Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, June 25, 2023 (EPISODE-426)

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, June 25, 2023 (EPISODE-426)

Readings for Sunday, June 25, 2023 - Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A
FIRST READING: Jer 20:10-13
Ps 69:8-10, 14+17, 33-35. "Lord, in your great love, answer me."
SECOND READING: Rom 5:12-15
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 15:26b-27a). Alleluia, alleluia! The Spirit of Truth will bear witness to me, says the Lord. And you also will be my witness.
GOSPEL: Matt 10:26-33

Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: Stock Photo ID: 2050672196.  Shout from the rooftops. Photo Contributor. Khakimullin Aleksandr
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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers, and homily), for Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, June 25, 2023, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-twelfth-sunday-in-ordinary-time-episode-426-year-a-2023  (EPISODE-426 )
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I have a saying, and I truly believe this… whenever you are doing a thing that is right and good… inevitably, someone will come along and tell you to "Stop!" - We must ignore them. Jesus looked into their hearts and saw their opposition for what it is fear and feeling threatened in the comfy world that they had made. Jesus' response to these opponents was to keep going! Our Lord is the ultimate example of this complete faithfulness. His enemies knew that there was only one way they could stop him from proclaiming and living his good news message of inclusion, justice and love… and that was to destroy him… kill him and discredit him……. But the Word of God in Jesus cannot be silenced… God's living word cannot be held in the tomb for long. God's Word, in Jesus, rose up again….. showing once and for all that the opposing forces of lies, injustice and violence… were real, but ultimately empty threats…
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Poor Jeremiah, he was only doing God's will….. and awful people were doing everything they could to close him down. Jeremiah was speaking God's message - calling for Justice, and faithfulness, repentance and obedience to God's law….. and this got him immediately offside with those who were personally benefitting from BEING unjust and selfish. So, instead of listening to his message, Because it was hard and challenging and required a mindset change…. they did what people have done throughout the generations….. they took the easiest option and tried to shoot the messenger….. Jeremiah's enemies did everything they could to abuse him, contradict him…. lie about him so that he would be discredited, laugh at him and attack him…….. the wonderful thing is…. Jeremiah just kept telling his message; he ignored the attacks and the lies…..(although it hurt him and got him down)…… and he put his faith in God and kept going……

Jesus is the ultimate example of this complete faithfulness…… his enemies knew that there was only one way they could stop him from proclaiming and living his good news message of inclusion, justice and love… and that was to destroy him… to kill him and discredit him……. But the Word of God in Jesus cannot be silenced… God's living word cannot be held in the tomb for long. God's Word, in Jesus, rose up again….. ….. showing once and for all that the opposing forces of lies, injustice and violence… were real, but ultimately empty threats…

Saints and real heroes …are people who can endure any hardship, bear any indignity, face any danger (even death)… not because they think they can't be hurt…. no…. but because they know that what they struggle for is the TRUTH… and it is RIGHT…. and it is REAL…. and that they know their souls are safe -

(and Jesus knew this perfectly…. do not be afraid of those who can harm your body…… rather fear the one who has power over your very soul).

Of course, Jesus had a right to fear physical harm… there were indeed people out there trying to kill him…… (and they eventually did kill him - for a short time - but he believed in something much bigger than physical safety in this lifetime….

Jeremiah had people trying to kill him…. he was right to be concerned

For us today, the dangers are often not physical… although occasionally, in this country.. and in other places, its more common…. there are people still risking their lives and freedom for the cause of justice and truth……

but for many of us.. the dangers we face are more subtle… often spiritual…

When we have everything that we need, then we can be wordlessly tempted to think that we do not need God. When we look at our world today, we see that the richer nations believe less…….. That surely looks like a trend.

Jesus preaches a very different Gospel. Jesus tells us that real happiness comes from belief in God, from seeking the will of the Father, from giving to others, from sharing what we have with those who do not have, from respect for marriage, from praying and from forgiving.

Jesus challenge us: What are you doing with what you have? Are you loving God and loving one another? What are you doing in your daily life? Are you seeking only your own pleasures or are you seeking the Kingdom of God?

So often, we long for material pleasures, reassurances and the delights of this world! Jesus invites us to recognise that there is another world in which other values are much more important. When one person sins, others are encouraged to sin. When one person chooses to live according to the will of God, others can begin to grasp that there is another world. Jesus had a remarkable gift of convincing others of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is God, of course, but He invites us also to share His life and share that gift of convincing others of the Kingdom of God by our manner of living.

Okay, we may not live in a world where people are trying to kill us….. but… there are so many ways of 'neutralising' a person…. the most insidious of all is forms of aggression that seem to have been perfected in this modern world….. we can destroy a person with our words….. with lies and distortions…. how easy is it to say something about another that makes others think less of them,…. killing their reputation with either outright falsehoods… or even more insidious, by subtle innuendo….. this is another way people try to remove those who threaten them…..

But Jesus assures us…. things spoken in the dark will be brought into the light…. things whispered … will be shouted from the rooftops…. I believe that the truth will often be revealed eventually…. but not denying the damage that can be done in the meantime…. in any case, Jesus, our role model… assures us not ever to be spooked by the power of lies and threats….. he showed us to keep going, keep trusting and keep living and proclaiming the truth… and that those who try to oppose.. are doing so because the truth threatens them…. but, ultimately, they will not win. (but let us make no mistake… enormous damage might be done in the meantime… so we need strength, grace and love…to persevere…

And so, … we should not be surprised that - whenever we are doing a thing that is right and good… inevitably, someone will come along and tell us to "Stop it !" –Just because someone is unhappy with what we are doing –does not mean we are doing something wrong. Perhaps the other is unhappy because the good work being done is raining on their self-focused parade. - If that happens, - we are told to stop doing something that is good and worthwhile - we must be quite clear in our mind about this… we must ignore them. This could actually be an indication that the good we are doing is having an effect, and (as Our Lord knew all too well) not everyone is happy when good things change a situation that might have been benefitting some but not others. Jesus saw their opposition for what it is…. fear and threat… and he kept going, no matter what.

May we love the Lord our God, and may the way we live to show forth clearly that the Kingdom of Heaven is in our midst, especially in the face of opposition or criticism. May we live now in such a way that gives testimony to the love of God and to life everlasting. May we have no fear! And follow the Lord.

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References:

adapted and taken from Monastery of Christ in the desert,
and

also 2008 A Book of Grace-Filled Days,and

additions by Paul Kelly).

Image Credit- Shutterstock Licensed. Stock Photo ID: Stock Photo ID: 2050672196.  Shout from the rooftops. Photo Contributor. Khakimullin Aleksandr

To listen to the Sunday Mass each week (including homily) from Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish, please visit this link: Liturgy for you at Home (by SPCP) -  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

Also found at -   https://tinyurl.com/FHLpwk

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A (Sunday, June 25, 2023) (EPISODE- 426)

The Lord be with you.
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{{Good wishes to you all. as we gather - Reflection upon God's word.}}

My friends in Christ, to worthily celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us first acknowledge our sins.
Lord Jesus, you are the image of the unseen God: Lord, have mercy.//You are the firstborn of all creation: Christ, have mercy//You are the head of the body, the Church: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Ps 69:8-10, 14+17, 33-35. "Lord, in your great love, answer me."

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 15:26b-27a). Alleluia, alleluia! The Spirit of Truth will bear witness to me, says the Lord. And you also will be my witness.
Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary II
Eucharistic Prayer III

(theme variation: 3)

The Lord be with you.

{Good wishes to you all. as we gather - Reflection upon God's word.)

(pre+post variation: v1-short)
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{thank you so much for taking this time with me to listen to God's word and for praising God for his goodness and care.}

Go in peace.(glorifying the Lord by your life)

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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to the weekly mass/homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

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Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - "Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John Kelly - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.

Microphones: - Shure MV5 Digital Condenser (USB)

Editing equipment:
NCH software - MixPad Masters v10.27. Multitrack Studio Recording Software
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.42

Sound Processing: iZotope RX 6 Audio Editor v.6.10.4320

[Production - KER - 2023]
May God bless and keep you.
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