Quote: ""And above all, be on your guard not to want to get anything done by force, because God has given free will to everyone and wants to force no one, but only proposes, invites and counsels.""
-St. Angela Merici Today's Meditation "We have difficulty understanding this, just as a blind man has difficulty understanding color, but our difficulty doesn't alter this fact: God's omnipotence and omniscience respects our freedom. In the core of our being we remain free to accept or reject God's action in our lives—and to accept or reject it more or less intensely. God wants us to accept him with all our 'heart, soul, mind, and strength'—in other words, as intensely as possible. But he also knows that we are burdened with selfishness and beset by the devil, so it will take a great effort on our part to correspond to his grace. … Every time our conscience nudges us to refrain from sharing or tolerating that little bit of gossip, every time we feel a tug in our hearts to say a prayer or give a little more effort, every time we detect an opportunity to do a hidden act of kindness to someone in need, we are faced with an opportunity to please the Lord by putting our faith in his will." —Fr. John Bartunek, p. 591
An excerpt from The Better Part Daily Verse "He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
-Colossians 1:13-14 | St Priscilla Of Rome St. Priscilla of Rome (1st c.) was a Christian noblewoman who served as a benefactor to the Christian community in Rome. She supported St. Peter the Apostle, the first Bishop of Rome, and her home near the catacombs served as his headquarters. She was the wife of Manius Acilius Glabrio, a Roman politician, who was executed by the Emperor Domitian for atheism, that is, his refusal to worship the Roman gods because he was Christian. Priscilla buried him in what was once a quarry and donated the property to the Church so that others could also be laid to rest there. Her catacombs, known since the earliest days of Christianity as the "Catacombs of Priscilla" are also referred to as the "Queen of the Catacombs" because such a large number of martyrs and popes were buried there. It also holds a significant collection of early Christian iconography including the earliest known depiction of the Madonna and Child. St. Priscilla was also martyred for her Christian faith and buried there. Her feast day is January 16. | Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 309 Reading I 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah
and said to him, "Now that you are old,
and your sons do not follow your example,
appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us." Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them.
He prayed to the LORD, however, who said in answer:
"Grant the people's every request.
It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king." Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full
to those who were asking him for a king.
He told them:
"The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows:
He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses,
and they will run before his chariot.
He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups
of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers.
He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting,
and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers.
He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves,
and give them to his officials.
He will tithe your crops and your vineyards,
and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves.
He will take your male and female servants,
as well as your best oxen and your asses,
and use them to do his work.
He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves.
When this takes place,
you will complain against the king whom you have chosen,
but on that day the LORD will not answer you." The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel's warning and said,
"Not so! There must be a king over us.
We too must be like other nations,
with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare
and fight our battles."
When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say,
he repeated it to the LORD, who then said to him,
"Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them." Responsorial Psalm Psalm 89:16-17, 18-19 R. (2) 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.
For you are the splendor of their strength, and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield, and to the Holy One of Israel, our King.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord. Alleluia Luke 7:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 2:1-12 When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
"Child, your sins are forgiven."
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
"Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?"
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what
they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
–he said to the paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this." | Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22 It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king. (1 Samuel 8:7) By the time the elders of Israel asked Samuel to appoint a king for them, Israel had been ruled for hundreds of years by judges. These judges weren't permanent rulers; they were appointed by God to lead his people when they faced an enemy. But the people wanted more than occasional defenders. They wanted a king, "as other nations have" (1 Samuel 8:5). Samuel, who was both a judge and a prophet, might have felt rejected by the people's demands. But the Lord cut through to the heart of the matter. In asking for a king in order to be like the other nations, the people were not rejecting Samuel but God himself. They were ignoring their call to be a unique people belonging to the Lord. God had called and formed them so that they could reveal a different way to be a nation—attentive to the Lord and walking in his ways. But even when Samuel warned them of the pitfalls of having a king, the people refused to listen. Although the people were rejecting the Lord, he never rejected them. He gave them a king as they wanted. And in his mercy, he walked with them through all the lessons they would have to learn from having a king and trying to be like the surrounding nations. Time and again, he would draw them back to himself, urging them to repent and follow him more closely. Ultimately, he sent them the King who would be the embodiment of God's own kingship over his people. We are called to be God's people, too. And like the Israelites, we can face temptations to pursue the ways of the world. We may define success by the standards of the people around us or try to bolster our confidence by seeking worldly validation. But the truth is that we have the living God dwelling in us. And while worldly security or acclaim might be appealing, God's plan for us is much greater. You have been set apart for God! He has called you to be his child, and he holds you in the palm of his hand. He loves you and has filled you with his life. Your life can be a great adventure as you listen to his Spirit and follow his ways. You can show the world a completely different way of living. "Lord, thank you for calling me to be your own. I choose you as my King. Come and shine through me." Psalm 89:16-19
Mark 2:1-12 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Audio of 2 Cents | From today's Holy Gospel: "... so he said, "Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
'Your sins are forgiven,'
or to say, 'Rise, pick up your mat and walk'?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth"
–he said to the paralytic,
"I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home."
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this." ...." Word of the Lord. | From Bishop Barron today: "Friends, in our Gospel today, Jesus says matter-of-factly before healing the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven." Shocked, the Pharisees respond, "He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?" They were quite right, of course, which is the whole point. If you had hurt me, I could with some legitimacy offer you my personal forgiveness of your offense. But if someone else had harmed you, I could scarcely offer that person my forgiveness for his sin. The only way that such a statement could be anything but blasphemous would be if I were the one who is offended in every sin. And this is what the Pharisees correctly intuit. G. K. Chesterton said that even those who reject the doctrine of the incarnation (like the Pharisees) are different for having heard it. The claim that God became one of us changes the imagination, compelling a reassessment of both God and the world. This odd assertion is made, implicitly or explicitly, on practically every page of the New Testament. Therefore, when Jesus forgives the paralytic's sin, the Pharisees respond that only God can forgive sins, thereby, despite themselves, professing faith in the good news." end quote.
What captivates you about the story of the paralytic that was brought down by ropes before Jesus who was trapped in by the crowds in that house?
Was it that He healed? Or was it that he was brought in by friends with such effort?
I'm amazed at both.
But the Pharisees were shocked that Jesus said "I FORGIVE YOU YOUR SINS".
That was blasphemous!
We all look back now and see it in another angle, we know Jesus is God, amen?
JESUS IS GOD!
But they didn't know, nor were their hearts, the ears of their hearts open to the fact. But why were they so blocked and obstinate?
Staunch rigidity... ever think of yourself that way?
I think I am an easy going guy, overall. But sometimes I catch myself, not as docile. Sometimes I'll get caught off guard "why did THEY DO THAT?" when something is out of place, or not doing something as planned or is the normal.
We like normal, no problems, nobody mess with our "system".
It is good to have normal, steady laws, yes, they are good. But, life can be asking us for a change. As you get older, your body will naturally ask you for a change of pace, change of lifestyle, change of ideas, and that is a normal we accept.
So why don't we accept our Lord's normal growth? As we grow in age in faith, we prepare for the new age that is to come. The new normal will not be the life we are used to living.
Here comes two words we don't want to hear: self, sacrifice.
In this week's bible study, someone said that it was weird that God came to "kill Himself" in a sense because Jesus is God and the Father is in Jesus asking for this. I pondered a bit and said "yes, that is EXACTLY the lead we are supposed to follow with our body...self sacrifice to do God's Holy Will!"
And so, the laws, yes God's laws are good, they have always been. But man made laws, they sure can get out of hand. A quick search says: "The number of new laws passed annually varies significantly by jurisdiction, but at the
U.S. Federal level, Congress typically enacts several hundred laws per two-year session (around 200-600), though recent years have seen fewer due to partisan gridlock, while California alone passes about 1,000 laws yearly, with a substantial portion becoming effective, showcasing huge differences between state and federal outputs."
But God has basically only given us 10! That's it!
Where as a quick search says about our country's number: "There's no exact count of U.S. laws, as they number in the hundreds of thousands or more, encompassing federal statutes (like the U.S. Code), state laws, and vast agency regulations, with new ones constantly added, amended, or repealed, making a precise tally impossible. Estimates for federal laws alone range from around 300,000 total statutes and regulations to tens of thousands of federal crimes, not including the millions of pages of state-level laws. "
Yet, everyone makes a big deal about the 10 laws of God.
Rigidity rears its prideful head. Instead of humility. Instead of faith. Instead of being open to His message. Instead of accepting God's will, that He is ready to amaze us. Not make us angry or sad. In the end, you might be blown away, if He shows you what all happened...for a reason... a good reason you were blind to. Like, we are blind to the fact that He journeys with us....and never leaves us alone...it is us that choose to leave HIM alone. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Exodus 15:11 "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? . . . . . . . . Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment