Archive for July 20, 2019

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted: July 20, 2019 by CatholicJules in Sunday Reflections
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Waiting On the Lord: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings:

Genesis 18:1–10
Psalm 15:2–5
Colossians 1:24–28
Luke 10:38–42

God wants to dwell with each of us personally, intimately—as the mysterious guests once visited Abraham’s tent, as Jesus once entered the home of Mary and Martha.

By his hospitality in this week’s First Reading, Abraham shows us how we are to welcome the Lord into our lives. His selfless service of his divine guests (see Hebrews 13:1) stands in contrast to the portrait of Martha drawn in this week’s Gospel.

Where Abraham is concerned only for the well-being of his guests, Martha speaks only of herself—“Do you not care that my sister has left me by myself? . . . Tell her to help me.” Jesus’ gentle rebuke reminds us that we risk missing the divine in the mundane, that we can fall into the trap of believing that God somehow needs to be served by human hands (see Acts 17:25).

Our Lord comes to us not to be served but to serve (see Matthew 20:28). He gave His life that we might know the one thing we need, the “better part,” which is life in the fellowship of God.

Jesus is the true Son promised today by Abraham’s visitors (see Matthew 1:1). In Him, God has made an everlasting covenant for all time, made us blessed descendants of Abraham (see Genesis
17:19, 21; Romans 4:16–17, 19–21).

The Church now offers us this covenant, bringing to completion the word of God, the promise of His plan of salvation, what Paul calls “the mystery hidden for ages.”

As once He came to Abraham, Mary, and Martha, Christ now comes to each of us in Word and Sacrament. As we sing in this week’s Psalm: He will make His dwelling with those who keep His Word
and practice justice (see also John 14:23).

If we do these things we will not be anxious or disturbed, will not have our Lord taken from us. We will wait on the Lord, who told Abraham and tells each of us: “I will surely return to you.”

On Faith

Posted: July 20, 2019 by CatholicJules in Life's Journeys, Memory Book
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On Today’s Gospel

Posted: July 20, 2019 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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For most of us, we will never experience or quite understand an Exodus. A massive one at that! The closest thing, would be perhaps a desparture from a cruse ship to go home. It is certainly a logistical nightmare when done for the very first time. So now perhaps we can begin to appreciate a little how it was truly the mighty hand of God which led His people out of slavery into the promised land. How He the Lord kept Vigil over His flock who were in pursuit by the Egyptian army that very night. Such is His love for us all.

Today many of us behave the same way as the folks who fled the yoke of slavery into new life. Perhaps our hearts are stubborn from years and years of captivity knowing only a certain way of life. We are accustomed and find it difficult to be free completely. These are the habitual sins in our lives! Jesus had come and is patiently waiting for us to turn back to Him completely. So He can touch us with His ever so gentle touch of grace and lead us into new life with Him free from all sin. This is the love of our God who is the hope of all nations.

Lead me Lord my Shepherd into Your Heavenly fold. Amen

First reading

Exodus 12:37-42 ·
The sons of Israel leave Egypt hurriedly by night

The sons of Israel left Rameses for Succoth, about six hundred thousand on the march – all men – not counting their families. People of various sorts joined them in great numbers; there were flocks, too, and herds in immense droves. They baked cakes with the dough which they had brought from Egypt, unleavened because the dough was not leavened; they had been driven out of Egypt, with no time for dallying, and had not provided themselves with food for the journey. The time that the sons of Israel had spent in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And on the very day the four hundred and thirty years ended, all the array of the Lord left the land of Egypt. The night, when the Lord kept vigil to bring them out of the land of Egypt, must be kept as a vigil in honour of the Lord for all their generations.

Gospel

Matthew 12:14-21
He cured them all but warned them not to make him known

The Pharisees went out and began to plot against Jesus, discussing how to destroy him.
Jesus knew this and withdrew from the district. Many followed him and he cured them all, but warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah:

Here is my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, the favourite of my soul.
I will endow him with my spirit, and he will proclaim the true faith to the nations.
He will not brawl or shout,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
He will not break the crushed reed, nor put out the smouldering wick till he has led the truth to victory:in his name the nations will put their hope.