Dress to God's Word / "Liturgical Dress": February 12

February 12, 2014: Wednesday, 5th week, Ordinary Time

Readings

1 Kgs 10:1-10 The queen of Sheba came to test King Solomon. When she witnessed his wisdom, she was breathless. “Blessed are your servants, who listen to you. Blessed be the Lord, whom it has pleased to place you on the throne and make you king to carry out judgment and justice.”

Ps 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40 "The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom." Commit to the Lord your way; he will make justice dawn for you; he'll help and deliver you.

Mk 7:14-23 Jesus to crowds: “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile a person, but the things that come out from within can.” To disciples: “Everything that goes in can't defile since it doesn't enter the heart. What comes out, evil from the heart, defiles.”

Pope Francis

Audience: 3 ways the Eucharist should radically affect us:

See people and give yourself to them as Christ did. Recognize God in the poor, sick, and marginalized, and help them.
It gives us the grace of forgiveness. We're sinners in need of reconciliation; accept God’s mercy and show it to others.
It affects the life of our communities; the Church receives identity and mission through it; in it Christ nourishes us with His own life. Live the Eucharist in a spirit of faith, prayer, and hope.

Gospel Joy (Evangelii Gaudium drill-down), continuing Chapter 5 (a series):

Personal encounter with Jesus' saving love: The main reason to evangelize is the love of Jesus and experience of salvation that urge us to greater love and speak of the beloved. If we contemplate the Gospel with love, it will amaze and excite us, and we'll realize we've been entrusted with a treasure which helps us lead a new life. We become convinced others need this. If we express the Gospel, it will speak to people's deepest yearnings.

Our conviction has to be sustained by ongoing experience of Christ’s friendship and message, being convinced that knowing, following, and worshipping Jesus makes a difference. True missionaries sense Jesus' life, knowing he walks, breathes, and works with them, but if we're not enthusiastic, certain, and in love, we won't convince anybody. In union with Jesus, we seek what he seeks and love what he loves. Our deepest motivation, the ultimate reason and meaning behind all we do: the glory of the Father who loves us. (5.I, 264-67, pp. 196-200)

Reflections

Creighton: Discover and share your gifts.

One Bread One Body: Solomon died of a spiritual heart attack. In baptism we received a new heart but can turn it away from God; repent to keep it beating.

Passionist: The gospel's physical healing also points to inner healing. When we in prayer move beyond words and concepts, we're open to the inner voice of God free of impediments to communication and are blessed like the one in today's gospel: "the deaf hear and the mute speak."