Reassurance to the good

Greetings on this the Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: 1 COR 2:10B-16; PS 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13AB, 13CD-14; LK 4:31-37
Notes: Our daily reading today brings a focus change of a certain sweetness.

Reassurance.

• Our first reading reassures the divine presence is for our benefit and committed fully to our restoration and right relation. Evil cannot withstand the power of the divine good. They are not equal and opposite. They are the superior Good and inferior lack of good.
• Our responsorial psalm reassures us the Lord is kind and merciful to all his creation.
• Our gospel portion today shows in the extreme the divine compassion toward both the evil spirit and the sickened man. To the evil spirit quiet and banishment (do not speak evil and do no more evil), to the sick man restoration, and for all, revelation of his divine power and might in word and deed.

First reading
The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.

To what end does the Spirit of God search both the depths of God and the depths of man?

Those Open to the Lord:

• That we might have the mind of Christ.
• That we may understand natural goodness as gift.
• That we may understand spiritual reality as supreme gift.
• That we may escape judgement (upon us and also against others).
• That we might come into a common interest, divine and human.

Those closed to the Lord:

• Limited to human wisdom alone, a good but an inferior good.
• Limited to the spirit of the World,
• Godliness is foolishness to him.
• Cannot avoid judgement (upon ourselves and also against others).
• Actual denial of common interest, and a certain hostility (Jgs 11:12), (Hos 14:9).

Responsorial Psalm
The Lord is just in all his ways.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.

Alleluia Verse
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.

Gospel Portion

Those separated from the Lord:

• What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
• Have you come to destroy us?
• Denial of common interest, and a certain hostility.

Those who allow the Spirit to know them:

• Receptivity to the divine healing and presence.
• A common good.

We are reassured:
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry