Archive for August 10, 2024

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time with Dr Scott Hahn

Posted: August 10, 2024 by CatholicJules in Sunday Reflections
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19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kings 19:4-8
Psalm 34:2-9
Ephesians 4:30-5:2
John 6:41-51


Take and Eat

Sometimes we feel like Elijah in today’s First Reading. We want to lie down and die, keenly aware of our failures—that we seem to be getting no better at doing what God wants of us.

We can be tempted to despair, as the prophet was on his forty-day journey in the desert. We can be tempted to “murmur” against God, as the Israelites did during their forty years in the desert (see Exodus 16:2, 7, 8; 1 Corinthians 10:10).

The Gospel today uses the same word, “murmur,” to describe the crowds, who reenact Israel’s hardheartedness in the desert.

Jesus tells them that prophecies are being fulfilled in him, that they are being taught by God. But they can’t believe it. They can only see his flesh, that he is the “son” of Joseph and Mary.

Yet if we believe, if we seek him in our distress, he will deliver us from our fears, as we sing in today’s Psalm.

At the altar in every Eucharist, the angel of the Lord, the Lord himself (see Exodus 3:1–2), touches us. He commands us to take and eat his Flesh given for the life of the world (see Matthew 26:26).

This taste of the heavenly gift (see Hebrews 6:4–5) comes to us with a renewed command—to get up and continue on the journey we began in Baptism to the mountain of God, the kingdom of heaven. He will give us the bread of life, the strength and grace we need—as he fed our spiritual ancestors in the wilderness and Elijah in the desert.

So let us stop grieving the Spirit of God, as Paul says in today’s Epistle, in another reference to Israel in the desert (see Isaiah 63:10).

Let us say to God as Elijah did, “Take my life.” Not in the sense of wanting to die but in giving ourselves as a sacrificial offering—loving him as he has loved us, on the Cross and in the Eucharist.

Saturday morning testimony

Posted: August 10, 2024 by CatholicJules in Life's Journeys, Testimonies
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What a Blessed Saturday morning, while waiting for my daughter’s cathechism class to start, three ladies old friends came up one after the other to say Hi. Helen, Marilyn and Mary. Sharing the names lest I forget, remembering names is a little harder now. 😊

Small talk is not often easy but it seems easier with fellow sisters and brothers in Christ. All was good with Helen and Marilyn, except Marilyn did mention she was experiencing empty nest syndrome since her boys were all big now. Still she has kept busy with serving in church and attending mass. All this has eased her mind.

Mary has a very warm and bright smile, and she’s simply a joy to be around. She speaks with a gentle soothing voice. However I sensed something was troubling her behind that smile. Apparently she had volunteered to teach a Cat class since her Parish was really short on Cathechists. However she wondered if she was getting through to her students. After sharing that she wished me a blessed day and was about to go about her day. I jumped up and offered to pray for her. I placed my hand on her shoulders and prayed. Shared a prophesy with her and invited the Lord and our Blessed Mother to fill her with their presence. She was a little overwhelmed and began to tear. I wished her a Blessed weekend and left to have a drink and a nearby coffee shop.

Thank You Jesus for the opportunity to bring Your Holy presence. Amen

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: August 10, 2024 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Who needs to Sow? WE DO! What do we sow? Seeds of love, Gospel truths, the invitation of sonship and daughterhood with God our Heavenly Father; knowledge and relationship with His Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Who needs to Reap? WE DO! We need to lead them home to the Lord, into community, into Church!

Thick sowing and thick reaping is our responsibility, if we are truly our Lord’s disciples. For we are also children of God our Heavenly Father. Co-heirs!

And so we give our all! Money, time, our gifts and talents. Freely and filled with joy in our hearts!

Jesus as I die in You let me rise in You. Amen

Saint Laurence pray for us…

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First reading

2 Corinthians 9:6-10 ·

God loves a cheerful giver

Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. As scripture says: He was free in almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten.

    The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one.

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Gospel

John 12:24-26

If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it yields a rich harvest

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I tell you, most solemnly,

unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,

it remains only a single grain;

but if it dies,

it yields a rich harvest.

Anyone who loves his life loses it;

anyone who hates his life in this world

will keep it for the eternal life.

If a man serves me, he must follow me,

wherever I am, my servant will be there too.

If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.’