February 4, 2019: Monday, 4th week, Ordinary Time
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| See 16 connections with today? Legend below |
For 1st reading
- We walk by faith/ Alford, Haugen: lyrics+
- Face to faith/ Patty: lyrics [but please pronounce it 'reecreates']
- Faith unlocks the door/ Scott, Sande: lyrics
For Psalm 31
- Psalm 31: In Thee, O Lord, have I put my trust/ Ely Cathedral Choir
- Psalm 31: Into your hands/ Celoni: sheet music and demo (but for Good Friday)
For gospel
- Thine arm, O Lord, in days of old/ Plumptre: lyrics+
- Cast out, O Christ/ Bringle: in mashup, about
Pope Francis in UAE
At interreligious meeting: I'm a believer thirsting for peace. We're here to desire, promote, be instruments of peace. To safeguard peace, we need to enter together into an ark and sail the stormy seas. God is at the origin of the one human family. No violence can be justified in religion's name. We must avoid judging others. Heaven's perspective embraces persons without discrimination.
Look after each other with "the courage of otherness": recognizing others' freedom and rights. Religious freedom includes seeing others as children God leaves free, whom no human institution can coerce. Prayer restores fraternity; it purifies us from turning in on ourselves. Investing in culture encourages a decrease of hatred and a growth of civility and prosperity.
Be the voice of the least; stand on the side of the poor; warn humanity not to be blind to injustice. Indifference, such as failing to care about creation or strangers' dignity, risks converting flourishing realities into desert lands. Living together, founded on education and justice, a human development built on a inclusion and the rights of all, are the seeds of peace we're called to flourish. War only creates misery. Our being together is a message of trust, not surrender to violence and dearth of altruism. God is with peacemakers.
Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, with Grand Imam: Faith leads believers to love and support others. May all persons with faith unite and work together. God created all human beings equal in rights, duties, and dignity. God has forbidden the killing of innocent human life. Adopt a culture of dialogue, cooperate, and seek mutual understanding.
Spread the culture of tolerance and peace; end war, conflict, environmental decay, and moral and cultural decline. Spread “justice, goodness, beauty, fraternity, and coexistence.” Important causes of the world's crises are desensitized consciences, distancing from religious values, individualism, and materialistic philosophies. “Moral deterioration influences action, and a weakened spiritual values and responsibility” leads to extremism and war. Political crises, injustice, and inequitable distribution of resources lead to poverty, sickness, and death.
The family, and renewed religious awareness, are important to confront individualistic and selfish tendencies and address extremism. Protect God's gift of life. No one may take it away or threaten it; safeguard it from its beginning to its natural end. We condemn genocide, terrorism, forced displacement, human trafficking, abortion, euthanasia, and policies that promote them.
Religions must never incite war, hate, hostility, extremism, violence, or bloodshed. Don't use religion to incite hatred, violence, extremism, or fanaticism. Don't use God's name to justify murder, exile, terrorism, or oppression. Freedom of belief, thought, expression, and action is everyone's right. God wills pluralism, diversity, and freedom. Don't force people to adhere to a certain religion or culture.
Religions, human values, and the law guarantee protection of places of worship. Terrorist acts threaten people's security and peace and disseminate panic and pessimism, due to incorrect interpretations of religious texts and to unjust, oppressive policies. Don't support or try to justify terrorism. Establish the concept of full citizenship and reject the use of 'minorities' that engenders feelings of isolation and inferiority.
Recognize women's right to education and employment and their political rights. Free them from social conditioning contrary to principles of faith and dignity. Protect them from exploitation. Denounce practices that violate children's dignity and rights. Be vigilant against dangers they're exposed to, particularly in the digital world, and consider trafficking of their innocence and violations of their youth as crimes. May this Declaration become a “sign of the closeness between East and West, North and South.”
At interreligious meeting: I'm a believer thirsting for peace. We're here to desire, promote, be instruments of peace. To safeguard peace, we need to enter together into an ark and sail the stormy seas. God is at the origin of the one human family. No violence can be justified in religion's name. We must avoid judging others. Heaven's perspective embraces persons without discrimination.
Be the voice of the least; stand on the side of the poor; warn humanity not to be blind to injustice. Indifference, such as failing to care about creation or strangers' dignity, risks converting flourishing realities into desert lands. Living together, founded on education and justice, a human development built on a inclusion and the rights of all, are the seeds of peace we're called to flourish. War only creates misery. Our being together is a message of trust, not surrender to violence and dearth of altruism. God is with peacemakers.
Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, with Grand Imam: Faith leads believers to love and support others. May all persons with faith unite and work together. God created all human beings equal in rights, duties, and dignity. God has forbidden the killing of innocent human life. Adopt a culture of dialogue, cooperate, and seek mutual understanding.
Spread the culture of tolerance and peace; end war, conflict, environmental decay, and moral and cultural decline. Spread “justice, goodness, beauty, fraternity, and coexistence.” Important causes of the world's crises are desensitized consciences, distancing from religious values, individualism, and materialistic philosophies. “Moral deterioration influences action, and a weakened spiritual values and responsibility” leads to extremism and war. Political crises, injustice, and inequitable distribution of resources lead to poverty, sickness, and death.
The family, and renewed religious awareness, are important to confront individualistic and selfish tendencies and address extremism. Protect God's gift of life. No one may take it away or threaten it; safeguard it from its beginning to its natural end. We condemn genocide, terrorism, forced displacement, human trafficking, abortion, euthanasia, and policies that promote them.
Religions must never incite war, hate, hostility, extremism, violence, or bloodshed. Don't use religion to incite hatred, violence, extremism, or fanaticism. Don't use God's name to justify murder, exile, terrorism, or oppression. Freedom of belief, thought, expression, and action is everyone's right. God wills pluralism, diversity, and freedom. Don't force people to adhere to a certain religion or culture.
Religions, human values, and the law guarantee protection of places of worship. Terrorist acts threaten people's security and peace and disseminate panic and pessimism, due to incorrect interpretations of religious texts and to unjust, oppressive policies. Don't support or try to justify terrorism. Establish the concept of full citizenship and reject the use of 'minorities' that engenders feelings of isolation and inferiority.
Recognize women's right to education and employment and their political rights. Free them from social conditioning contrary to principles of faith and dignity. Protect them from exploitation. Denounce practices that violate children's dignity and rights. Be vigilant against dangers they're exposed to, particularly in the digital world, and consider trafficking of their innocence and violations of their youth as crimes. May this Declaration become a “sign of the closeness between East and West, North and South.”
Read
- Heb 11:32-40 I don't have time to tell of those who by faith conquered kingdoms, did right, closed lion's mouths, put out fires, escaped the sword; they were made strong and powerful. Some were afflicted, tortured or killed, or endured mockery or imprisonment. Yet they all didn't receive what had been promised. God foresaw something better....
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| Animate |
- Ps 31:20-24 "Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord." How great is the goodness You have in store for those who fear you. You shelter them, show mercy. You heard my pleading....
- Mk 5:1-20 Jesus / Gerasene with unclean spirit: “Come out of him!” / “What have you to do with me, Son of the Most High? Don't torment me!” / “What's your name?” / “Legion; we're many. Send us into the swine.” They entered the swine and drowned all 2,000. All saw and were amazed. “Announce all the Lord has done for you.”
Reflect
- Creighton: What “Legions” take over your life, leave you not in control, not free to love? Desire to pursue wealth and power at any cost, consumerism, addiction, anger, impatience? Ask Jesus to “clean” and free you. If we stand before Jesus as we are, he'll free us to live in peace and joy. / Once healed, Jesus sent the man to tell his people how he'd been freed. May we share the news of Jesus’ healing presence. / The people seized with fear who begged Jesus to leave likely didn't want the healed man to stay either. We might be rejected too....
- One Bread, One Body: "Deep-sea dumping": When Jesus takes away the sins of the world, he'll cast our sins into the sea, dump them into the ocean, where they fall and remain forever, irretrievable. If you want to get them back and return to your old sinful lifestyle, Jesus has placed a "No fishing" sign. Repent of your sins, let the Lord take them away, and let them stay in the sea. When the Son sets you free, you're really free!
- Passionist: "Take courage; God provides!" God continues to act on our behalf, helping us live, making the most of our opportunities and challenges. The 1st reading encourages faith in God’s people who had lost heart by recalling what past heroes endured. The gospel of Jesus healing the Gerasene demoniac shows Jesus’ loving determination to help and the people’s awe at Jesus’ power. Problems were faced with faith in God who provides for our needs. No matter what our challenges and 'demons' are, we're asked to draw strength, enthusiasm, and perseverance from our faith. Jesus helps rid us of our demons by his love and power, so we may share the news of his transforming love. May we experience his touch, then “Go home... and announce all the Lord in his mercy has done.”
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| Medieval illustration of Jesus healing the Gerasene |
- DailyScripture.net: "Tell them how much the Lord has done for you": A 'legion' is an army over 5,000 strong, capable of committing atrocities. Our age has also witnessed mass destruction at the hands of possessed rulers and their armies. God's word reminds us no destructive force can keep anyone from the peace God offers to those who seek him. Jesus took pity on the man who was overtaken by a 'legion' of evil spirits. After Jesus freed him, the people feared Jesus and begged him to leave, perhaps because the price for liberation was more than they wanted to pay. Jesus is ready to free us from whatever binds us and keeps us from his love. Are you willing to part with it?
- Today's saints, from Universalis
- St John de Britto, Jesuit missionary priest, martyr; see also CatholicSaints.info.
- St. Gilbert of Sempringham, priest, founded 'Gilbertines.'
Dress legend
- 'Lion' pin: People with faith closed lions' mouths,... (1st reading)
- 'Fire' pin: ...Put out raging fires,... (1st reading)
- 'Sword' tie bar: ...Escaped the sword (1st reading)
- 'JC' chain: Jesus Christ expels Legion; nobody could restrain the possessed man, even with a chain (gospel); others endured chains,... (1st reading)
- 'Stone' tie pin: ...Were stoned,... (1st reading); demoniac bruised himself with stones (gospel)
- 'Sheep' tie bar: ...Went about in sheepskin,... (1st reading)
- 'Alps' tie pin: ...Wandered about on mountains... (1st reading)
- 'Heart' clip: Let your hearts take comfort... (psalm)
- 'Boat' tie bar: Jesus got out of the boat, then in (gospel)
- 'Dogs' tie: “Legion is my name, for we are many (gospel; many dogs on tie)
- 'Boat' tie bar: Jesus got out of the boat, then got in (gospel)
- 'Pigs' suspenders: Jesus let the evil spirits enter into the swine (gospel)
- '?' tie pin: "What is your name?" (gospel)
- Green shirt: Ordinary Time season
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