June 22, 2017

June 22

June 22, 2017:  Thursday, 11th week, Ordinary Time



  • 'Words' tie:  Babbling pagans think they'll be heard because of their many words (gospel)
  • 'Wheat' pin:  Give us this day our daily bread (gospel)
  • 'Heart' pin:  God knows I love you!  (1st reading); I'll thank the Lord with all my heart (psalm)
  • 'Serpent' tie pin:  As the serpent deceived Eve, your thoughts may be corrupted (1st reading)
  • Red in heart pin:  Martyrdom of SS. John Fisher and Thomas More
  • Green shirt:  Ordinary Time season
Listen

For Psalm 111

For Psalm 112 (why?*)
*My mistake!  I looked up Ps 111 on YouTube, chose these two settings, then realized the text didn't match the psalm and discovered they're really for Ps 112.  I'd only seen this "one-off" numbering in the other direction (e.g., Spanish hymnals show Ps 51 settings as for Salmo 50, a difference between Hebrew and Greek numbering?).  I was also surprised that the text begins "beatus vir" using the "male-only" vir instead of homo (with the sense 'person'), since I'm sure the sense is that all who fear the Lord are blessed.  English translations differ, rendering the text as man, person, those....  I looked up the psalm in Hebrew; the original word, אּישׁ, AFAICT also refers to the male (vs. persons in general).  I assume the translators who chose person or those knew enough about Hebrew usage at the time to support that rendering.  Readers who know, please shed some light on this!
For the gospel
Pope Francis homily
The Good Shepherd gives his life for his sheep.  Paul is a true shepherd, who doesn't abandon his sheep.  He's passionate to the point of telling his people, "I feel for you a kind of divine jealousy."  Passion becomes almost madness, stupidity for his people.  We call this apostolic zeal; you can't be a true shepherd without this fire.
Pastors must also know how to discern.  They know what seduction is; the father of lies is a seducer trying to turn people away from the fidelity Paul tried to cultivate.  Pastors discern where the dangers, and graces, are, and accompany their sheep in beautiful moments, bad moments, even moments of seduction, and patiently bring them to the fold.
Apostles can't be naive; they need to defend fidelity to Christ the bridegroom.  They can say no, like parents say to a baby who heads towards the electric socket to put his fingers in.  A good shepherd can denounce by name, as Paul did.
Don Milani's motto was "I care."  He taught people to take things seriously, against the "I don't care" motto of the time.  He taught kids to move on and take care of their lives....
Read
  • 2 Cor 11:1-11  I'm jealous of you, since I betrothed you to present you to Christ, but I'm afraid your thoughts may be corrupted.  If someone preaches a different Jesus, spirit, or gospel, you put up with it.  Did I make a mistake when I humbled myself and preached the Gospel to you?  When I was with you, I didn't burden you, and I won't.  I won't silence my boast.  God knows I love you!
  • Mt 6:7-15  “In praying, don't babble; your Father knows what you need.  Pray:  ‘Our Father, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.  Give us our daily bread, and forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us....  Deliver us from evil.’  If you forgive others, your Father will forgive you; if you don't, he won't.”
Reflect
      St. Thomas More/ Holbein
    • Creighton:  Paul must feel misunderstood and be frustrated in preaching the good news; no wonder he's defensive, even sarcastic.  Think about something you're passionate about. When we're misunderstood, unappreciated, complained at, accused, or we face other obstacles, we get defensive and try harder to prove our mission should be everyone's.
    Jesus offers another way in the Our Father:  Call on the one who knows us more than we do and loves us more than we can imagine.  Ask for grace to trust God.  Ask for what you need now:  to let go of the self-righteousness of being misunderstood, ability to face conflict with equanimity, or whatever.  Recognize your limitations and ask for grace to forgive yourself and to forgive others in theirs.  Affirm your trust in God's guidance and your intent to listen for and follow it.  Find something to be grateful for.
      St. John Fisher
    • One Bread, One Body:  "Fallen away":  Paul was afraid the Corinth church would fall away from their devotion to Christ.  If we love Christ less than before, we've become lukewarm, fallen away from our earlier love.  If we fall away, we're in danger; a relationship where love lessens is in trouble. If we don't love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we're not following the greatest commandment.  May we renew our baptismal covenant and return to our "sincere and complete devotion to Christ."
    • Passionist:  Jesus gives an antidote to sheer multiplication of words in the Our Father.  "Our" makes it communal; even if we pray it alone, we're conscious of being part of the family of God's children.  We pray for the coming, and fullness, of God's Kingdom.  Knowing God's will isn't enough; we must make it our guide.  We pray for our "daily bread" which can include God’s Word, encouragement, companionship with God, wisdom, enthusiasm following Jesus in our lives.  We pray for God’s forgiveness, knowing we must forgive each other, for which we need God's grace.  Our prayer to be delivered from evil recognizes not only our weakness but also our dedication to live the Christian life.
    • DailyScripture.net:  "Your Father knows what you need":  The Jews were devoted to prayer, but Jesus warns his disciples against mechanical prayer devoid of meaning.  He taught the Our Father, daring us to call God "our Father" and ask for what we need.  Through the Spirit we can know God, call him "Abba," and approach him with confidence.  When we ask, God gives us grace and mercy, more than we need so we can share with others.  God expects us to treat others as kindly as he treats us.  Lord, free me from anger, bitterness, resentment, selfishness, indifference; fill me with your love, compassion, and kindness....
      • Thomas More, lawyer, reformer, author of Utopia, depicting a society regulated by natural virtues, impartial judge, martyr, “the king’s good servant, but God’s first.”   “May we in heaven merrily all meet together to everlasting salvation.”
    Prayer for enemies:  Almighty God, have mercy on ...., and on all that bear me evil will, and wish me harm, and their faults and mine by such tender, merciful means as your wisdom can devise; amend and redress and make us saved souls in heaven together, where we may live and love with you and your saints, for the passion of our sweet Savior Christ.  Lord, give me patience in tribulation and grace in everything, to conform my will to yours, that I may truly say, “Your will be done on earth as in heaven.”  Give me the grace to labor for what I pray for.  –St. Thomas More
        • John Fisher, bishop, martyr:  "I condemn no one's conscience: their conscience may save them, and mine must save me.  "We should remember... to treat opponents as if they were acting in good faith, even if they seem to us to be acting out of spite or self-interest."
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