Tuesday, July 02, 2019

Catholic 743: Fourteenth Sunday of the Year C - Sunday, July 7, 2019

Catholic 743: Homily Fourteenth Sunday of the Year C  - Sunday, July 7, 2019

First reading Isaiah 66:10-14.
Responsorial Psalm 65:1-7,16,20. "Let all the earth cry out to God with joy."
Second reading. Galatians 6:14-18.
Gospel. Luke 10:1-12,17-20.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-holding-three-heavy-suitcases-hand-492066481?src=eK-qq-PWXgVV0jCmTr8soA-1-15&studio=1 Stock photo ID: 492066481. Man holding three heavy suitcases in hand. Travel light. – Image. Licensed by Shutterstock.

++++
Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers, and reflections for the Fourteenth Sunday of the Year C  - Sunday, July 7, 2019, by clicking this link here:   https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/14c-faith-hope-and-love-ep-165/s-mv2Xm  (EPISODE: 165)
+++++
The gospel this weekend shows Our Lord teaching his disciples to "travel lightly."  If we avoid being overly attached to material possessions and if we are not enmeshed with "power and authority," we can successfully proclaim and witness to true peace, justice and the values of God's Kingdom. 

Our Lord knew intuitively that people who are attached to possessions, personal comfort and power will be more tempted to water-down the gospel message and tone down the values of the Kingdom for fear of the economic and social consequences of offending the status-quo or upsetting the influential.

If I value my possessions too much, I will hesitate to proclaim the gospel boldly for fear of forfeiting my valuables when persecuted for my stance.  If I value power, I will not be keen to humble myself to the level of a servant, as Christ did.  If I value my life too much, the truth and the justice of the gospel will be silenced by the merest threat to life, liberty or well-being by those who hate this message.

There is certainly something free-ing and light about 'travelling lightly'.  

Our Lord really knew what he was talking about.  Jesus wants us to travel light,  (Not just in regards possessions, but also other spiritual and emotional baggage that we can tend to get bogged down with).  

I find the second reading by Saint Paul a bit mysterious.  Paul was writing a very important message to the people of Galatia.  There were tensions in the community,  and Paul's letter is a passionate, loving and sometimes stern masterpiece of writing…  to get across the message of the gospel to the arguing people.  Saint Paul tells people that they shouldn't get bogged down on focusing on external signs of religiousness unless one keeps the meaning of the gospel. He is so passionate he even says at the end of it.  See!…  look!  It is my own handwriting.. See the big letters….… 
(I am so old and hard of sight now. But I am so moved by this issue, I am scribbling this down myself….in my own hand.. I have taken the writing implement from my usual scribe…)….he then goes on to reminds them, and us, that some people wear the signs of faith but don't live it….  They wear the signs of membership of God's people in the Jewish faith, but only to avoid being persecuted by the Romans for being Christian. He says,  enough of this. No more trouble on this topic…  look.. the cross of Christ shows us the meaning of true discipleship… if you want signs.. look at the signs on my body, says Paul, of what I have suffered for proclaiming the gospel….    He had been through shipwreck, imprisonment, floggings, stoning, starvation, and so much more…  

Finally, in the gospel, the seventy-two disciples come back successful.  They are delighted that the spirits deferred to them. But Jesus seems to warn them…   don't give in to pride and don't gloat over your power…   our achievements are all about God's grace…  Jesus says a strange comment here…  he says, I saw Satan fall from heaven.   He may be saying, watch out..  one of the angels fell from heaven because of pride… don't fall for that yourselves.. it is not about you and your power and ability, it is about allowing God's grace and peace to work in and through you…  it needs humility, openness and also not going around looking at what I can get out of this or that situation… 

Only by this humility, simplicity, and openness to serve and travel lightly, can be more fully allow God's grace to work in us, as instruments in the hand of the Divine Artist.     

+++++
References:

THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE. GOSPEL OF LUKE. (REVISED EDITION). BY WILLIAM BARCLAY.

Sharing the Word through the Liturgical Year: (1997). Gustavo Gutierrez

Fr Paul W Kelly

Also Prologue:  (scripture scholar William Barclay, as cited above ):    
"the first disciples are sent out on their first missionary assignment as raw recruits, with little to help them, but the lessons they learn here will be greatly needed later,.  Whatever we seek to achieve in Jesus' name, we are indeed doing it in the name of Jesus...  not in our own names or by our own powers of talents....// .We are given the assistance that we need.  Jesus reminds us that the crucial factor is not that we are personally powerful or that we are successful.  What really matters is that we are doing the will of God, in Jesus' name, and it is this which is the reason for our ultimate salvation."

Photographic item: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-holding-three-heavy-suitcases-hand-492066481?src=eK-qq-PWXgVV0jCmTr8soA-1-15&studio=1
Stock Photo ID: 492066481. Man holding three heavy suitcases in hand. Travel light. – Image. Licensed by Shutterstock.
++++++
Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: 
paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: 
https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address:
paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love,  A time of Christian worship and reflection"  - Led by Rev Paul W. Kelly
Texts used in this program are for the purposes of worship and prayer for listeners wherever you are.
Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy.
Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989,  by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same.
 [{selected psalms } - ***Psalm verses are (also) taken from "The Psalms: A New Translation" ©1963, The Grail (England), published by Collins.. **]

Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg's 1993 book " Together we pray". Published in Sydney Australia By  E.J. Dwyer. (out of print).

{ "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -published 2011,  Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski 
Featuring the….Gloria, The Creed, The Kyrie, The Mass parts, Psalms:  
http://www.ccwatershed.org/chabanel/  ]]] ] COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/  

"Faith, Hope and Love" theme Hymn:   Words, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, set to original music © 1996 by Paul W. Kelly.

For more details please visit http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au/
Contact us at
paulwkelly68@gmail.com
Production by Kelly Enterprises Resources. 

May God bless and keep you.

Fourteenth Sunday of the Year C
(
Sunday, July 7, 2019)

(EPISODE: 165 )

The Lord be with you.
+++++++++++++
{{May Our Lord's Fidelity strengthen you.}}

My brothers and sisters, trusting in Gods mercy and love let us call to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you call your people to turn away from sin: Lord, have mercy//You teach us wisdom, and write your truth in our inmost heart: Christ, have mercy//You forgive sins through the ministry of reconciliation: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++

Memorial Acclamation

2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sundays Ordinary IV

Eucharistic Prayer I

Communion side.  pwk: 
RH
++++
{
I pray this week brings you an ever deeper experience of his compassion and love. }

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

No comments: