July 23

July 23, 2014:   Wednesday, 16th week, Ordinary Time

Readings

• Jer 1:1, 4-10  God / Jeremiah:  "Before you were born I appointed you as prophet." / "I don't know how to speak; I'm too young." / "Don't say that.  You'll go to whomever I send you and say whatever I command.  I'm with you; don't be afraid." (touching his mouth) "I place my words in your mouth!  I set you over nations to root up and destroy, to build and plant."

• Ps 71:1-4a, 5-6ab, 15, 17  "I will sing of your salvation."  Hear and rescue me; you're my hope and strength.  I depend on you.  I'll proclaim your wondrous deeds.

• Mt 13:1-9  Jesus:  “As a sower sowed, some seed fell on the path and birds ate it, some fell on rocky ground and withered, and some fell among thorns and was choked, but some fell on rich soil, and bore abundant fruit.”

Music

• How lovely is your Church, O Lord/ Gillette (1st reading) (listening tip)
• All good gifts, from Godspell/ Schwartz (gospel) (about)
• Seed, scattered and sown/ Feiten (gospel)

Reflections

• Creighton:  We're too afraid or not free enough to respond to what might involve sacrifice.  God can use us even when we're reluctant.  Seed we sow can also fall on deaf ears or be choked, but there's good soil too.  Let's sow and trust the harvest master.

• One Bread One Body:  With God's word in my mouth, it'll be filled with spirit and life, and my words will be God's effective instrument.

• Passionist:  If we sow and spread seeds of God's love, mercy, joy, peace, and justice, we too, we can bear abundant fruit and share the seeds so the fruit may be multiplied.

• DailyScripture.net:  Hearers of God's word can be prejudiced (shut mind, unteachable, blind), shallow (not following through), preoccupied (too busy for what's important), or open (willing, humble, hungry)

• Universalis:  St. Bridget of Sweden, mother of 8, foundress...  Revelations online; Catholic Encyclopedia article. / SS. Philip Evans (“I die for God and religion’s sake; and I think myself so happy that if I had many lives I would willingly give them all for so great a cause”) and John Lloyd, priests, martyrs; see Wikipedia.

• Pray for peace; feel free to use this USCCB page with prayers from Popes Benedict XVI, John Paul II, John XXIII, Leo XIII and Saints John of the Cross, Francis of Assisi, and Alcuin of York.  Thanks to Fr. Chris Bazyouros for this link.

• Sacred Space

Apparel

• 'Phone' tie bar:  'Call' of Jeremiah (1st reading), us
• 'Plant' pin:  "I set you over nations ... to build and plant" (1st reading)

• 'Rock' tie pin:  "You are my rock" (psalm); "some seed fell on rocky ground" (gospel)
• 'Birds' tie:  Birds ate the seed that fell on the path (gospel)
• 'Rose' pin:  "Some seed fell among thorns" (gospel)

• Green in shirt, suspenders, tie:  Ordinary Time season

Preview NEWDress your life!