God calls all people to himself, but we must embrace His discipline to achieve what He wants from and for us. (readings for August 25, 2019 annotated) (Lectionary: 123)

Key:

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

What these scriptures tell us not to do

Hyperlinks to additional resources

Reading 1  Isaiah 66:18-21 
I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.
I will set a sign among them; from them I will send fugitives to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory; and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations.  

They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots, in carts, upon mules and dromedaries, to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their offering to the house of the LORD in clean vessels. Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 117:1-2  

R.(Mark 16:15) Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
Praise the LORD all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Reading 2 Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 
You have forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children: "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges." 

Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons.  For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline? At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.  Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.

Alleluia  John 14:6  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father, except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 13:22-30  

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.

Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?"

He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.  After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from. And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.' Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.  Depart from me, all you evildoers!' And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.  For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

What these scriptures tell us about God:

I know their works and their thoughts

I come to gather nations of every language

my glory
I will set a sign among them

They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations as an offering to the LORD

Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us

the fidelity of the LORD endures forever

whom the Lord loves, he disciplines

he scourges every son he acknowledges

God treats you as sons

all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it

what is lame may not be disjointed but healed

I am the way, the truth and the life
no one comes to the Father, except through me.

Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went

making his way to Jerusalem. 

many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough

people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God

some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last

What these scriptures tell us to do:

come and see my glory

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News
Praise the LORD 

glorify him

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News

Endure your trials as discipline

strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees

Make straight paths for your feet 

Strive to enter through the narrow gate

What these scriptures tell us not to do:

do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him

Additional resources:

Wisdom Principles: We Must Make Real Effort/Sacrifice to Receive All that God Offers, But It Is Well Worth It

What we can learn from a garden hose—we are used differently at different times

The hoses in our garden are used in different ways at different times. Sometimes our contractor’s hoses are connected to drip hoses to distribute water to individual tomato plants, eggplants, and cucurbits. Sometimes they are connected to oscillating overhead sprinklers to water multiple beds of crops like beets, turnips, bok shoy, and daikon radishes. The same is true, in a different way, with our drip hoses.  One year a given length is used to irrigate cucurbits, and the next it is watering tomatoes and eggplants.

Both types of hoses have periods of time when they are not being used at all.  Maybe it’s just a rainy patch, when we don’t need to irrigate. Or maybe they have been drained, coiled, and stored for the winter. They still have value to us, but the circumstances are not right for their use for at those times.

We see something like that in the way God uses His servants. He gives them different tasks, serving different kinds of folks in different ways at different times. And like our hoses, they are not in use all the time; there are times  when God isn’t actively using them, but they still have great value to Him. 

We will face hardship if we serve God, but God helps us through it (readings for August 18, 2019 annotated) (Lectionary: 120)

Key

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

Hyperlinks to additional resources

Commentary

Reading 1  Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10  

In those days, the princes said to the king: "Jeremiah ought to be put to death; he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin."  King Zedekiah answered: "He is in your power"; for the king could do nothing with them.

And so they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah, which was in the quarters of the guard, letting him down with ropes.  There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

Ebed-melech, a court official, went there from the palace and said to him: "My lord king, these men have been at fault in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah, casting him into the cistern.  He will die of famine on the spot, for there is no more food in the city."  Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite to take three men along with him, and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he should die.

Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 40: 2, 3, 4, 18 

R. Lord, come to my aid!
I have waited, waited for the LORD, and he stooped toward me.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
The LORD heard my cry.He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp;he set my feet upon a crag;  he made firm my steps.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe andtrust in the LORD.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Though I am afflicted and poor, yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;  O my God, hold not back!
R. Lord, come to my aid!

Reading 2  Hebrews 12:1-4 
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to usand persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross,  despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,  in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.  In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.

Alleluia  John 10:27  

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 12:49-53  

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have come to set the earth on fire,  and how I wish it were already blazing!  There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!  Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.  From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

What these scriptures tell us about God

he stooped toward me.
The LORD heard my cry

He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp

he set my feet upon a crag

he made firm my steps.
he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe and trust in the LORD.
Though I am afflicted and poor, yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer

we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses

For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross

taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
he endured such opposition from sinners

I have come to set the earth on fire

how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! 

What these scriptures tell us to do

waited, waited for the LORD

look on in awe 

trust in the LORD

let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us

persevere in running the race that lies before us 

keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus

For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart

Commentary:

1.   We will face hardships/difficulties/resistance if we sincerely follow and diligently serve Jesus. (first reading, psalm, second reading, Gospel).

2.  God knows that (He went through it Himself), he cares about us and will help us through those things. (psalm, second reading).

3.  How do we access that help? Today’s readings show us several ways:

a.   Wait for God’s help/success in serving His purpose, persevere, stick it out. Don’t give up or try short cuts. For more on this, and ways to help us persevere, pray over Sirach 2. 

b.  Cry out to God, pray—a lot. Along those same lines, see Philippians 4:6-7 and James 1:5. 

c.   Actively look for God and His consolations/helps in the midst of our difficulties.

d.  Examine your life for sin/counterproductive behavior, repent, confess it, and go forward without it.

e.   Consider Jesus’ examples and follow them.

f.    Remember, continually remind yourself, that there are good things on the other side of your difficulties that will far, far, outweigh the anguish we are going through. Check out Romans 8:16-18. 

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Along the same general lines as today’s readings, see Wisdom Principles--Fortitude

God wants nothing between us & Him (readings for August 17, 2019 annotated) (Lectionary: 418)

KEY:

What these scriptures tell us about God

What these scriptures tell us to do

What these scriptures tell us not to do

Commentary 

Reading 1 Joshua 24:14-29  

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, and addressed them, saying: "Fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

But the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed. At our approach the LORD drove out all the peoples, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."

Joshua in turn said to the people, "You may not be able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If, after the good he has done for you, you forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, he will do evil to you and destroy you."

But the people answered Joshua, "We will still serve the LORD."

Joshua therefore said to the people, "You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the LORD."

They replied, "We are, indeed!"

Joshua continued: "Now, therefore, put away the strange gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."

Then the people promised Joshua, "We will serve the LORD, our God, and obey his voice."

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem, which he recorded in the book of the law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was in the sanctuary of the LORD. And Joshua said to all the people, "This stone shall be our witness, for it has heard all the words which the LORD spoke to us. It shall be a witness against you, should you wish to deny your God." Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his own heritage.

After these events, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11   

R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge; I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right handI shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Alleluia  Matthew 11:25 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 19:13-15 

Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

Jesus welcomes those who have no/low status by society’s standards.

Jesus blesses those who have no/low status by society’s standards.

Jesus wants no obstacles between Him and those who are brought to Him

Even committed, devout, folks can be at odds with/interfere with the delivery of Jesus’ goodness/folks accessing Jesus.

Jesus does not end his relationship with the disciples who messed up here. He does not punish them. Instead, he corrects the problem they caused & continues His ministry.

What these scriptures tell us about God

it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery

He performed those great miracles before our very eyes

protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed

he is a holy God

he is a jealous God

the good he has done for you, 

O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup

you it is who hold fast my lot.
the LORD who counsels me

with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
You will show me the path to life

fullness of joys in your presence,
delights at your right hand forever.

Lord of heaven and earth

you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these

he placed his hands on them

What these scriptures tell us to do

Fear the LORD 

serve him completely and sincerely.Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt,serve the LORD

decide today whom you will serve

serve the LORD

serve the LORD

put away the strange gods that are among you 

turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel
serve the LORD

obey his voice

in you I take refuge

say to the LORD, "My Lord are you”
set the LORD ever before me

What these scriptures tell us not to do

forsake the LORD for the service of other gods

forsake the LORD and serve strange gods

do not prevent them