God blesses Job: God rewarded Job beyond his dreams.
In their book Finding God, Louis Savary and Thomas O'Connor
tell the story of a young man who had a remarkable experience of God. He
knelt down and prayed for the first time in over 20 years. In the course of the
prayer, he surrendered himself to God, totally. As he did, he suspected that
God would make his life hard and painful. But the opposite
happened.
Mumbai: Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has been honored with the prestigious SDG Special Humanitarian Action Award by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), for helping thousands of migrant workers reach…
Who your Guardian Angel is and what they do: 10 things you should know
According to Christian tradition,every one of us has a guardian angel who accompanies us from the moment we’re born until the moment of our death, and stays at our side at every moment of our life. The idea of a spirit, of a supernatural entity that follows and supervises every human being, was already present in other religions and in Greek philosophy.
St Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) was a French Catholic who became a Carmelite nun at an early age. She died in obscurity at the age of 24. However, after her death, her autobiography – Story of a Soul was published and became a best-seller around the world. Her books explained her spiritual path of love and selflessness, and she became one of only three females to be considered a doctor of the Catholic Church.
Job speaks about God: God is beyond our
comprehension.
The God who emerges from the Book
of Job is a God beyond human comprehension.The
greatest blunder a person can make, the book seems to say, is to try to reduce
God to the level of human definition and comprehension.St. Augustine, the great
fifth-century Christian, put it this way:"God
is inexpressible. It is easier for us to
say what he is not than what he is …. "If you could conceive of him,
you would conceive of something other than God. He is not at all what you have
conceived him to be."
Story Starters: From Fr. Tony Kadavil’s Collection
Gospel text : Matthew 21:33-43 1) Wild Vines in the Lord’s Vineyard In his book From Scandal to Hope, Fr. Benedict Groeschel (EWTN), examines the roots of the clergy sex-abuse scandal. He details how disloyalty spread through seminaries, universities, chanceries and parishes. The most notorious case was that of Fr. Paul Shanley who helped found the North American Man-Boy Love Association in 1979. He lectured in seminaries, once with a bishop in attendance, maintaining that “homosexuality is a gift of God and should be celebrated,” and that there was no sexual activity that could cause psychic damage-- “not even incest or bestiality.” No wonder Fr. Charles Curran had little trouble getting seventy-seven theologians to sign a protest against Humanae Vitae, an encyclical which reaffirmed marital chastity! A few years later the Catholic Theological Society (CTS), published Human Sexuality: New Directions in American Catholic Thought, a study which accepted cohabitation, adultery and homosexuality. Now, however, all these chickens have come home to roost. We are paying the price – in lawsuits, public humiliation and loss of credibility. The media gave us a glimpse of the enormous destruction in the Lord’s vineyard done by those wicked tenants. They did so with great relish because the scandals discredit a teaching authority they, by and large, find annoying. But this attention by the media has had consequences the media probably did not intend. It has alerted Catholics to the widespread pillaging of the vineyard, which ultimately means the damnation of souls. Fr. Groeschel asks, “Does all this scandal shake your faith in the Church?” He answers, “I hope so, because ultimately your faith should not be in the Church. Ultimately your faith is in Jesus Christ. It is because of him that we accept and support the Church. We believe in and belong to the Church because Christ established it on his apostles." We see in today’s Gospel that the owner of the vineyard is God. He will care for his Church, not by committees or document, but by raising up saints who will properly tend the vineyard.
Kolkata: The music department of a school in Kolkata has engineered the launch of a project where artists from across the globe come together to spread the message of love,…
St. MICHAEL, GABRIEL, RAPHAEL, Tuesday September 29
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 or Apocalypse 12:7-12a / John 1:47-51
Daniel describes a vision: Myriads upon myriads attended
him.
The Bible mentions angels often, beginning with the
Book of Genesis and ending with the Book of Revelation. Tradition teaches
that angels are a part of God's unseen creation. We allude to them
in the Creed at Mass when we say, "We believe in one God . . . maker
. . . of all that is seen and unseen." We refer to them at the start
of Mass when we pray on certain occasions, "I ask blessed Mary, ever
virgin, all the angels and saints, and you my brothers and sisters to pray for
me to the lard our God." We also refer to them in the Preface,
saying, "We join the angels and all the saints in proclaiming your
glory."
****
In the Bible, angels appear often.
Angels are messengers from God and they even act to carry out
God's will, be it protecting people, announcing to them a message or working
out a miracle.As much as angels appear often
in the Bible, only three are named - Michael, Gabriel and Raphael - and they
are given the title "archangels".Michael in the Hebrew language means "Who is like unto God?"
or "Who is equal to God?" St. Michael has been depicted from earliest
Christian times as a commander, who holds in his right hand a spear with which
he attacks Satan, and in his left hand a green palm branch to signify God's
victory over evil. The Archangel Michael is especially considered to be the
Guardian of the Orthodox Faith and a fighter against heresies.Gabriel means "Man of God" or
"Might of God." He is the herald of the mysteries of God, especially
the Incarnation of God and all other mysteries related to it. He is depicted as
holding a lantern in one hand and in the other hand, a mirror of green jasper.
The mirror signifies the wisdom of God as a hidden mystery.Raphael means "God's healing" or
"God the Healer" (Tobit 3:17, 12:15). Raphael is depicted leading Tobit
with his right hand, and holding a physician's alabaster jar in his left
hand.Each of these archangels performs
a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael
guides and heals.Through these archangels
and also through the ministry of angels in general, God continues to be present
to us to protect us, to guide us and heal us and to communicate with us.We thank God for sending His love through
these angels and archangels and may we continue to be pray to the archangels
Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael to help and guide us through the journey of
life.
****
Angel is the name of their office, not of their nature. It
means messenger of God. All these names end with “el” meaning God. If you seek
the name of their nature, it’s “spirit”. What they are, “spirit” and what they
do, “angel” or messenger. We experience in our life, the power or might of God
as St. Michael or the healing of God as St. Raphael and the presence of God as
St. Gabriel. Even for Moslems the Quran was revealed to prophet Muhammed by the
angel Jibrīl, known as Gabriel in English
****
We know that God loves us, that he protects us and guides us
to our destiny. In the Bible, angels are presented as God’s messengers to
people, to help us to carry out God’s plans. The archangel Michael is mentioned
in the last book of the Bible as the angel who leads the fight against the
power of evil and who wants God’s work and Christ to overcome all evil. Gabriel
is the messenger of the Annunciation; Raphael is the angel companion and healer
in the Book of Tobias. Angels, then, are the sign of God’s guiding love and
concern for us. We may not forget today also the many people who help and guide
us in many ways by their love and care. They too, are, so to speak, God’s
angels to us.
****
Do we have a sense of joining the angels in praise in the Preface of the
Mass? “Thousands were ministering to him, myriads upon myriads
attended him."
****
The disciples did not understand what Jesus said or meant.
But they were afraid to ask him about it. That was disappointing. If there was
someone who could help them understand, it was Jesus himself. Why were they
afraid to ask him what he meant? Had they asked him, they would have been
better informed and better prepared for his suffering. They would not have
immediately engaged in silly behavior like they did. (Luke goes on to say that
an argument broke out among them as to who was the greatest.) Do you have
doubts when you stand before God in prayer? Do you find it difficult to
understand what God is communicating to you? If you do, ask Him! To whom else
shall we go? For, God has the words of eternal life (Jn 6:68). Hasn’t Jesus
said that if we asked, the Father would gladly give us the Holy Spirit (Lk
11:13) who makes everything intelligible to us? (Jn 16:13-15). In our
confusions and concerns, let us confidently walk up to God and ask Him.
*****
Tuesday September 29St. MICHAEL, GABRIEL, RAPHAEL
Penitential Rite:
-You sent us St. Michael to guard us and protect us from
dangers. When we fail to protect the vulnerable and safeguard their rights
-You sent us St. Raphael to heal and comfort us in our
afflictions. When we failed to comfort and heal the wounded and neglected
-You sent St. Gabriel as a presence and companion of your
love. When we neglected to be present and attentive to the needs of others
Opening PrayerLord our God, you are our providence.We are sure that you want to guide us to you,that you want to save us,that you love each of us personally, as we
are,and that you do everything you can
doto make yourself known to us.Whatever way you come to usand whoever your messengers are,may we recognize you and accept youand love you in them.We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our
Lord.
Prayer over the GiftsGod our Father,you have sent here among usyour greatest messenger of your good newsand of your own life,your Son Jesus Christ.Accept in this offering our thanksfor all your angels and messengersyou send us to heal us from our illnessesof body, mind and spiritand who speak to uswords of love, hope and peace.Thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after CommunionGod our Father,on account of Jesus Christ your Songive us enough trust in youto rely on you in all the events of life.Make us welcome your angels and messengers ,in sickness, in our weakness,in our groping and hesitations.Make us, in turn, to our brothers and sistershelpers and messengers of your goodness and
love.We ask this through Christ our
Lord.
(https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-wenceslaus/), Martyr,
St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-lorenzo-ruiz-and-companions/ :
Lk 9:46-50: 46 And an argument arose among them as to which of them
was the greatest. 47 But when Jesus perceived the thought of their hearts, he
took a child and put him by his side, 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives
this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who
sent me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” 49 John
answered, “Master, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade
him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not
forbid him; for he that is not against you is for you.” USCCB video
reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
Ecclesiastes talks about human nature: There is nothing new
in the whole world.
"Children love luxury. They
have bad manners... and love to chatter. They no longer rise when elders enter
the room. They contradict their parents . . . gobble up dainties at the table .
. . and are tyrants over their teachers." If you think that was
written by a disgruntled adult in our modern times, you're wrong. It was
written by a Greek philosopher nearly 2,500 years ago. The philosopher's
observation testifies to the truth of today's reading, especially the
words "There is nothing new in the whole world."
****
The Book of Ecclesiastes, sometimes called Qoheleth, is part
of the Wisdom literature. Its theme is captured in the first verse: everything
is vanity—exhaled and empty air. Everything seems to be pointless as life moves
in cycles. Tomorrow will be the same as yesterday. Everything is already
decided. Nothing we can do can give it any other meaning. If there is meaning
to this vast endless cycle of events, it remains hidden to us. Why was
Ecclesiastes so pessimistic? One reason may be the times in which it was
composed. The great creative period of Israel's history was over. The Jewish
people had lost the sense of God speaking to them through the events of
history. Here, in exile, God's voice was silent. Ecclesiastes makes no
reference to covenant, exodus or deliverance. History had lost its power as
revelation. The people turned to the world of nature to see something of God.
There, they discovered only the great cosmic cycles of the seasons, years and
days. Although we might not share Ecclesiastes' pessimism, it is a lesson in
humility for us in that we cannot, in this life, comprehend the full
significance of all that occurs in our lives.
****
Do we tend to get pessimistic and down on life because
everything seems to be getting worse? Do we tend to think that things are
getting out of hand and God is no longer in confrol of the universe?
****
In the New Testament, especially Luke's Gospel, we have a
different atmosphere from Ecclesiastes. In the New Testament, events are loaded
with meaning. God speaks through natural history, world history, Church history
and our personal history. We are in an atmosphere that is decidedly
noncyclical. In today's Gospel reading, Herod looks for the meaning of Jesus.
The Gospel writers saw meaning packed into every event and gesture of the
Lord's earthly life. Here, in Jesus, God is on the offensive. In this era, we
are moving rapidly from promise to fulfilment much as did the Israelites in the
exodus. In the period of the Church, we have sacraments and signs of the Lord's
inviting and driving presence. We can indeed see God in the world of nature as
did Ecclesiastes. We can also see the Lord speaking to us and calling us forward
as a Church, as a parish/community and as individuals.
****
The news travelled far and fast. Herod heard of it. This
exercise certainly made an impression. He heard about the miracles. This excited
him. He was eager to witness some. Luke does not tell us about Herod's bad
conscience. Herod rightly feels there is a connection between John and Jesus.
With all the rumours that were going around, he did not know what to make of
it. The effect on people is different. Some believe that Elijah has come again.
Others think that a Prophet has risen. Others again think that John has risen
from the dead. Herod's conscience stirs. It Will never leave him. Men can
silence their conscience. When they do not listen to it, it keeps quiet. They
cannot destroy their bad conscience. Herod asks the right question. Who is
this? Jesus will put the same question to his apostles very shortly. He was
anxious to see him. He did not have to wait long. Jesus was on the point of' setting
out to Jerusalem. He will See him there (Luke 23.8212). He was delighted to see
Jesus.
****
It is said that seeing is believing. Generally speaking that
may be true, especially when we have heard about something and then finally get
to see it for ourselves with our own eyes.Yet there may be other instances where seeing may not necessarily lead
to believing. In the gospel we heard that Herod was anxious to see Jesus; he
had this longing to see who this Jesus was that he heard about. But when Herod
finally got to see Jesus during His passion, he didn't think much about who he
was looking at. Perhaps the pathetic state of being condemned led Herod to
think that Jesus was just a shooting star that would fade off into the
darkness. Yet the 1st reading makes us reflect deeper on what we are seeing
around us.Images of the sun rising and
setting, the wind blowing, the waters of the river flowing into the sea are
telling us something about the reality of our lives. Yet it is not about how
much our eyes have seen or how much our ears have heard.It is a matter of how much our hearts are
filled - filled with mystery. In the Eucharist we see things like bread and
wine and we hear prayers. May our hearts also be filled with the mystery of
God's love.
****
"Two men looked through prison bars, the one saw mud,
the other stars." Oscar Wilde, "Reading Gaol"
Let us pray: Lord our God, you came to make all
things new through Jesus Christ, your Son. Let him question us and let us
question ourselves whether we give him in our lives the place he deserves. Make
him the meaning of all we are and do, for he is our risen Lord for ever.
Opening Story: “A companion of Francis of Assisi, Brother Juniper is remembered as a “fool for Christ” and there are all sorts of wild stories about his antics. He was notorious for constantly giving his possessions away and living with a winsomeness that sometimes got him in trouble. At one point he was ordered by a superior not to give away his outer garment to the beggars anymore. But it wasn’t long before he met someone in need who asked him for some clothing. He said, “My superior has told me under obedience not to give my clothing to anyone. But if you pull it off my back, I certainly will not prevent you.” (Another version: "I can't give, but you can take.")
Sept 21 Monday (St. Mathew, Apostle and Evangelist)https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-matthew/ :
Mt 9:9-13: 9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called
Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose
and followed him. 10 And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many
tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your
teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he
said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are
sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not
sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” USCCB
video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
Proverbs talks about the poor: If you ignore them, you will
be ignored.
John R. Coleman, former president of Haverford College,
wanted to get a first-hand feel for the plight of New York City's homeless. So,
he spent ten days on the streets without money or shelter.A diary of those ten days was published in the
New Yorker magazine.
John Howard Griffin dyed his skin black, shaved his head,
and posed as a black man in the South in the pre-civil-rights days. One day he
asked for a Catholic church. He was told that the nearest "colored
Catholic church" was on Drysades Street.
"Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near," says the prophet. God himself goes out to seek you, says the message of today. May the Lord find you and stay always with you. R/ And also with you.
Paul speaks about the dead: They will be raised to new
life.
Fr. Walter Ciszek, a Jesuit priest, spent 23 years in
Russian prisons and work camps. In his book He Leadeth Me, he tells how
the second Wednesday after Easter is a very special day for Russian
Christians. On that day they commemorate the dead.
Paul talks about our resurrection: Christ has been
raised.
In his book “The Year of My Rebirth”, Jesse Stuart, the
Kentucky poet, tells how his family planted Irish potatoes each year on Good
Friday, the day of Jesus' crucifixion. Sometimes the snow fell after that
date and the potatoes would lie lifeless in the cold ground, just as Jesus did.
Then one day a miracle took place.
Paul talks about gifts: The greatest gift is love.
St. Theresa was a Carmelite nun in Lisieux, France. She
died on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24. Among her writings was a passage
in which she talks about her search for what special calling God had given to
her to better serve the Church. She turned to Paul's letters and read that
not everyone was called upon to be an apostle, a prophet, or a
teacher. This left her more confused than ever. She continued reading
Paul until she came to the words in today's reading: "Set your hearts,
then, on the more important gifts. . The greatest of these is love."
Then, she writes: "Nearly ecstatic with supreme joy in my soul, I
proclaimed: 'O Jesus . . . At last I have found my calling: my calling is
love.' "
Michel DeVerteuil General Comments We have another parable this Sunday, one that many people find particularly difficult to interpret. As I said in last week’s meditation guidelines, method is always the root problem with interpreting parables, and to adopt the right method we must have a right understanding of what a parable is. It is not the kind of story where we identify “good guys” and “bad guys” and then draw the conclusion that we must imitate the good and avoid being like the bad.
Sept 14 Monday (The Exaltation of the Holy
Cross) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/-Exaltation-of-the-Holy-Cross : John
3:13-17: The Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross is one of
twelve “Master feasts” celebrated in the Church to honor Jesus Christ, our Lord
and Master.
Sept 15 Tuesday (Our Lady of Sorrows or Mother of Sorrows) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/our-lady-of-sorrows/: Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35:
Today we remember the spiritual martyrdom of the Mother of Jesus and her participation in the sufferings of her Divine Son. Mary is the Queen of martyrs because she went through in spirit all Jesus suffered during His Passion and death, her spiritual torments were greater than the bodily agonies of the martyrs, and Mary offered her sorrows to God for our sake. The principal Biblical references to Mary’s sorrows are in Luke 2:35 and John 19:26-27. Many early Church writers interpret the sword prophesied by Simeon as Mary’s sorrows, especially as she saw Jesus die on the cross. In the past, the Church celebrated two feasts to commemorate separately 1) the spiritual martyrdom of the Blessed Virgin Mary throughout her life as the mother of Jesus and 2) her compassion for her Divine Son during his suffering and death. The devotion to the Seven Dolors (sorrows) of Mary honors her for the motherly sufferings she endured during the whole life of Jesus on earth. In 1239 the seven founders of the Servite Order took up the sorrows of Mary who stood under the Cross as the main devotion of their religious Order. Originally, this day was kept on the Friday before Good Friday. It was Pope Pius XII who changed the date of the feast to the 15th of September immediately after the feast of the Triumph of the Cross. The nineteenth-century German mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich claimed to have received a vision in which Mary actually kisses the blood of Jesus in the many sacred places on the way of the cross. In his film, The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson was inspired by this vision and pictures Claudia, Pontius Pilate’s wife, secretly handing Mary cloths to collect the blood of Jesus from the streets of Jerusalem.
The seven sorrows: There are seven times of great suffering in Mary’s life. These events remind many parents of their personal family experiences of sorrow and mourning for their dear children.
1) The prophecy of Simeon,
2) The flight into Egypt,
3) The loss of the Child Jesus at Jerusalem,
4) Meeting Jesus on the road to Calvary,
5) The standing at the foot of the Cross,
6) The descent of Jesus from the Cross, and
7) The burial of Jesus.
Life message:
1) On this feast day let us pray for those who continue to endure similar sufferings that they may receive from God the strength that they desperately need to continue to carry their spiritual crosses. Let us try to enter into the sorrowing hearts of the mothers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Nigeria and other terrorist-haunted nations and the mothers in the United States and other countries grieving for their children, soldiers and civilians alike.
2) Let us also remember with repentant hearts that it is our sins which caused the suffering of Jesus and Mary. [“At the cross her station keeping,/ Stood the mournful mother weeping, / Close to Jesus to the last.// Through her heart, his sorrow sharing, / All his bitter anguish bearing, / Now at length the sword has passed.” (Stabat Mater)] (Fr. Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
Paul talks about the body of Christ: We are one body.
The Hollywood actor Martin Sheen was in India working in the movie
Gandhi. One day some kids were hanging on the back of the taxi he was
riding in. He says: "I looked out and saw their faces . . .they
looked like old people, teeth gone, bugs in their hair. I suddenly knew what I
had to do. We stopped the car and got them inside."
Athletes deny themselves for earthly crowns. In his autobiography
Nigger, Dick Gregory, the athlete, comedian, and civil rights activist, tells
how, in high school, he disciplined himself to run for several hours each day,
even in the midst of winter.
The Corinthians had asked Paul if it was okay to eat the flesh of animals
that had been sacrificed to idols. This was a practical question, because
only a portion of the sacrificed animal was offered to the idol. The remaining flesh
was sold in meat markets.
Michel DeVerteuil General Comments Today’s passage deals with the crucial issue of forgiveness, surely the most pressing of all our human problems, as individuals, as communities and as a human family. The future of humanity is in the hands of those who can forgive.
Sept 7 Monday: Lk 6: 6-11: 6 On
another Sabbath, when he entered the synagogue and taught, a man was there
whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him,
to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find an accusation
against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man who had the
withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus
said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm,
to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And he looked around on them all, and said
to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11
But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might
do to Jesus. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm
Buddy Holly rose to fame in the 1950s. The 19-year-old was the first rock
star to write, play, and sing his own music. During his 36-month career,
he wrote 45 songs. Then a tragic airplane crash brought his promising life to
an end.
Paul talks about sin: Remove the old yeast of
sin.
1. In her book Winning by Letting Go, Elizabeth Brenner explains how
people in India catch monkeys. They cut a small hole in a box. Then
they put a tasty nut in the box. The hole is just large enough for the monkey
to put its hand through. But it's too small for the monkey to withdraw its hand
once it has clutched the nut inside.
Paul rebukes the Corinthians: We are fools; you are wise.
1. Greek dramatists portrayed Corinthians as drunk, depraved, and
boisterous. When Greeks wanted to put someone down, they'd say, "He
behaves like a Corinthian." The Greeks also used the
expression "Corinthian girl" to refer to a prostitute. The
Corinthians were not noted for gentility. They were citizens of a port
city with all the vices of such a population. This explains Paul's biting
irony in today's reading. Some Corinthian Christians had grown smug and
complacent with their spiritual progress. Paul tried to wake them up. They
were not half as spiritual as they made themselves out to be.
Micah 5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30 / Matthew 1-16, 18-23
Giving birth to God
Chinua Achebe, the well-known Nigerian author, made an interesting remark in
his book ‘The Anthills of the Savanna’. He tells us how in both the Bible
and his African traditions, women are blamed for all that went wrong in the
world. In our biblical tradition it is the familiar story of Eve. In Achebe’s
tradition, women were the reason that God, who once lived very near to his
human creation left it. God was so near that the women, who were pounding their
millet into flour hit God.
Paul talks about judgment: Don't pass judgment ahead of time.
There's a trial scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland. When all is ready, the king says, "Read the accusation
against the accused, the Knave of Hearts." With that, White Rabbit blows
three loud blasts on the trumpet. then Rabbit unrolls a huge parchment
scroll and reads the accusation. he finishes and rolls the scroll back
up. Then the king turns to the jury and asks, "What is your
verdict?" White Rabbit jumps up and says, "No, your
Highness, we're not ready for that yet. There's a great deal we must do before
we pass judgment." Like the king, we too are prone to pass judgment
before it is time. This is also Paul's point in today's reading.
Jesus tells us today: Where two are three have come together in my name, there I am among them. We are here in his name and so he is among us. May he always stay with you. R/ And also with you.
Michel DeVerteuil General Comments This passage is very different from those of the two previous Sundays. They were dramatic stories, marked by deep emotions and with deep implications for the characters involved. This is a little gem of a passage but with little drama, a very practical, common-sense teaching on that most common and most prosaic of community problems – conflict. It is deep wisdom teaching which continues to be valid for our time. Management has become a science today, and Jesus’ teaching stands up well as a model of how to “manage” conflict in any situation.
Paul speaks about wisdom: The world's wisdom is nonsense to God.
St. John Vianney was considered a dunce, a bit stupid or budhu as we
say in India by his schoolteachers. The only reason he got through the seminary
was because he was pushed through. When he arrived at his first parish, the
pastor thought him too stupid to preach. But the bishop had more insight. He
moved the young priest and made him pastor of a small village called Ars.
Paul talks
about ministry: We plant, but God gives the growth.
Wednesday 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Author Irene Champernowne says that her favorite saying was written out
for her by an old Arab living in a small mountain village in Lebanon. It
reads: "I will set my face to the wind and scatter my seed on
high." Irene says she likes the saying because it reminds her that
God can do great things with the seed we sow. Our job, therefore, is to have
the courage to keep facing the wind and sowing the seed. This is not an easy
task, because we rarely see the results of our efforts. "But even if
we don't," she adds, "other people do and they are
grateful. The seed we sow is our gift to life and God."