Tag: Catholic

Greetings on this the Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Gn 4:1-15, 25; Ps 50:1 and 8, 16bc-17, 20-21; Mk 8:11-13
Notes: He sighed from the depth of his spirit.

Any parent can tell you – I know this feeling.

OK, maybe your kids are perfect, so this doesn’t apply.

But for the rest of us…

He sighed from the depth of his spirit.

What is it they are looking for, a sign?
Not a sign but a test:

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.

How many parents TAKE THE BAIT?

You know what I mean.

• Let the children goad you into a response?
• Let them own the narrative?
• Let them present a never-ending series and cascading set of demands that frankly not even God can fulfill.

Just sigh.
Sigh from the depths of your soul.

And know.
Know you are working God’s will in their life.

Perfectly imperfect in love.

Readings today: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021323.cfm

First reading
Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth. “God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel,” she said, “because Cain slew him.”

Encounter this in this way for today:

Cain, Abel, Seth… are one person.

Keep going!!
your burnt offerings are before me always.

The Lord knows what help you need and what things are helpful.

Keep going!
Keep praying!

Responsorial Psalm
Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

Alleluia Verse
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.

Gospel Portion
The Demand for a Sign.
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.

He sighed from the depth of his spirit.

Jesus did many signs.
The Gospel of John is orgainized around the Seven Signs (The Book of Signs) and The Hour (The Book of Glory). See: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/0

So we must take Jesus’ response to have a deeper meaning.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Sir 15:15-20; Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34; 1 Cor 2:6-10; Mt 5:17-37
Notes: Seven times Jesus corrects the then current teaching with ‘but I say to you’.

It is urgent the American Catholic Church stop projecting and start listening to Jesus.

Everything he taught is centered on the Beatitudes.

It is a terrible reminder but one that must be given.
This stark warning from Jesus:

in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God (Jn 16:2b).

He is not speaking of the pagan but the religious.

Just like yesterday’s gospel portion – listen to him.

First reading
If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live.
Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.

Responsorial Psalm
Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Second reading
What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him, this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.

For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.

Alleluia Verse
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.

Gospel Portion
But I say to you.
But I say to you.
But I say to you.
But I say to you.
But I say to you.
But I say to you.
But I say to you.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Gn 3:9-24; Ps 90:2, 3-4abc, 5-6, 12-13; Mk 8:1-10
Notes: The remedy to the necessity to withholding access to the tree of life is to give Jesus, the bread of life.

First reading
Then he [the Lord] asked [Adam], “Who told you that you were naked?
The LORD God then asked the woman [Eve], “Why did you do such a thing?”

The Lord wants to know who we are talking to and what are they saying.
Why do you suppose that is?

Because like Adam and Eve we are capable of deliberately misleading ourselves.

• Perspective.
• Bias.
• Ignorance of will.

How to do understand this? The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden,
to till the ground from which he had been taken.

Without this:

1. Man has condemned himself death due to the disobedience.
2. Man has eaten the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
3. Man will be tempted and likely to eat from the tree of life.
4. If he is allowed to eat from the tree of life where he has already been condemned to death, he will make permanent his situation into a perpetual life-of-death.

The fruit of the Tree of Life would not be the benefit to him as he would (perspective, bias, willful ignorance) want to make for himself. It would be a perpetual hell.

Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live forever.” The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Responsorial Psalm
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Alleluia Verse
One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel Portion
The Feeding of the Four Thousand.
Prefigures the Bread of Life (the Eucharist).
Feeding of the Gentiles (the second feeding 4,000/7. The first was for the Jews 5,000/12).

[Jesus] said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.

Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied.

They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over—seven baskets.

Stop listiening to the evil one.

• God banished from the Garden of Eden to save us from a far worse fate – an eternal, living death.
• God then gives himself as bread to bring us the very life the tree of life contains – an eternal, living life.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin
Readings: Gn 3:1-8; Ps 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7; Mk 7:31-37
Notes: The first reading is so powerful in its own right.

So many things at play at once and you can be certain scripture is accurate to say the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made.

For our part we must own some parts of the story, yes?

1. False question – Did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?”
   R. False answer – The woman answered the serpent: ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'”
2. False statement (half-truth) – “You certainly will not die!
   R. The other half – [this instant, but – “when you eat from it you shall die.”
3. Adam was instructed. Adam transmitted the instruction to Eve (or misled her).
   The LORD God gave the man this order: You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.
   E. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

This is why it is called Adam’s Sin – not Eve’s.

The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

This is an interesting twist to the story. In fact, they did receive wisdom. They are naked.
They also achieved guilt and shame; thus, they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Hidden within is God’s mercy. The ‘wisdom’ the serpent wanted for them (shame, guilt, self-reliance) was transformed into remedy and mitigation. It is the first echo of the mercy of God. Responsibility. Restoration.

The LORD God made for the man and his wife garments of skin, with which he clothed them (Gen 3:21)

This first opening of the eye is related to the opening of the ear in our gospel portion today.

“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)

And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.

Listen to G-d when he speaks.
Whoever has ears ought to hear (Matt 11:15).
He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear [Listen] and understand (Matt 15:10).
From the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him (Matt 17:5b).

First reading
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked.

Responsorial Psalm
Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.

Blessed is he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile.

R. Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,” and you took away the guilt of my sin.

Alleluia Verse
Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.

Gospel Portion
They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Gn 2:18-25; Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5; Mk 7:24-30
Notes: In today’s readings we arrive at the essential of a life’s journey.

We are not meant to be alone.
We are meant to be with God and with one another.
We are meant to be at peace and to have a tranquil life.

Without shame.

Jesus has come to remove shame and heal the broken hearted.

He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it [because he knew she would come to see him, alone].

A Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.

• The literal meaning ‘first’ is the prior claim to the Messiah by the Jewish people, which is valid and true.
• The spiritual meaning ‘first’ is the prior to the prior claim, you child, shall be fed.

That is to say the primordial promise of creation.
The woman knew this.
Jesus was delighted by it (see the Matthew version of the story).
See: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mt/15?21#48015021

She knew there is no shame in coming to Jesus.
She knew the promise is of antiquity before even the Patriarchs.
She knew the healing promise of Jesus is for her too and her children. All of them.

First reading
The LORD God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone.

Responsorial Psalm
Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Alleluia Verse
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.

Gospel Portion
When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Without shame – come.
Without shame – healing.
Without shame – the promise of creation.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17; Ps 104:1-2a, 27-28, 29bc-30; Mk 7:14-23
Notes: Come out of the man. It is an observation and a command.

When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.

The birth of every single human person is an expression of the promise!
Every human receives the breath of life from the Lord!
And it is very good!

Our problem is not what we are made of but what we choose to generate and blow out in defiance.

• In defiance means open resistance; bold disobedience.
• To defile means to desecrate or profane something sacred.

In defiance we defile that which is sacred – the ruah – the breath of God.

The answer Jesus gives is in two parts.

• First, he addresses the crowd with the simple observation that – Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.
• Then he gives the Apostles a deeper, detailed explanation. This is work of ministry. To help people with the inclinations that separate and defile the human family.

It is an observation and a command.

• What comes out of the man – as a problem.
• What comes out of the man – as the solution – a different meaning.

Early in Jesus’ ministry: Jesus rebuked him [the unclean spirit] and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” (MK 1:25). This is the worst case possible, but we all suffer from derivative cases and effects. Defile is a choice. Sanctity is the better choice.

First reading
the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.

The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. The LORD God gave man this order: “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.”

Responsorial Psalm
O bless the Lord, my soul!

All creatures look to you to give them food in due time. When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

Alleluia Verse
Your word, O Lord, is truth: consecrate us in the truth.

Gospel Portion
Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.

[combining with the detail]

“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Gn 1:20—2:4a; Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Mk 7:1-13
Notes: The Earth was made for us and we were made for her.

I tell my RCIA students that space travel is bringing Earth to the rest of the Universe.

We transport all we need with us lest we die on the journey.
Gravity, water, plant and animal food, air in particular proportions, radiation protection and community of men.

We are of the Earth and the Earth is of us.

Even more: man too is God’s gift to man (LAUDATO SI’, Pope Francis, 115).

Conpendium: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals.html

FRATELLI TUTTI
Once more, I would like to echo a statement of Saint John Paul II whose forcefulness has perhaps been insufficiently recognized: “God gave the earth to the whole human race for the sustenance of all its members, without excluding or favouring anyone”. FRATELLI TUTTI, Pope Francis, Given in Assisi, at the tomb of Saint Francis, on 3 October, Vigil of the Feast of the Saint, in the year 2020, the eighth of my Pontificate.

LAUDATO SI’

12. What is more, Saint Francis, faithful to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. “Through the greatness and the beauty of creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker” (Wis 13:5); indeed, “his eternal power and divinity have been made known through his works since the creation of the world” (Rom 1:20). For this reason, Francis asked that part of the friary garden always be left untouched, so that wild flowers and herbs could grow there, and those who saw them could raise their minds to God, the Creator of such beauty.[21] Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise. LAUDATO SI’, Pope Francis, 12.

First reading
And so it happened. God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed–the sixth day.

Responsorial Psalm
O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Alleluia Verse
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; And favor me with your law.

Gospel Portion
You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

Readings: Gn 1:1-19; Ps 104:1-2a, 5-6, 10 and 12, 24 and 35c; Mk 6:53-56
Notes: In the Sunday homily I used the example of the White Coat ceremony. There are two phases to the ceremony separated in time. Short white coat when they begin clinical phase of their education. Long white coat when all is completed.

Picking the honored person to confer the white coat is a big deal. Often a father or grandfather, long a physician, confers on their progeny the passing on of an honored profession. So happy to proclaim: You are just like me.

Is it any less with the Lord?

Your white coat is your baptismal garment.
And you are following the path your heavenly Father desires for you – to be just like him.

I can repeat the theme today, yes?

• In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth – he ordered all things to give you your white coat.
• In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth – he wanted for you to be like him.
• In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth – he knew your best future is be daughter and son of the Most High.

Let – To cause, to express a command, to express a request, to give permission or opportunity to; allow.

Reflection

Today, a new era has come for the Church in Japan. Although the number of Catholics is not large, the Church is respected and has total religious freedom. The spread of Christianity in the Far East is slow and difficult. Faith such as that of the 26 martyrs is needed today as much as in 1597.

From: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-paul-miki-and-companions/

First reading

Let
Let
Let
Let
Let
Let
God saw how good it was.
God saw how good it was.
God saw how good it was.

Responsorial Psalm
May the Lord be glad in his works.

Alleluia Verse
Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.

Gospel Portion
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

Let us.
Let him.
How good it is.

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry