August 16, 2018

Aug. 16

August 16, 2018:  Thursday, 19th week, Ordinary Time


See 15 connections with today?
Legend below
Listen
For Psalm 78
For the gospel
    • Look it up/ Presley, Orrall:  country song with verse about how hard it is for us to forgive ("forgiveness...  It's what Jesus has in store for you, but I don't...") This cover avoids the original's bad language.  Lyrics+
St. Stanislaus Kostka is one of the most excellent sons of Poland and of the Society of Jesus.  You too are driven by the love of Christ and renewed in strength by His grace.  Be courageous!”
“The path of his brief life... can be likened to a great cross-country race towards holiness, the goal of every Christian life” (John Paul II).  He teaches young people that freedom is not a blind race, but the capacity to discern the desired goal and follow the best paths of action and life.  He teaches them not to be afraid to take risks and to dream of true happiness, which comes from Jesus Christ.  Remember and live by his motto, “Ad maiora natus sum:  I was born for greater things.”
Read

  • Ezk 12:1-12  Lord:  "You live amid a rebellious house; they have eyes but don't see, ears but don't hear.  Prepare your baggage and set out as if driven into exile; maybe they'll see they're rebellious.  I've made you a sign for Israel."  When I did, God's word came:  "Tell them, 'I'm a sign for you:  as I've done, it'll be done to them; they'll go into exile....'"
  • Ps 78:56-59, 61-62  "Do not forget the works of the Lord!"  They rebelled against and angered God.  God abandoned his people to the sword...
  • Mt 18:21-19:1  Peter / Jesus:  “If my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?  Seven times?” / “Not 7 but 77.  The Kingdom is like a king who settled with his servants.  He ordered sold a debtor and his family and property, but the debtor begged, ‘Be patient; I'll repay you!’  Moved, he let him go and forgave the loan.  The servant then seized one who owed him much less:  ‘Pay what you owe.’ / ‘Be patient; I'll repay you.’  But he refused.  His fellow servants, disturbed, reported him; his master said:  ‘Wicked servant!  I forgave your debt when you begged me, but you didn't take pity on your servant!’  He handed him over to torturers.  So will my Father do to you unless you forgive.”
Reflect
  • Fr. Sam Ward homily video:  Learn from St. Stephen of Hungary:  be prudent, trustworthy, merciful, patient, strong, humble, moderate, gentle, honorable, chaste; keep the faith; fulfill your duty.
  • Creighton:  Only God has control over life, death, victory, and justice, but often the rich and powerful, or those who want to be, announce that God is on our side.  It'll take more humility than pride to realize freedom and justice for all.  Jesus helps us understand that riches and strength won't get us into God's Kingdom.  God’s possibilities for us are greater than we can imagine.  Lord, give us humility in considering what it means to enter into God's Kingdom.  May the kingdom come to my humbled heart....
    Parable of the unmerciful servant
  • One Bread, One Body:  "Forgiving from the heart" means considering the account paid off, the slate wiped clean.  If I keep looking for a reward or return from one who hurt me, if I'm angry when one who hurt me is praised in public, if I'm disturbed if co-workers or fellow parishioners honor one who damaged my reputation, if I keep score of old wounds, I haven't truly forgiven.  Jesus' reward for forgiving was mockery and humiliation; he didn't count the cost.  He bore our punishment. May we in imitation of him forgive completely from the heart whatever the cost.
    The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant/ van Hemessen
  • Passionist:  The gospels are full of stories about forgiveness and mercy, Our Church fathers, understanding the importance of forgiveness, filled Mass with prayers for mercy.  Today's gospel tells us to forgive repeatedly.  And how often will we need God’s mercy?  Hiding our struggles separates us from the possibility to be loved and free and to grow in relationship.  The discussions about forgiveness don't focus on the offenses but the need to forgive; Jesus puts all the focus on a merciful heart.  I feel closest to the Lord when in my brokenness I humbly approach him and am open to his merciful love.
    Parable of the wicked servant
    Fetti
  • DailyScripture.net:  "Lord, how often shall I forgive?":  Amos speaks of God forgiving transgression three times rns that God may not revoke punishment the fourth. When Peter asked, he offered an answer he thought Jesus would like, but Jesus made it clear there's no limit.  He drove the lesson home with the debtors parable.  The man forgiven his enormous debt (more than a king's ransom) couldn't forgive his neighbor a small debt (about 1/100,000 of his own).  No offense of another compares with my debt to God.  Jesus forgave a debt we couldn't repay on our own.  As God has shown mercy in pardoning our sins, we must show mercy to all who have offended us. Forgiving is a sacred duty.  We must let go of resentments, grievances, or ill will.  Pray for the grace and strength to forgive as God has forgiven you.
Mercy is the flip side of God's justice; without mercy, justice is cold.  Mercy follows and perfects justice; it seasons it as salt meat.  Showing mercy without addressing the wrong and to pardon the unrepentant is license, not mercy.  "Mercy will flower only when it grows in the crannies of the rock of Justice: transplanted to the marshlands of mere Humanitarianism, it becomes a man-eating weed, more dangerous because it's still called by the same name as the mountain variety" (C. S. Lewis).
    • Roch (Rock, Rocco), model worker of mercy
Dress legend
  • 'Hands' pin:  "I dug a hole through the wall with my hand" (1st reading); "He surrendered... his glory in the hands of the foe" (psalm)
  • 'Eyeball' tie pin:  "They have eyes but don't see" (1st reading)
  • 'Airplane' tie pin:  "Migrate to another place" (1st reading)
  • 'Signs' tie:  "I've made you a sign for the house of Israel" (1st reading)
  • 'Arrow' tie bar:  "They recoiled like a treacherous bow" (psalm)
  • 'Sword' tie bar:  "He abandoned his people to the sword" (psalm)
  • 'Crown' tie bar:  Parable of king settling accounts with his servants (gospel)
  • 'Money bag' tie pin:  1st debtor owed lots of money (gospel)
  • 'Clocks' suspenders:  "Be patient with me, and I'll pay you back" (gospel)
  • 'Abacus' tie pin:  "Forgive 70 × 7 times" (gospel)
  • 'Penny' button:  Fellow servant owed only a small amount; "his master handed over the merciless servant to repay the last penny" (gospel)
  • 'Bees' knees' button:  Fellow servant fell to his knees to beg patience (gospel)
  • 'Heart' clip:  "My Father will hand you over unless you forgive from your heart” (gospel)
  • Green and white shirt:  Green for Ordinary Time season, white for St. Stephen of Hungary
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)