June 12, 2018

June 12

June 12, 2018:  Tuesday, 10th week, Ordinary Time

See about a dozen connections with today?Legend below
Listen

For gospel
For Psalm 4
Pope Francis
Homily:  Christians are called to provide simple, habitual witness to Jesus, everyday holiness.  It can mean martyrdom, but another path is to point to Christ in our daily actions.  It seems small, but miracles are done through small things.
Christian witness must be grounded in humility, being simple salt and light for others, helping them in their darkest hour.  Salt doesn't give flavor to itself but serves others; light doesn't illuminate itself but serves others.  Salt doesn't promote itself; it exists to serve others, by conserving things and giving flavor.  This is simple witness.
Be salt and light so others may see and glorify God, not to receive merit.  We ignore the light, but we live illuminated by it.  When we eat, we don’t compliment the salt; we say the pasta or meat is good.  This impels Christians to be anonymous witnesses.  Don't act like the Pharisee who thanks God for his holiness.  We're not the authors of our merits.
To Neocatechumenal Way on their 40th anniversary:  Your founder's symphony, The Suffering of the Innocents, commemorates the victims of the Shoah.  The memory of the Shoah and its atrocious violence must never be forgotten; it should constantly warn us of our obligation to reconciliation, reciprocal comprehension, and love toward our elder brothers, the Jews.
Read

  • 1 Kgs 17:7-16  When the brook near Elijah ran dry, God sent him to a widow at Zarephath.  He asked her for water and bread, but she said she had so little that she and her son were about to die.  He told her that if after she fed him, the flour and oil wouldn't run out.  She did, and so it was.
  • Ps 4:2-5, 7b-8  "Lord, let your face shine on us."  Have pity and hear my prayer!
  • Mt 5:13-16  “You're the salt of the earth, but if salt loses its taste, it's no longer any good.  You're the light of the world.  People put lamps on stands to give light to all.  Shine your light so others may see your good deeds and glorify your Father.”
Reflect
  • Creighton:  Today's readings say, You matter!  We matter!  We are the salt and light of the world.  We add flavor; we preserve; we enhance.  When we live as God's children, we preserve goodness, add flavor to a world that can be tasteless, light others' path, and are beacons of hope.  Sometimes ministry loses its vigor and flavor and isn't enjoyable, but Elijah and the widow show us that when we hear and obey God, our needs are met and purpose revealed.  If we trust our needs will be met, we'll keep our flavor and zeal to preserve goodness and love. May we act as salt and light, speak out, and let our good deeds be seen for God's greater glory.
  • One Bread, One Body:  "For God's sake!"  To see God's wonders, forget about them and just concentrate on his faithful servants.  Focus on the God of wonders, not the wonders of God:  his faithfulness, his heart, his ways, his kingdom. That's why Jesus taught us to pray to desire God's kingdom before we focus on our needs, as the widow did. She put a higher priority on God's kingdom than her own needs, and God blessed her more than she could have imagined: food and her son's life. "Go do the same."
  • Passionist:  Salt and light describe grace for me. Neither adds anything to what it's applied to:  sharpens flavor; light allows us to see what's already there. Jesus is a light in our world:  in the . light of his life we see who we are and what we can be.  In his light we discover our depth, width, length, and worth....
  • DailyScripture.net:  "Salt of the earth, light of the world":  Jesus used ordinary images to convey extraordinary truths that transform us.  Salt was a valuable commodity.  People traded with it, and it flavored and preserved food.  Jesus used the image of salt to describe the transforming effect of God's work and how the Spirit wants to work through us to bring God's power and blessing to others.  As salt purifies, preserves, and flavors our food, we disciples of Jesus are 'salt' for human society.  The Lord wants us to help purify, preserve, and spread the flavor of God's kingdom of justice, peace, and joy in the Spirit."
Salt was put into ovens to intensify the heat, then when no longer useful, thrown onto the ground where it would get stepped on and swept away.  The Lord wants us to preserve our "saltiness" through virtuous living and rejection of sin, for our sake and others'.  We're called to be "the aroma of Christ to God among those being saved and among those perishing."  May we let the fragrance of Christ's love, truth, and holiness permeate every area of our life...
Jesus also used the image of light to illustrate God's transforming work.  Lamps enable people to see and work in the dark and avoid stumbling.  Light also symbolized God's beauty, truth, and goodness of God.  "In his light we see light ." "His word is a lamp that guides us."  God illumines our darkness and fills us with spiritual light, joy, and peace.  As natural light enables one to see, so the light of Christ shines in believers and enables us to see God's kingdom.  Our mission is to bear the light of Christ so others may see the truth of the gospel and be freed from sin and deception....
Dress legend
  • Wood-colored suspenders:  Zarephath widow gathered sticks (1st reading)
  • 'Wheat' pin:  “Please bring me some bread.” (1st reading); God puts gladness into my heart, more than when grain abounds (psalm)

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  • 'Face of Jesus' pin:  "Lord, let your face..." (psalm)
  • 'Lights' tie, 'street light' tie bar:  "...shine on us." (psalm); you are the light of the world; shine before others, as lighted lamps give light to all (gospel)
  • 'Phone' tie bar:  The Lord will hear me when I 'call' on him (psalm)
  • 'Heart' pin:  "How long will you be dull of heart?...  You put gladness into my heart." (psalm)
  • 'Feet' pin:  Salt that's lost its taste is good for nothing but to be trampled underfoot (gospel)
  • 'Alps' pin:  A city set on a mountain can't be hidden (gospel)
  • Green shirt:  Ordinary Time season
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