midst

and God has visited his people.

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                                                                                       Lk 7:11-17

 

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,

and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.

As he drew near to the gate of the city,

a man who had died was being carried out,

the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.

A large crowd from the city was with her.

When the Lord saw her,

he was moved with pity for her and said to her,

“Do not weep.”

He stepped forward and touched the coffin;

at this the bearers halted,

and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”

The dead man sat up and began to speak,

and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,

“A great prophet has arisen in our midst,”

and “God has visited his people.”

This report about him spread through the whole of Judea

and in all the surrounding region.

 

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

A reason for hope

Today’s Gospel reading is a message of hope for any situation. Think of the widowed mother as a symbolic Mary and her dead son as Jesus. This incident foreshadowed Christ’s resurrection. Perhaps Mary heard about this miracle and found hope in it on Good Friday.

 

Read it again and see the dead son as anyone you know who has left the faith, or anyone who has been wounded or abused, or anyone who has lost much in a disaster such as a fire or earthquake or hurricane. Something inside them has died.

 

“God has visited his people” is the good news that this scripture is saying. It can replace fear, despair, anger, and thoughts of revenge. “I tell you, arise!” Jesus is saying. Our heavenly Father has new life to give.

 

To “arise” might mean getting back to normal routines. It sometimes means standing up to the abuser and drawing a boundary that says “no more.” It can mean walking away from someone who’s causing harm, and seeking experts who will help with the recovery process.

 

In a resurrection, there is always something new: a new way of dealing with problems, a new place to work or a new parish to join, or a new courage and inner strength to live a changed life.

 

To “arise” always includes a new understanding of the Father’s protective love, which comforts us in the midst of evil and leads us from tragedies into triumphs and from woundedness into recovery. God protects us through the decisions that he guides us to make, but if we ignore his guidance and end up suffering from our error, he still says, “Rise up! A new day is dawning!”

 

God also comforts us and protects us by bringing to us others who can help, but if they ignore his calling or if they fulfill their role poorly, Jesus still says to us, “I am here! Arise with me!” And he calls us to follow him in a new direction.

 

Evil produces evil and good produces good and God is, because of his infinite goodness, a redeemer who overcomes what is evil by making good arise from it — despite all obstacles. We make ourselves vulnerable to evil by the bad choices we make, but God is always at our side helping us despite our mistakes and sins.

 

Even when we don’t ask for it, he is helping us. How merciful he is! Even when we don’t accept the help he provides, he doesn’t stop doing more. How caring he is!

 

Hope is not wishful thinking. It is the awareness of God’s goodness. As you grow stronger in hope, evangelize this hope to those around you who need to hear Jesus say, “Arise!”

 

Prayer

 

Jesus, You are my joy and hope. You are the fresh air I need to live. Thank You for leading me to a new life. 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!”