Posts Tagged ‘build upon rock our Lord Jesus Christ’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: August 5, 2021 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Lord, how often have I strayed to look to the world for pleasures that cannot satisfy? Food that perishes and drink that does not quench my insatiable thirst for more! I move in wide circles seeking to fill the void only to find it getting bigger! I grumble then curse, swear and shout still it brings not reprieve only grief!

Bless me Lord Jesus for I have sinned. I know now that You alone are the Rock where living waters flow and never runs dry.

All I will ever need or want is to be found in You alone! Have mercy on me Lord, wash me clean so that I may be white as snow. Let me be reconciled unto You and Your Holy Church so that I may walk blameless with Your flock. To love and serve You and my brethren with all my heart, mind, strength and soul.

Jesus my Lord I surrender my life to You and I am prepared to suffer for Your namesake as I carry my cross to follow You. Amen

First reading

Numbers 20:1-13 ·

Moses makes water flow from the rock at Meribah

The sons of Israel, the whole community, arrived in the first month at the desert of Zin. The people settled at Kadesh. It was there that Miriam died and was buried.

    There was no water for the community, and they were all united against Moses and Aaron. The people challenged Moses: ‘We would rather have died,’ they said ‘as our brothers died before the Lord! Why did you bring the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, only to let us die here, ourselves and our cattle? Why did you lead us out of Egypt, only to bring us to this wretched place? It is a place unfit for sowing, it has no figs, no vines, no pomegranates, and there is not even water to drink!’

    Leaving the assembly, Moses and Aaron went to the door of the Tent of Meeting. They threw themselves face downward on the ground, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Take the branch and call the community together, you and your brother Aaron. Then, in full view of them, order this rock to give water. You will make water flow for them out of the rock, and provide drink for the community and their cattle.’

    Moses took up the branch from before the Lord, as he had directed him. Then Moses and Aaron called the assembly together in front of the rock and addressed them, ‘Listen now, you rebels. Shall we make water gush from this rock for you?’ And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the branch; water gushed in abundance, and the community drank and their cattle too.

    Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe that I could proclaim my holiness in the eyes of the sons of Israel, you shall not lead this assembly into the land I am giving them.’

    These are the waters of Meribah, where the sons of Israel challenged the Lord and he proclaimed his holiness.

 

Gospel

Matthew 16:13-23

You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’ Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

    From that time Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord;’ he said ‘this must not happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: December 3, 2020 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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Many of us are a fickle, stubborn lot. While it is our desire to grow in holiness, in our prayer life and so on. We often say we will do it!… But maybe tomorrow, or we might start working at it then give up quite readily after a few days. Are we not the folks in Today’s Gospel going, “Lord, Lord,”? How will we ever hope to remain steadfast in our faith especially in times of great struggles and challenges? When we will not start building our relationship upon the solid foundation of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ!

It is only through our righteousness and fidelity to the Word and Will of God our Heavenly Father, that we will enter into His Kingdom. So let us dear sisters and brothers in Christ, having entered into the new liturgical year this Advent; build upon our Rock Jesus! Having tasted His living water, we will not want (for anything). Amen

First Reading
Isaiah 26:1-6 ·
Open the gates; let the upright nation come in


That day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city; to guard us he has set
wall and rampart about us.
Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, she, the faithful one whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace, because she trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord is the everlasting Rock; he has brought low those who lived high up in the steep citadel;
he brings it down, brings it down to the ground, flings it down in the dust:
the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor trample on it.


Gospel
Matthew 7:21,24-27
The wise man built his house on a rock

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’