| Minute Meditations
Blessed Raymond Lull Raymond worked all his life to promote the missions and died a missionary to North Africa. Raymond then made many trips through Europe to interest popes, kings and princes in establishing special colleges to prepare future missionaries. He achieved his goal in 1311 when the Council of Vienne ordered the creation of chairs of Hebrew, Arabic and Chaldean at the universities of Bologna, Oxford, Paris and Salamanca. At the age of 79, Raymond went to North Africa in 1314 to be a missionary himself. An angry crowd of Muslims stoned him in the city of Bougie. Genoese merchants took him back to Mallorca, where he died. Raymond was beatified in 1514. Comment: Raymond worked most of his life to help spread the gospel. Indifference on the part of some Christian leaders and opposition in North Africa did not turn him from his goal. Three hundred years later Raymond's work began to have an influence in the Americas. When the Spanish began to spread the gospel in the New World, they set up missionary colleges to aid the work. Blessed Junipero Serra belonged to such a college. Quote: Thomas of Celano wrote of St. Francis: "In vain does the wicked man persecute one striving after virtue, for the more he is buffeted, the more strongly will he triumph. As someone says, indignity strengthens a generous spirit" (I Celano, #11). Presence I pause for a moment and think of the love and the grace that God showers on me, creating me in his image and likeness, making me his temple.... Freedom Lord, you granted me the great gift of freedom. Consciousness At this moment Lord I turn my thoughts to you. The Word of God Reading 1 2 kgs 24:8-17Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his forebears had done. At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, himself arrived at the city while his servants were besieging it. Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother, his ministers, officers, and functionaries, surrendered to the king of Babylon, who, in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive. And he carried off all the treasures of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace, and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel, had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold. He deported all Jerusalem: all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None were left among the people of the land except the poor. He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon, and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon the king's mother and wives, his functionaries, and the chief men of the land. The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylon all seven thousand men of the army, and a thousand craftsmen and smiths, all of them trained soldiers. In place of Jehoiachin, the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king, and changed his name to Zedekiah. Responsorial Psalm ps 79:1b-2, 3-5, 8, 9R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us. O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the corpses of your servants as food to the birds of heaven, the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth. R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us. They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them. We have become the reproach of our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us. O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us. Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us. Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name's sake. R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us. Gospel mt 7:21-29Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined." When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. Conversation Remembering that I am still in God's presence, Conclusion Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, 12th Week in Ordinary TimeI never knew you. (Matthew 7:23)
Have you ever known a namedropper? You know, someone who always mentions the important people he or she knows? Usually, this is exaggerated, with some distant connection or contact turning into, "Oh, I know that person!" Who among us hasn't been tempted to use a famous name to gain influence or respect among our acquaintances? In today's Gospel reading, Jesus is making it clear that name-dropping doesn't work with him. He wants to have a real relationship with us. He wants us to know him personally, just as he knows us. He doesn't want us to settle for book knowledge or just a passing acquaintance. Even if we're busy doing his work—whether in our homes, in our communities, or in our parishes—he wants us also to be growing closer to him in our hearts. Jesus doesn't just want servants; he wants friends. So what does it mean to know Jesus? How does anyone go about building a relationship with the eternal Son of God? It may sound awfully hard, but it really isn't all that complicated or mysterious. It's pretty much the same way you build a relationship with anyone else. You spend time with him; you talk to him; you listen to him; you learn to trust him; you share secrets with him; you let him see you at your best and at your worst. Don't let the tone of today's Gospel reading frighten you. Jesus is concerned that we come to know him, but he's not about to abandon us because our relationship with him isn't as deep as the holiest of saints. Rather than worrying about whether Jesus will say, "I never knew you," make it your goal to come to know him better. Wherever you are with Jesus now, try to go a little deeper. As you read Scripture this week, listen for his still, small voice in your heart. Get in the habit of writing down what you think he is saying. Then take the time to talk to him. Tell him about your day. Open up about your hopes and fears, and see if you sense him offering you his guidance or consolation. By investing in this relationship, you are building your house on a foundation solid enough to withstand any storm. "Lord, I want to know you and to be known by you. Draw me to yourself."
2 Kings 24:8-17; Psalm 79:1-5, 8-9
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