October 13, 2017

Oct. 13

October 13, 2017:  Friday, 27th week, Ordinary Time

See about a dozen connections with today?
Legend below
Listen

For gospel
Read
  • Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2  Weep, O ministers!  The house of your God is deprived of offering.  Proclaim a fast, call an assembly, blow the trumpet, tremble, and cry to the Lord!  The day of the Lord is near and comes as ruin, a day of darkness and somberness!
  • Ps 9:2-3, 6, 16, 8-9  "The Lord will judge the world with justice."  I will give thanks and praise to You and declare your wondrous deeds.  You destroyed the wicked; they're sunk in the pit they made.  But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he judges with justice and governs with equity.
  • Lk 11:15-26  Some said, “Jesus drives out demons by Beelzebul, prince of demons”; others asked him for a sign.  Jesus:  “A kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste.  If I drive out demons by God, then God's Kingdom has come upon you.  When a strong man guards his palace, his possessions are safe, until a stronger one overcomes him.  Whoever isn't with me is against me.  When an unclean spirit leaves someone, it looks for rest; finding none, it returns with seven more, and the man is even worse off.”
Reflect
  • Creighton:  Our fear of God’s judgment should draw us to God's love.  Are we going to let the Lord lift us?  Are we going to engage in self-examination, repentance, and renewal?  Putting our house in order isn't enough; we must remain vigilant.  We're vulnerable and imperfect but not defeated.  Give the Lord thanks and praise no matter what.  God is our help in times of trouble.  May we remain vigilant in our faith....
  • One Bread, One Body:  "Radical, fanatical":  We have reason to cry and repent.  We should take the effects of sin hard enough to declare an emergency.  Our problem is that we're in denial that our situation is bad.  In an emergency, only those who seem fanatics are acting sanely. "Sorrow for God's sake produces a repentance without regrets, leading to salvation, whereas worldly sorrow brings death...."  May we be fanatical about repentance.
    Cry out!
  • Passionist:  What keeps me from seeing the the Savior of the world?  The opposite of faith is the kind of 'certitude' in today's gospel.  We have other examples in Jesus’ encounters with Pharisees so certain about the Messiah who can't reconcile their understanding with of Jesus.  Think too of Peter decrying Jesus, “God, forbid!”  Might Jesus have experienced doubt, sadness, disappointment, and frustration at not being able to get through?  But he demonstrates his love:  “Father, forgive them....”  Love conquers all and sees God's image in the one rejecting you.  Earlier, Jesus says persistence in prayer is good; then he frees the mute man to do that.  Jesus is the stronger man; once he heals us, it's up to us to fill that space with his presence....
  • DailyScripture.net:  "By the finger of God":  Jesus came to free us from the evil that destroys and enslaves us.  Evil seeks to master everyone.  Jesus came to overthrow Satan's power; his exorcisms freed many.  Jesus himself was tempted by Satan but overcame him through obeying the Father.  Some Jewish leaders assumed he was in cahoots with Satan.  Jesus' answer:  If you condemn me, you also condemn your own who cast out demons; divided kingdoms don't survive.  Jesus asserted his authority over demons as a demonstration of the reign of God.  His reference to the "finger of God" points to Moses' confrontation with Pharaoh and his magicians who represented the kingdom of darkness; he claims to be carrying on the tradition of Moses whose miracles freed the Israelites by the finger of God.  God's power is clearly at work in Jesus' exorcisms.  It's not enough to banish evil from our lives; we must fill the void with God. Our lives have a God-shaped void (Augustine-, Pascal-inspired); if we leave it vacant or fill it with something else, we'll end up worse.  How do I fill my void?...
Pope Francis Amoris Lætitia capsule:  Pastoral perspectives

Synod dialogue raised the need for new pastoral methods.  Communities must devise practical and effective initiatives that respect Church teaching and local needs.  Here are some pastoral challenges. 
Proclaiming the Gospel of the family today:  Christian families are the principal agents of family ministry through their witness as domestic churches.  People must experience the Gospel of the family as joy, because Christ set us free from sin, sorrow, emptiness, and loneliness. We're called to sow; God does the rest.  Married couples are grateful their pastors have a strong, enduring love capable of sustaining them through trials.  The Church wishes to reach out to families, helping each discover how best to overcome its obstacles; generic concern isn't enough.  Enabling families to take up their role as agents of the family apostolate calls for evangelization and catechesis inside the family.

 This calls for missionary conversion by us all, being connected to people’s real problems.  We need to make it clear that the Gospel of the family responds to the person's deepest expectations:  dignity, fulfilment in reciprocity, communion, and fruitfulness.  Evangelization needs to denounce cultural, social, political, and economic factors that hinder authentic family life and lead to discrimination, poverty, exclusion, and violence.  Dialogue and cooperation need to be fostered and lay people encouraged....  (VI:199-201)
Dress legend
  • 'Angel with trumpet' pin:  "Blow the trumpet in Zion" (1st reading)
  • Dark shirt:  The day of the Lord, day of darkness and gloom, is near (1st reading)
  • 'Alps' tie pin:  "Sound the alarm on my holy mountain" (1st reading)
  • 'Feet' pin:  Their foot is caught in the snare they set (psalm)
  • 'Crown' tie bar:  The Lord has set up his throne for judgment (psalm); the Kingdom of God is among you (gospel)
  • 'Signs' tie:  "Some asked Jesus for a sign from heaven." (gospel)
  • 'Abacus' tie pin:  "A divided kingdom will be laid waste." (gospel)
  • 'Car' pin:  How does Jesus 'drive' out demons? (gospel)
  • 'Hand' tie pin:  "If I drive out demons by the finger of God..." (gospel)
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