Reading 1
1 Cor 6:1-11
Brothers and sisters:
How can any one of you with a case against another
dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment
instead of to the holy ones?
Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?
If the world is to be judged by you,
are you unqualified for the lowest law courts?
Do you not know that we will judge angels?
Then why not everyday matters?
If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters,
do you seat as judges people of no standing in the Church?
I say this to shame you.
Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough
to be able to settle a case between brothers?
But rather brother goes to court against brother,
and that before unbelievers?
Now indeed then it is, in any case,
a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another.
Why not rather put up with injustice?
Why not rather let yourselves be cheated?
Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers.
Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers
nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves
nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers
will inherit the Kingdom of God.
That is what some of you used to be;
but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified,
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and in the Spirit of our God.
Gospel
Lk 6:12-19
Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.
Meditation: Luke 6:12-19
“He called his disciples to himself.” (Luke 6:13)
Imagine Jesus coming down from a night of prayer in the mountains. It is early morning, and his disciples have waited patiently for his return. He gathers them around him, and then one by one he calls out the names of the twelve men who will be his apostles.
Imagine how these twelve men must have felt as they heard their names being called. Were they surprised? Excited? Intimidated? Overwhelmed? At this point in time, they didn’t know exactly what this calling would entail, but they did know that it involved a mission of some sort—the word “apostle” means “one who is sent.” At the very least, it would mean being willing to journey with this itinerant rabbi as he traveled around Palestine.
Have you ever been selected for a task that you felt intimidated by and unequipped to fulfill? Perhaps you were surprised that you were called or felt that surely someone else was more qualified than you. Maybe you were asked to lead a Bible study group or a ministry at your parish. Or perhaps it was something that came to you unexpectedly, like having a child with special needs or an elderly parent who required constant care.
But when God chooses us, he also equips us. He never fails to give us all the grace we need to carry out his call. Do you believe this? Unfortunately, it’s easy to doubt God’s power and call in our lives. Even the apostles had their moments of doubt and confusion. But at Pentecost, when they received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they were filled with the power they needed to preach the good news. And look what they accomplished!
If you are feeling overwhelmed by your vocation today, step back and take a deep breath. Think about the apostles and the day of Pentecost. Think, too, about Mary and the way she surrendered to God’s calling for her. And most importantly, ask the Holy Spirit to give you greater confidence in his presence. He likes helping you! He loves it when you turn to him, and he is more than happy to give you all you need to carry out your call.
“Lord, you have called me, and I answer: ‘Here I am!’ I trust that you will make up in me all that I lack.”
07 September 2010
06 September 2010
06 Sep 2010, Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
1 Cor 5:1-8
Brothers and sisters:
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father's wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
in as much as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Gospel
Lk 6:6-11
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up and stand before us."
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
"I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
"Stretch out your hand."
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
Meditation: Luke 6:6-11
“Stretch out your hand.” (Luke 6:10)
Critics play an important role in the music world. They help the public to evaluate what is good and by doing so, they set standards for music. But critics can also be unreceptive to anything new and different. For example, one of Bach’s students called his music “turgid and confused.” A contemporary of Mozart said his music was “overloaded and overstuffed.” One critic said of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony: “It was hard to figure out what all the noise was about.”
You could say that many Pharisees of Jesus’ day had become like those critics. In their zeal to preserve the Law, they had attached their own limited expectations to it. One of those was that curing the sick was forbidden on the sabbath—unless the sick person was in danger of death. The man Jesus healed in the synagogue had only a withered hand, so that clearly didn’t qualify. These Pharisees weren’t willing to admit that God could go beyond their assumptions of what the Law was all about.
This attitude can affect us as well. We can take our own personal experiences of fatherhood and apply them to God—and end up limiting him as a result. Our heavenly Father wants to go beyond our expectations, both our expectations of who he is and our expectations of who we can become. He is not interested in healing you just enough so that you can squeak your way into heaven. He wants to fill you with so much grace that you dance through those gates joyfully, bringing countless people behind you whose lives you have touched!
Don’t you think it’s possible that you can know the Lord even more deeply than you do right now? Don’t you think it’s possible that you might be able to pray with someone and see them healed? Don’t be like those music critics with their limited expectations and their reliance on the status quo! God has great plans for you. So go ahead and stretch out your hand in faith and see how God fills you with his life, his love, and his power.
“Lord, open my eyes to your wonderful works. Help me to see how much you’ve blessed me in the past so that I can be open to receive the grace you have prepared for me in the future.”
1 Cor 5:1-8
Brothers and sisters:
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father's wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
in as much as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Gospel
Lk 6:6-11
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up and stand before us."
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
"I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
"Stretch out your hand."
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
Meditation: Luke 6:6-11
“Stretch out your hand.” (Luke 6:10)
Critics play an important role in the music world. They help the public to evaluate what is good and by doing so, they set standards for music. But critics can also be unreceptive to anything new and different. For example, one of Bach’s students called his music “turgid and confused.” A contemporary of Mozart said his music was “overloaded and overstuffed.” One critic said of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony: “It was hard to figure out what all the noise was about.”
You could say that many Pharisees of Jesus’ day had become like those critics. In their zeal to preserve the Law, they had attached their own limited expectations to it. One of those was that curing the sick was forbidden on the sabbath—unless the sick person was in danger of death. The man Jesus healed in the synagogue had only a withered hand, so that clearly didn’t qualify. These Pharisees weren’t willing to admit that God could go beyond their assumptions of what the Law was all about.
This attitude can affect us as well. We can take our own personal experiences of fatherhood and apply them to God—and end up limiting him as a result. Our heavenly Father wants to go beyond our expectations, both our expectations of who he is and our expectations of who we can become. He is not interested in healing you just enough so that you can squeak your way into heaven. He wants to fill you with so much grace that you dance through those gates joyfully, bringing countless people behind you whose lives you have touched!
Don’t you think it’s possible that you can know the Lord even more deeply than you do right now? Don’t you think it’s possible that you might be able to pray with someone and see them healed? Don’t be like those music critics with their limited expectations and their reliance on the status quo! God has great plans for you. So go ahead and stretch out your hand in faith and see how God fills you with his life, his love, and his power.
“Lord, open my eyes to your wonderful works. Help me to see how much you’ve blessed me in the past so that I can be open to receive the grace you have prepared for me in the future.”
05 September 2010
05 Sep 2010, Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
Wis 9:13-18b
Who can know God's counsel,
or who can conceive what the LORD intends?
For the deliberations of mortals are timid,
and unsure are our plans.
For the corruptible body burdens the soul
and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.
And scarce do we guess the things on earth,
and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty;
but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?
Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.
Reading 2
Phmn 9-10, 12-17
I, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment;
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
Gospel
Lk 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple."
Meditation: Philemon 9-10,12-17
“Welcome him as you would me.” (Philemon 17)
Anyone who has read Paul’s Letter to Philemon could rightfully ask: “Why is this even in the Bible?” Perhaps a bit of historical background can help.
Philemon probably lived in Colassae, since eight of the people who mentioned in the Letter to Philemon are also mentioned in the Letter to the Colossians. Since Paul wrote to Philemon as a close friend, the two must have become acquainted during Paul’s time there.
Onesimus was a slave who belonged to Philemon. It appears that Onesimus ran away from Philemon and somehow ended up seeking out Paul while he was in prison in Ephesus. After spending some time with Onesimus, Paul became convinced that he needed to send him back to Philemon. Paul wrote this letter as an appeal to Philemon to accept Onesimus back not as a slave but as a brother in the Lord.
Paul’s request that Philemon treat Onesimus as a brother not a slave was revolutionary. Historians tell us that nearly one-third of the people in the first-century Roman Empire were slaves. Slaves were considered to be property, not persons. To ask a master to relate to one as a brother would take nothing less than a full change of heart and mind! Knowing he could not in himself abolish the entire practice of slavery, Paul did what he could to encourage masters to treat their servants kindly and to encourage believing slaves to serve their masters as if serving the Lord himself (Colossians 3:22-24).
The Letter to Philemon tells us that whatever our social status, we all need to treat each other with dignity and respect, as children of the same heavenly Father. Are you a supervisor at work? Then ask yourself how you are treating those who work for you. Do you work for someone? Then take a moment to examine if you are treating him or her with the respect they deserve.
“Jesus, help me to welcome those I meet today as you welcome me—as your own brother or sister.”
Wis 9:13-18b
Who can know God's counsel,
or who can conceive what the LORD intends?
For the deliberations of mortals are timid,
and unsure are our plans.
For the corruptible body burdens the soul
and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.
And scarce do we guess the things on earth,
and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty;
but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?
Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.
Reading 2
Phmn 9-10, 12-17
I, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment;
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
Gospel
Lk 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple."
Meditation: Philemon 9-10,12-17
“Welcome him as you would me.” (Philemon 17)
Anyone who has read Paul’s Letter to Philemon could rightfully ask: “Why is this even in the Bible?” Perhaps a bit of historical background can help.
Philemon probably lived in Colassae, since eight of the people who mentioned in the Letter to Philemon are also mentioned in the Letter to the Colossians. Since Paul wrote to Philemon as a close friend, the two must have become acquainted during Paul’s time there.
Onesimus was a slave who belonged to Philemon. It appears that Onesimus ran away from Philemon and somehow ended up seeking out Paul while he was in prison in Ephesus. After spending some time with Onesimus, Paul became convinced that he needed to send him back to Philemon. Paul wrote this letter as an appeal to Philemon to accept Onesimus back not as a slave but as a brother in the Lord.
Paul’s request that Philemon treat Onesimus as a brother not a slave was revolutionary. Historians tell us that nearly one-third of the people in the first-century Roman Empire were slaves. Slaves were considered to be property, not persons. To ask a master to relate to one as a brother would take nothing less than a full change of heart and mind! Knowing he could not in himself abolish the entire practice of slavery, Paul did what he could to encourage masters to treat their servants kindly and to encourage believing slaves to serve their masters as if serving the Lord himself (Colossians 3:22-24).
The Letter to Philemon tells us that whatever our social status, we all need to treat each other with dignity and respect, as children of the same heavenly Father. Are you a supervisor at work? Then ask yourself how you are treating those who work for you. Do you work for someone? Then take a moment to examine if you are treating him or her with the respect they deserve.
“Jesus, help me to welcome those I meet today as you welcome me—as your own brother or sister.”
04 September 2010
04 Sep 2010, Saturday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
1 Cor 4:6b-15
Brothers and sisters:
Learn from myself and Apollos not to go beyond what is written,
so that none of you will be inflated with pride
in favor of one person over against another.
Who confers distinction upon you?
What do you possess that you have not received?
But if you have received it,
why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?
You are already satisfied; you have already grown rich;
you have become kings without us!
Indeed, I wish that you had become kings,
so that we also might become kings with you.
For as I see it, God has exhibited us Apostles as the last of all,
like people sentenced to death,
since we have become a spectacle to the world,
to angels and men alike.
We are fools on Christ's account, but you are wise in Christ;
we are weak, but you are strong;
you are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty,
we are poorly clad and roughly treated,
we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands.
When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
when slandered, we respond gently.
We have become like the world's rubbish, the scum of all,
to this very moment.
I am writing you this not to shame you,
but to admonish you as my beloved children.
Even if you should have countless guides to Christ,
yet you do not have many fathers,
for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.
Gospel
Lk 6:1-5
While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath,
his disciples were picking the heads of grain,
rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said,
"Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"
Jesus said to them in reply,
"Have you not read what David did
when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat,
ate of it, and shared it with his companions?"
Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."
Meditation: Luke 6:1-5
“Have you not read what David did?” (Luke 6:3)
Jesus and his disciples were cutting through a grain field on the Sabbath. Without even thinking about what they were doing, the disciples broke off stalks of grain, rubbed them between their hands, and popped the kernels into their mouths. They weren’t desperate and starving, nor were they trying to defy the religious leaders. But some Pharisees, eager to catch Jesus, were quick to pounce: “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the?sabbath?” (Luke 6:2).
The disciples’ “crime” here was not stealing. Jewish law permitted the poor to glean what was left over in anyone’s field. It even encouraged landowners to leave a portion for God’s little ones. Rather, the disciples were being blamed for ”threshing,” a kind of “work” not allowed on the sabbath.
Jesus hadn’t commanded this work, but he quickly came to his friends’ defense. He cited an example of a time when King David broke the Law because his soldiers were hungry and in need. Jesus knew that the disciples’ hearts were in the right place, even if they had made a mistake. He knew that David’s soldiers were not trying to commit sacrilege. And he knew that his opponents knew it as well. He knew they were just looking for something to discredit him, and they used this minor offense for ammunition.
While these Pharisees emphasized a strict, legalistic interpretation of the Law, Jesus focused on the people involved. He knew that the disciples were reverent enough to honor the sabbath, even if they had just committed a minor indiscretion. He knew that their hearts were in the right place. So he defended them.
Have you ever inadvertently “blown it” when it comes to following the Lord perfectly? Of course you have. We all have! How good it is to know that Jesus isn’t like these Pharisees, waiting to condemn you for every misdemeanor! How encouraging to know that he sees the good intentions in your heart and wants to help you make these intentions a reality! So don’t get down on yourself. Instead, turn to the Lord of the sabbath and ask him to keep working to purify your heart and mind!
“Thank you, Jesus, for your mercy and your help. By your Spirit, make me an agent of your peace, even in the midst of my own mistakes.”
1 Cor 4:6b-15
Brothers and sisters:
Learn from myself and Apollos not to go beyond what is written,
so that none of you will be inflated with pride
in favor of one person over against another.
Who confers distinction upon you?
What do you possess that you have not received?
But if you have received it,
why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?
You are already satisfied; you have already grown rich;
you have become kings without us!
Indeed, I wish that you had become kings,
so that we also might become kings with you.
For as I see it, God has exhibited us Apostles as the last of all,
like people sentenced to death,
since we have become a spectacle to the world,
to angels and men alike.
We are fools on Christ's account, but you are wise in Christ;
we are weak, but you are strong;
you are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty,
we are poorly clad and roughly treated,
we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands.
When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
when slandered, we respond gently.
We have become like the world's rubbish, the scum of all,
to this very moment.
I am writing you this not to shame you,
but to admonish you as my beloved children.
Even if you should have countless guides to Christ,
yet you do not have many fathers,
for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.
Gospel
Lk 6:1-5
While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath,
his disciples were picking the heads of grain,
rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.
Some Pharisees said,
"Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"
Jesus said to them in reply,
"Have you not read what David did
when he and those who were with him were hungry?
How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,
which only the priests could lawfully eat,
ate of it, and shared it with his companions?"
Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."
Meditation: Luke 6:1-5
“Have you not read what David did?” (Luke 6:3)
Jesus and his disciples were cutting through a grain field on the Sabbath. Without even thinking about what they were doing, the disciples broke off stalks of grain, rubbed them between their hands, and popped the kernels into their mouths. They weren’t desperate and starving, nor were they trying to defy the religious leaders. But some Pharisees, eager to catch Jesus, were quick to pounce: “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the?sabbath?” (Luke 6:2).
The disciples’ “crime” here was not stealing. Jewish law permitted the poor to glean what was left over in anyone’s field. It even encouraged landowners to leave a portion for God’s little ones. Rather, the disciples were being blamed for ”threshing,” a kind of “work” not allowed on the sabbath.
Jesus hadn’t commanded this work, but he quickly came to his friends’ defense. He cited an example of a time when King David broke the Law because his soldiers were hungry and in need. Jesus knew that the disciples’ hearts were in the right place, even if they had made a mistake. He knew that David’s soldiers were not trying to commit sacrilege. And he knew that his opponents knew it as well. He knew they were just looking for something to discredit him, and they used this minor offense for ammunition.
While these Pharisees emphasized a strict, legalistic interpretation of the Law, Jesus focused on the people involved. He knew that the disciples were reverent enough to honor the sabbath, even if they had just committed a minor indiscretion. He knew that their hearts were in the right place. So he defended them.
Have you ever inadvertently “blown it” when it comes to following the Lord perfectly? Of course you have. We all have! How good it is to know that Jesus isn’t like these Pharisees, waiting to condemn you for every misdemeanor! How encouraging to know that he sees the good intentions in your heart and wants to help you make these intentions a reality! So don’t get down on yourself. Instead, turn to the Lord of the sabbath and ask him to keep working to purify your heart and mind!
“Thank you, Jesus, for your mercy and your help. By your Spirit, make me an agent of your peace, even in the midst of my own mistakes.”
03 September 2010
03 Sep 2010, Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church
Reading 1
1 Cor 4:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now it is of course required of stewards
that they be found trustworthy.
It does not concern me in the least
that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;
I do not even pass judgment on myself;
I am not conscious of anything against me,
but I do not thereby stand acquitted;
the one who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.
Gospel
Lk 5:33-39
The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
"The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink."
Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
then they will fast in those days."
And he also told them a parable.
"No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.
Otherwise, he will tear the new
and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,
and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,
for he says, 'The old is good.'"
Meditation: Luke 5:33-39
“No one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” (Luke 5:39)
Many of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time loved the traditions of their fathers. The thought of something new and different disturbed them. “Why don’t you do the same things that we do—the same things we have always done?” they challenged.
On the one hand, nothing was wrong with the Pharisees’ observance of their faith. They fasted, tithed, and prayed. They knew the Scriptures. They faithfully observed the Sabbath and holy days. They avoided anything or anyone considered unclean. They were good and faithful Jews. What could possibly be wrong with that?
Objectively, nothing at all. But Jesus had come preaching a new message, and these Pharisees had a hard time embracing it. He had come with a message of fulfillment: The time had arrived! The kingdom of God is among you! The long-awaited bridegroom is here! But some in Judaism had become so accustomed to waiting, so accustomed to “good enough,” that they had a hard time accepting the new, the exciting, the life-changing that Jesus had come to announce.
What about you? Don’t settle for “good enough”! Open yourself to the possibility that Jesus can make all things new for you! For instance, it may seem good enough to stoically accept an illness, but Jesus may want to heal you. It may seem good enough that we avoid acts of murder and adultery, but the Holy Spirit has the power to purify your inner life so that you are free from anger and lust. It may seem good enough to sit quietly at Mass, but all of heaven is waiting for you to join in the celebration!
Jesus makes all things new! So seek out his new life! Don’t limit your Christian life to one of simply trying to be good and avoiding sin. God has so much he wants to give you. He has so much he wants you to accomplish in his name. Go ahead and open the door wide. Ask the Holy Spirit for a glass of “new wine.” You may be surprised at how good it tastes!
“Jesus, I believe you make all things new. Help me to step into that new life today. Let me taste the ‘new wine’ of your Holy Spirit so that I can take hold of your gifts and use them for your kingdom today.”
1 Cor 4:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now it is of course required of stewards
that they be found trustworthy.
It does not concern me in the least
that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;
I do not even pass judgment on myself;
I am not conscious of anything against me,
but I do not thereby stand acquitted;
the one who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.
Gospel
Lk 5:33-39
The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
"The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink."
Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
then they will fast in those days."
And he also told them a parable.
"No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.
Otherwise, he will tear the new
and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,
and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,
for he says, 'The old is good.'"
Meditation: Luke 5:33-39
“No one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” (Luke 5:39)
Many of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time loved the traditions of their fathers. The thought of something new and different disturbed them. “Why don’t you do the same things that we do—the same things we have always done?” they challenged.
On the one hand, nothing was wrong with the Pharisees’ observance of their faith. They fasted, tithed, and prayed. They knew the Scriptures. They faithfully observed the Sabbath and holy days. They avoided anything or anyone considered unclean. They were good and faithful Jews. What could possibly be wrong with that?
Objectively, nothing at all. But Jesus had come preaching a new message, and these Pharisees had a hard time embracing it. He had come with a message of fulfillment: The time had arrived! The kingdom of God is among you! The long-awaited bridegroom is here! But some in Judaism had become so accustomed to waiting, so accustomed to “good enough,” that they had a hard time accepting the new, the exciting, the life-changing that Jesus had come to announce.
What about you? Don’t settle for “good enough”! Open yourself to the possibility that Jesus can make all things new for you! For instance, it may seem good enough to stoically accept an illness, but Jesus may want to heal you. It may seem good enough that we avoid acts of murder and adultery, but the Holy Spirit has the power to purify your inner life so that you are free from anger and lust. It may seem good enough to sit quietly at Mass, but all of heaven is waiting for you to join in the celebration!
Jesus makes all things new! So seek out his new life! Don’t limit your Christian life to one of simply trying to be good and avoiding sin. God has so much he wants to give you. He has so much he wants you to accomplish in his name. Go ahead and open the door wide. Ask the Holy Spirit for a glass of “new wine.” You may be surprised at how good it tastes!
“Jesus, I believe you make all things new. Help me to step into that new life today. Let me taste the ‘new wine’ of your Holy Spirit so that I can take hold of your gifts and use them for your kingdom today.”
02 September 2010
02 Sep 2010, Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
1 Cor 3:18-23
Brothers and sisters:
Let no one deceive himself.
If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age,
let him become a fool, so as to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,
for it is written:
God catches the wise in their own ruses,
and again:
The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,
Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death,
or the present or the future:
all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.
Gospel
Lk 5:1-11
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
Meditation: Luke 5:1-11
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)
Peter and his co-workers fished all night. No doubt they had exhausted all the possibilities of making a catch before they returned to shore empty-handed. It’s small wonder, then, that Peter was astonished at the immense haul of fish that filled his nets when, at Jesus’ direction, he let the nets down into the water once more. Peter recognized that here was someone who exercised divine power. Suddenly aware that he was in God’s presence, Peter fell to the ground before Jesus, acknowledging his sinfulness.
We too may come to a similar point of recognizing God’s holiness and our own sins. In the face of some act of God in our lives, we may become painfully aware of our unworthiness. Some of us have an unfortunate tendency to dwell on our sins. Guilt, shame, contempt for ourselves—any number of negative emotions flow in like the tide. If only they could flow out as quickly!
But notice Jesus’ response to Peter. He didn’t answer Peter’s confession directly. Rather, he moved past it and told Peter of the great new role he had in mind for him. To Peter’s cry of remorse—“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”—Jesus answered with a reassuring promise: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:8,10).
This is how God looks at us: not as sinners mired in offenses but as servants called to carry out important work. God knows our sins. But when we repent, he forgives us immediately and calls us to move right on to the business of his kingdom. In a sense, we really have no right to dwell on sins that God has removed.
Brothers and sisters, God’s mercy has no limit! He delights in showing us his kindness. If he did not withhold his love and mercy from us before we loved him, will he refuse us now? Of course not! So press on in serving the Lord, confident that his mercy is greater than your sin and that he will carry you through to heaven.
“How awesome is your love for me, Jesus! In love, you look past my failings and point me to your perfect plan. Thank you, Jesus, for your boundless mercy!”
1 Cor 3:18-23
Brothers and sisters:
Let no one deceive himself.
If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age,
let him become a fool, so as to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,
for it is written:
God catches the wise in their own ruses,
and again:
The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,
Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death,
or the present or the future:
all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.
Gospel
Lk 5:1-11
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
Meditation: Luke 5:1-11
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)
Peter and his co-workers fished all night. No doubt they had exhausted all the possibilities of making a catch before they returned to shore empty-handed. It’s small wonder, then, that Peter was astonished at the immense haul of fish that filled his nets when, at Jesus’ direction, he let the nets down into the water once more. Peter recognized that here was someone who exercised divine power. Suddenly aware that he was in God’s presence, Peter fell to the ground before Jesus, acknowledging his sinfulness.
We too may come to a similar point of recognizing God’s holiness and our own sins. In the face of some act of God in our lives, we may become painfully aware of our unworthiness. Some of us have an unfortunate tendency to dwell on our sins. Guilt, shame, contempt for ourselves—any number of negative emotions flow in like the tide. If only they could flow out as quickly!
But notice Jesus’ response to Peter. He didn’t answer Peter’s confession directly. Rather, he moved past it and told Peter of the great new role he had in mind for him. To Peter’s cry of remorse—“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”—Jesus answered with a reassuring promise: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:8,10).
This is how God looks at us: not as sinners mired in offenses but as servants called to carry out important work. God knows our sins. But when we repent, he forgives us immediately and calls us to move right on to the business of his kingdom. In a sense, we really have no right to dwell on sins that God has removed.
Brothers and sisters, God’s mercy has no limit! He delights in showing us his kindness. If he did not withhold his love and mercy from us before we loved him, will he refuse us now? Of course not! So press on in serving the Lord, confident that his mercy is greater than your sin and that he will carry you through to heaven.
“How awesome is your love for me, Jesus! In love, you look past my failings and point me to your perfect plan. Thank you, Jesus, for your boundless mercy!”
01 September 2010
01 Sep 2010, Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1
1 Cor 3:1-9
Brothers and sisters,
I could not talk to you as spiritual people,
but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.
I fed you milk, not solid food,
because you were unable to take it.
Indeed, you are still not able, even now,
for you are still of the flesh.
While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,
are you not of the flesh, and walking
according to the manner of man?
Whenever someone says, "I belong to Paul," and another,
"I belong to Apollos," are you not merely men?
What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul?
Ministers through whom you became believers,
just as the Lord assigned each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who causes the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one,
and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.
For we are God's co-workers;
you are God's field, God's building.
Gospel
Lk 4:38-44
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.
At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases
brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son of God."
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak
because they knew that he was the Christ.
At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.
The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,
they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, "To the other towns also
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent."
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Meditation: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
“I fed you milk, not solid food.” (1 Corinthians 3:2)
Did you know that every time you read the Scriptures or hear them proclaimed at Mass, you are receiving eternal truths? Did you know, too, that every time you experience God’s love in your heart, that experience is meant to teach you as well? It’s true, and it can be life-changing. Day in and day out, God is at work trying to take us from surviving on “milk” to being able to eat “solid food.”
Paul used this image to show how God wants to reshape the way we think and act in the world. We often think of the call to holiness as a matter of going from “head knowledge” to “heart knowledge.” But God wants us to know that this is a two-way street. We need to learn how to use our minds the right way, even as we need to open our hearts to God’s love. That’s the only way that we will begin to look at the world with his eyes, seeing each other through the clear filter of his love and truth.
This is how we can overcome the pitfalls that the Corinthians faced. With our minds, we can agree that we are all brothers and sisters to each other. If we can accept the truth that we are all equally loved and equally redeemed by Jesus, rivalries will begin to fall.
But this “head knowledge” is not enough. It needs to be supported by “heart knowledge.” And for that, we need to open our hearts and let God’s love flow into us. Seeing how much he loves us, despite our weaknesses and flaws, can soften our hearts toward other people and teach us to treat one another with the same compassion that God has for us. In the end, we all need to learn how to love each other—and love is a matter of the heart and the mind together.
“Holy Spirit, teach us to think as you think. Teach us how to put away all divisiveness so that we can become one body, one spirit, in Christ.”
1 Cor 3:1-9
Brothers and sisters,
I could not talk to you as spiritual people,
but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.
I fed you milk, not solid food,
because you were unable to take it.
Indeed, you are still not able, even now,
for you are still of the flesh.
While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,
are you not of the flesh, and walking
according to the manner of man?
Whenever someone says, "I belong to Paul," and another,
"I belong to Apollos," are you not merely men?
What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul?
Ministers through whom you became believers,
just as the Lord assigned each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who causes the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one,
and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.
For we are God's co-workers;
you are God's field, God's building.
Gospel
Lk 4:38-44
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.
At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases
brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son of God."
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak
because they knew that he was the Christ.
At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.
The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,
they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, "To the other towns also
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent."
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Meditation: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
“I fed you milk, not solid food.” (1 Corinthians 3:2)
Did you know that every time you read the Scriptures or hear them proclaimed at Mass, you are receiving eternal truths? Did you know, too, that every time you experience God’s love in your heart, that experience is meant to teach you as well? It’s true, and it can be life-changing. Day in and day out, God is at work trying to take us from surviving on “milk” to being able to eat “solid food.”
Paul used this image to show how God wants to reshape the way we think and act in the world. We often think of the call to holiness as a matter of going from “head knowledge” to “heart knowledge.” But God wants us to know that this is a two-way street. We need to learn how to use our minds the right way, even as we need to open our hearts to God’s love. That’s the only way that we will begin to look at the world with his eyes, seeing each other through the clear filter of his love and truth.
This is how we can overcome the pitfalls that the Corinthians faced. With our minds, we can agree that we are all brothers and sisters to each other. If we can accept the truth that we are all equally loved and equally redeemed by Jesus, rivalries will begin to fall.
But this “head knowledge” is not enough. It needs to be supported by “heart knowledge.” And for that, we need to open our hearts and let God’s love flow into us. Seeing how much he loves us, despite our weaknesses and flaws, can soften our hearts toward other people and teach us to treat one another with the same compassion that God has for us. In the end, we all need to learn how to love each other—and love is a matter of the heart and the mind together.
“Holy Spirit, teach us to think as you think. Teach us how to put away all divisiveness so that we can become one body, one spirit, in Christ.”
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