June 14, 2016

June 14

June 14, 2016:  Tuesday, 11th week, Ordinary Time

  • Purple shirt (vs. rerunning yesterday's 'grapes' tie):  Naboth's vineyard (1st reading)
  • 'Stone' tie pin:  Naboth was stoned to death (1st reading continues from yesterday's)
  • 'Dog [Snoopy]' tie pin:  "Where dogs licked Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up yours”; “Dogs shall devour Jezebel and Ahab's line” (1st reading)
  • 'Bird' tie pin:  "Birds will devour him." (1st reading)
  • 'Love' suspenders sticker:  Love your enemies (gospel)
  • 'Blood drop' pin:  "Free me from blood guilt" (psalm)
  • Green suspenders:  Ordinary Time (season)
Listen
For Psalm 51
    • Look it up/ Presley, Orrall, with verse about how hard it is for us to forgive ("It's what Jesus has in store for you, but I don't...") This cover avoids the original's bad language. lyrics+ (gospel, Passionist reflection)
    Jesus' instruction to love our enemies was in contrast to what the Doctors of the Law taught.  The Jewish Law was being taught based only on its letter, not the love of God at its heart.  So Jesus repeated "Love God with all your heart, strength, and soul, and your neighbor as yourself."  The law doctors were only worried about details and cases, but Jesus showed the true sense of the Law he came to fulfill.
    Jesus showed the commandments in a new light and proved that love is more generous than the letter of the Law. From ‘Don't kill’ meaning don’t insult or be angry, to the instructions to give your coat to one who demands your shirt, or go the extra mile.  This isn't just to fulfill the Law; it also helps heal us.  In Jesus’ explanations of the commandments, there's a journey of healing we all must undertake to be more like our “Father (who) is perfect.”  The last and most difficult step on this journey is in Jesus’ words today:  “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  When I was a child, people used to pray for God to send our dictators to hell, but God calls us to examine our consciences and pray for our enemies.  May the Lord give us grace to pray for those who hurt and persecute us.  Prayer will change them and make us more like our Father's children.
    Read
    • 1 Kgs 21:17-29  After Naboth was killed, the Lord told Elijah:  “Meet King Ahab in Naboth's vineyard.  Tell him, ‘The Lord says:  After murdering, do you also take possession?  Where the dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs shall lick up yours too.’  Because you did evil in God's sight, I'll destroy you and your line and make your house like Jeroboam's.”  No one did evil in God's sight as Ahab, urged on by his wife Jezebel.  When Ahab heard this, he tore his garments, put on sackcloth, fasted, and went about subdued.  The Lord told Elijah, “Since Ahab has humbled himself before me, I'll wait till his son's reign to bring the evil.”
    • Ps 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 11, 16  "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned."  I acknowledge my offense against you.  Blot out my guilt, and my tongue shall revel in your justice.
    • Mt 5:43-48  “You've heard, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy,' but I tell you, love your enemies and pray for your persecutors.  Your Father makes his sun rise and rain fall on the bad and the good.  Even tax collectors love those that love them.  Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father.”
    Reflect
      • Creighton:  The difficult idea from the 1st reading is that the Lord punished Ahab by cutting off every male in his line.  Children bearing their ancestors' sins is hard to accept, but it occurs.  Many suffer the debilitating effects of addiction, broken families, poverty, violence, oppression....  Broken adults beget broken children, and the cycle is hard to break.  But if we humble ourselves before God, we can be redeemed.  I hope Ahab’s sons asked for God's mercy and were forgiven of ‘blood guilt.’  God’s grace is ours to have if we humbly accept it.
      • One Bread, One Body:  "Dining with enemies":  God loves enemies, laying down his life for them. "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing."  The Lord promised to set us free from the hands of our enemies and to set a table before us in our foes' sight.  The Lord sets us free from them not to be rid of them, but so that we may be free to love them and bring them to his grace.  God is glorified when we love our enemies, and others will know we're the Father's children by our love for our enemies.  To love our enemies, we must be willing to suffer and to be stretched.  Imagine their conversion, not their downfall....
      • Passionist:  How distant today's "get even" mentality from Jesus' new and transformative message of forgiveness and love, even of enemies!  People find forgiveness to be one of the hardest things about following Jesus; it's a decision we need to keep repeating.  Let the peace you offer the other fill your heart too; don't let memories or emotions wreak havoc....
      • DailyScripture.net:  "Love your enemies and pray for them":  God is good to the unjust and the just.; he loves saints and sinners.  God teaches us to seek others' greatest good, even our enemies'.  Our love must be marked by the kindness and mercy God has shown us, though it's harder when we expect nothing in return. Our prayer for those who do us ill breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love.  God's love, power, and grace conquer our hurts, fears, prejudices, and griefs, healing and saving us.  'Perfect" in Aramaic means 'complete' or 'whole,' not lacking in what's essential.  God gives us every good gift so we may not lack anything we need to do his will.  He assures us of his love, mercy, and grace....
        • Lidwina, ice-skating when she fell and broke a rib, suffered MS, had gift of prayer and contemplation 
        • Davnet
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