September 23 - Monday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme:
WITNESSING TO THE LORD
Readings: Pro 3:27-34;
Lk 8:16-18
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you want our faith to be
a lamp placed on a lamp-stand,
so that people might see your light
and not stumble in the dark.
Speak your word to us,
give us the life-giving Spirit of your Son,
his Spirit of unity and freedom,
that we may be to the world
the new humanity of Jesus Christ,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Scripture Readings
1st Reading Introduction:
Proverbs is a wisdom
book fictitiously ascribed to Solomon. Wisdom is a set of experiences
and traditions taught to the young; it secularizes the prevalent "sacralization"
of human thought, showing that God and the human person are not at loggerheads.
God does not keep people from thinking and reflecting for themselves.
Do not hold back from those who ask your help, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go away! Come another time; tomorrow I will give it to you!" when you can help him now.
Do not plot evil against your neighbor who lives trustingly beside you, nor fight a man without cause when he has done you no wrong. Do not envy the man of violence or follow his example.
For Yahweh hates the wicked but guides the honest. He curses the house of the evildoer but blesses the home of the upright. If there are mockers, he mocks them in turn but he shows his favor to the humble.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 15:2-5
Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors; in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the LORD; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.
Gospel Introduction:
Christ speaks of the word of God
as a light that cannot remain hidden; it should shine in the lives of
those who believe in the gospel, so that they can bear witness to Christ
and his message.
Jesus said to his disciples, "No one, after lighting a lamp covers it with a bowl or puts it under the bed; rather he puts it on a lampstand so that people coming in may see the light. In the same way, there is nothing hidden that shall not be uncovered; nothing kept secret that shall not be known clearly. Now, take care how well you listen, for whoever produces will be given more, but from those who do not produce, even what they seem to have will be taken away from them."
General
Intercessions
- That the light of our love may shine and bear witness to Christ in our friendliness and understanding and our sharing with the needy, we pray:
- That the light of our justice may shine in our efforts to respect the rights of everyone and in our work to bring equity and justice to all, we pray:
- That the light of our joy may shine in our sympathy and affection for one another, in our faithfulness to our friends, in our liturgical celebrations and in our sense of community, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
accept these gifts of bread and wine
and let them become for us
the body and blood of your Son.
May he nourish our faith
and make us capable of bearing witness
that in him we can become one
and live for one another,
for he is our Lord for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
in this eucharistic celebration
you have let us encounter your Son.
Let him stay with us this day,
that people may discover
how much he means to us
and what he can do with us
notwithstanding our limitations.
Not to us, Lord,
but to you and to your Son,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit
be all honor and praise for ever.
Blessing
To bear witness consists in calling attention not to ourselves but to God and what he can do in us, poor instruments. We can only propose what we believe and live and then leave the rest to God's grace. May God give you this attitude and bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God had sown the good news in the hearts of all peoples from the beginning of times. It is not to be kept hidden but must be proclaimed. Within the context of Asia, such proclamation begins not with words but with one's being, doing, and relating, which are meant to be signs of God's reign on this earth. The Christian believers themselves and what they do conveys the message. Only when it is the right time may words accompany the personal presence/relations and/or deeds. In other words, authentic evangelization lies above all in orthopraxis rather than in orthodoxy. It is sad that some in the churches are very finicky in punctilious doctrinal formulations and subtleties, but contradict what they state by what they do, or even by the way they are. The call today is for authentic Christian witnessing.
September 24 - Tuesday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: THE NEW FAMILY OF JESUS
Readings: Pro 21:1-6, 10-13;
Lk 8:19-21
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you have called all who listen
to the Word of your Son
and put it into practice
to be the new family you love.
Address each of us personally,
that we may understand your word,
receive it with ready hearts, like Mary,
and let it become flesh and blood
in all our actions.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
1st Reading Introduction:
How do we deal with our neighbor? Justice
is more important than sacrifice, and we should hear the cries of the
poor.
1st Reading: Pro 21:1-6, 10-13
In the hands of Yahweh, the heart of the king is like running water; he directs it wherever he wishes.
To the eyes of man all his ways are honest but it is Yahweh who weighs the heart.
To do what is upright and just pleases Yahweh more than sacrifice.
Haughty looks, proud heart, the light of the wicked is sin.
The plans of a hardworking man result in earnings; poverty is for those who act too hastily.
To make a fortune by means of deceit is like running after the wind; the end is death.
The soul of the wicked desires nothing but evil; not even his friend is treated with compassion.
When the mocker is punished the ignorant man grows wise; when the wise man is instructed he grows in knowledge.
The Just One watches the house of the evildoer and hurls the wicked into misfortune.
He who is deaf to the poor man's cry will not be heard when he himself calls out.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 119:1, 27, 30, 34-35, 44
Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD.
Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your ordinances before me.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
I will keep your law continually, forever and ever.
Gospel Introduction:
After his parables on the sower of the
word and of the lamp, Luke, using the incident of Mary and Jesus' relatives
seeking him out in the crowd, sums up by saying that Jesus' new family
is made up of those who hear the word of God and live accordingly. Accepting
the gospel transcends family ties. This is no direct rebuke to Mary, as
we know that she received and responded to the word of God and pondered
it in her heart. Like her, do we put it into practice?
The mother and relatives of Jesus came to him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd. Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and wish to meet you." Then Jesus answered, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."
General
Intercessions
- That we may be close to Jesus by seeking with him and his mother the will of the Father in everything, we pray:
- That priests and religious may keep trusting in the Lord who has called them notwithstanding their human weakness and that with Christ they may care for people to bring them close to God, we pray:
- That by keeping our baptismal promises we may be faithful to God who remains always faithful to us, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
we have heard your word
and now we bring before you
this bread and this wine.
Let this be the food and drink
that give us the strength
to act upon the word of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
your Word became flesh for us
in this eucharistic celebration.
Let the word of your son unite us
to be fully the new family of your Church.
Let the Spirit of your Son fill our own words
with truth, integrity and love,
that we may brighten each other's day.
And may our lives echo to the world
the word you have spoken to us,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We should be people of the Word: people who belong to Christ, the living Word of God; people who keep their word; people who live according to the word they believe in; people, like Mary, who are completely open to the word of God. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
In contrast to both Mark and Matthew, Luke has this passage take place after the parable of the sower and its explanation. In this manner he highlights that true relationship with Jesus consists above all in doing the word. It is the word that counts more than anything else. Even Mary's dignity as Mother of Jesus may not be separated from this. Her doing the word is what makes her truly the Mother of the Word, the Lord Jesus. As the great St. Bernard holds, she conceived Jesus first in 7her heart before she conceived him in her womb. May she lead us to be zealous doers of the word.
September 25 - Wednesday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: SENT IN POVERTY
Readings: Pro 30:5-9;
Lk 9:1-6
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
your mercy extends to everyone.
Let your missionary Church go out to all
without any self-imposed, useless baggage
that obscures the pure message of the gospel
but with great humility before the good will
and the hospitality of people.
May thus our receptivity to people
make them in turn receptive to the good news
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
1st Reading Introduction:
The author admits his ignorance and
attests to the solid value of divine wisdom. He prays for faithfulness
and a life of neither abundance nor want.
Every word of God is true, he is a shield in whom man can find refuge. Add nothing to his words lest he rebuke you and take you for a liar.
O God, two things I beg of you, do not deny me them before I die. Keep lying and falsehood far away from me, give me neither poverty nor riches. Give me just as much food as I need lest, satisfied, I deny you and say, "Who is Yahweh?" Or else, out of necessity, I steal and profane the name of my God.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 119:29,
72, 89, 101, 104, 163
Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me your law.
The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
The LORD exists forever; your word is firmly fixed in heaven.
I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word.
Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law.
Gospel Introduction:
Luke,
more than the other evangelists, stresses the poverty of the apostle and
thus spiritualizes the mission of the herald of the gospel. Still, he
has to take people in the concrete. They are to be healed from illness,
which expresses the power of evil over sinful humanity; for the Bible
considers sickness a consequence of sin through this link: that the spiritual
illness of sin leads to physical illness. The apostle, then, must go to
the whole person in a spirit of poverty. All he has to offer is the good
news, and nothing may obscure it.
Gospel
Reading: Lk 9:1-6Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to drive out all evil spirits and to heal diseases. And he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He instructed them, "Don't take anything for the journey, neither walking stick, nor bag, nor bread, nor silver coins; and don't even take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place. And wherever they don't welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet: it will be as a testimony against them."
So they set out and went through the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
General
Intercessions
- Lord, they were only fishers cleaning their nets, but you called the apostles to spread your good news. Make us fearless to speak your word, we pray:
- Lord, he was only a tax collector behind his desk, but you called Matthew to ho heal people and cast out devils. Wounded as we are, make us healers too, we pray:
- Lord, they are only plain, unpretentious people, but you call your faithful in our communities to tolerate no injustice, and to defend the poor. Speak through all of us what is right and good, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Creator of the whole world
and lover of all, our God,
we join your Son Jesus Christ in his sacrifice
whereby he redeemed the world.
Through the Spirit of your Son,
enlighten and guide us
to bring his good news as a light
to shine on all nations
and as the healing power
that reconciles all humanity with you,
our God for ever and ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
your Son has again given us his command
to bring his message of hope and salvation
to all who are willing to listen.
We pray you now for those
whom you call especially for this task.
Let them be so much in the grip of the gospel
that they go out and place themselves
without fear or hesitation in the hands of people,
trusting in you and in the power of the gospel
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
The whole Church is mission. Missionaries must leave behind their luggage of their culture and big means, but go in all simplicity with the good news of Jesus and must be ready also to be rejected like their Master. May almighty God bless you all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
After experiencing Jesus' evangelizing activity of making people whole and proclaiming God's reign, the apostles in their turn were sent out for the same purpose. In doing their mission they were enjoined not to rely primarily on their own resources but on the power and authority given them by Jesus. Indeed, even and especially in these post-modern times, we need God's power in making our fragmented world to be more sane and whole.
September 26 - Thursday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: IN SEARCH OF MEANING
Readings: Ecl 1:2-11;
Lk 9:7-9
Opening Prayer
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.
Scripture Readings
1st Reading Introduction:
Today we hear a man who is puzzled:
Qoheleth, Ecclesiastes, the preacher (the man who speaks in the assembly)
in search of answers to the problems of life; he is apparently a disillusioned
man; "the inspired pessimist" as he is sometimes called, but
he is a believer, and there must be answers.
All is meaningless - says the Teacher - meaningless, meaningless!
What profit is there for a man in all his work for which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, a generation comes and the earth remains forever. The sun rises, the sun sets, hastening towards the place where it again rises. Blowing to the south, turning to the north, the wind goes round and round and after all its rounds it has to blow again.
All rivers go to the sea but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers come from, there they return again.
All words become weary and speech comes to an end, but the eye has never seen enough nor the ear heard too much.
What has happened before will happen again; what has been done before will be done again: there is nothing new under the sun.
If they say to you, "See, it's new!" know that it has already been centuries earlier.
There is no remembrance of ancient people, and those to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 90:3-6,
12-14, 17
You turn us back to dust, and say, "Turn back, you mortals."
For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.
You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning...in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.
Turn, O LORD! How long? Have compassion on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands-- O prosper the work of our hands!
Gospel Introduction:
Herod, too,
was puzzled about this man Jesus. He wanted to see this strange prophet
about whom there were so many rumors. Does Jesus, do the gospel and life
and our faith puzzle us? Are we in constant search of the deeper meaning
of our Christian life?
Gospel
Reading: Lk 9:7-9King Herod heard of all this and did not know what to think, for people said, "This is John, raised from the dead." Others believed that Elijah or one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. As for Herod, he said, "I had John beheaded; who is this man about whom I hear such wonders?" And he was anxious to see him.
General Intercessions
- Lord, keep us always searching to understand you and our gospel better, we pray:
- Lord, let our faith be a light that makes us see the meaning of our lives, we pray:
- Lord, make us patient with those who are lax in their faith, that we may not extinguish the smoldering wick, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
through these offerings of bread and wine
your Son will appear in our midst
as the Lord of life.
Let him touch our hearts,
that we may fully believe in him
and that we may be alive
with the life he brought us.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
we know Jesus, your Son:
he has spoken to us
and shared his table with us.
Make us anxious
to see and recognize him
in the events of life
and in the people around us,
that life may not be empty and vain
but ever beautiful and new
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Is everything really in vain? Is there no meaning in life? In moments of doubt and questioning, we ask ourselves perhaps this question. But then we remember we are people of faith, and our faith and our life are very meaningful. Let God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
That word about Jesus reached the Tetrarch Herod meant that his proclamation of God's reign was making a dent on his contemporaries. It could not be confined anymore to the common masses of people. It reached even the ears of the superstitious ruler of Galilee. He thought that Jesus was the resurrected John the Baptist, whom he beheaded and who had proclaimed the same message of God's reign. He wanted to see him, not to hear his message but simply to satisfy his superstitious curiosity. Sometimes we must admit how superstitious we can be in our pious desires!
September 27 - Friday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: A TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Readings: Ecl 3:1-11;
Lk 9:18-22
Note. September 27 - Feast of ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, Priest - see also Celebration of Saints
Opening Prayer
God, in your wisdom
you order the course of time
and you lead the world and people
to their destiny in you.
You do all things well.
Make us see with eyes of faith
the opportunities you give us every moment.
Help us to use our time and life
and all your good gifts
to build up your kingdom stone by stone,
until you complete it in your own good time
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
1st Reading Introduction:
In the light of Christ, the famous
passage from Ecclesiastes that there is a time for everything becomes
much more positive than in the thought of the author. He is puzzled, for
God does everything at the right time yet the endless cycle of change
bewilders people and he doesn't know how to see the right moment, for
God has put timelessness in his heart. But the Christian knows that he
goes forward to a future in God; to him change means the riches of variety
and the opportunity to see the right time and to use it well in the service
of the Kingdom.
There is a given time for everything and a time for every happening under heaven:
A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for planting, a time for uprooting.
A time for killing, a time for healing; a time for knocking down, a time for building.
A time for tears, a time for laughter; a time for mourning, a time for dancing.
A time for throwing stones, a time for gathering stones; a time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing.
A time for searching, a time for losing; a time for keeping, a time for throwing away.
A time for tearing, a time for sewing; a time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time for loving, a time for hating; a time for war, a time for peace.
What profit is there for a man from all his toils?Finally I considered the task God gave to the humans. He made everything fitting in its time, but he also set eternity in their hearts, although man is not able to embrace the work of God from the beginning to the end.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 144:1-4
Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; my rock and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues the peoples under me.
O LORD, what are human beings that you regard them, or mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath; their days are like a passing shadow.
One day when Jesus was praying alone, not far from his disciples, he asked them, "What do people say about me?" And they answered, "Some say that you are John the Baptist; others say that you are Elijah, and still others that you are one of the former prophets risen from the dead." Again Jesus asked them, "Who then do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Messiah of God."
Then Jesus spoke to them, giving them strict orders not to tell this to anyone.
And he added, "The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and put to death. Then after three days he will be raised to life."
General
Intercessions
- Lord, there is a time to pray and a time to act, Make us find the time for both, we pray.
- Lord, there is a time to think of our neighbor. Make us serve our brothers and sisters, we pray:
- Lord, there is a time to work for your kingdom. Whatever we do, make us serve that kingdom, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
This is the time, Lord our God,
to give you praise and thanks
for your gifts of life and love
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
With this bread and this wine
we offer you through him the present day,
the joys and failures of the past
and the future we can but see
in visions and dreams of hope.
We are certain of you
on account of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Birth and dying,
laughter and tears,
sickness and healing -
God, these are precious gifts
which come from your hands.
Fill all these with the life and love
and the lasting presence of him
who is our bread of life, Jesus our brother,
that every day may become
a blessed day of the Lord.
We ask you this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Blessing
There is a time for everything. There is a time for our job and our family life, for meeting friends, for resting and recreation. Yet, whatever we do, we do in the name of the Lord. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Even the gossips about Jesus reached his ears. Luke in his usual way presents Jesus in prayer (and this time he was all alone by himself) whenever something very important takes place in his life. This Jesus' knowledge about himself must have welled out from his deep communion with his Father, who had sent him for a mission. Certain about this, he now tested his disciples, who gathered around him as he prayed, about their knowledge of him. Having conveyed to Jesus what they heard people were telling about him, they responded through Peter that they thought him to be the Anointed One (Messiah) of God. The answer was correct. But evidently they had not understood it completely, as shown by their actuations later on. They wanted a Messiah according to their own terms, conditioned by their ambitions and selfish desires. Do you know Jesus from your own wellspring or only have a knowledge of him for your own convenience and purpose?
September 28 - Saturday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: INTO HUMAN HANDS
Readings: Ecl 11:9-12.8; Lk 9:43-45
Note. September 28 - Feast of ST. LORENZO RUIZ AND COMPANIONS, Martyrs - see also Celebration of Saints
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
it remains to us on occasion
a cause for wonderment
that your own Son had to suffer and die.
But of this we are sure:
that you knew what was best,
that you loved him very much,
and that he died to bring us your life and love.
Accept our thanks, Father,
and help us to keep always in mind
how dear we are to you in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Scripture Readings
1st Reading Introduction:
The author
of the Book of the Preacher is in many ways a modern man. He is a believer,
he looks for meaning in life, he seeks happiness, not wildly but in relation
to the God of the covenant, and yet life disappoints him constantly. He
asks questions: how come? He has no full answer because he lacks the perspective
of life beyond death. How to reconcile life and happiness with faith,
lack of fulfillment in life with death, which seems to end all?
Rejoice, young man, in your youth and direct well your heart when you are young; follow your desires and achieve your ambitions but recall that God will take account of all you do.
Drive sorrow from your heart and pain from your flesh, for youth and dark hair will not last.
Be mindful of your Creator when you are young, before the time of sorrow comes when you have to say, "This gives me no pleasure,"and before the sun, moon and stars withdraw their light, before the clouds gather again after the rain.
On the day when the guardians of the house tremble, when sturdy men are bowed and those at the mill stop working because they are too few, when it grows dim for those looking through the windows,
and the doors are shut and the noise of the mill grows faint, the sparrow stops chirping and the bird-song is silenced,
when one fears the slopes and to walk is frightening; yet the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is fat and the caperberry bears fruit that serves no purpose,
because man goes forward to his eternal home and mourners gather in the street, even before the silver chain is snapped or the golden globe is shattered,
before the pitcher is broken at the fountain or the wheel at the mill,
before the dust returns to the earth from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Meaningless! meaningless! the Teacher says; all is meaningless!
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 90:3-6,
12-14, 17
You turn us back to dust, and say, "Turn back, you mortals."
For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.
You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.
Turn, O LORD! How long? Have compassion on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands-- O prosper the work of our hands!
Gospel Introduction:
"They
did not understand it at all," says the gospel about the disciples,
when Jesus told them about his coming passion. Jesus speaks of himself
as the "Son of Man," the mysterious person of heavenly origin
predicted by Daniel. "He must be delivered up," for he is also
the Suffering Servant of the songs of Second Isaiah. Indeed, all this,
about one who comes from God, is a servant, and has to suffer and die,
is hard to reconcile and accept, at least from the human viewpoint. And
to be told to follow his example is difficult to take too.
Gospel
Reading: Lk 9:43-45While all were amazed at everything Jesus did, he said to his disciples, "Listen and remember what I tell you now: The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands." But the disciples didn't understand this saying; something prevented them from grasping what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
General
Intercessions
- That we may be patient and forgiving with those who hurt us, we pray:
- That by his way of the cross Jesus may lighten the burden of all who suffer, we pray:
- That we may willingly share in the sufferings of Christ by accepting the pains of renewal and the trials that are part of life, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
we celebrate in these signs
the memory of the death and rising
of your Son Jesus Christ.
Let our offering be not merely
a beautiful reminder of the past.
Give us today the mentality of Jesus,
that we too may know how to love and serve
together with your perfect servant,
the Son of Man, Jesus Christ,
our Lord for ever and ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
we are amazed at all that Jesus is doing
here in our midst.
He visits us, shares his table with us,
renews our strength.
May we pay close attention
to what he has told us and done for us
and help us to understand all this.
Take away our fear and hesitancy
to follow him on the way to Calvary
as well as on the road to glory and joy,
for we believe that all you want is
that we are happy, now and for ever.
Blessing
Jesus went about doing good. He preached a wonderful message about love. He healed many, in their bodies, in their hearts and mentalities. Yet, he would die a terrible death, denied, betrayed and crucified. How is that possible? How can we understand this? May God give you this understanding and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Notwithstanding the apostles' lack of understanding of who he really was, Jesus went on healing people as a sign of the coming of God's reign. Everyone marveled at what he was doing. But he knew that behind all this wonder loomed the resistance of those who did not accept him and his message of liberation. Thus, the somber words on his coming Passion. The sad thing is that the disciples did not understand Jesus' discourse; worse, they did not care to have it unraveled by the Master, so they didn't ask him what it was all about. Frequently, when we fear the consequences of what we ought to know, we don't want to have things explained to us so we can play safe in our discipleship. But such is not the true discipleship of Jesus.
Taken
from Liturgy
Alive for Weekdays
Copyright © 2002 by Claretian Publications
A division of Claretian Communications, Inc.
U.P. P.O. Box 4 Diliman, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel. (632) 921-3984 • Fax: (632) 921-7429
Email: cci@claret.org