We all want to see God. But in our human condition we cannot
see God’s face. The scriptures tell us to see God is to die. Why?Our ability to see and comprehend him is beyond us, would be
too much for us. While we can't see God in our human
condition, we have the promise of Jesus that we will see God in
eternity. If we live in and for him now and die in union with
him, then we will see God. Listen to the words of St Gregory of
Nyssa. “One who has seen God has, in the act of seeing, gained
all that is counted good: life without end, everlasting freedom
from decay, undying happiness, a kingdom that has no end,
lasting joy, true light, a voice to sing pleasingly in the spirit,
unapproachable glory, perpetual rejoicing, in a word, the totality
of blessings. Such is the wonderful hope held out by the
beatitudes. As we have seen, the condition for seeing God is
purity of heart.” (St. Gregory Nyssa) With the grace of God, let
us strive for this purity of heart, so that one day we may see God
face to face in all his glory and live eternally.
Today, as we honor St. Peter and St. Paul, what do we learn
from them? Through the grace of God they were transformed. What was at the heart of their transformation? Was it not God’s love for them which triggered in them a love for God in turn? Each had rough edges and deep imperfections. But God’s love refined and perfected them into the warrior apostles that touched the lives of many, even beyond their deaths. If God could do that for them, can he not do the same for us? The key is love: being immersed in that transforming grace and responding with love through our words and actions. Become great through and in love.
Men's Monthly Mass
July 1, 2017
7:30am
Bishop's House
107 Albany Dr.
Houma, La.
Bring a friend.
Fellowship afterwards.
July 1, 2017
7:30am
Bishop's House
107 Albany Dr.
Houma, La.
Bring a friend.
Fellowship afterwards.
Thirteenth Sunday Gospel Reflections A
Jesus said, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
Jesus' point is not rejection of family ties but greater loyalty to God. He is not contradicting the Fourth Commandment which states: "Honor your father and mother. It is a matter of priority. God is to be first in our life.
How hard is that to do?
and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.
This is the first time in Mathew’s Gospel that the word "cross" is mentioned by Jesus. Yet, it is central to his teaching and life. He embraced it for our sake. Why do you think he makes this statement?
Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment used by the Romans for criminals who were not Roman citizens.
What constitutes the cross in our life at this time?
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
How do you understand this statement of Jesus? Can I have real life without Jesus? For this to happen, what in my present way of living needs to be let go for that which is greater?
Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward.
In the eyes of many, even today, Jesus, a prophet and a righteous man, is looked upon as no extraordinary person. Thus, to follow him and believe in him is not that important to them. Only those who believe in him and commit their lives to him receive the reward.
What do you think this reward is?
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple--amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
What are the conditions for discipleship laid out by Jesus in this reading?
What part of this passage you find the hardest to fulfill now in your life?
Even the smallest sign of kindness, mercy, compassion and love is promised a reward by Jesus.
Recall the words of Jesus: "Whatever you do to the least, you do to me." How conscious are we of Jesus’ presence in each person, beginning with our family?
Jesus said, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
How hard is that to do?
and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment used by the Romans for criminals who were not Roman citizens.
What constitutes the cross in our life at this time?
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward.
What do you think this reward is?
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple--amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
What part of this passage you find the hardest to fulfill now in your life?
Even the smallest sign of kindness, mercy, compassion and love is promised a reward by Jesus.
Recall the words of Jesus: "Whatever you do to the least, you do to me." How conscious are we of Jesus’ presence in each person, beginning with our family?
“He who was the Son of God became the Son of man, that
man ... might become the son of God….Because of hisboundless love, Jesus became what we are that he might
make us to be what he is." Irenaeus of Lyons) Our true and primary identity is a son or daughter of God, not just
to be that of our human parents. Because of the sin of our
original ancestors, Adam and Eve, we came into the world
only as offsprings of our human parents. The Son of God
became Man so that, through his obedience to the Father,
even to death on the cross, might restore us to our true
identity. In human birth we became children of our human
parents. Through rebirth in the waters of Baptism, we
became adopted sons and daughters of Our Heavenly
parent, God. This is mystery, but one we need to respond
to by living out of our true and primary identity consciously.
“From Christ and in Christ, we have been reborn through
the Spirit in order to bear the fruit of life; not the fruit ofour old, sinful life but the fruit of a new life founded upon
our faith in him and our love for him. Like branches
growing from a vine, we now draw our life from Christ,
and we cling to his holy commandment in order to preserve
this life.” (St. Cyril of Alexandria) How conscious are we of
the life of Christ within us? How conscious are we of
growing in that life? We do many things consciously and
automatically to care for our physical life. But do we give
the same or even greater concern for the divine life within
us? Our physical life will cease one day. Our life in Christ
will continue beyond death if it is nourished and nurtured.
"Thus speaks Christ our Lord to us:
You call me Master, and obey me not;
You call me Light, and see me not;
You call me Way, and walk me not;
You call me Life, and desire me not;
You call me Wise, and follow me not;
You call me Fair, and love me not;
You call me Rich, and ask me not;
You call me Eternal, and seek me not;
You call me Gracious, and trust me not;
You call me Noble, and serve me not;
You call me Mighty and honor me not;
You call me Just, and fear me not;
If I condemn you, blame me not." (Cathedral in Lubeck, Germany) Something to reflect on. For Jesus said: "It is not the one who calls me Lord, Lord, will be saved, but the one who does the will of my Father."
You call me Master, and obey me not;
You call me Light, and see me not;
You call me Way, and walk me not;
You call me Life, and desire me not;
You call me Wise, and follow me not;
You call me Fair, and love me not;
You call me Rich, and ask me not;
You call me Eternal, and seek me not;
You call me Gracious, and trust me not;
You call me Noble, and serve me not;
You call me Mighty and honor me not;
You call me Just, and fear me not;
If I condemn you, blame me not." (Cathedral in Lubeck, Germany) Something to reflect on. For Jesus said: "It is not the one who calls me Lord, Lord, will be saved, but the one who does the will of my Father."
What is the mystery of the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Pope
Francis: “The transfigured heart of Christ is the heart ofrevelation, the heart of our faith, because he makes
himself small; he has chosen this way, that of humbling
himself, of emptying himself even to the death on the
cross. It is a choice of smallness, so that the glory of God
may be manifest.” Our devotion to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus must embrace this mystery of smallness, this
attitude of humility, otherwise our devotion may remain
pietistic. The grace flowing from his pierced heart will not
be able to transform us.
Living in the present moment is not the same as living only
for the moment. The present moment is all we have, but itis always connected to the past moment and the next
moment. However, living only for the moment separates
one from the past and the future, as if there was no past
and there is no future. It is the mentality of eat, drink and
be merry for there may not be a tomorrow. Living in the
present moment is reality. It grounds us firmly in our
journey towards the Lord. Living only for the moment is
self-focused and distracts us from our ultimate destination.
Living in the moment is a grace from God. Living for the
moment is a temptation that can lead into separation from
God. The saint lives in the former. The addict for the latter.
Choose which moment you wish to live.
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mt 9:36-10:8
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
The phrase, sheep without a shepherd, recalls several Old Testament passages that describe God's people as sheep neglected by their shepherds (I Kings 22:17; Jer. 23:1-6; Ezek. 34:1-10; Micah 5:2-4). God said that he would shepherd his people and provide true shepherds for them.
Do we share in the compassion of Jesus for those who do not yet know the full gospel message? How do we reach out to them?
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."
What are we doing to respond today to this word of Jesus?
Then he summoned his twelve disciples
The number is significant since it links the chosen disciples to the twelve tribes of Israel and indicates Jesus' authority from the Father to call all Israel into the promised kingdom.
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
They were commissioned to perform the same activities in his name that Jesus engaged in his own ministry: proclaiming the good news and curing the sick. The third aspect of Jesus’ ministry that of teaching is not conveyed to the disciples until after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The names of the twelve apostles are these:
The word "apostle" means one who is sent. Very appropriate here since Jesus is sending them to proclaim the message of the kingdom.
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
In all the lists of the apostles, Peter is always listed first to indicate that early on the faith community recognized Peter’s primacy among the twelve.
Jesus chose men from opposite ends of the spectrum: Matthew a tax collector to Simon, the zealot. In other circumstances the two could not be in each other’s company for the zealots hated the tax collectors who were Roman puppets.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
The initial missionary endeavor of the twelve was to Israel, not yet to the Gentiles, just as Jesus’ initial proclamation was to the chosen people of the covenant, primarily the towns in Galilee.
We are called by Jesus to do the same as the twelve: to proclaim the message of love and to cure. the sick in his name. What are we doing to fulfill these two aspects of our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ?
What does it mean: "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give?" How are you responding to the truth of that statement?
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Do we share in the compassion of Jesus for those who do not yet know the full gospel message? How do we reach out to them?
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."
Then he summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the twelve apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Jesus chose men from opposite ends of the spectrum: Matthew a tax collector to Simon, the zealot. In other circumstances the two could not be in each other’s company for the zealots hated the tax collectors who were Roman puppets.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
We are called by Jesus to do the same as the twelve: to proclaim the message of love and to cure. the sick in his name. What are we doing to fulfill these two aspects of our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ?
What does it mean: "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give?" How are you responding to the truth of that statement?
“Often we speak about love as if it is a feeling. But if we wait
for a feeling of love before loving, we may never learn to lovewell. The feeling of love is beautiful and life-giving, but our
loving cannot be based in that feeling. To love is to think,
speak, and act according to the spiritual knowledge that we
are infinitely loved by God and called to make that love visible in this world. Mostly we know what the loving thing to do is. When we "do" love, even if others are not able to respond with love, we will discover that our feelings catch up with our acts. (Henri Nouwen)
Jesus didn't feel the Father's love or presence while he suffered for our sake. He chose to love the Father by embracing his will. Jesus didn't feel love for us on the cross. He chose to love us despite the lack of feeling. Why do we wait for the feeling before plunging ourselves into the act of love? More often than not, in the genuinely loving act we will have a better chance to feel love. But even if there is no feeling, the act of love was worth it.
“When we call God our Father we ought also to act like sons
and daughters. If we are pleased to call him Father, let him inturn be pleased to call us sons and daughters. We should live like
the temples of God we are, so that it can be seen that God lives
in us. No act of ours should be unworthy of the spirit. Now that
we have begun to live in heaven and in spirit, all our thoughts
and actions should be heavenly and spiritual.”( St. Cyprian) This
is the ideal towards which we should strive. Reaching towards
this ideal takes discipline and conscious intentionality. Jesus
himself gave us the ideal upon which St. Cyprian’s words are
based. “Be perfected as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” This is
not an impossibility, no more so than any of the present Olympic
records cannot be reached and broken. Our vocation is to be
holy as God is holy, so that we can share in his holiness
eternally. It happens in the present moment. “Live like the
temples of God we are.”
God has given us a precious, natural gift, that of memory. We
have happy memories and painful ones. But what is the purposeof this gift? Memory enables us to remember who we are and
whose we are and, because of this, where we are going. Pope
Francis said recently: “Memory is important, because it allows
us to dwell in love, to be mindful, never forgetting who it is who
loves us and whom we are called to love in return.” We are
adopted sons and daughters of Our loving Father. We have been
redeemed and reconciled by the death of Jesus, our Lord and
Savior. We have been sanctified and anointed by the Holy Spirit,
who dwells in us as a Temple of God. Our destiny is not this
earthly life, but life eternal in the presence of God. Remember
and reflect on these truths and not the negative things of the
past. And because of these truths, God wants to do something
new in our lives. When we forget the positive memories, we fall into the darkness of the past. Allow the positive aspect of memory to be stronger than the painful aspect.
“We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing
power may be of God and not from us.” (2 Cor 4:7) What is thisearthen vessel? Our weak, human body, which is vulnerable to
sin! What is this treasure? The divine life and power of God,
which are gifts! What a mystery! When we undergo the trials
and temptations of daily life from within and from without, any
victory we may have comes from the power of God and not
from ourselves. Of ourselves we are weak and imperfect. But in
and with Christ we have the strength to overcome all struggles.
This does not happen automatically. Rather in each instance of
difficulties, we must acknowledge we are earthen vessels and
surrender ourselves into the hands and power of God for help.
There is no shame in living in this truth, only in believing that
we can fight our own battles alone. Our history has shown us the
difference between the two.
One of the hardest acts to do and to understand is the act of surrendering ourselves to embrace the will of God in a given situation. We have been told
growing up that surrender means a sign ofweakness. But when it comes to our relationship with God, surrendering is a free act on my part acknowledging the person of God, my dependency upon God and that he desires my good not my demise in this act of surrendering. In the Our Father, we proclaim that we want to embrace his greater will for us, but in our daily lives we resist. Jesus
surrendered his human desires to avoid the cross so that he could more freely embrace the will of the Father, which was our salvation. To surrender is to trust in God, to love God by embracing his plan for us in the moment and to walk more faithfully on the road of holiness. With Jesus we need to say from the heart: “Not my will but yours be done."
"And you have not received, again, a spirit of
servitude in fear, but you have received the Spirit of the adoption of sons, in whom we cry out: 'Abba, Father'! For the Spirit himself renders testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God.(Roms 8:15-16) First of all, when St. Paul speaks here of sons, he is including daughters as well. What is this Spirit of adoption? In baptism we became sons anddaughters of God and therefore we can call God, Father. God has only one naturally begotten Son, the Word. According to Roman Law, a man can legally adopt a person who then becomes his son or daughter. If this person was a slave or had any debts, these were removed. Once adopted, the person can never be cut off from the father's inheritance nor can that person be abandoned by the father. The father knows this and freely chooses to adopt. God our Father freely chose to adopt us when we were baptized, removed all our debts (sins) and gave us his eternal promise and seal, the Holy Spirit. There upon, we can call God Abba, Father,
receiving from him unconditional love and learning to love in return.
Feast of Corpus Christi Gospel Reflections A
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
In talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus in Jn 4 said he would give her living water and again in Jn 7:37 Jesus invited all those who thirst to come to him and he would give them living water. What is this living water? The gift of the Spirit. Now, he says he is the living bread.
What does "living water" do and what does "living bread" do? What is the connection between our physical needs and our spiritual needs?
He says that he is the living bread that came down from heaven. What would this remind the Jews of? The Manna in the desert; God’s providence. What is the connection between God providing for his people in the desert and God providing for us today?
We eat in order to sustain physical life. Jesus feeds us with his Body and Blood to sustain our life with God, not just for the moment but for eternity.
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?"
On first take they thought he was talking about cannibalism. Because of their dietary laws, the Jews would only eat clean "flesh" not anything considered to be unclean according to the Law. And definitely no faithful Jew would think of eating human flesh.
The fact that they quarreled among themselves indicates that some accepted this saying and others did not.
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
Anytime Jesus uses the phrase "Amen, amen," he is making a statement that is absolutely true.
Do we approach the Eucharist with this understanding?
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
Notice Jesus doesn’t try to explain what he means. If we believe in him, we will believe in his words, no matter if we don’t understand. Faith is primarily an assent to a person.
How conscious are we of the union and intimacy between Jesus and ourselves, when we receive him in Communion?
He makes himself very clear by saying "my flesh is true food….blood…true drink." It is not a symbol but the real body and blood of Jesus.
Just as the living Father sent me, and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
The great difference between the manna and the Body and Blood of Jesus is that the former fed only the body for a short period; while the later brings spiritual nourishment at the deepest level.
What is our understanding of Eucharist? What is our experience of Eucharist?
The primary focus of the Eucharist is the reception for spiritual nourishment. The secondary focus is adoration. Sometimes people reverse the intention of Jesus.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
What does "living water" do and what does "living bread" do? What is the connection between our physical needs and our spiritual needs?
He says that he is the living bread that came down from heaven. What would this remind the Jews of? The Manna in the desert; God’s providence. What is the connection between God providing for his people in the desert and God providing for us today?
We eat in order to sustain physical life. Jesus feeds us with his Body and Blood to sustain our life with God, not just for the moment but for eternity.
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?"
The fact that they quarreled among themselves indicates that some accepted this saying and others did not.
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
Do we approach the Eucharist with this understanding?
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
How conscious are we of the union and intimacy between Jesus and ourselves, when we receive him in Communion?
He makes himself very clear by saying "my flesh is true food….blood…true drink." It is not a symbol but the real body and blood of Jesus.
Just as the living Father sent me, and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."
What is our understanding of Eucharist? What is our experience of Eucharist?
"Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak." (St. Anthony of Padua) Simple advice but true wisdom! Words are words, meaningless without action backing them up. How often have we said that we would do something
but did not follow through, such as our promises to God never acted on? The promise to change a behavior pattern is just a word. Actual efforts to change put believability to our words, even if we initially fall short, but try again. In this way we are showing that we are trying to be faithful to our words.
"Just beg for me the courage and endurance not only to speak
but also to will what is right, so that I may not only be called aChristian, but prove to be one." (St. Ignatius of Antioch) As this
holy man has proclaimed, to be a Christian one must not just
talk the talk but walk the talk. Words are to flow into action.
Being a Christian is not initially of our doing, but the grace of
God, given to us in Baptism. Living as a Christian comes from
the grace of God and our cooperation with that favor. But how
many of us are Christian in name and not in fact! It is a choice
that needs to be made consciously each day and manifested each
day by our words and actions, both in our private and public life.
Then, at the end of our life, God will recognize and
acknowledge that we were a seamless Christian both in name
and in action. As Jesus himself has said: "It is not the one who
says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of God, but the one who does the will of my Father."
"The word of God is a tree of life that offers us
blessed fruit from each of its branches. It is like that rock which was struck open in the wilderness, from which all were offered spiritual drink. Be glad then that you are overwhelmed, and do not be saddenedbecause he has overcome you. A thirsty person is happy when drinking, and not depressed, because the spring is inexhaustible. You can satisfy your thirst without exhausting the spring; then when you
thirst again, you can drink from it once more." (St. Ephrem) The scriptures are given to us to nourish us and guide us on our journey to God. Reading the Word of God regularly should be as much a part of our daily routine as eating and sleeping. But not to read it as a novel or magazine. Rather, read it reflectively and prayerfully. What does that mean? Pray before, during and afterwards for understanding. Reflect on what you read. When a passage strikes you, spend time praying and reflecting on it. In other words, saver the fresh waters of this river of life.
Information:
June Mass for Men
Saturday, June 10, 2017
7:30am
Bishop's House
107 Albany Dr.
Houma, La
Bring a friend!
Fellowship afterwards.
June Mass for Men
Saturday, June 10, 2017
7:30am
Bishop's House
107 Albany Dr.
Houma, La
Bring a friend!
Fellowship afterwards.
The preponderance of God's revelation is overwhelming
when it comes to his desire to be with us at all times. Whywould the Almighty and infinite God choose to be with us
all the time? Because he loves us. From the beginning of
human existence God wanted to enhance our life through
sharing with us his own divine life. Even after sin entered
the world, God did not abandon us, but promised to be
with us and reconcile us to himself, so that we can share
in his divine life. That is why he sent his Son to redeem
and reconcile us and sent the Holy Spirit to sanctify and
anoint us for mission. Even though Jesus returned to the
Father, he reminded us that he would be with us till the
end of the ages. He also said when we live in love the
Father and he will be with us and within us. Finally, he said
the Holy Spirit, when he comes, will be with us and within
us. God chooses out of love to be with us. Should not our
response be to be consciously with God in every aspect of
our day? Living in the present moment with God makes
this a reality.
Homily Solemnity of the Holy Trinity
By spiritaflame 10:33 AM Homily
Homily
for the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity
In
our Second Reading in today’s Mass we heard: “The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of
you.” This was Paul’s way of expressing the early Church’s belief in the
revelation of the Trinity. God is One and Triune: one in being, Triune in
persons: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
There
is perfect relationship among the three persons—that relationship is love.
Their very life is this perfect love for each other which bonds them into the
oneness of the Godhead, while remaining three distinct persons. Instead of
dividing the attributes or functions of God, as Paul did for better human
understanding, he could just as easily have said: the grace, love and
fellowship of God be with you. But Paul
wanted to emphasize what distinguished Christians from Jews and Mohamadans.
Though all three profess the oneness of God, only we, as Christians, profess
the Three Persons in the One God.
What
do we understand by this prayer-wish? May all the blessings and favors given to
us by God, as a sign of his intimate and personal love for us, bring us into
union with Good and one another. All God
has done for us is done because of his love with the purpose of drawing us more
intensely into his own divine life, where in union with others, we will fine
our ultimate fulfillment.
Once
we grasp and accept this message of revelation, then our life will be
different. We will “mend our ways”, as Paul says, by putting off sin and
putting on the mind of Jesus Christ. We will “encourage and agree with one
another” by reaching out to one another. This in turn will draw us into the
bond of unity with God. There will be real peace and harmony between us. Then,
as Paul says, the God of love and peace will be with us.
In
our First Reading, we are told that God wanted us to know that the union, which
the three Persons share with one another in love, is his desire for us. God
created us in unity with him and with one another. But man and woman freely
chose to alienate themselves from God through sin (which is what we too do).
God begins the homebound journey with us. In this reading God gives Moses a
personal revelatory experience of his presence. The Lord stood with Moses and
revealed his name, “Lord” and his attributes of mercy and graciousness, slow to
anger and rich in kindness and fidelity. Moses, in turn, reflected the deep
longing within him and within each of us. He recognized the need to have a relationship
with God. “Be with us on this journey.”
In faith, we believe he is. God reveals himself to us and yet God remains a
mystery.
In
the Gospel, we are reminded that all God does is done in love. To become Man
and to come among us to save us through his death and resurrection, to
reconcile us back to himself—all was done in love. If we believe and respond to
his love, we will be saved and have eternal life. We will share in the very
life of love and unity forever. We will not be God but we will experience the
very life of God in union with him and one another.
To
believe in the mystery of the Trinity and yet not fully understand it is part of
our relationship with God.
There may be times we feel God is far from us. We pray and our prayers seem to bounce off a steel wall. We feel abandoned and forgotten, alone and forsaken, hopeless and helpless, adrift in a raging sea without rudder. These are real feelings. But the truth is equally true. God has not nor will ever abandon us no matter what. We may, like Jesus, feel a sense of absence. But even in those moments he is there watching over us, like he was when his Son was dying on the cross for our sins. As Jesus endured that sense of absence for our sake, so we, if we would embrace that feeling of abandonment, we will feel the fatherly presence of God once more.
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.
As you hear Jesus=s call to you, how have you responded and what is your response? today?
While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
Remember in the eyes of the people, especially the leaders, association with these made one ritually impure, which means unable to go the synagogue or to the Temple, until ritually cleansed. Remember in the eyes of the Pharisees, sharing a meal, especially in a public setting, implies acceptance -- even approval of the sinful life-style of the invited public sinners and tax collectors. Who are the outcasts of society today? How do you look upon them? Notice they address the disciples, not Jesus. Are they afraid of confronting Jesus directly?
He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
What do you think Jesus means by AI desire mercy, not sacrifice?@ Which is greater, a physical healing or a spiritual healing? Why?
What in the passage touched you on a deeper level?
How can you apply this Gospel passage to your daily life?
Like Matthew, does God call us into his service today? Or rather, do we, today, try to hear what God has to say to us? Are we attentive to the signs of God in our life? For it is in this way that God calls us, it is in these circumstances that we can be called by God to follow him!
"Jesus says: 'Blessed are the poor, the gentle, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for uprightness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness' (Matthew 5:3-10). These words offer us a self-portrait of Jesus. Jesus is the Blessed One. And the face of the Blessed One shows poverty, gentleness, grief, hunger, and thirst for uprightness, mercy, purity of heart, a desire to make peace, and the signs of persecution. The whole message of the Gospel is this: Become like Jesus. We have his self-portrait. When we keep that in front of our eyes, we will soon learn what it means to follow Jesus and become like him." (Henri Nouwen) We, as disciples, are called to learn from the Master how to live and what to do. The Beatitudes both reflect the person and life of Jesus as well as a way of life to be embraced by us. They are sign posts on the path to greater holiness. Jesus freely chose to live this way of life. We are called to do the same. It is a choice to die to the false self in order to become our true self in Christ.
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"Let us trust in Him who has placed this burden upon us. What we ourselves cannot bear let us bear with the help of Christ. For He is all-powerful, and He tells us: 'My yoke is easy, and my burden light.'" (St. Boniface) Trials and difficulties are part of the human
journey because of original and personal sin. Our struggles are permitted by God to purify and perfect us. We can complain, turn to anger or self-pity, or we can surrender ourselves into the hand of God. The former will only intensify the pain and bring usfurther unhappiness. The latter will give us strength from God to embrace the struggle with him. We are not alone in carrying this cross. "My yoke is easy, and my burden light."
"Since our weak minds cannot comprehend the Father or the
Son, we have been given the Holy Spirit as our intermediary andadvocate, to shed light on that hard doctrine of our faith, the
incarnation of God. We receive the Spirit of truth so that we can
know the things of God....It is the same with the human soul.
Unless it absorbs the gift of the Spirit through faith, the mind
has the ability to know God but lacks the light necessary for that
knowledge. This unique gift which is in Christ is offered in its
fullness to everyone. It is everywhere available, but it is given to
each man in proportion to his readiness to receive it. Its presence
is the fuller, the greater a man’s desire to be worthy of it. This
gift will remain with us until the end of the world, and will be
our comfort in the time of waiting. By the favors it bestows, it is
the pledge of our hope for the future, the light of our minds, and
the splendor that irradiates our understanding." (St. Hilary) Let
us invite the Holy Spirit to enlighten our mind and heart with a
greater clarity of understanding of the mysteries of God. Come,
Holy Spirit, come!
Information: June Men's Mass
By spiritaflame 10:34 AM Information
Information!
June Men's Mass
Moved from June 3, 2017 to June 10, 2017
7:30am
Bishop's House
107 Albany Dr.
Bring a friend.
June Men's Mass
Moved from June 3, 2017 to June 10, 2017
7:30am
Bishop's House
107 Albany Dr.
Bring a friend.
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He
may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the worldcannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but
you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I
will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (Jn 14:16-18)
Pentecost is the fulfillment of this promise. Today is the
continuation of that same promise. The Holy Spirit has been given
to us as a reminder of God's presence with and in us. He is our
Helper each day to the extent that we ask for his help. St Paul
reminds us that as our Helper, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us
before the Father for God's will to be done in our lives. How
attentive are we to his presence in our lives? How often do we
ask for his intercession in our daily concerns? We are not
orphans. We are in God's hands!
