November 14, 2016

Nov. 14

November 14, 2016:  Monday, 33rd week, Ordinary Time

  • 'Angel' pin:  God made the revelation known by sending his angel (1st reading)
  • 'Reader' tie:  Blessed is the one who reads aloud...  (1st reading)
  • 'Clocks' suspenders:  The appointed time is near (1st reading)
  • 'Star' tie pin:  The one who holds the seven stars...  (1st reading)
  • Gold-colored accessories:  gold lampstands (1st reading)
  • 'Tree' pin:  I will feed them from the tree of life (psalm)
  • 'Eyeball' tie pin:  Blind beggar (gospel)
  • '?' tie pin:  "What do you want me to do for you?" (gospel)
  • Green shirt:  Ordinary Time season
Listen

For the gospel
For Psalm 1
Pope Francis
Sunday homily:  “For you the sun of justice shall rise, with healing...” is directed to those who trust in the Lord, who refuse to live only for themselves.  For the poor rich in God, the sun of justice will rise.  The poor in spirit, whom God calls “my special possession,” are contrasted with the proud, who seek security in their self-sufficiency.  Do I look for security in the Lord?  Where is my life headed?  Do I long for the Lord, or what can't satisfy?
In the gospel, Jesus is in Jerusalem for his death and resurrection, in the Temple precincts.  As people speak of the beautiful temple exterior, he says, “There shall not be left here one stone,” and there will be conflicts, famine, and convulsions.  He's telling us everything we see will pass away.  Then people ask him, “When, and what will be the sign?”  We're driven by curiosity, but Jesus doesn't care for such curiosity; he exhorts us not to be taken in.  Jesus' followers pay no heed to doomsayers, horoscopes, or predictions that distract from truly important things.  The Lord asks us to distinguish between what's from him and what's from the false spirit, to distinguish the wisdom God speaks to us each day from shouting of those who seek to frighten, to nourish division and fear. 
 Jesus tells us not to be afraid of upheavals but to persevere and trust God.  God doesn't forget us, his faithful ones, his precious possession.  But today he questions us about the meaning of our lives.  The readings serve as a “strainer” our life can be poured through, reminding us almost everything is passing away like water, but treasured realities remain like a precious stone in a strainer.  What riches endure?  The Lord and our neighbor, the greatest goods, to be loved.  Everything else will pass away, but never exclude God or others.
When we speak of exclusion, we think of concrete people, not useless objects.  The human person is often discarded, set aside in favor of things.  This is unacceptable, because in God’s eyes we're the most precious good.  We should be worried when our consciences are anaesthetized and we no longer see the one suffering at our side or world problems.
God sees not only appearances but the “humble and contrite in spirit,” today's Lazaruses.  What harm we do when we don't notice Lazarus, excluded and cast out; it's turning away from God himself!  It's spiritual sclerosis to be interested in objects over persons.  As progress and possibilities increase, fewer can benefit from them.  This injustice should concern us more than knowing when or how the world will end.  We can't be about our business while Lazarus lies at the door; there's no peace for the prosperous if justice is lacking.
May we not close our eyes to God who sees us or to our neighbor who asks something of us.  Open your eyes to God; purify your hearts of deceitful and fearful images, from the god of retribution, the projection of pride and fear.  Look with trust to the God of mercy, certain that “love never ends.”  Hope in the life we're called to; it won't pass away and awaits us in communion with the Lord and others, in endless joy.  And open your eyes to others, especially to the forgotten and excluded, to the “Lazarus” at our door, where the Church’s magnifying glass is pointed.  May the Lord free us from turning it towards ourselves.  May he turn us away from trappings that distract us, interests and privileges, attachment to power and glory, being seduced by the spirit of the world.  The Church looks to the suffering and crying out, knowing they belong to her.”  It's our responsibility to care for the true riches, the poor.  Recall how the martyr Lawrence distributed the community's goods to the poor, whom he described as the treasure of the Church.  May we look to what truly matters, and turn our hearts to our true treasure.
Angelus:  Even the most sacred human constructions are transitory.  Don't place your faith in them or in “false messiahs” who speculate on people's needs.  Our only certainty is that our life is in the hands of the Lord, who will never abandon us.  Nothing can be lost if we place our lives in his hands.
Many “false messiahs” exist today, speculating on our need for security, but don't let wars or calamities terrify or disorient you.  Church history is full of examples of people who suffer with serenity because they put themselves in God’s hands.  He's a faithful, caring Father, who never abandons us. 
What really counts is standing firm in the Lord, walking in hope, and building a better world, despite difficulties and sad events.  The Holy Year of Mercy has urged us to keep our eyes fixed on the fulfillment of God's Kingdom, and to build a future on earth, evangelizing the present, to make it a time of salvation for all....

 Read
  • Rv 1:1-4; 2:1-5  The revelation of Jesus Christ, to show what must happen soon.  The appointed time is near.  “To the Church in Ephesus:  'I know your works and your endurance, but you've lost the love you had at first.  Repent, and do the works you did at first.'”
  • Ps 1:1-4, 6  "Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life."  Blessed those who delight in and meditate on the Lord's law; whatever they do prospers.
  • Lk 18:35-43  Blind beggar / Jesus:  “Son of David, have pity on me!” / “What do you want me to do for you?” / “Lord, please let me see.” / “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”  He received sight and followed him; he and the people gave glory to God.
Reflect
    • Creighton:  Does our individualism keep us from asking for help? Do we think it's a sign of weakness?  People walking with Jesus wanted the blind man to stop calling for Jesus, but Jesus stopped, and the blind man asked for help and was healed.  I bet God rejoices when we call for his help and doesn't think it a sign of weakness. 
    • One Bread, One Body:  "Eye-opening freedom":  Jesus promised to free slaves and open blind eyes.  May we cry out with Bartimaeus, "I want to see" Until we see with the eyes of faith, how can we walk by faith and freedom?
      If you know who painted this,
      please comment below!
    • Passionist:  In the 1st reading the faithful were praised and congratulated for their perseverance, then it was held against them that they'd fallen from their earlier love and urged to repent.  As well as we may do in the face of trials, there's always the challenge to love more fully....
    • DailyScripture.net:  "What do you want me to do for you?"  It took courage and persistence for Bartimaeus to get Jesus' attention over the noise; the crowd was annoyed because he was disturbing their peace and conversation with Jesus.  Jesus commends Bartimaeus for his eyes of faith and also grants him physical sight.  Do I recognize my need for healing and seek Jesus out with persistence and trust?  "Now that he was delivered from blindness, 'He followed him, offering glory to God.'  He was set free from double blindness, of the body and of mind and heart.  He would not have glorified him as God had he not possessed spiritual vision. He became the means of others giving Christ glory, for it says that all the people gave glory to God (Cyril of Alexandria, paraphrased).
      • St. Laurenc O'Toole (Lorcán Ua Tuathail), bishop
      • Beatified Martyrs of Clifton Diocese:  12 priests, 11 monks, 4 laymen, 1 laywoman
      • Reading Martyrs:  Hugh Cook Faringdon, Benedictine abbot; John Eynon, priest; prebendary John Rugge
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