We can trust God when He asks us to do/ bear hard things(Readings for May 28, 2018)

Key:

What these passages tell us about God

What these passages tell us to do

What these passages tell us to avoid

Commentary

Reading 1 1 PT 1:3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hopethrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.

In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet you believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of faith, the salvation of your souls.

Responsorial Psalm PS 111:1-2, 5-6, 9 AND 10C

R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant forever.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just. Great are the works of the LORD, exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant forever.
He has given food to those who fear him; he will forever be mindful of his covenant.He has made known to his peoplethe power of his works, giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant forever.
He has sent deliverance to his people; he has ratified his covenant forever; holy and awesome is his name. His praise endures forever.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant forever.

Alleluia 2 COR 8:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother."

He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." 

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For men it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

1.   We can trust God when He asks us to do or bear hard things (first reading, psalm).  That is attested to by a guy who experienced that dynamic: Peter. It is also demonstrated by Jesus’ own life; He does not ask us to do anything harder than He has already done for us (alleluia verse).

2.     That does not mean that those things are easy, but it does mean that they are doable—with God’s help (gospel).

3.     What are some of those helps? Today’s readings identify several:

A.  Don’t think you have to do it on your own; Jesus tells us in the gospel that we cannot.

B.   Know that the hard times will pass eventually (first reading). 1 Corinthians 10:13 (also written by a guy who went through his share of tough stuff) tells us that God will not subject us to more than we can bear.  Similar instruction is given in Sirach 2. See also Psalm 103:13-14.

C.   Trust that God will get you through the hardship; that he will not abandon you (first reading, psalm). 1 Corinthians 10:13 and  Sirach 2 also speak to this dynamic.

D.  Savor and thank God for the good things He has given you and the help He gives you in the midst of the difficulties (first reading, psalm).  

E.   Look to Christian community for support; that is the “company and assembly of the just” referred to in the psalm.

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Good News in Today's Readings (May 27, 2018)

Key:

What these passages tell us about God

What these passages tell us to do

What these passages tell us to avoid

Commentary

Reading 1 DT 4:32-34, 39-40

Moses said to the people:
"Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for youin Egypt before your very eyes? 

This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever."

Responsorial Psalm PS 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22

R. (12b) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the Lordthe earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made; by the breath of his mouth all their host. For he spoke, and it was made; he commanded, and it stood forth.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Reading 2ROM 8:14-17

Brothers and sisters:
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, "Abba, Father!"
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Alleluia RV 1:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; to God who is, who was, and who is to come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approachedand said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

1.    God is all powerful; He uses that power to work unprecedented things (first reading, psalm, gospel).

2.    There is no valid/viable alternative to God (first reading). 

3.    He uses that power for nothing but good. We can trust His unwavering goodness (psalm, gospel).  See also the scriptures collected in Wisdom Principles: God’s Ways Give Security. 

4.    In spite of His awesome, universal, power, God cares about each person who trusts him (psalm). He does so even if that trust is imperfect (gospel).

5.  God wants relationship with us so much that he will adopt us as his children if we accept Jesus as Lord (second reading).  See ¶ 1 of The Catechism of the Catholic Church.  

6.    God loves and uses His people in spite of their doubts/imperfect faith.  Even devout folks experience these things; we are called to resist them (second reading, gospel). See Fear does not equal Failure and Doubt does not equal Disqualification.  

7.    How are we to respond to those realities? Today’s readings instruct us to:

A.   Meditate on, remember, these things, “fix [them] in your heart” (first reading).

B.    Trust God and “put [your] hope in” Him (psalm, gospel).

C.    Live according to His word (first reading, psalm, gospel).

D.   Allow God to lead you. Be on the alert for the Holy Spirit’s specific promptings and follow them, even if they are not what you would chose to do (second reading).

E.    Share these truths with others (gospel).

F.    Don’t let cultural differences get in the way of sharing God’s goodness (gospel).

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G.    Don’t give into/be impeded by fear/doubt.

God wants interactive, dynamic, relationship with us. Today’s readings show us our part (May 26, 2018)

Key:

What these passages tell us about God

What these passages tell us to do

What these passages tell us to avoid

Commentary

Reading 1 JAS 5:13-20

Beloved:
Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray.
Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing a song of praise.
Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. Elijah was a man like us; yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land. Then Elijah prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you should stray from the truth
and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his waywill save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Responsorial Psalm PS 141:1-2, 3 AND 8

R. (2a) Let my prayer come like incense before you.
O LORD, to you I call; hasten to me; hearken to my voice when I call upon you.Let my prayer come like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice.
R. Let my prayer come like incense before you.
O LORD, set a watch before my mouth, a guard at the door of my lips.
For toward you, O God, my LORD, my eyes are turned; in you I take refuge; strip me not of life.
R. Let my prayer come like incense before you.

Alleluia SEE MT 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 MK 10:13-16

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

God wants dynamic, interactive, relationship with us. He therefore calls us:

A.    To pray, in good times and in difficulty.  In good times those prayers take the form of praise and song. In tough circumstances they take the form of petitions and intercessions (first reading, psalm).

B.    To get rid of the things that separate us from Him by confessing our sins. The joy of reconciliation brings us closer to him (first reading). That’s why he gives us the gift of the sacrament of confession. More on that wonderful gift can be found at A good confession is like restarting your computer; Confession also seems to be a lot like composting, and What we can learn about sin from back aches. 

C.    To be in active, interacting, community with fellow believers (first reading). That makes sense; we are His body, His Spirit is within every believer, so we are with Him when we are with our fellow believers. The first reading tells us that our interactions are to be open, active, and mutually beneficial. Take a chance and get involved in something at your parish you haven’t engaged with before. Strike up a conversation with someone at church you don’t know or know well. Pray for specific persons in your parish even if they are not on the prayer list or haven’t asked for prayer; it will draw you closer to them. If you need ideas about who to pray for, pray by name for the greeters, ushers, lectors, cantor, and servers; they are usually listed by name in the bulletin, and include them in your prayers throughout the week.

D.   Spend intimate, open time with Him (psalm, gospel). Find time for a daily mass (or two or three) between Sundays.  Adoration is another way to do this.  Spend time reading, contemplating, and praying over the readings God gives us every day. A new reading can be found every day here. 

E.    If your enthusiasm wanes or your schedule gives you second thoughts about engaging in those things, think about the good things God wants to give us:

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God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 1