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Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 07-02-17, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 07-02-17 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 07/01/2017 10:16:41 PM PDT by Salvation

July 2, 2017

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a

One day Elisha came to Shunem,
where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.
Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.
So she said to her husband, "I know that Elisha is a holy man of God.
Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof
and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp,
so that when he comes to us he can stay there."
Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.

Later Elisha asked, "Can something be done for her?"
His servant Gehazi answered, "Yes!
She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years."
Elisha said, "Call her."
When the woman had been called and stood at the door,
Elisha promised, "This time next year
you will be fondling a baby son."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19

R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever,
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever;"
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
You are the splendor of their strength,
and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield,
and the Holy One of Israel, our king.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Reading 2 Rom 6:3-4, 8-11

Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.

If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.

Alleluia 1 Pt 2:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation;
announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 10:37-42

Jesus said to his apostles:
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."



TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; mt10; ordinarytime; prayer
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To: All

Me, Myself, and I: The Unholy Trinity

Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

When “Self” Magazine made its debut a few decades ago, it certainly was a sign of the times. Ours is an age when it is socially acceptable to admit that life is all about me.

But selfishness is nothing new. Ever since Eve bit into the forbidden fruit, human beings have made the choice to dethrone God and put in His place the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I.

But Jesus commands us to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” Doesn’t this imply that love of self is OK, even required?

Absolutely. God placed in us a drive towards self-preservation. He made beneficial activities, like eating, pleasurable. And he made destructive activities painful.

But He also gave us intellect and will so that we are not driven simply by instinct, as are the animals. Thus the ancient enemy of humanity has to do his best to deceive our intellect into thinking that what is destructive is actually good for us. And he entices us to use our will to choose these destructive things contrary to God’s commandments. The end justifies the means, he argues, and so if we have to trample over others and defy God to get what we want, so be it.

This is the kind of self-love that Jesus condemns (Mt 10:37-42). It leads to ruin, confusion, and emptiness. There is no way to tame this or to fit religion into it. The only solution is to kill it.

In baptism, this old egocentric self is crucified and buried with Christ (Romans 6:11). There can only be one Lord–Jesus or me. Accepting him means allowing Him to be boss, allowing Him to call the shots and direct my steps. Picking up the cross and following Him means accepting the Father’s will, even where it “crosses” my will, even when it leads to suffering. This is the meaning of Jesus’ words to Peter “as a young man you fastened your belt and went about as you pleased, but when you are older, you will stretch out your hands and another will tie you fast and carry you off against your will” (John 21:18)

When Jesus had finished saying this, he looked at Peter and said “Follow me.” A few years ago he said much the same thing to a new successor of Peter, Pope Benedict XVI. Those pundits who spoke of his maneuvering to build support for his “candidacy” before and during the conclave made me laugh. Cardinal Ratzinger had tried to retire twice before the death of John Paul II! Both times the Pope refused to accept his resignation. When during the conclave he saw momentum began building for his election, he cried out to God begging to be spared. The room where the newly elected Pope first dons the Papal vestments is called the “Room of tears” for a reason.

Jesus says “follow me” to each of us. It may mean making a change of career. It may mean breaking off a relationship that is leading us away from Christ. Or it may just mean doing what we are already doing but for an entirely different reason . . .achieving great things not to draw attention to ourselves, but to glorify Christ . . . seeking an intimate relationship no longer to take but to give. . . working not for the weekend, but for the kingdom.

The ironic thing is that such abandonment of our own agenda is precisely what allows God the freedom to give us the true desire of our hearts. For he knows us better than we know ourselves and he loves us more than we love ourselves. So to lose ourselves for his sake finally makes it possible for us to find ourselves. To renounce self-love is actually enlightened self-interest.

This is precisely what we see with the Shunemmite woman who gave of herself and opened her home and heart to a man of God (2 Kings 4:8-11). She was barren in an age when barrenness was the greatest of curses. Yet she forgot her need in order to meet Elisha’s need. In return God prompted Elisha to meet her need. For one thing is certain about God–He will not be outdone in generosity.


41 posted on 07/02/2017 9:47:51 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Scripture Speaks: The Costs and Blessings of Discipleship

Gayle Somers

Today, Jesus gives the Twelve lessons in discipleship, both its costs and its blessings.

Gospel (Read Mt 10:37-42)

In verses preceding today’s reading, Jesus perhaps startled His disciples with this warning: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword” (vs. 34). The battle He describes, however, isn’t a military one. Rather, “I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother…” The hostility that will often follow Jesus’ disciples will appear right in the bosom of their families. How painful this is to experience! How could something so inherently good—conversation to Jesus—cause such disruption in families, where our earliest and most intimate human relationships are formed? Today’s reading sheds some light on Jesus’ troubling prediction.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Now, we can see that the cause of friction in previously peaceful families is a profound change of allegiance. In the converted person, the call of Jesus is a call out of this world—not physically, of course, but a radical redirection of love and obedience. The values of this world need to be forsaken for the values of a kingdom not of this world. For the converted disciple, this can mean changes in language, in behavior, in routines of work, play, and worship. The disciple’s relatives may find this unsettling, even insulting. It is not hard to see why criticism and even arguments might arise. This should not surprise us. Recall the word of Simeon to Mary when she and Joseph presented Jesus at the Temple: “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against” (Lk 2:34). It is not that Jesus asks His disciples to create friction in their families. Their allegiance to Him and to His remarkably different kingdom may simply cause discomfort and even resistance for those who aren’t His followers. For some family members who have gotten deeply entangled in the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil, the intrusion of light is unwelcome, for, as St. John tells us, “men loved darkness rather than light” (Jn 3:19).

Ultimately, Jesus tells His disciples that following Him means the willing loss of everything, just as a criminal carrying his cross to his execution by the Romans loses all, including his pride. It is good for us to remember this if we find ourselves being criticized, mocked, ridiculed, or resisted by family members because of our allegiance to Jesus. Our response is not to fight back but to willingly embrace our cross out of love for Him and for those who, like the ones who crucified Jesus, “do not know what they are doing.”

As difficult as this teaching is for Jesus’ disciples, the next verses in our reading show the glorious nature of the work they will do in His name. He bestows on them the highest gift—they will be as He was in this world: “Whoever receives you receives Me.” When the Twelve carry on His mission after His departure, every act of goodness toward them would be rewarded as an act of goodness to Jesus Himself. Yes, opposition to them, even in their families, might be ugly, but they are never to forget that they are really and truly His very own Mystical Body here and now. The disciples are to pray for forgiveness for those who oppose them, as Jesus did from the Cross. On the other hand, they are to rejoice with those who show even small, seemingly insignificant kindness to them, because—“amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

Possible response: Lord, let me not forget that kindness to those doing Your work is kindness to You. Silence my sometimes critical spirit.

First Reading (Read 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a)

Elisha was the disciple of the great prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel, Elijah. We learn today of “a woman of influence” who invited him to dinner. Because he often passed by her home, she suggested to her husband that they furnish a spot for him to stay the night. Elisha was touched by her generosity and kindness, so he asked her servant if he could be of help to her in any way. The servant told him about the woman’s barrenness, so Elisha called for her and promised, “This time next year you will be fondling a baby son.”

Here is an example of what Jesus taught His disciples in our Gospel reading. God rewarded the woman with what she most wanted in life and yet, apparently, had never mentioned to Elisha. The servant had to inform him about her infertility. This suggests the absolute lack of self-interest or expectation of any return on her hospitality. She wasn’t thinking of anything but offering kindness to the prophet. Her reward was very great!

Possible response: Lord, help me to be as self-forgetful as this woman in caring for Your servants.

Psalm (Read Ps 89:2-3, 16-19)

The psalmist is eager to declare what ought to be on our lips when reading the lectionary today: “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.” He remembers all the kindnesses God had shown His people. They have known that “through [His] justice, they are exalted.” The psalmist declares “the promises of the Lord I will sing forever.” We should recall the promises Jesus makes in our Gospel that no kindness ever shown to those He has commissioned will ever be forgotten or left unrewarded. That should make us sing, too.

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read Rom 6:3-4, 8-11)

St. Paul gives us some insight into why, upon our conversion, our allegiance is radically altered: “We who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death.” So, St. Paul tells us, “… you, too, must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.” This will most certainly make us seem like misfits in this world. Discipleship will do that to us. Are we ready for this?

Possible response: Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times when I have tried to find life in old sinful habits. No wonder that always leads to pain.


42 posted on 07/02/2017 9:50:29 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espa�ol

All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 4

<< Sunday, July 2, 2017 >> 13th Sunday Ordinary Time
 
2 Kings 4:8-11, 14, 16
Romans 6:3-4, 8-11

View Readings
Psalm 89:2-3, 16-19
Matthew 10:37-42

Similar Reflections
 

THE GREATEST EVENT OF YOUR LIFE

 
"Are you not aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" �Romans 6:3
 

Your Baptism was the greatest event of your life and the basis for all the other great events in your life. However, many Christians are not aware of the "radical newness" of their baptismal life and the "immense, extraordinary richness and responsibility" of baptism (Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, Pope St. John Paul II, 10, 61).

When we were baptized, we were baptized into Christ (Rm 6:3). The only experience which is even remotely like this is pregnancy, the time when a baby is inside the body of his mother. Imagine you could enter again into the womb of your mother (see Jn 3:4). What radical changes this would mean for you! Nevertheless, being baptized into Jesus has much more stupendous ramifications. Baptized into Jesus, we are in His death, burial, and resurrection and have the saving benefits of these events (Rm 6:3-5). In Jesus, there is no condemnation (Rm 8:1). We are redeemed, forgiven, and chosen (Eph 1:7, 11). We are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation" (1 Pt 2:9). We spend our lives learning how to walk, talk, think, feel, work, pray, hear, see, and love in Jesus. We live our Baptisms.

 
Prayer: Jesus, may I celebrate my baptismal anniversary annually as a sign of living my Baptism daily.
Promise: "Whoever loves father or mother, son or daughter, more than Me is not worthy of Me. He who will not take up his cross and come after Me is not worthy of Me. He who seeks only himself brings himself to ruin, whereas he who brings himself to nought for Me discovers who he is." �Mt 10:37-39
Praise: Praise to You, risen Lord Jesus, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit (Mk 1:8). Alleluia!

43 posted on 07/02/2017 9:52:59 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Pro Life! Be a voice for those who do not yet have one. Abortion is murder:
44 posted on 07/02/2017 9:54:01 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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