Reading I Responsorial Psalm GospelPosted on 07/31/2002 9:31:12 AM PDT by Salvation
Reading I Responsorial Psalm GospelReading I
Jer 15:10, 16-21
Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth!
a man of strife and contention to all the land!
I neither borrow nor lend,
yet all curse me.
When I found your words, I devoured them;
they became my joy and the happiness of my heart,
Because I bore your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.
I did not sit celebrating
in the circle of merrymakers;
Under the weight of your hand I sat alone
because you filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain continuous,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook,
whose waters do not abide!
Thus the Lord answered me:
If you repent, so that I restore you,
in my presence you shall stand;
If you bring forth the precious without the vile,
you shall be my mouthpiece.
Then it shall be they who turn to you,
and you shall not turn to them;
And I will make you toward this people
a solid wall of brass.
Though they fight against you,
they shall not prevail,
For I am with you,
to deliver and rescue you, says the Lord.
I will free you from the hand of the wicked,
and rescue you from the grasp of the violent.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18
R. (17d) God is my refuge on the day of distress.
Rescue me from my enemies, O my God;
from my adversaries defend me.
Rescue me from evildoers;
from bloodthirsty men save me.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
mighty men come together against me,
Not for any offense or sin of mine, O Lord.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! for you I watch;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
As for my God, may his mercy go before me;
may he show me the fall of my foes.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
But I will sing of your strength
and revel at dawn in your mercy;
You have been my stronghold,
my refuge in the day of distress.
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
O my strength! your praise will I sing;
for you, O God, are my stronghold,
my merciful God!
R. God is my refuge on the day of distress.
Gospel
Mt 13:44-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."
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Wednesday, July 31, 2002
Meditation
Matthew 13:44-46
Rory is always on the lookout for sales where he can pick up valuable used items at bargain prices. On occasion, his treasure hunt has turned up a few “gems” worth a lot of money. How he rejoices then—like the people in Jesus’ parables, who found a “treasure hidden in a field” and a “pearl of great value” (Matthew 13:44,46)!
Of course, Jesus’ two parables point beyond earthly valuables to the irrepressible joy of finding a treasure of infinite value. That treasure is God’s very kingdom of “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). And the joy of discovering it is something the Lord wants to give each and every one of us! The trouble is, many baptized Christians don’t know where to find this treasure. Searching the world over, they often fail to discover, as Jesus taught, that the kingdom of God is within them (Luke 17:21).
Do you believe that through the gift of the Holy Spirit, you have new life in Christ and a source of power and grace welling up right there, in the depths of your heart? In baptism you were made a “new creature.” You became an adopted child of God and a “ ‘partaker of the divine nature,’ a member of Christ and coheir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1265). Yes, it may be covered over by years of neglect, by lack of understanding, even by human frailty and sin. But the truth remains: The kingdom of God is within you in all its power and beauty.
This is why prayer, repentance, and acts of love and mercy are so important. Paul the apostle once said, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). If we want to know the treasure that is within us, we must put aside all the other treasures we cling to. It may be difficult, but remember: God is inviting us to discover the joy of making him our great treasure. “If the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver, then you will delight yourself in the Almighty” (Job 22:25-26).
“Lord, you are more precious than silver and gold. In you is all my delight.”
Depression comes from not having faults but from refusal to face them. There are tens of thousands of persons today suffering from fears which in reality are nothing but the effects of hidden sin. The examination of conscience will cure us of self- deception. It will also cure us of depression!
-- Bishop Fulton Sheen
| St. Ignatius Loyola Founder of the Jesuits |
St. Ignatius was born in the family castle in Guipúzcoa, Spain, the youngest of 13 children, and was called Iñigo. When he was old enough, he became a page, and then a soldier of Spain to fight against the French. A cannon ball and a series of bad operations ended his military career in 1521. While St. Ignatius recovered, he read the lives of the saints, and decided to dedicate himself to becoming a soldier of the Catholic Faith. Soon after he experienced visions, but a year later suffered a trial of fears and scruples, driving him almost to dispair. Out of this experience he wrote his famous "Spiritual Exercises". After traveling and studying in different schools, he finished in Paris, where he received his degree at the age of 43. Many first hated St. Ignatius because of his humble Lifestyle. Despite this, he attracted several followers at the university, including St. Francis Xavier, and soon started his order called The Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. There are 38 members of the Society of Jesus who have been declared Blessed, and 38 who have been canonized as saints. He died at the age of 65.
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This should bring about a lively discussion about the Jesuits.
Put inward experiences to the test to see if they come from God
Ignatius was passionately fond of reading worldly books of fiction and tales of knight-errantry. When he felt he was getting better, he asked for some of these books to pass the time. But no book of that sort could be found in the house; instead they gave him a life of Christ and a collection of the lives of saints written in Spanish.
By constantly reading these books he began to be attracted to what he found narrated there. Sometimes in the midst of his reading he would reflect on what he had read. Yet at other times he would dwell on many of the things he had been accustomed to dwell on previously. But at this point our Lord came to his assistance; insuring that these thoughts were followed by others which arose from his current reading.
While reading the life of Christ our Lord of the lives of the saints, he would reflect and reason with himself; “What if I should do what Saint Francis or Saint Dominic did?” In this way he let his mind dwell on many thoughts; they lasted a while until other things took their place. Then those vain and worldly images woujld come into his mind and remain a long time. This sequence of thoughts persisted with him for a long time.
But there was a difference. When Ignatius reflected on worldly thoughts, he felt intense pleasure; but when he gave them up out of weariness, he felt dry and depressed. Yet when he thought of living the rigorous sortof life he knew the saints had lived, he not only experienced pleasure when he actually thought about it, but even after he dismissed these thoughts, he still experienced great joy. Yet he did not pay attention to this, nor did he appreciate it until one day, in a moment of insight, he began to marvel at the difference. They he understood his experience; thoughts of one kind left him sad, the others full of joy. And this was the first time he applied a process of reasoning to his religious experience. Later on, when he began to formulate his spiritual exercises, he used this experience as an illustration to explain the doctrine he taught his disciples on the discernment of spirits.
And isn't this true for even us? When we think we have pleasures and are happy with earthly provisions; then when we realize that these earthly possessions are only temporary and that the Love of Jesus Christ is infinite, then we become aware that we are happy inside.
Does that sentence make sense?
Earthly possessions-temporary happiness
Love of Jesus Christ-inner spiritual happiness.
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