Greetings on this the Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Readings: Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28; Ps 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13; Mt 13:36-43
Notes: In our first reading today sets the important reality that the Divine Plan requires teamwork.
The Divine Life (Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is, within himself, teamwork.
The Father has a job.
The Son has a job. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works (Jn 14:10).
The Holy Spirit has a job.
The Angels have their job.
Moses had his job.
We have our job.
The LORD used the various trials and tribulations to form Moses to be righteous, more deeply righteous, every day. Moses did NOT become righteous in his anger and throwing the tablets! He earned his righteousness by reconstructing the tablets with the LORD using his own hands and entering into the logic of G-d. Then he said, “If I find favor with you, O LORD, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own.”
In his day, Alphonsus fought for the liberation of moral theology from the rigidity of Jansenism.
Source: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-alphonsus-liguori/
In OUR DAY, we have become followers of Jansenism.
Yes, it is quite clear. These culture wars are a perfect example.
We need a reset.
- Let the Angels do their work. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
- We should do ours.
God’s Job
G-d is the judge.
Angels Job
Angels do the harvesting. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
Righteous Job
But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Don’t harvest – not your job.
Don’t confuse the righteous language with right relation.
Don’t confuse judging others as Divine Justice.
First Reading
So Moses stayed there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights, without eating any food or drinking any water, and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
[And again, Moses said,] pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own.”
Responsorial
The Lord is kind and merciful.
Gospel Acclamation
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; All who come to him will live for ever.
Gospel
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.
Good seed bears up good fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry