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 20060630
The Catholic Calendar for Friday, June 30, 2006
The Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
The First Martyrs of the Roman Church
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
2 Kings 25:1-12
Psalm 137:1-6
Matthew 8:1-4
A reflection on the Scripture....
"By the river of Babylon we sat mourning and weeping when we remembered Zion." (Psalm 137:1)
Often our newscasts report a variety of tragedies, sometimes natural and at other times man made; these cause people to abandon the security of their homes and possessions, and so endure many hardships. Today's first reading reveals the Israelites' great suffering when an enemy destroyed their holy city, Jerusalem, and exiled all but a few to Babylon. Through faithlessness, disobedience to His Word, they had willfully separated themselves from God's protective love. There is a lesson that we can learn from this in our day. God has no need to punish transgressors; for those who insist on exercising their "free will" to become their own "little gods," He leaves to experience its self-destructive consequences.
The latter statement leads us to today's Gospel. Though man mires himself in sin, still God's grace abounds for those who have the humility to see their need and seek healing from the fatal effects of this condition affecting all humanity. In Christ's time, the Pharisees held the greater religious power. Unfortunately, they interpreted God's law in a purely legalistic manner that emphasized "practices" that often overlooked the "spirit" of the law -- the love that allows man to live in peace and justice.
Leprosy was then an incurable, contagious illness causing gross and painful disfigurement. Christ's healing of a man so afflicted was a work of mercy not only toward the man, but in hastening him to show himself to the priest and make the proper offering of thanksgiving, He sought also to awaken religious leaders that God was indeed visiting them in the Person of Jesus, their awaited Messiah. Stubborn disbelief in the proof Christ provided "for" them actually became a proof "against" them. Jerusalem would again be destroyed.
Loving Christ, strengthen Your faithful followers to persist in planting and nurturing Your words and deeds, knowing that their growth and fruitfulness remain in Your hands. Amen.
- Marie Bocko, OCDS
(mlbocko at earthlink dot net)
____________________
These meditations are also available by email subscription
©1986-2006 The Way, The Truth, The Life
posted by joachim at 6:38 AM
20060629
The Catholic Calendar for Thursday, June 29, 2006
Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, apostles
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Acts 12:1-11
Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Matthew 16:13-19
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
Today the liturgy celebrates the lives of two great pillars of the early Church, Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The core themes throughout the readings are FAITH and PERSEVERANCE made possible through the gifts of God.
"Cradle Catholics,” or those born into the Church, have been raised with the lessons about our being the body of the Church, and Christ is the “Head.” As children, that example aroused some pretty interesting images. As we all mature in our faith, we come to appreciate the awesome responsibility that has been entrusted to us to cooperate with God in the building up of His Kingdom on earth! Each of us has a special role in that big picture that only we can do. Herod, in the first reading, had no conception of all of this.
Aside from hearing about the violence committed by Herod, it is almost humorous to realize that he thought he could damage or end the Church. Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, is the head of the Church, and the death of a few, or even many, of its members will not stop the Church from growing and coming to fruition. Each year the Church suffers the loss of many martyrs, and that has been true throughout time.
Let us today turn to these two great role models, Sts. Peter and Paul and ask that they intercede for us, that we might be strong in our faith and persevere despite the many obstacles in our present-day culture.
- Joan of Jesus, OCDS
(jmurphy at utica dot edu)
____________________
These meditations are also available by email subscription
©1986-2006 The Way, The Truth, The Life
posted by joachim at 5:19 AM
20060628
The Catholic Calendar for Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
St. Irenaeus, bishop and martyr
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3
Psalm 119:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40
Matthew 7:15-20
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
I grew up in the Western United States where the Great Plains end and the Rocky Mountains begin. As a young boy, my buddies and I spent countless hours roaming the foothills outside of town. Many summer days were spent hiking, chasing lizards, finding strange rocks and losing ourselves in the wide-open spaces. We journeyed into the hills with no provisions, but that was all right since we were young adventurers.
It would not take long before the summer heat would get to us and a terrible thirst would set in. No worry, however, as the hills were covered with prickly pear cactus and, with the help of a Boy Scout pocket knife we would work our way around the spines, skin the cactus and quench our thirst with the ample juice the cactus kept well protected.
But it really was not very good. In fact, the cactus juice was sour and bitter and everything bad in between. We should not have been surprised that this spiny plant, which somehow stayed alive in the hills with little water and terrible winters, would provide anything like cold, pure water.
Jesus reminds us that thorny bushes do not produce grapes and rotten trees bear rotten fruit. Just like it was wrong for us to expect lemonade from cactus, it is wrong for us to expect good from false prophets. "So by their fruits you will know them," is the guidance our Lord gives us and He never steers us wrong.
- Don Claunch, SFO
(dlclaunch at bresnan dot net)
____________________
These meditations are also available by email subscription
©1986-2006 The Way, The Truth, The Life
posted by joachim at 4:21 AM
20060627
The Catholic Calendar for Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor of the Church
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
2 Kings 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36
Psalm 48:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 10-11
Matthew 7:6, 12-14
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
Today’s First Reading demonstrates the kind of doubt that is planted by opponents of the One True God. In this story however there are not just subtle threats against the sovereignty of God, but ones that make even a believer take pause.
Our enemy is always at work sowing the seeds of confusion, nipping us at our own personal Achilles Heel. Our response must be like that of Hezekiah. We must turn to the Lord in prayer, confessing our weakness, expressing our doubts and concerns. In return we will receive the help we desire. We will possess what is required to persevere in holiness and faithfulness.
“Our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.”
- Donna Nelson, OCDS
(drn3rd at hotmail dot com)
____________________
These meditations are also available by email subscription
©1986-2006 The Way, The Truth, The Life
posted by joachim at 5:14 AM
20060626
The Catholic Calendar for Monday, June 26, 2006
Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
2 Kings 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18
Psalm 60:3, 4-5, 12-13
Matthew 7:1-5
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
It is evident that both of today's readings can be directed toward the people of our times. Our cultures and nations have turned away from God, lost sight of His Son Jesus, and have become obsessed with chasing after wealth and vanity for our own sakes. Worshipping gods of other religions, meddling in spiritism and new age practices, not to mention those idols of materialism, and conveniently forgetting to tend to the needs of our own neighbor have become our passions. In doing all of these empty things, we are bound to experience personal and global destruction on the part of our own condemnation.
God gave us freedom to choose and do good to advance mankind's relationship with Himself. Instead, we have taken "license" to turn away from God in our own personal individualistic endeavors. In our rejection of God, we condemn ourselves and fasten our very salvation to darkness.
Matthew's account of Jesus' teachings appears to take this Old Testament reading further. If we are to come back to God and change the lives of sinful men into witnesses of love, we must tackle our own faults and shortcomings first. We are not to judge others before taking a look at our own thoughts and actions. Before attempting to spread the messages of Christ to others, we should focus on changing ourselves from within. A change will reflect on the outside when we begin to transform interiorly. Without even verbally evangelizing, our Christian way of life will begin to preach the Gospel through action.
- Alicia
____________________
These meditations are also available by email subscription
©1986-2006 The Way, The Truth, The Life
posted by joachim at 5:34 AM
20060625
The Catholic Calendar for Sunday, June 25, 2006
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Job 38:1, 8-11
Psalm 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Mark 4:35-41
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
Our readings this week are all about storms. Storms can be very frightening. Hurricanes are much worse. People in New Orleans and Mississippi are still recovering from Katrina, and already we’re beginning another hurricane season. The awesome forces of nature unleashing its power caused fear in many hearts, very like the fear the apostles felt in that boat on the Sea of Galilee in today’s Gospel. They knew very well the dangers when Jesus suggested that they embark from the Jewish side of the lake over to pagan territory. Then Jesus went sound asleep on a cushion in the stern of the ship. The danger was real, and they were terror-stricken. Quickly they awoke Jesus. “Teacher,” they cried, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” And at a short command from the Lord of the sea, the waves were calmed! They must have been a bit exasperated when Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith. “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” they questioned one another.
How do we react when the storms of life overwhelm us? If the storms are far away, and the thunder a distant rumble, do we at least pray for those in danger? And if the storms are quite close, threatening our spiritual well-being, do we take God’s hand and trust? How about physical harm? A threat to our health or to our very life? No matter what kind of storm we face, there is nothing that a rocklike faith cannot get us through! Even if we think God is sleeping or unconcerned, He’s very aware of our need.
Above all, let’s remember that even Job in today’s first reading was tempted to think God unfair, and decided to take him to court! God will never try us beyond our endurance, but will take issue with danger and rescue us from harm. We have another intercessor as well. When storms threaten, look to Mary, star of the sea. Try her! She will not fail to hear our prayer.
- Msgr. Paul Whitmore
(smartins at frontiernet dot net)
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