October 9, 2014: Thursday, 27th week, Ordinary Time
- Holy Spirit' necklace: didn't you receive the Spirit from faith? (1st reading); "the Father will give the Spirit to those who ask" (gospel)
- 'Hands' tie: "He promised to save us from the hands of all who hate us" (canticle)
- 'Wheat' pin: "Friend, lend me 3 loaves of bread" (gospel)
- 'Question mark' tie pin: "Ask and you'll receive.... Father will give Spirit to all who ask" (gospel)
- [as close as I can come to] 'Snake' and 'fish' tie pins: "What father would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?" (gospel)
- Red in shirt: martyrdom of St. Denis and companions
- Seek ye first/ Lafferty (gospel)
- When you are praying/ Gillette, to the tune of Amazing Grace (gospel)
- When afflictions sore oppress you/ Olearius tr. Cox: Genevan 42 tune; other (87.87.77.88) tunes that fit (gospel)
- Canticle of Zachary/ Joncas (sample for assembly, sample with keyboard) (canticle)
- Benedictus/ Farrell (sample sheet music) (canticle)
- Canticle of Zachary/ Daw text (lyrics), Forest Green tune (O little town of Bethlehem) (canticle)
- Canticle of Zachary/ Daw text, Tomaszek tune (canticle)
Today we prayed to "obtain what prayer doesn't dare to hope for." God always gives us more! Gospel's key words: friend, Father, gift. Jesus: prayer is like one who asks a friend for something. Some friends give all; others are good friends more or less, and still others aren't like them but still give to the persistent. Our Father loves us so much, he gives the Spirit.'God' does not exist! There's Father, Son and Holy Spirit: persons, not a 'God spray.' Jesus our companion gives us what we ask, the Father cares for and loves us, and the Spirit is the Father's gift we dare not hope for. Jesus teaches us to pray; our prayer should be Trinitarian.
Synod corner
What can the Church do to accompany families in difficult situations such as the separated, divorced, remarried, single parents, teen mothers, children from broken homes? What is the Church's outreach re same-sex unions? Card. Assis warned against a shortsighted legalistic approach; the Church needs to fathom the depths of these situations to be a welcoming home to all involved.
Africa Retrouvaille leaders Conways' testimony: Finances, infidelity, family of origin issues, and “singles married lifestyle” (doing things separately) are problems. Of 4 stages (romance, disillusionment, misery, joy), most get stuck between #2 and #3, where many give up. We equip couples with tools to get to #4, where emphasis is on us (vs. me). Love, trust, and forgiveness are decisions, not feelings; we foster forgiveness of self and each other so couples can return to church and home.
The best gift couples can give their children is to love each other, put their marriage first, and stand united on child-related decisions. [Children are a common factor in Synod testimonies: Passing the faith onto them, how family breakdown or mixed marriages affects them, inability to have them, abandoned children....]
Couples in second marriages and so excluded from the Sacraments are hurt and angry; they feel they're constantly reminded and guilty of past mistakes. Same-sex couples ask to take part in our counseling....Read
- Gal 3:1-5 Are you mad? Who bewitched you? Did you receive the Spirit from works of the law, or from faith? Does the one who supplies you the Spirit and works mighty deeds do so from works of the law or from faith?
- Lk 1:69-75 "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people," raised up a mighty savior, promised to save us, show mercy, and remember his covenant. He swore he'd set us free from our enemies, free to worship him, holy and righteous all our days.
- Lk 11:5-13 “Suppose you go to a friend at midnight and say, 'Lend me three loaves of bread,' and he replies, ‘Don't bother me.’ If he doesn't get up and give the loaves out of friendship, he will because of your persistence. Ask and you'll receive; seek and you'll find; knock and the door will be opened. Everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to one who knocks, the door is opened. Who would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish, or a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father give the Spirit to those who ask?”
- CCEL's hymn tune archive (including What's a hymn? How do they differ from carols, gospel songs, or anthems? What's a hymn tune?)
- HymnTime's Cyber Hymnal with lyrics, audio, sheet music, and more; search by title, scripture passage, meter, tune name, and more
- Hymnary.org, my go-to site
- Fr. Ed Benioff's ACC homily podcast: Don't be stupid; be missionaries to the world.
- Creighton: Hearing the canticle's litany of what God has done, and today's gospel, inspires us to pray persistently....
- Passionist: We meet the Father's love for us in compassion and forgiveness. We who feel the sting of injustice need to persevere. Into our empty hands the Lord will place a gift. The Father will give us the Holy Spirit....
- DailyScripture.net: In Jesus' time, hospitality required community cooperation. Asking for bread was a common occurrence and an expected favor; refusing to give it would bring shame. How much more hospitable is our always-generous God! "God, who doesn't sleep and who awakens us that we may ask, gives more graciously." (St. Augustine) The Lord gives more than we can expect: the Spirit....
- Universalis:
- St. Denis, martyr; see Catholic Encyclopedia.
- St. John Leonardi, priest, Order of Clerks Regular of the Mother of God founder, also honored as Society for the Propagation of the Faith founder; see Catholic News Agency.
- Bl. John Henry Newman, convert, priest,Oratory of St Philip Neri founder, writer, praised for humility, pastoral care, and writings (here too); see Wikipedia.
Special greetings to and prayers for the St. Denis Catholic community in Diamond Bar
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