August 27, 2015

Monica

August 27, 2015:  St. Monica
  • 'Jubilee year' button:  What thanksgiving can we render to God, for all the joy we feel on your account? (1st reading, upcoming Jubilee of Mercy)
  • 'Girl with heart' pin:  May the Lord make you abound in love for one another, to strengthen your hearts (1st reading)
  • 'Clock' tie bar:  Years in your sight are as yesterday (psalm); You don't know the day your Lord will come (gospel)
  • 'Numbers' tie:  Teach us to number our days aright...  (psalm)
  • 'Owl' tie pin:  ...that we may gain wisdom of heart.  (psalm)
  • 'Hand' tie pin:  "Prosper the work of our hands!" (psalm)
  • White shirt:  color of St. Monica day
Listen




  • Be prepared/ Lehrer:  don't let your 'preparation' run amok like this :-)
Read
  • 1 Thes 3:7-13  How can we thank God for you, for the joy we feel before God because of you?  We pray to see you and remedy the deficiencies of your faith.  May God direct us to you, and may the Lord make you abound in love, as we love you, to strengthen your hearts and be blameless before God at Jesus' coming.
  • Ps 90:3-5a, 12-14, 17  "Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!"  You turn us back to dust.  A thousand years in your sight are as yesterday.  Teach us to number our days aright and gain wisdom.  Have pity on us!  May your gracious care be ours; prosper the work of our hands!
  • Mt 24:42-51  “Stay awake!  You don't know when your Lord will come.  If the master of the house had known when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake.  Be prepared, for the Son will come when you don't expect it.  “Who is the faithful servant the master put in charge of distributing food?  If his master finds him faithful, he'll put him in charge of all his property, but if the servant beats his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, his master will come at an unexpected time and punish him severely....”
Reflect
    • Creighton:  "Stay awake’ or else!"  I want always to ‘stay awake,’ alert, aware of God’s presence, faithful.  If I don't, I may miss something beautiful, amazing, or unexpected.  I may not recognize Jesus near me.  I may miss seeing the Lord’s call, gentleness, compassion, longing, peace, justice, joy, love, healing around me   I may miss hearing the Lord calling my name revealing Love and/or gently revealing my brokenness....
    • One Bread One Body:  "Prep school":  We must prepare to be ready to meet the Lord today.  We must be prepared for the Lord to come back soon, so we must spread God's Word with urgency as Paul and the apostles did.  We must also be prepared for Jesus not to return in our lifetime, by being faithful diligent, persevering, in prayer and suffering.
      Mother and son
      (SS. Monica and Augustine)
    • Passionist:  The admonition to pay attention or stay awake is not meant to intimidate or threaten; it's the persistent care and love of a parent refusing to abandon her child.  Pope Francis calls us to wake up the world, not getting anesthetized to God in the poor, not so overworked as to be numb to God’s love seen in creation, not so busy or preoccupied with material things as to miss moments of God's favor and compassion.
    • DailyScripture.net:  The Lord promises us a great celebration when he returns again; it'll be joy and peace for those prepared, grief and sorrow for the rest.  Jesus' parable about the householder and the thief in the night is about preparing for his second coming; he wants us to guard our relationship with him.  He knocks at the door of our heart and invites us to let him enter.  Jesus' parable about the master and his servants also includes surprise, reward, and punishment; the master gives back what they gave him.  The Lord calls us to be vigilant and ready.  God's judgment is good news for those ready to meet him, whose reward is God himself.
    • Universalis:  St. Monica, woman of faith and virtue, married young, had Augustine and other children, was exemplary mother.  Her prayer for her wayward son's conversion was answered.  See Catholic Encyclopedia. Reformed problem drinker (Confessions IX.8.18; thanks Fr. Fox :-)
    Special greetings to and prayers for all at

     St. Monica Parish,
    St. Monica Elementary School,
    and St. Monica High School!

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