15th June, 2008 11th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year A

15th June, 2008      11th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year A

 

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This weekend’s Gospel has a word that one could spend a lifetime reflecting upon:   it says  “At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with compassion for them // because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”

 

Compassion is at the heart of Jesus’ message of Good news.  It is a timely reminder, that being followers of Jesus means not ‘having all the answers’  or being God’s fix-it people…… but it is about joining ourselves to Christ who is the “compassion of God”.   - 

 

First and foremost, what people encountered when they met Jesus, was not a man with all the answers…..  but a man with the compassion and love of God ……  and this transformed, healed and freed them…..

 

I was reading a reflection  the other day and it was about how a man and his family struggled to cope when their sister was badly injured in an accident… he wrote:

that some of the nicest people said the worst and most unhelpful things to him at that time….   “its all God’s will and you just have to accept it.”….  “God never gives a person a cross they can’t handle” …..”God must have been trying to teach you a lesson”….     “we will only find out in heaven what she did to deserve this.”   ……. and so on…. and that was just his friends…..  

 

In the end…..   being Christian is about love…. and compassion….. not helpful advice……..   and we see, as the example of this…. time and time again…. jesus… in there…. boots and all ….. with the poor, the sick, the sinner, the outcast……    and why…..  not to make a point….  not to teach a lesson…. but because his heart broke when he saw their suffering… and he couldn’t help but be in there with his beloved…….    suffering with them…….

 

would it not be a better place if we are known (most of all) for our compassion…..  even our foolish tendency to compassion…..  beyond reason…..  

 

It reminds me that Christianity… is really not a head trip….  its not about rules, concepts and practices….. but really…… its about a person…….   its always about the person……..   firstly, the person and values of the person called Jesus…. and secondly….  (but just as important)  … the people we meet……. and he places we find each other in….

 

 

Also, our relationship with God, so close, through the invitation of Jesus….  has come about not from us meriting it or deserving it….  no, no, no…..  far from it….. if we were to get what we deserved… it would not be a pretty picture……  we have a deep and abiding relationshop with God because of God’s gratuituous…. ridiculous… and preposterously generous love…….    and so,….. our actions, values and decisions too can flow from gratuitiousness rather than self interest…….    self-interest and self-indulgence really has no place in the Christian message…..  counting the cost…..   getting our fair share….  wanting ‘our cut’   ends up making no sense when we look face to face with the compassion of Christ….. who gave witout counting the cost….. without caring what was in it for him………   Lord… let us do the same…….

 

every time we receive communion…. we are saying AMEN……  YES LORD… to the values of Jesus…  and to receiving Jesus into our hearts and lives…….   this is such a priceless treasure……    and its why we pray silently after receiving hold communion….  with thoughts like this……   ‘lord, as we receive your body and blood… may we become more and more like you, / may we love more and more  like you do, with every passing day…..  and may we never be parted from you…….  in thought… word… or deed……

 

(Ideas taken from Sharing the Word. Gustavo Gutierrez;  Preaching to the Converted, Richard Leonard,  Abbot’s homily, Monastery Christ in the Desert).

 

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extra weekday reflections:

 

Monday, June 16

 

Bottomless pockets

 

People often seek guidance about how to respond to the “spare change” people who camp out on city streets. They also want to know what to do with the mountains of solicitations they receive in the mail. Obviously, if we gave every single time we’re approached, some of us would be asking for spare change ourselves before long. But the secret truth we don’t like to acknowledge is that most of us could give far more than we do. The best advice I’ve received is: Give till it scares you. That’s the threshold where the faith walk begins.

 

Today’s readings: 1 Kings 21:1-16; Matthew 5:38-42

 

“Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

 

 

Tuesday, June 17

 

Breaking even

 

The love to which Christ calls us is not a zero-sum game. But we often treat it that way. We are polite to the coworkers who are polite to us. We send birthday gifts to those who remembered ours. Perhaps we only give that amount of affection to our spouses that we can be sure he or she will reciprocate. When we treat people according to the way they treat us, our love is a slave to the wills of others. It can never flow freely. We seek to break even in our love, when all we do is allow the other party to dictate its limits. This attitude is so contrary to the love of Christ, who loves each according to his own will, his own grace. Pray today that your love will flow through the freedom Christ has given us.

 

Today’s readings: 1 Kings 21:17-29; Matthew 5:43-48

 

“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?”

 

 

Wednesday, June 18

 

Left holding the bag—or the mantle

 

Elijah’s farewell is less about a prophet’s grand exit in an F-4 tornado and more about what remains of him. Like Elisha, the friend and disciple left behind, we may feel the absence of Jesus and overwhelmed by the task he has left us. But Elisha is left with more than memories and a ministry. He has his master’s mantle, and a “double share” of his spirit. In our turn on the planet, we, too, may feel our Master has left us on our own, but Jesus assures us that here on earth we will do the same things he did “and greater besides”—not walking on water or changing water to wine but “righteous deeds,” acts of compassion, justice, and forgiveness.

 

Today’s readings: 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

 

“As Elijah and Elisha continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.”

 

 

Thursday, June 19

Feast of Romuald, abbot

 

Note to myself: Become a saint

 

Sometimes the life of a saint can seem so far beyond our ability to model that we feel defeated before we start. How many of us have thought, “I could get close to God, too—if I didn’t have this demanding job, or these children to care for, or this household to manage. Anyone can pray in a monastery!” Saint Romuald, who spent his life in pursuit of solitude, silence, and contemplation, understands our dilemma. He wrote, “The fact that we cannot duplicate their [the saints’] lives does not change the call to us to be totally open to God in our particular circumstances.” Yes, we are busy. But God is calling us “in our particular circumstances.” How can we be open to God today?

 

Today’s readings: Sirach 48:1-14; Matthew 6:7-15

 

“In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.”

 

 

Friday, June 20

 

Eyes on the prize

 

Perhaps you have heard of a monastic discipline called “custody of the eyes,” which originally was promoted as an aid to chaste living. In our age of total media exposure and graphic representations of sex and violence, we would do well to exercise a measure of this discipline in our own lives. If the eyes are the window to the soul, there might indeed be good reasons to keep the blinds half drawn much of the time. Overexposed eyes can lead to a washed-out soul. Focus on your higher calling and exercise discipline as to where you let your eye wander, for there your heart may soon follow.

 

Today’s readings: 2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20; Matthew 6:19-23

 

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

 

 

Saturday, June 21

 

As you sow, so shall you reap

 

“If we are rushed for time, sow time and we will reap time,” Dorothy Day wrote in her memoir The Long Loneliness. “Go to church and spend a quiet hour in prayer. You will have more time than ever and your work will get done. Sow time with the poor. Sit and listen to them, give your time lavishly. You will reap time a hundredfold. Sow kindness and you will reap kindness. Sow love, you will reap love.” How many of us would try to cope with our busy schedules by actually taking time for something not on our to-do lists? Yet if we trust, God will multiply the time we invest in prayer, love, and generosity into a great harvest.

 

Today’s readings: 2 Chronicles 24:17-25; Matthew 6:24-34

 

“Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

 

 

 

 

 

©2008 by TrueQuest Communications, L.L.C. Phone: 800-942-2811; e-mail: mail@takefiveforfaith.com; website: www.TakeFiveForFaith.com. Licensed for noncommercial use. All rights reserved. Scripture quotes come from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

 

 

 

Contributors: Father Paul Boudreau, Alice Camille, Daniel Grippo, Father Larry Janowski, Ann O’Connor, Sean Reynolds, Joel Schorn, and Patrice J. Tuohy

 

 

Sunday and Weekday thoughts reflections inspired by the Scriptures of the day.

Hi AGAIN EVERYONE. HERE ARE SOME REFLECTIONS FOR THIS COMING SUNDAY AND THE WEEKDAYS OF THE COMING WEEK.  GOD BLESS.

 

FR. PAUL.

 

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Shavuot begins at sunset

No wrapping required

What do you give to someone who has everything? Gift-giving can be a stressful if the receiver doesn't want for anything. When it comes to God, maker of everything, the problem is compounded. Burnt offerings are out of fashion. Does God get bored with expressions of praise? Jesus recalls that Hosea said God wants love and understanding, just as we do. To this end the Jewish community will hold all-night Bible studies on Shavuot, remembering how Moses taught them the mind of God. We, too, grow closer to God by reading what's on the divine mind.

Today's readings: Hosea 6:3-6; Romans 4:18-25; Matthew 9:9-13

"For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

 

Monday, June 9

Feast of Ephrem, deacon, doctor

Verses versus heresy

Born into a city of influential Gnostic sects and an educated Jewish population, Ephrem the Syrian (306-373) apparently had little opportunity to promote the orthodoxy of the recently formed Nicene Creed in his homeland. But the gift that he had been given, which no one could deny, was a proficiency in verse. Ephrem schooled himself in the meters and hymn-forms popular around him and adopted them to promote the Nicene message. Saint Ephrem's hymns were so skillfully crafted that they gained renown not only in his own city but in many hymn traditions, subsequently spreading the church's doctrine. What earthly gifts have you been given that you can use to spread the gospel?

Today's readings: 1 Kings 17:1-6; Matthew 5:1-12

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

 

Tuesday, June 10

Jump to it

Today's reading from 1 Kings offers a vivid example of the risk involved in trusting God when the evidence may be scant. How many of us, during a time of drought and famine, would have sufficient trust in God to offer a stranger our last morsel of food, solely based on the promise that if we did so, God would provide for our own needs? It takes a good amount of "salt," as today's gospel puts it, to take that kind of leap of faith. The woman in 1 Kings had the salt. How about us?

Today's readings: 1 Kings 17:7-16; Matthew 5:13-16

"The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth."

 

Wednesday, June 11

Feast of Barnabas, apostle

Help is on the way

Saint Barnabas earned his name—which means "son of encouragement"—because of his work for the early Christian community, taking the recent convert Saint Paul under his wing, representing the original apostles at Antioch, and with Paul going on missions to the Gentiles. Barnabas was willing to do his part, whether leading or supporting others. How can you be a daughter or son of encouragement today?

Today's readings: Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3; Matthew 5:17-19

"Barnabas . . . was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith."

 

Thursday, June 12

A show of strength

According to the folks at forgiveness.com, 94 percent of people surveyed in an overseas Gallup poll said it was important to forgive. But in the same survey only 48 percent said they usually tried to forgive others. What's holding us back? The benefits (better physical and mental health) are well-documented, yet somehow we see forgiveness as a sign of weakness—a victory for those who have offended or abused us. In fact, the opposite is true: Forgiveness is a sign of strength. It is how you show your enemies you are not defeated. As Oscar Wilde wisely advised: Always forgive your enemies—nothing annoys them so much! Forgiveness is possible—and for Jesus, it is more important than showing up to church with cash in hand.

Today's readings: 1 Kings 18:41-46; Matthew 5:20-26

"First be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift."

 

Friday, June 13

Hearing a who

The prophet Elijah had a lot on his plate. Defending the one true God, battling kings and even other prophets, and going through quite a bit of hardship on the process. And when he went to talk with God on God's own mountain, conditions were not calm. The wind blew strong enough to split rocks. Then an earthquake rolled the ground. Oh, and there was fire, too—did we mention that? But God was not "in" the wind, the quake, or the fire. Rather God was in a "tiny whispering sound." That was what awed Elijah and led him to cover his face. Sometimes the voice of God isn't found in spectacular special effects but in the smallest, quietest way. Can you hear it?

Today's readings: 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-16; Matthew 5:27-32

"After the fire was a sound of sheer silence."

 
Saturday, June 14
Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Promises, promises

Jesus can be devastatingly clear, maddeningly simple. In our culture, supporting one's word of honor with an oath generally happens only in a courtroom and in bad gangster movies in which hoodlums regularly swear on their "mother's grave." Jesus envisions a spirit so clear and guileless that oaths are unnecessary, and not even the notion of equivocation is entertained. Mary is a model of one who when she said Yes, meant Yes. As a mother she likely taught Jesus the same simple honesty. Following through on what we've promised to God in baptism reflects not only good character but a heart open to the scrutiny of anyone, even the clear light of the Holy Spirit.

Today's readings: 1 Kings 19:19-21; Matthew 5:33-37

"Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one."

 

 

©2008 by TrueQuest Communications, L.L.C. Phone: 800-942-2811; e-mail: mail@takefiveforfaith.com; website: www.TakeFiveForFaith.com. Licensed for noncommercial use. All rights reserved. Scripture quotes come from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

 
Contributors: Father Paul Boudreau, Alice Camille, Daniel Grippo, Father Larry Janowski, Ann O'Connor, Sean Reynolds, Joel Schorn, and Patrice J. Tuohy

 

Scripture reflections for this Sunday and the coming weekdays

Sunday, June 1, 2008
Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Words indeed

To do something well, it helps to believe in what you're doing. To think what you're doing is meaningful usually contributes to doing it better. The other side of the coin is acting on what you believe—making what is paramount in your life the centre of your actions. This way of going about things applies to the most important task of all, living our faith. If we truly and utterly believe in what we do, and do we believe, we will be on the most solid of ground.

Today's readings: Deuteronomy 11:18, 26-28, 32; Romans 3:21-25, 28; Matthew 7:21-27

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."

 
Monday, June 2
Feast of Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs

Built with living stones

As we sit on in peaceful church buildings in relatively peaceful areas, it's challenging to imagine that faith in Jesus was ever a life-threatening decision. But for the first several centuries, Christianity was both a creed and a death sentence to those who embraced it. So Marcellinus the priest and Peter the exorcist went to their deaths in the year 304 in Rome. Poems were written about them; their relics were preserved; miracles were reported concerning them; and a church was built over their catacombs. The church we belong to today was built with living stones. Let us be inspired by and share their boldness and their witness!

Today's readings: 2 Peter 1:2-7; Mark 12:1-12

"'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.'"

 
Tuesday, June 3
Feast of Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs

Just say no

People in power have been known to overstep their bounds and ask for more than is their rightful due. Such demands rarely turn out well—at least in the short run—for anyone who refuses the unfair request. Case in point: Charles Lwanga and hundreds of other Ugandan teens who were tortured and executed in the 19th century after their chieftain grew jealous of their devotion to Christianity and ordered them to denounce their faith. As the young men burned in a massive pyre, their torturers were assured of their victims' deaths only when the martyrs were heard to stop praying (because they had died). little did their torturers realise that their prayers never actually ended, having been taken up again in the next life. Let us pray for the spiritual gifts of fortitude and piety for times when we may be asked to do something we know would mean giving to others what is rightfully ours —and God's.

Today's readings: 2 Peter 3:12-15a, 17-18; Mark 12:13-17

"Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."

 
Wednesday, June 4

Imposition of hands

As the early church began the transition from its first generation into the next, the apostles took great care that the "sound words" and actions of the faith would remain continuous and unified. We see this concern for unity in the pastoral letters written in the name of Saint Paul. Paul tells Timothy that his obligation to the true teachings of Christ as well as the grace of God to speak them is the result of the "imposition of my hands." This special gift of authority, which is given sacramentally by God through the earthly imposition of hands, serves as a guarantee of unity through the successive generations. Authority is not, then, a gift one can give to oneself. Consider all the impositions of hands that have come down through the centuries.

Today's readings: 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12; Mark 12:18-27

"God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline."

 
Thursday, June 5
Feast of Boniface, bishop, martyr

Don't miss God's bus

Have you ever just missed catching a bus? You don't have to miss it by much. It gives you an idea of what Jesus meant when he said a scribe was "not far" from the kingdom of God. Imagine yourself ending up "not far" from God's kingdom. It would be like missing a bus by just a few seconds. In this case, a miss is as good as a mile. Making the kingdom is more than knowing the Bible and getting religion right. It's knowing Christ and living in his love. Saint Boniface sacrificed everything for the sake of the kingdom. What will you sacrifice today?

Today's readings: 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Mark 12:28-34

"When Jesus saw that (he) answered with understanding, he said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' "

 
Friday, June 6

Like it says in the Bible

While all scripture may be useful for teaching, correction, and training, scripture can also be abused if used as a collection of proof-text arrows to aim at whomever one's antagonist might be. Witness justifying slavery with Exodus 21:20-21, or Leviticus 18:22 to support homophobia. One who merely tosses quotations about has not looked beneath the word surface but uses select (and sometimes mistranslated) texts to justify a prevailing prejudice. Timothy encourages the use of scripture to equip us "for every good work," not for attack. Our culture is accustomed to headlines and sound bites, but a serious faith requires us to constantly deepen our understanding of both God and our world. We did not learn everything we need to know about our faith in the first years of our schooling, rather it is a lifelong journey..

Today's readings: 2 Timothy 3:10-17; Mark 12:35-37

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful . . . so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

 
Saturday, June 7

How to make a fortune with a coin.

Alchemy was an ancient practice, part science and part philosophy, which aimed to create gold from lesser metals, discover a universal cure for disease, and, while they were at it, indefinitely prolong life. The fact that it didn't work never prevented anyone from attempting it. But there is a spiritual alchemy that gains an eternal kingdom for the price of a coin. The widow in the gospel story practiced transformation successfully, according to Jesus. Mary of Nazareth gained the same kingdom at the price of her "yes." Want a kingdom? One word is all it takes. YES.

Today's readings: 2 Timothy 4:1-8; Mark 12:38-44

"A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny."

 

 

 ©2008 by TrueQuest Communications, L.L.C. Phone: 800-942-2811; e-mail: mail@takefiveforfaith.com; website: www.TakeFiveForFaith.com. Licensed for noncommercial use. All rights reserved. Scripture quotes come from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

 

25th May, 2008. Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Hi everyone, please find some daily reflections for this weekend and the weekdays too.

 

God bless,

 

Fr Paul.

 

"Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus." (Blessed teresa of calcutta). these words can apply to everyone. Whatever you do, put love for Jesus, and others, at the heart, and you will be truly living a vocation and a calling.

 

 

 

Sunday, May 25, 2008
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Enjoy a full-bodied feast

The addition of today's feast to the church calendar was primarily the result of the work of 13th-century Augustinian nun Juliana of Liège. She worked in her convent's hospital nursing the sick. During this time she became aware that there was no feast for the Holy Sacrament. She persuaded Saint Thomas Aquinas to compose a special prayer to honor the Blessed Sacrament, and in 1264 Pope Urban IV made Corpus Christi a feast day. Today is a fitting day to ponder what it might mean for us to give ourselves "body and soul" to the Good News, as Jesus did.

Today's readings: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58

"The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?"

 
Monday, May 26
Feast of Philip Neri, priest

Conversion by any means

Though God is only and ever one and unchangeable, curiously there are a wide variety of ways by which people may come to God. Few understood this better than Saint Phillip Neri (1515-1595). Known for his unpredictability, Phillip took vastly different approaches to bringing people to a conversion. Once when a man came to his Oratory prayer meeting for the sole purpose of mocking it, Phillip refused to let him be thrown out or reproached. Eventually this man, seeing such patience, became a Dominican. In quite another example, when Phillip encountered a sinner who refused to listen to him or to repent, Phillip seized the man at the neck and threw him to the ground. The startled man pretty quickly consented to repentance! Consider how your small attempts at evangelization might be tailored to each individual.

Today's readings: 1 Peter 1:3-9; Mark 10:17-27

"Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

 
Tuesday, May 27
Feast of Augustine of Canterbury, bishop

A mission of love

In the sixth century Pope Gregory I sent Saint Augustine and 40 other Benedictine monks on a daunting journey to bring the gospel to England. At that time the only missionaries in the West had been monks in Ireland, and Rome had lost touch with the Celtic church. As a missionary, Augustine was sensitive to cultural differences and sought not to coerce the English with the Good News but show them it was for their good, telling the king, Ethelbert, "Do not see us as coming to force upon an unknown people benefits against their will. Be assured that only a great love constrains us to do this." In witnessing to what we believe, we should start with where people are at, not where we want them to be, and try to show them the way of faith will enrich their lives.

Today's readings: 1 Peter 1:10-16; Mark 10:28-31

"For it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.' "

 
Wednesday, May 28

First serve

All throughout history there have been truths that, once discovered and accepted, have changed everything. That the earth is round is one such truth; that the sun is the center of our solar system is another. The revolution in thought that followed these discoveries is hard to overstate. The same applies to spiritual truths: Once they are known and accepted, the unwieldy, disconnected pieces of our lives tend to fall into place and everything changes for the better.

      Jesus' statement, "I came not to be served, but to serve," is one such radical, spiritual truth. If we lived our lives from this perspective, conflicts would be transcended and wisdom and compassion would prevail. Just for today, can I approach every task and every person with this attitude in mind?

Today's readings: 1 Peter 1:18-25; Mark 10:32-45

"For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve."

 
Thursday, May 29

Call forwarding

Mother Teresa—now Blessed Teresa of Calcutta—had a way of packing a lot of insight into statements that on the surface seemed pretty elementary. Take for example the way she described the Missionaries of Charity, the order she founded to care for the destitute dying and other "unwanted" persons: "Many people mistake our work for our vocation," she said. "Our vocation is the love of Jesus." Her words can apply to everyone. Whatever you do, put love for Jesus, and others, at the heart, and you will be truly living a vocation and a calling.

Today's readings: 1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12; Mark 10:46-52

"And they called to the blind man, 'Take heart; get up, he is calling you.' "

 
Friday, May 30
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Listen to the beating of Love

The 13th-century mystic Saint Gertrude received a vision of John the Evangelist. Her first question to him concerned the night of the Last Supper when the disciple rested his head on Jesus' chest. She wondered, had he heard Christ's heart beating, and if so, why he had not revealed that to us. But John replied he had withheld this intimate revelation until a time when the world had grown cold.

      Meditate on this intimacy, laying your head on the chest of Jesus and feeling his sacred heart beat for you, as sure and constant as the rising and setting sun. As long as it beats, it remains, as the Litany of the Sacred Heart tells us, patient and rich and mercy, the desire of the everlasting hills.

Today's readings: Deuteronomy 7:6-11; 1 John 4:7-16; Matthew 11:25-30

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

 
Saturday, May 31
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Let it begin with me

So many events in the Bible would never have occurred if humans had not believed enough to act in spite of their doubts and fears. In story after story we read that people are essential to carrying out God's plan for humanity. From Abraham and Sarah to Mary and Elizabeth, and continuing right down through the centuries to the present day, God inspires us to speak that courageous word, to offer that consoling message, to say "yes" to what we are asked to do.           

      You are God's hands and ears and mouth. The next time you feel the prompting of the spirit of God, ask yourself, "If not me, then who? If not now, when?"

Today's readings: Zephaniah 3:14-18a or Romans 12:9-16; Luke 1:39-56

"Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

 

 

 
©2008 by TrueQuest Communications, L.L.C. Phone: 800-942-2811; e-mail: mail@takefiveforfaith.com; website: www.TakeFiveForFaith.com. Licensed for noncommercial use. All rights reserved. Scripture quotes come from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

 
Contributors: Father Paul Boudreau, Alice Camille, Daniel Grippo, Father Larry Janowski, Ann O'Connor, Sean Reynolds, Joel Schorn, and Patrice J. Tuohy

The Ascension of Our Lord, Year A

4th May, 2008      The Ascension of Our Lord, Year A

 

P Save a tree. Don't print this e-mail unless it's really necessary

 

The Gospel this weekend is the passage at the very conclusion of Matthew’s Gospel….. it is one of the most beautiful, reassuring and powerful Gospel passages.

 

I have read this section many times but you know I had never noticed something that is really interesting about this gospel….//  what’s missing????.......     on this feast of the Ascension…..  which features THIS Gospel of Matthew…. the thing that is missing is that it actually doesn’t mention Jesus’ ascension. It ends rather with the wonderful words….  ‘know, I am with you always…. until the end of time…” ……  It is assumed that the ascension follows, because of similar sections in the other Gospels and also in “The Acts of the Apostles” and from The letter to the Ephesians…..  but Matthew’s gospel is making a very strong point here.. and that is: Jesus never really leaves us….// He continues to be present with us and to us who are his disciples….. //  Jesus effectively never goes away, (according to the point Matthew’s Gospel is trying to emphasise).  Sure, he returns to his Father in Heaven,; Yes he ascends to Heaven …… He becomes Lord of all heaven and earth…… //  True… he does later send the Holy Spirit to his disciples…..  but the bottom line is that Jesus continues to be very much WITH US….//. and his ascension, and the sending of the Spirit only serve to make him evern closer to us than before….  in ways so deep that they go beyond appearances.  

 

 How reassuring it is to us to trust that Jesus is as much WITH US now as he was with his disciples all those many years ago……..  //   

 

We are called to go and make disciples of all nations because we recognize that our Lord Jesus is with us until the end of the age;

It is not as though somehow we are workers for the Lord.  Rather it is the Lord who works through us.  Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promises the power of the Holy Spirit at work with us. // so we are commissioned to be like “Jesus in the world,” Jesus for one another, Jesus interceding for all

We need to serve the Lord in one another.  We need to witness to the presence of the Lord Jesus to others .  We need to use our energies for the Kingdom and for the glory of God.

 

The readings this weekend repeatedly state that “ALL POWER, ALL AUTHORITY… ALL DOMINION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO JESUS CHRIST…. AND IS HIS….”….   Jesus also promises to give us this same power and authority….   to all who are his disciples……  

 

I am fascinated by this concept of POWER and SOVEREIGNTY…… 

 

when we speak of power… a lot of thoughts come to mind about the meaning of it…… the definition can mean everything from an ability to do or act a certain  way…….a physical or moral capability of doing or effecting something…. it can also speak of physical strength or force or the ability to control or command ….as well as influence…..

 

If someone came to town this weekend and said… I am about to bestow on you true POWER and DOMINION…. I will give you POWER over all the world…… I reckon most people would consider that this would mean the ability to control, to will……to direct, and to force….  to overwhelm….  no wonder there are so many fantasy movies around that show power as an ability to override the willpower and EFFECT results according to the willpower of the person commanding…..    any many wars and battles have been fought over attaining that kind of control and power….. 

 

what is the meaning of Jesus words…. in what way does he really have power…. and what kind of power is Jesus promising to pour down upon us with the coming of the Spirit…..??

 

A person who dominates is powerful in a sense….   but one who frees is greater……..

A person who controls people or events by their own could very well be described as ‘powerful’  but one who gives true freedom…… is greater still… 

 

a person who rules by force and threat exerts enormous power….. but the one who leads by persuasion and truth… is devastatingly more powerful…… 

 

One who does not resort to violence in order to acieve the results one demands is greater than those who wish to hammer and force the world into a mould of their own choosing….. 

 

This is still difficult to comprehend….   but it is God’s way….  

 

true power, true authority, true leadership is this:

 

LOVE, vulnerability, release, freedom, persuasion, a heart so open that is can suffer…..     

 

 

  A person who is truly free…. who knows that they have the authority that comes from truth….. this person is devastatingly powerful…..   a person who refuses to bow to threats or force and does not even fear the loss of their own life, because they believe in the absoluteness of the truth of things…… that is bigger than themselves and bigger than threats and violence….    such a person cannot be controlled… they are powerful…. 

 

There have been many kings and queens… great and terrible rulers throughout history…….    But none of them have had a more profound and lasting impact on the world and history than one solitary life…..   a carpenter’s son… wo rejected violence and took the path of love and suffering….. who was not defeated even by a sham trial and a criminals death, but rose up even more powerful than ever….   and won the whole world………     

 

the roman empire which was in “POWER” at the time of Jesus is now a pile of ruins in the middle of Rome….   but Jesus message is stronger and more powerful than ever…..   and yet…   the standard definitions of power still distort and influence so many people’s opinions and beliefs….   false power has to resort to the lie of violence and fear in order to be effective….  but when true power and real authority faces it, it so often is shown to be a a sham…….   Jesus give us the power to liberate, the power to build up and not to tear down, the power to forgive rather than to avenge…. the power to heal rather than wound…..  the power to ‘empower’ others, rather than to render others powerless…..  //    sure,… this power is so different…  we hesitate and we doubt… the gospel said that so did the apostles even as they worshipped Jesus on the mount… but this is sure…   Jesus invites us to share in THIS power…and to continue his work…. for he is with us…. let us trust in him… and follow him……