SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Wednesday - August 29, 2018

Wednesday - August 29, 2018

If anyone

comes to me,

I want to lead them to

Him.

~~ Saint Teresa Benedict of the Cross    

 

August 29 , 2018

 

« August 28  |  August 30 »

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist
Lectionary: 427/634

Reading 12 THES 3:6-10, 16-18

We instruct you, brothers and sisters,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to shun any brother
who walks in a disorderly way
and not according to the tradition they received from us.
For you know how one must imitate us.
For we did not act in a disorderly way among you,
nor did we eat food received free from anyone.
On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked,
so as not to burden any of you.
Not that we do not have the right.
Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you,
so that you might imitate us.
In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that
if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.

May the Lord of peace himself
give you peace at all times and in every way.
The Lord be with all of you.

This greeting is in my own hand, Paul's.
This is the sign in every letter; this is how I write.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

Responsorial PsalmPS 128:1-2, 4-5

R. (1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
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. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

AlleluiaMT 5:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMK 6:17-29

Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias, 
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers,
his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias' own daughter came in
and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother,
"What shall I ask for?"
She replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me at once
on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders
to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

 

 

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Why doesn't God protect us from all harm?

In today's Gospel reading, God fails to protect John the Baptist. Was it because John didn't pray for protection? He probably did! So why was he killed if not because God abandoned him? Perhaps he had strayed from God's will? No. Herod killed him while John was doing the Lord's work.

Based on this, we might surmise that working for God is not safe. It sure seems so whenever we take an unpopular stand on the truth. And I could tell you lots of personal stories about sufferings that happen because of my commitment to work deeply in ministry, which I'm pretty sure are temptations to quit doing ministry. (Don't worry; such temptations only drive me to work for God with greater determination.)

I can imagine myself marching up to Almighty God, hands on my hips, saying, "Well? How about it? Why didn't you protect me from ___ and ___? Where were you? How can you promise protection and then let me down? What do You have to say for Yourself, huh?"

However, as in every struggle, every persecution, and every emotional or spiritual earthquake, we have to humbly assume that there's something about the Bigger Picture that we can't yet see, something we can't yet understand. Eventually, in this life or the next, God will reveal it and we will go, "Ahhhhhhhhh." And John the Baptist in heaven will nod his head and say, "It was all worth it." And we will agree.

In the meantime, instead of asking "Where are You, God? Why are You letting this happen to me?" we should ask, "Which is more important: protection from suffering or doing what God wants me to do for the sake of the salvation of others?" (Note: I am not suggesting that we allow an abusive person to continue suppressing us; such abuse must be stopped or fled; we're helping no one if we allow it to continue.)

Another way to word this question is: "Which is more important: my physical comfort or the world's spiritual discomfort?"

Let's be honest. We prefer to feel comfortable. We avoid situations that might result in persecution. We tend to be people-pleasers instead of God-pleasers, so that others will like us and approve of us.

Ever since I gave my heart to the Catholic Church in 1977, I've devoted my daily life to working for Christ's kingdom on earth. Could I not also devote my sufferings and even my death to his kingdom? I pray that God will grant me the opportunity, even in death, to help others discover the fullness of his love, and I pray that, until then, I will be filled with his grace so that I can ignore my desire to be comfortable.

If you make a similar request, you'll discover that your life is much more meaningful and your death -- even if it's by martyrdom -- is no longer fearsome.

Today's Prayer

I praise You and thank You, Lord Jesus, because You spared nothing to save us and to give us abundant life. I want to receive this gift with all my heart! Amen.

God Bless You.....

Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”

SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Tuesday - August 28, 2018

Tuesday - August 28, 2018

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature -- trees, flowers, grass -- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.

 ~~ Mother Teresa

 

August 28 , 2018

 

« August 27  |  August 29 »

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 426

Reading 12 THES 2:1-3A, 14-17

We ask you, brothers and sisters,
with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly,
or to be alarmed either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement,
or by a letter allegedly from us
to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
Let no one deceive you in any way.

To this end he has also called you through our Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm
and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught,
either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement
and good hope through his grace,
encourage your hearts and strengthen them
in every good deed and word.

Responsorial PsalmPS 96:10, 11-12, 13

R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

AlleluiaHEB 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 23:23-26

Jesus said:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,
and have neglected the weightier things of the law:
judgment and mercy and fidelity.
But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean."

 

 

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Judgment with Mercy and Fidelity

While scolding the Pharisees in today's Gospel reading, Jesus names "the weightier things of the law." Then as now, all laws, rules and regulations fall into a hierarchy of importance. In the time of these Pharisees, the less important rules included how to pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and how to clean the sacred cups and dishes. Yet they adhered to these minor regulations much more religiously than to the higher laws (the moral laws) regarding how to treat people.

Today, whenever we hurt people while religiously adhering to whatever is "our policy" or "we've always done it that way" or "the proper way to perform rituals", we are no better than the Pharisees, and Jesus says woe to us! The official teachings of the Church tell us that the application of norms, rules, and policies -- even Canon Law itself -- must never interfere with a person's salvation.

Jesus said that we need to purify ourselves whenever our efforts to obey the lesser laws make us neglect the highest law, which is the Law of Love ("Love one another as I have loved you").

We slip into Pharisee-mode when we forget that the rules don't all weigh the same or by being more afraid of breaking the law than of breaking someone's spirit. It's good and right that we desire to obey all the teachings of the Church and that we want others to obey them too, but we need to remember that Jesus listed three laws as the most important: judgment, mercy, and fidelity. It's interesting why he would list these together: To be faithful (have fidelity) to God, we cannot pass judgment without mercy.

The right to make a judgment does not give us the right to be the judge. What if we know that the lady in front of us in the Communion line is divorced and remarried outside the Church? We can rightly judge that marital relations outside of a valid (i.e., sacramental) marriage is a sin. We can recall the Church law that says her ongoing sin makes her unworthy to receive the Eucharist.

However, we don't have all the facts. What if she wants an annulment from her first marriage but she's been persecuted for it and now she's afraid to proceed? Or what if she's merely ignorant of the value of getting an annulment? Would Jesus condemn her and refuse to give himself to her?

If we take on Christ's role as judge, as if we know what's in the hearts of those who are not obeying the rules, we place ourselves under God's condemnation. He's not looking at how well we enforce every rule; he's looking at how well we love, because love is what evangelizes, not legalism. When we give love, we give them Jesus, who is compassionate and full of mercy, which can inspire them to understand and embrace the teachings of the Church.

Judgment, mercy, and fidelity. They all work together to make a difference in our souls.

Today's Prayer

Forgive us, Lord, for worrying about appearances and for not going deeper into all the Words You give us. Give us true awareness of the need for mercy and love that exists in the world. Amen.

God Bless You.....

Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”

SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Monday - August 27, 2018

Monday - August 27, 2018

In the same way that a powerful medicine cures an illness, so illness itself is a medicine to cure passion. And there is much profit of soul in bearing illness quietly and giving thanks to God.

~~St. Amma Syncletice 

 

August 27, 2018

 

« August 26  |  August 28 »

Memorial of Saint Monica
Lectionary: 425

Reading 12 THES1:1-5, 11-12

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians
in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters,
as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more,
and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater.
Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God
regarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutions
and the afflictions you endure.

This is evidence of the just judgment of God,
so that you may be considered worthy of the Kingdom of God
for which you are suffering.

We always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling
and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose
and every effort of faith,
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him,
in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

Responsorial PsalmPS 96:1-2A, 2B-3, 4-5

R. (3) Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.
R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.

AlleluiaJN 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 23:13-22

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.'
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it."

 

 

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Today's responsorial psalm has us proclaiming joyfully the marvelous deeds of the Lord. We're proclaiming how awesome God is. So let's look at how we truly know that he truly is awesome.

When you're having a bad day, what restores a smile to your face? Nothing is as uplifting as someone taking time to show you that they care. How do you know that God cares about you? Through the people who show that they care. Their compassion comes from God. Their outreach to you is God coming to you through them -- even when they're not aware of it! (This is a big reason why we should place ourselves in the company of other Christians when we're feeling down or troubled or sick.)

Now look in the mirror. The marvelous deeds of the Lord are revealed to others through you!

What do others boast about when they talk about you? Look at today's first reading as a letter written to you personally. For example: You, dear reader, bless me -- and I thank God for you. Whether you've prayed for me, written me a note of affirmation, made a donation of support for me and my team in our work, shared these Good News Reflections with others, or (best of all) put into practice what you've read in these reflections, you have blessed me greatly, because (to quote St. Paul), "your faith flourishes ever more and your love for one another grows ever greater."

What do people praise you for? What are you doing that gets affirmed? This is your special area of ministry, your apostleship. If people commend you for being a good listener, it's because God has gifted you with a ministry of letting people unburden themselves on your love. If a friend goes into the hospital and is blessed by your visit, you're a good candidate for taking Communion to the hospitalized and homebound. If people frequently ask you to pray for them, you have an important ministry of intercessory prayer.

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus warns about wrong priorities. The Pharisees considered oaths to be binding when sworn by the gold of the temple, but not by the sacredness of the temple. In today's world, that would be like swearing on the price sticker of a Bible to prove that your word is good. If the Word of God inside the Bible is less important than the cost of the Bible, our oath is meaningless.

By the same principle, woe are we and how blind we are if we serve God for our own gain. If we minister primarily because of the affirmation it gives us, or because of the automatic respect it guarantees, or because we can wield authority over others, or to push our own agendas, then we are abusing our vocations and we are no better than the Pharisees. Yes, God affirms us through the people we serve in order to encourage us, but this must never be our reason for serving.

Today's Prayer

I thank You, Lord, because every minute of my day is under Your loving gaze and because You protect and guard me with Your saint angels. Amen.

God Bless You.....

Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”