Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 09-07-05

September 7, 2005
Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Psalm: Wednesday 39

Reading I
Col 3:1-11

Brothers and sisters:
If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and the greed that is idolatry.
Because of these the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way.
But now you must put them all away:
anger, fury, malice, slander,
and obscene language out of your mouths.
Stop lying to one another,
since you have taken off the old self with its practices
and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew,
circumcision and uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all and in all.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:2-3, 10-11, 12-13ab

R. (9) The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

Gospel
Lk 6:20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.

Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.

But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

The Word Among Us

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Meditation
Colossians 3:1-11

“She’s so heavenly-minded she’s no earthly good.” We can all picture this person: She spends hours reading Scripture, attending Mass, reciting rosaries and novenas. She regards recreation as self-indulgence and only grudgingly gives her body a minimum of food and exercise. After all, her real destination is heaven; life on earth is just something she has to endure. She manages to keep her home tidy and provide meals for her family, but there’s no room in her schedule for responding to the unexpected demands of a sick neighbor or friend in distress.

Such a person may feel she perfectly lives out Paul’s admonition, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). However, is it possible that she has missed a different dimension to the Christian life? God did not come to earth as an angel to rescue us from our sinful bodies. He came as a human being to transform us so that we could live a fully human existence on earth.

Jesus may be “seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1), but that’s because he has defeated the enemy of “life in abundance” (John 10:10). “Things that are on earth” doesn’t mean everything in this world. It means those things that are opposed to the reign of God: impurity, greed, anger, slander, lying, and divisiveness (Colossians 3:5,8-9,11). Unfortunately, many of these self-centered attitudes can coexist with external piety.

Paul’s remedy isn’t gradually allowing our sinful habits to fade but decisively putting to death whatever stands in the way of our relationship with Christ. Sometimes that obstacle may be paying too much attention to our bodies to the neglect of our spirits. But in other cases, the challenge is to cultivate our God-given talents and answer the cry of the poor and needy even as we develop our interior lives.

Whatever our current obstacle, it was put to death when we died with Christ in baptism. We are now clothed with Christ (Colossians 3:9-10). We possess his meekness, contentment, forgiveness, encouragement, and joy—all enumerated in the Beatitudes. We have inherited a life of joyful praise. It is ours here on earth, not only after we die and go to heaven.

“Incarnate One, you lived life on earth to the full. Help me to live the vibrant life of your kingdom here and now.”

Psalm 145:2-3,10-13; Luke 6:20-26

One Bread, One Body

<< Wednesday, September 7, 2005 >>

Colossians 3:1-11

Psalm 145

Luke 6:20-26

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LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS

“Woe to you rich, for your consolation is now.” —Luke 6:24

Most of you who read this live in dwellings with running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, and heating. Many of you have automobiles, refrigerators, and TVs. Some of you have dishwashers, computers, and air conditioning. A few of you have second homes, boats, and millions of dollars.

Jesus says: “Woe to you rich” (Lk 6:24). It’s so easy to shrug off His words and think, “He can’t be talking about me. I don’t have a dishwasher, and I don’t have a summer home.” Forget those comparisons. If we must compare, let’s compare ourselves to those Jesus addressed. Every one of those people walked a long distance to the “level stretch” by the mountain (Lk 6:17). No one had coolers full of ice and drinks. There were no bathrooms or vending machines. Nearly all of them slept on mats on the floor of what we would consider huts. Even the rich in the crowd and in that society couldn’t imagine in their wildest dreams the lifestyle most of us live today. Yet Jesus felt it was important for His first-century hearers to be warned of the woes of riches.

“I am about to give you some advice on this matter of rich and poor” (2 Cor 8:10). Jesus is the same today as on that day (Heb 13:8). By His standards, we are rich — and in danger of woe. Don’t disregard Jesus’ words. He is Lord and Judge. We must tremble at His word (Is 66:2). We must judge our lives by His words and standards, not by those of our culture.

Repent of not using your resources for the kingdom of God. Simplify your lives. Tithe and give alms, and “all will be wiped clean for you” (Lk 11:41).

Prayer: Jesus, though rich, You made Yourself poor for my sake (2 Cor 8:9). I give my finances, my lifestyle, my all to You.

Promise: “When Christ our Life appears, then you shall appear with Him in glory.” —Col 3:4

Praise: Timothy quit his paying job to work as a volunteer feeding and clothing the needy.

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