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TRIGESIMOCUARTO DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO – CRISTO REY (Nov. 25th) – CICLO B

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El Pan de Vida Estudio de Biblia Católico

by Deacon Ken and Marie Finn at St. Dismas Guild

ANTES DE COMENZAR:

Ora y pidele a Dios que te hable a través de Su Espíritu Santo. “EL ESPIRITU SANTO INTERPRETE, QUE EL PADRE LES ENVIARA EN MI NOMBRE, LES VA A ENSEÑAR TODAS LAS COSAS Y LES RECORDARA TODAS MIS PALABRAS.”  (JUAN 14:26)

 

PRIMER DIA  Vuelve a leer las lecturas de la semana pasada.

  1. ¿Cuál fue el mensaje qué recibiste de la homilia o de las lecturas que oiste en misa el domingo?

 

  1. ¿De lo que aprendiste, qué escogiste para aplicar a tu vida esta semana?

 

SEGUNDO DIA                       LEE DANIEL 7:13-14                                        PRIMERA LECTURA

(“su reino jamas será destruido.”)

  1. ¿Quién tenia visiones durante la noche? Daniel 7:1

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que vió que venia en una nube del cielo? A quien fue presentado? Daniel 7:13

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que nosotros veremos? Marcos 14:62

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que va a recibir el hijo del hombre? Daniel 7:14

 

  1. ¿Qué fue lo que dijo Jesús que se le dió? Mateo 28:18

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que Dios hará en el tiempo de los reyes? Daniel 2:44

 

  1. ¿Quién servirá a Dios? Daniel 7:14

 

  1. ¿Cuáles son las dos cosas que Jesús vino a hacer? Mateo 20:28

 

  1. ¿Cuál es su poder y qué es lo que no le pasará? Daniel 7:14

 

  1. ¿Nosotros, que recibimos el reino que no se puede sacudir, que debemos hacer? Hebreos 12:26-29

 

Personal – ¿En que area de tu vida Dios no tiene control sobre tu persona? ¿Cómo puedes dejar que el tome control total sobre tu persona, en relación con tu cónyuge, familia, amigos, vecinos y tu iglesia?

 

TERCER DIA                        LEE APOCALIPSIS 1:5-8                                    SEGUNDA LECTURA

(“…haciendo de nosotros el reino y los sacerdotes de Dios su Padre.”)

  1. ¿Quién fue el fiel testigo, el primer nacido de entre los muertos, Rey de Reyes de la tierra?

Apocalipsis 1:5,    tambien 1 Corintios 15:20

 

  1. ¿Si Jesús es el primero en nacer de entre los muertos, tambien tiene que ser el primero en?

Colosenses 1:18

 

  1. ¿Por qué Jesús dió su sangre, qué es lo que nos hizo, y a quien le toca la gloria, y el poder?

Apocalipsis 1:5-6

 

  1. De que nos limpió nuestra conciencia y para hacer qué? Hebreos 9:14

 

  1. Si caminamos en la luz como él es en la luz, qué es lo que tendremos y como somos limpiados?

1 Juan 1:7

 

  1. Qué debes hacer que pase en tu vida? 1 Pedro 2:5

 

  1. Quién lo verá venir entre las nubes, y quién lo lamentará? Apocalipsis 1:7

 

  1. ¿Cuando el hijo de Dios venga en su gloria, cómo nos pagará? Mateo 16:27

 

  1. ¿Qué fue lo que Dios dijo? Apocalipsis 1:8

 

  1. ¿A quién le dará Dios del manantial del agua de la vida? Apocalipsis 21:6

 

Personal – ¿Qué señales das con tus palabras y acciones para todos aquellos a tu alrededor, que demuestran que te niegas a ti mismo para servir a otros y que revele que estás hecho para el reino y eres sacerdote de nuestro Dios y Padre? ¿Cómo lo has hecho?

 

 

CUARTO DIA                         LEE JUAN 18:33-37                                              EVANGELIO

(“Todo hombre que está de parte de la verdad escucha mi voz.”)

  1. ¿Qué fue lo que Pilato preguntó a Jesús y qué fue lo que Jesús le preguntó a su vez? Juan 18:33-34

 

  1. ¿Qué dijo Pilato que no era, y quién dijo que le entregó a Jesús? Juan 18:35

 

  1. ¿Qué dijo Jesús de su reino? Juan 18:36

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que dijo Jesús que su Padre mandaría y por que no le pide a su padre que lo ayude?

Mateo 26:53-54

 

  1. ¿Dónde dice Jesús que está el reino de Dios? Lucas 17:20-21

 

  1. ¿Qué fue lo que Pilato le dijo a Jesús y para qué dice Jesús que él nació, y para atestiguar qué?

Juan 18:37

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que Jesús atestigua? Juan 3:32

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que todos los que creen en la verdad hacen? Juan 18:37

 

  1. ¿Quién oyó las palabras de Dios? Juan 8:47

 

  1. ¿Cómo sabemos cual es el espíritu de la verdad y el espíritu de la mentira? 1 Juan 4:6

 

Personal – Si el reino de Dios, El Espíritu Santo de Jesús, está dentro de ti y contigo, qué es lo que has visto o escuchado? ¿Cómo sabes si quien te comenta habla la verdad? Comparte esto con alguien. ¿Como aplicas esto en tu vida diaria?

 

 

QUINTO DIA                                                         LEE SALMO 93:1-2, 5

(“La Santidad es propia de tu casa”)

Leé y medita el Salmo 93:1-2, 5.

¿Qué te dice personalmente el Señor a través de este Salmo?

 

¿Cómo puedes aplicar esto a tu vida diaria?

 

 

SEXTO DIA                                              LEE TODO EL COMENTARIO

     DANIEL 7:13-14

Esta pasaje revela la visión que Daniel tuvo del fin del tiempo. Daniel describe la llegada de un hombre; este hombre es el Mesias. Jesús usó este versículo como referencia a si mismo en las escrituras. (Lucas 21:27). Daniel, aunque se sentia confuso y turbado por estas profecias, reconoció que la verdad no ha sido revelada todavia. La implicación es que las profecias no serán reveladas hasta que Dios las revele a su gente.

La profecia de Daniel, es un gran mensaje de esperanza y consuelo para los enfermos, los olvidados, abandonados, y perdidos. Esta vision fue dicha a mucha gente y el hijo de Dios era por supuesto el Mesias que es Jesucristo. Hoy en dia podemos ver la profecia y vemos que su significado completo está por venir. Jesús vino a salvarnos de las redes de Satanás. Pero aun hay mucha maldad en nuestras tierras. Sabemos que la fuerza del Espíritu Santo es su fuerza, y esa fuerza es eterna. Tambien sabemos que el gobierno de Dios es libre de corrupción.

Jesús nos dice que el regresará para levantar a todos sus creyentes hacia Dios. Todos vamos a tener que presentarnos ante Dios para ser juzgados. Si vieramos llegar a Dios en una nube del cielo hoy y tuvieramos que ser juzgados hoy, qué es lo que Dios diria sobre tu vida? ¿Cómo mediria tu vida con la palabra de Dios? Debemos prequntarnos, qué es lo que Dios espera de nosotros, y debemos vivir según sus escrituras y enseñanzas, de hoy en adelante.

 

APOCALIPSIS 1:5-8

La lectura de hoy nos muestra que de la palabra de Dios se puede depender por que el Padre, Hijo y el Espiritu Santo son la fuente de la verdad. Hemos visto en las escrituras que otros fueron levantados de entre los muertos. Los apóstoles, los profetas y Jesús trajeron de nuevo a la vida a otros durante sus ministerios. Pero todos despues murieron.

Jesucristo fue el único que nació para morir. El murió para que tú como yo podamos vivir en él por siempre. El pagó por nosotros y su pago fue de sangre. Una de las cosas mas duras para un cristiano es el testimonio de lo que significa Jesús en su vida personalmente. Muchos Cristianos dudan que decir sobre la forma en que Cristo ha cambiado su vida, por que ellos creen que los cambios son muy pequeños. Pero uno puede ser testigo de Jesús no por lo que él ha hecho por uno si no por lo que uno ha hecho por él.

En el pasaje de hoy podemos ver como Cristo ha hecho ciertas cosas por cada uno de nosotros y que podemos compartir con otros. Cristo demostró su gran amor librándonos de nuestros pecados a traves de su muerte en la cruz garantizándonos un lugar en su reino si escogemos creer en El. El hecho de que nos ofrece la vida eterna, es nada menos que un gran testimonio para cada uno de nosotros. Jesús nos mostró un reino poderoso y victorioso en la batalla y glorioso en la paz. Nosotros tambien podemos ser victoroso en la batalla y gloriosos en la paz cuando Jesús es nuestro Dios y Salvador, por que es su batalla y no la nuestra.

 

JUAN 18:33-37

Jesús fue llevado al palacio de un gobernador Romano, sus acusadores no entraron, por que eso los manchaba de pecado. Entrar en la casa de un gentil (la casa de Pilato) era mancharse de acuerdo con la ley Judia. Resultando, que esa persona no podia participar en la ceremonia religiosa o en el banquete. Esas personas pretendian tener una vida religiosa pero también cultivaban la muerte y las amenazas en sus corazones. Pilato sabia lo que estaba pasando y que los líderes religiosos no querian a Jesús. Pero el no queria ser su ejecutor. Pilato sabia que ellos no podian sentenciarlo a muerte, pues esa orden tenia que venir de un líder romano.

Pilato queria saber si Jesús no estaba tratando de sobre poner su gobierno. Los Judios usaban el titulo de “Rey” implicando que el era su gobernador religioso, “El Mesias.” Los Judios esperaban a un salvador poderoso que los libraria del poder de los Romanos, y miraban a Jesús con desprecio, y con disgusto, este errante, “servidor sufriente,” éste blasflemo.

Jesús contestó a Pilato muy claro, que el era un Rey, pero que su reino no era de este mundo. Pilato, aunque creyó en él, de todos modos rechazó la idea. La tragedia que Pilato cometió es una de las mismas que cometemos hoy y es la de creer que Jesús es el Mesias, pero no vivimos nuestras vidas, como él nos manda. Nosotros no tenemos excusa, hemos leido sobre Cristo, hemos estudiado las escrituras, nuestra iglesia nos ha enseñado que Jesús es nuestro Dios y nuestro salvador, la tragedia es que hay muchos, segun ellos cristianos que viven en dirección completamente diferente a lo que Jesús manda. Para Pilato y mucha gente entonces como hoy la verdad es lo que la mayoria de la gente creé. La verdad es Jesús (Juan 14:6) y solamente la verdad (Juan 8:32) puede darnos la libertad

Aplicación

La primera lectura nos enseña el mensaje de esperanza y consuelo que se encuentra en la profecia y la visión de Dios. La segunda lectura nos muestra que en la palabra de Dios se puede confiar, por que Dios es verdad (Juan 14:6). El evangelio nos revela que la hipocresia nunca será el centro de la religión verdadera.

Esta semana, se específico, habla la verdad y diles a los miembros de tu familia o a tus amigos solamente comentarios que los levante. No los halagues con tus comentarios deshonestos y por una semana habla solamente de cosas buenas de ellos. Jesús habló con la verdad por que él es la verdad. Tu tambien puedes hablar con la verdad por que tienes el poder del Espíritu Santo dentro de ti (1 Juan 4:4) para hablar solamente la verdad. Dá a saber a todos los que te conocen que tu puedes ser de confianza por que solamente hablas con la verdad.

34th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME-CHRIST THE KING (Nov. 25th) – Cycle B

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PURPOSE OF THIS SCRIPTURE READING – Develop a personal relationship with Jesus through the Word of God with the understanding that the Holy Spirit will teach and remind us of all Jesus said and did. Psalm 32:8 tells us, “I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel and watch over you.”

  1. Say the opening prayer
  2. Read the passage slowly three times as though Jesus were talking to you.
  3. Converse with Jesus, asking questions and listening to Him.

OPEN WITH THE FOLLOWING PRAYER:

Father, I can’t understand Your Word without Your grace, I acknowledge my weakness so your power can reach perfection in me. Send Your Holy Spirit to remind, teach, and guide me to the Truth. May I share as soon as possible whatever You teach me. AMEN

 READ, REFLECT AND WRITE

Gospel John 18:33b-37 – Pilate said to Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.  But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”  So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

What is the Lord personally saying to you?

 

 

 

What does the Lord personally want you to do?

 

THIRTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CHRIST THE KING (Nov. 25th) – CYCLE B

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THE BREAD OF LIFE

CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

by Deacon Ken and Marie Finn 

     

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

 

FIRST DAY  Reread last week’s readings.

1.   What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2.   From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

 

SECOND DAY             READ DANIEL 7:13-14         FIRST READING

           (“…his kingship shall not be destroyed.”)

l.   Who was having visions during the night?  Daniel 7:1

 

2.   What did he see coming on the clouds of heaven, and into whose presence did he come?  Daniel 7:13

 

3.   What will we all see?   Mark 14:62

 

4.   What will the son of man receive?  Daniel 7:14

 

5.   What did Jesus say was given to him?   Matthew 28:18

 

6.   What shall the Lord do in the time of kings?  Daniel 2:44

 

7.   Who shall serve the Lord?  Daniel 7:14

 

8.   What two things did Jesus come to do?  Matthew 20:28

 

9.   What is his dominion, and what shall not happen to it? Daniel 7:14

 

10.  We who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should do what? Hebrews 12:26-29

 

Personal – In what area in your life does God not have dominion over you?  How can you give him complete control and kingship over every area  of your life  in regard  to your spouse,  family, friend­s, neighbors, and church.

 

THIRD DAY             READ REVELATION 1:5-8        SECOND READING

 (“…who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,”)

1.   Who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and ruler of the kings of the earth? Revelations 1:5, 1 Corinthians 15:20

 

2.   If Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, in what else should he be first?   Colossians 1:18

 

3.   What has Jesus done by his blood, what has this made us, and who gets the glory and power forever?   Revelation 1:5-6

 

4.   From what did Christ’s blood cleanse our consciences, and to do what?   Hebrews 9:14

 

5.   If we walk in the light as he is in the light, what will we have, and how are we cleansed?   1 John 1:7

 

6.   What are we to let happen to us?   1 Peter 2:5

 

7.   Who will see him coming amidst the clouds, and who will lament him?   Revelation 1:7

 

8.   When the Son of Man comes in all his glory, how will he repay everyone?   Matthew 16:27

 

9.   What did the Lord God say?   Revelation 1:8

 

10.  Who does the Lord God give a gift from the spring of living water?   Revelation 21:6

 

Personal – What signs do you show by your speech and actions of dying to self for those around you, that reveal you have been made into a kingdom, priests for our God and Father?  How has this been done?

 

 

FOURTH DAY             READ JOHN 18:33-37                GOSPEL

   (“Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”)

1.   What did Pilate ask Jesus, and what was Jesus’ question back to him?   John 18:33-34

 

2.   What did Pilate say he was not, and who did he say handed Jesus over to him?   John 18:35

 

3.   What did Jesus say about his kingdom?  John 18:36

 

4.   Who did Jesus say his Father would provide, and why does Jesus say he does not call upon his Father? Matthew 26:53-54

 

5.   Where did Jesus say is the kingdom of God? Luke 17:20-21

 

6.   What did Pilate say to Jesus, and for what did Jesus say he was born and to testify to?   John 18:37

 

7.   To what does Jesus testify to?    John 3:32

 

8.   What does everyone who belongs to the truth do?  John 18:37

 

9.   Who hears the words of God?    John 8:47

 

10.  How do we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit? 1 John 4:6

 

Personal – If the kingdom of God, Jesus’ Holy Spirit, is among you and within you, to whom and what have you been listening?  How do you determine if the person speaking is speaking truth? Share this with someone.  How can you apply this to your everyday life?

 

FIFTH DAY             READ PSALM 93:1-2, 5

               (“…holiness befits your house.”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 93:1-2, 5.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

 

SIXTH DAY          READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

                         DANIEL 7:13-14

This passage reveals Daniel’s vision of the end times. Daniel describes the arrival of a man; this man is the Messiah. Jesus used the above verse to refer to himself in scripture (Luke 21:27). Daniel, while feeling disturbed and confused about these prophe­cies, recognized, as we need to recognize today, that their full meaning has not been revealed. The full implications of these prophecies or any other of God’s prophecies will not be known until God reveals them to his people.

Daniel’s prophecy is a tremendous message of hope and comfort for the many who are sick, lonely, abandoned and lost. This vision was told to many people, and the Son of Man was, of course, the Messiah who is Jesus Christ. We today can look at prophecy and see that the full meaning is still to come. Jesus has come to free us from the grasp of Satan, but there is still much evil in our lands. We know that the power of the Holy Spirit is his power, and that power is eternal. We also know that the government of the Lord is a corrupt-free government.

Jesus tells us that he will return to raise up all his fol­lowers to the Father. We all must stand before God and give an account of our lives. If you were to see God arrive on clouds from heaven and your life were judged by God today, what would he say about it? How would he measure your life against his word? We need to ask what we would like him to see at that time. Then we should live that way beginning now.

 

                        REVELATION 1:5-8

Today’s reading shows us that we can be assured that God’s word is reliable because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the source of truth. We have seen in scripture that others had risen from the dead. The apostles, prophets, and Jesus himself had brought people back to life during their ministries. But all of them eventually died.

Jesus Christ was the only person who ever was born to die. He died so that you and I could live forever with him.  He paid the ransom for us, and it was a ransom of blood. One of the most difficult things Christian believers are asked is to share what Christ really means to them personally. Many Christians hesitate to share what Christ has done in their lives because they do not feel the change has been very noticeable. You qualify as a witness for Jesus because of what he has done for you, not because of what you have done for him.

Today’s passage shares with us that Christ has done specific things for each person that can be shared with others. Christ demonstrated his great love for us by setting us free from our sins, through his death on the cross, guaranteeing us a place in his kingdom if we choose to believe in him. The fact that Christ has offered eternal life to you is nothing short of a spectacular testimony on your behalf. Jesus is shown as an all-powerful king, victorious at battle, glorious in peace. We can be victorious also in battle and glorious in peace when Jesus is our Lord and Savior, because the battle is his, and not ours.

 

                         JOHN 18:33-37

Jesus was taken to the palace of the Roman Governor. His accusers would not go in, for that would have defiled them. Entering the house of a Gentile (Pi­late’s house) would cause a Jewish person to be ceremonially defiled by Jewish law. As a result, he could not take part in worship at the temple or feasts. These men kept the pretense of religion while harboring murder and treachery in their hearts. Pilate knew very well what was going on, and that the religious leaders hated Jesus, and he did not want to act as their executioner. Pilate also knew that they could not sentence Jesus to death themselves, because that permission had to come from a Roman leader.

Pilate was interested in Jesus’ reply of being a king to make sure Jesus was not trying to overthrow the government. The Jews were using the title “King” to mean their religious ruler, the “Messiah.” The Jews were looking for a powerful savior for their captive nation. They wanted someone who could free them from the Roman empire’s grip of control. They looked at Jesus with contempt and even disgust: this wandering “suffering serv­ant;” this blasphemer. 

Jesus answered Pilate very clearly that he was a king, but his kingdom was not of this world.  Pilate, while believing Chris­t, still rejected his claim.  The tragedy Pilate committed is one that many people make today, and that is believing that Christ is the Messiah but not living their lives as he calls them to do. We have no excuse, we have read about Christ, we have studied scripture, and we have been taught by our church that he is our Lord and Savior. The tragedy is that there are many “so-called Chris­tians” who live their lives in complete opposition to what Christ is teaching. To Pilate and many people then and now, truth is what is agreed upon by  the majority of the people.  Truth is Jesus Christ (John 14:6), and only through truth (John 8:32) can we ever be set really free.

 

Application

The first reading teaches a message of hope and comfort found in prophecy and a vision of God. The second reading shows God’s word is reliable because God is truth (John 14:6).  The Gospel reveals hypocrisy can never be the core of true religion.

This week, be specific, be truthful, and say to members of your family or to friends only what is uplifting about them. Do not try to flatter them because flattery is dishonest. But, for one week, speak only about what is good about that particular person. Give only a praise report and watch an incredible trans­formation take place. Jesus spoke the truth because he is the truth. You can speak only the truth this week because you have the Holy Spirit and his power within you (1 John 4:4) to speak only the truth. Let all who know you know that you are reliable because you speak only the truth.

TRIGESIMOTERCER DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO (Nov. 18th) – CICLO B

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El Pan de Vida Estudio de Biblia Católico

by Deacon Ken and Marie Finn at St. Dismas Guild

ANTES DE COMENZAR:

Ora y pidele a Dios que te hable a través de Su Espíritu Santo. “EL ESPIRITU SANTO INTERPRETE, QUE EL PADRE LES ENVIARA EN MI NOMBRE, LES VA A ENSEÑAR TODAS LAS COSAS Y LES RECORDARA TODAS MIS PALABRAS.”  (JUAN 14:26)

 

PRIMER DIA  Vuelve a leer las lecturas de la semana pasada.

  1. ¿Cuál fue el mensaje qué recibiste de la homilia o de las lecturas que oiste en misa el domingo?

 

  1. ¿De lo que aprendiste, qué escogiste para aplicar a tu vida esta semana?

 

SEGUNDO DIA                        LEE DANIEL 12:1-3                                          PRIMERA LECTURA

(“Los guias espirituales brillarán como el resplandor del firmamento;”)

  1. ¿Quiénes se despertarán y qué encontrarán, y quiénes escaparán? Daniel 12:1, tambien Mateo 24:21

 

  1. ¿Contra quién pelearon Miguel y sus ángeles? Apocalipsis 12:7

 

  1. ¿Sobre qué debemos regocijarnos? Lucas 10:20

 

  1. ¿Qué pasará con los que duermen en la region del polvo y qué pasara con éllos? Daniel 12:2

 

  1. ¿Quiénes iran al suplicio eterno y quiénes a la vida eterna? Mateo 25:45-46 y Juan 5:28-29

 

  1. ¿Qué harán los justos y los que enseñaron? Daniel 12:3

 

  1. Si cumplen la palabra de Dios, ¿qué harán cuando se encuentren en medio una raza descarriada y pervertida? Filipenses 2:15

 

  1. ¿Qué pasará con los que enseñaron a muchos la justicia? Daniel 12:3

 

  1. ¿Cómo será la senda de los justos? Proverbios 4:19

 

  1. ¿Debemos estar atentos a dos cosas que sucederán, que son? 2 Pedro 1:19

 

Personal – ¿Cómo resaltas tu en medio de la perversión que hay a tu alrededor?

 

TERCER DIA                       LEE HEBREOS 10:11-14, 18                                 SEGUNDA LECTURA

(“Asi, pues, con Su única ofrenda, llevó a la perfección para siempre a los que hizo santos.”)

  1. ¿Qué hace a diario el sacerdote y qué no puede hacer el sacrificio? Hebreos 10:11

 

  1. ¿A quién se tomó de entre los hombres para aparecer ante Dios para presentar ofrendas, y que es lo que nadie puede hacer? Hebreos 5:1 y Hebreos 10:4

 

  1. ¿Qué hizo Jesús y qué está esperando? Hebreos 10:12-13

 

  1. ¿Cuando Jesús ascendió al cielo, adonde se fué? Marcos 16:19

 

  1. ¿Qué les dijo Josué a los hombres de Israel que el Señor podria hacer a todos los enemigos contra los que ellos pelearian? Josué 10:24-25

 

  1. ¿Quiénes son tus enemigos y quá poder te dió Dios sobre éllos? Lucas 10:17-20

 

  1. ¿Con una ofrenda, a quién hizo Jesús perfecto? Hebreos 10:14

 

  1. ¿Cómo eres consagrado? Juan 17:17-19

 

  1. ¿Qué ha pasado que ha eliminado los sacrificios por el pecado? Hebreos 10:18

 

  1. ¿Cómo se te da el entendimiento de tu salvación? Lucas 1:77

 

Personal – ¿Cómo enseñas que el enemigo es de tu estirpe? ¿Cómo reconoces al enemigo? Leé Efesios 6:11-12 para identificarlos.

 

CUARTO DIA                                     LEE MARCOS 13:24-32          EVANGELIO

(“Pasarán el cielo y la tierra, pero mis palabras no pasarán.”)

  1. ¿Que pasará despues de los dias de angustias? Marcos 13:24-25

 

  1. ¿Cómo vendrá el dia del Señor? Isaias 13:9-10

 

  1. ¿Qué verán en ese dia? Marcos 13:26

 

  1. ¿Qué contestó Jesús cuando le preguntaron si era el Mesias? Marcos 14:60-62

 

  1. ¿Quién verá a Jesús cuando regrese en las nubes? Apocalipsis 1:7

 

  1. ¿A quién mandará, y qué harán cuando venga en Su gloria? Marcos 13:27

 

  1. ¿De qué debemos aprender y cómo sabremos que está cerca? Marcos 13:28-29

 

  1. ¿Qué no pasará? Marcos 13:30-31

 

Personal – ¿Qué verdad acerca de ti mismo y de Dios te ha sido revelada este dia?

 

  1. ¿A quién se le llamará el mas pequeño y el mas grande en el reino de Dios? Mateo 5:18-19

 

  1. ¿Quién es el único que sabe el dia y la hora de Su venida? Marcos 13:32

 

  1. ¿Cómo vendrá el dia del Señor para ti? 1 Tesalonicenses 5:1-2

 

Personal – ¿Si Jesús viniera en una nube hoy que tan preparado te encontrarias para ser llevado por los ángeles?

 

QUINTO DIA                                                        LEE SALMO 16:5, 8-11

(“…pongo siempre al Señor ante mi vista; porque a mi lado está, jamás vacilo”)

Leé y medita el Salmo 16:5, 8-11.

¿Qué te dice personalmente el Señor a través de este Salmo?

 

¿Cómo puedes aplicar esto a tu vida diaria?

 

 

SEXTO DIA                                                    LEE TODO EL COMENTARIO

                                                                                            DANIEL 12:1-3

El pasaje de hoy es sobre las profecias de los últimos dias. Le vienen muchos años de sufrimiento al pueblo de Israel. Jeremias usó este modo para describir el futuro (Jer. 30:7), y Jesús también (Mateo 24:21). Pero el sufrimiento es aligerado por una promesa para todo creyente verdadero.

Vemos en las lecturas de hoy, una referencia clara para la resurreción del justo y el pecador aunque la vida eterna será muy diferente para ambos. Hasta este punto no se sabia mucho sobre la resurreción. Pero todo Judio devoto sabia que un dia él o élla sería incluido en la restauración del nuevo reino. La idea de que hubiera una resurrección del cuerpo era muy radical.

Vemos en nuestras comunidades a muchas personas que tratan de superarse en su mundo transitorio de entretenimiento y se dan cuenta que su superación es solo temporal. Dios nos dice como podemos superarnos eternamente. Podemos hacerlo obedeciendo al llamado de Dios a la santidad y el llamado a la santidad quiere decir obedencia a la voluntad de Dios y el servicio a los demas. El camino a la superación para los creyentes es un camino lleno de distracciones, pero tambien tiene sus momentos de satisfacción.

Si compartimos a nuestro Señor con los demas, podemos ser estrellas brillantes para Dios siempre. Dios nos ha llamado para ser guias de alguien hacia El. Nos dice Jesús en las escrituras que debemos hacer discípulos de todas las naciones y bautizarlas en el nombre del Padre, Hijo y Espiritu Santo (Mateo 28:20). Estamos en los últimos dias y somos los embajadores de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.

 

 

HEBREOS 10:11-14, 18

Era costumbre de los sacerdotes pararse mientras hacian sacrificios. Los sacrificios en el modo antiguo eran repetidos una y otra vez, año tras año, pero aun asi no podian salvar a los que vivian bajo estos reglamentos. Cristo sentado a la derecha del Padre simboliza el fin del tiempo de sacrificios. Cristo se dió en sacrificio a Dios por nuestros pecados para siempre, y luego se sentó en el puesto mas alto a la derecha de Dios.

Habia peligro que la gente regresará al sistema judio antiguo, que seria como decir que el sacrificio de Cristo no era bastante para el perdon del pecado. Cualquier sistema que trata de ganar la aprobación de Dios por sus buenas obras está rechazando el significado de la muerte de Cristo y menospreciando el trabajo del Espíritu Santo. No dejes que nadie te diga que el sacrificio de Cristo fue incompleto o que necesitas otra cosa mas para ser aceptable a Dios, porque ésto te puede llevar lejos de la buena fé y la buena vida.

Somos completos en Cristo y aun nos estamos santificando. Hacemos el bien no porque somos buenos sino porque el bien está en nosotros (1 Juan 4:4). Por su muerte y resurrección Jesús nos hizo a los creyentes aceptables a los ojos de Dios limpiandonos del pecado. A la ves nos hace santos en nuestro diario peregrinar por la vida. Debemos darnos cuenta que porque Dios todavia no termina con nosotros, debemos estar abiertos a nuestro proceso de crecimiento siendo obedientes a Cristo, viviendo todos los valores de las escrituras y de la iglesia en nuestra vida diaria. Mas que nada debemos aceptar el perdon que Cristo nos dá a cada uno de nosotros.

 

 

MARCOS 13:24-32

En los pasajes de este dia Jesús nos dice que cuando termine el tiempo de la tribulación, su venida será inconfundible. En medio de la persecusión aun a los creyentes mas fuertes se les hará dificil seguirlo y no creer en los falso maestros. Cuando venga Cristo no habrá duda alguna de que es El. Si te tienen que decir que es El, entonces no lo es (Mateo 24:27).

La venida de Cristo será muy obvia a todos y habrá mucho pesar por los no creyentes cuando comprendan que escojieron mal. En el tiempo de Jesús el mundo era muy concreto y seguro. El lugar de la gente era claramente definido, dando la impresión de permanencia. Lo que Jesús amenazaba a cambiar era esta esensia de permanencia.

Hoy dia la gente teme la destrucción del mundo por los poderes nucleares. Jesús nos dice que podemos estar seguros que el mundo pasará, pero la verdad de sus palabras no cambiaran ni serán borradas. Dios y Su Santa Palabra proveerán la única establilidad en un mundo inestable. Es increible como gastamos el tiempo aprendiendo lo de este mundo temporal y acumulando sus posesiones, y al mismo tiempo siendo tan negligentes a Dios, las escrituras, iglesia, y todas las verdades eternas de nuesta Fe.

Hoy dia hay muchos libros escritos en muchas lenguas y predicen cuando vendrá Jesús. Estos libros fueron escritos para dar la impresion que el hombre ya sabe todo lo que dijo Jesús. Solo el Padre sabe y debemos estar alertas (Marcos 13:32). Cuando dijo Jesús que El no sabia el tiempo del fin. El afirmaba Su humanidad. Jesús voluntariamente dió sus atributos divinos sin límite, cuando se hizo hombre. Lo que éste pasaje quiere decir es que nadie puede predecir ni con las Escrituras, ni ciencia, el dia exacto de la venida de Jesús. Jesús nos enseña que no son necesarios los cálculos sino la preparación.

 

Aplicación

La primera lectura nos dice que podemos ser estrellas eternas si compartimos al Señor con los demas. La segunda nos dice que el negar el perdón de Cristo hacia nosotros es negarlo todo. El Evangelio nos revela que el mundo pasará pero la palabra de Dios nunca pasará.

Esta semana, prepara la venida del Señor dando servicio a los demas. No trates de calcularlo con libros y peliculas. Demuestra a tu familia y a tus amistades con tus actos que te estás preparando para la vida eterna y que estás listo a morir al instante. Deja que vean el poder de la oración en tu vida. Muestrales que puedes rezar por todo y no quejarte de todo. Deja que vean tu perdón, que si perdonas es porque tu sabes que eres perdonado. Has esto con tu familia, amistades, en la escuela, en el trabajo, te sorprenderá lo que puede pasar en una semana. Esta será tu semana, permitele que suceda.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Nov. 18th) – Cycle B

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PURPOSE OF THIS SCRIPTURE READING – Develop a personal relationship with Jesus through the Word of God with the understanding that the Holy Spirit will teach and remind us of all Jesus said and did. Psalm 32:8 tells us, “I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel and watch over you.”

  1. Say the opening prayer
  2. Read the passage slowly three times as though Jesus were talking to you.
  3. Converse with Jesus, asking questions and listening to Him.

OPEN WITH THE FOLLOWING PRAYER

Father, I can’t understand Your Word without Your grace, I acknowledge my weakness so your power can reach perfection in me. Send Your Holy Spirit to remind, teach, and guide me to the Truth. May I share as soon as possible whatever You teach me. AMEREAD, REFLECT AND WRITE

Gospel Mk 13:24-32 – Jesus said to his disciples: “In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. “And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

“Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

What is the Lord personally saying to you?

 

 

 

What does the Lord personally want you to do?

THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Nov. 18th) – CYCLE B

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THE BREAD OF LIFE

CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

 Deacon Ken and Marie Finn

 

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

 

FIRST DAY  Reread last week’s readings.

1.   What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2.   From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

SECOND DAY             READ DANIEL 12:1-3         FIRST READING

 (“But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament.”)

l.   Who shall arise, what shall there be, and who shall escape? Daniel 12:1, Matthew 24:21

 

2.   Against whom did Michael and his angels battle? Revelation 12:7

 

3.   Over what are we to rejoice?   Luke 10:20

 

4.   What will happen to those who sleep in the dust of the earth, and what will happen to them?  Daniel 12:2

 

5.   Who will go off to eternal punishment, and who will go to eternal life?  Matthew 25:45-46, John 5:28-29

 

6.   What will the wise or the learned do?  Daniel 12:3

 

7.   As you hold onto the Word of Life, what will you do in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation? Philippians 2:15

 

8.   What will those who lead many to justice be like? Daniel 12:3

 

9.   Like what is the path of the just?  Proverbs 4:18

 

10.  To what are we to be attentive until two things happen? 2 Peter 1:19

 

Personal   – In what way do you shine or standout among the corruption going on around you?

 

THIRD DAY           READ HEBREWS 10:11-14, 18      SECOND READING

(“For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.”)

1.   What does every priest do, and what can sacrifice not do? Hebrews 10:11

 

2.   Who was taken from among men to stand before God and offer sacrifices, and what is impossible?  Hebrews 5:1 and 10:4

 

3.   What did Jesus do, and for what is he waiting? Hebrews 10:12-13

 

4.   When Jesus ascended into heaven, where did he go? Mark 16:19

 

5.   What did Joshua tell the men of Israel that the Lord would do to all the enemies against whom they will fight? Joshua 10:24-25

 

6.   Who are our enemies, and what has God given us the power to do? Luke 10:17-20

 

7.   By one offering, who has Jesus made perfect?  Hebrews 10:14

 

8.   How are we being consecrated?  John 17:17-19

 

9.   What has happened that eliminates sin offerings?  Hebrews 10:18

 

10.  How are we given knowledge of our salvation?  Luke 1:77

 

Personal  –  In what way do you show that your enemies are your footstool?   How do you recognize your enemies?  Read Ephesians 6:11-12 to help you identify the enemies.

 

FOURTH DAY             READ MARK 13:24-32                GOSPEL

   (“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”)

1.   What will happen in those days after the tribulation? Mark 13:24-25

 

2.   How does the day of the Lord come?   Isaiah 13:9-10

 

3.   What will they see on that day?  Mark 13:26

 

4.   What did Jesus tell the high priest when he asked him if he was the Messiah?  Mark 14:60-62

 

5.   Who will see Jesus when he comes on the cloud? Revelation 1:7

 

6.   Who will he send out, and what will they do when he comes in all his glory?   Mark 13:27

 

7.   From what are we to learn a lesson, and when will we know that he is near?   Mark 13:28-29

 

8.   What will not pass away?   Mark 13:30-31

 

Personal – What truth about yourself and God has he revealed to you this day?

 

9.   Who will be called least and greatest in the kingdom of God? Matthew 5:18-19

 

10.  Who is the only one who knows the day or the hour of his coming? Mark 13:32    

 

11.  How will the day of the Lord come to us? 1 Thessa­lonians 5:1-2

 

Personal – If Jesus were to come on the cloud today, in what way have you been preparing yourself to be gathered up by the angels?

 

FIFTH DAY             READ PSALM 16:5, 8-11

  (“…; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 16:5, 8-11.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

 

SIXTH DAY          READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

                         DANIEL 12:1-3

Today’s passage is a prophecy of the last days. Great suffering is in store for Israel throughout the many years ahead. Jeremiah also used this way of describing the future (Jer. 30:7), and Jesus did too (Matthew 24:21). Yet great suffering is also tempered by a great promise of hope for true believers.

In today’s reading we see a clear reference to the resurrec­tion of both the righteous and the wicked, although the eternal fates of each will be quite different.  Up to this point in time, teach­ings on the resurrection were not common. Yet every devout Jew believed that one day he or she would be included in the restora­tion of the new kingdom. The idea that there would actual­ly be a bodily resurrec­tion was quite radical.

We look around our own communities, and we see people trying very hard to be “superstars” in this transient world of enter­tainment, only to find their “stardom” very temporary. God tells us how we all can be superstars eternally. We can do that by turning to God’s call to holiness, and the call to holiness involves obedience to God’s will and service to others. The road to stardom for believers is a road that has many distractions, but also many great moments of satisfaction.

If we share our Lord with others, we can be true stars that will shine forever radian­tly beautiful in God’s sight. God has called each one of us to lead someone to him. Jesus tells us in scrip­ture that we are to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). We are in the last days, and we are the ambas­sadors of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

                      HEBREWS 10:11-14, 18

It was customary for the priests to stand while offering sacrifices. The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year; but even so these sacrifices  could never save those who lived under their rules. Christ’s act of sitting down at God’s right hand symbolizes the end of the sacrificial system. Christ gave himself to God for our sins as one sacrifice for all time, and then sat down in the place of highest honor at God’s right hand.

There was a danger of the people returning to the old Jewish system, which would be saying that Christ’s sacrifice was not enough to forgive their sins. Any system to win God’s approval through good works is essentially rejecting the significance of Christ’s death and spurning the Holy Spirit’s work. Do not let anyone tell you that Christ’s sacrifice was incomplete or that something else is needed to make you acceptable to God, because this can lead you away from right faith and right living.

We have been made complete in Christ, and yet we are still being made holy. We do good things not to become good, but because of the goodness that is within us (1 John 4:4). Through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ once and for all made it possible for his believers to become perfect in God’s sight by washing them clean from sin. At the same time he is making them holy in their daily pilgrimages through life. We must realize that because God is not finished with us, we must be open to this growth process by being obedient to Christ, by living out the values of scripture and the church in our daily lives. Most of all, we need to accept the forgiveness that Christ provides for each one of us.

 

                         MARK 13:24-32

In today’s passage we find that Jesus tells us that when the time of tribulation has ended his return will be unmistakable. In the midst of that time of persecution even strong believers will find it very difficult to follow Jesus and to keep from being deceived by false teachers. When Jesus does return there will be no doubt of his identity. If you have to be told that the Messiah has come, then he has not (Matthew 24:27).

Christ’s coming will be obvious to everyone, and there will be “deep mourning” because unbelievers will suddenly realize they have chosen the wrong side. In the time of Jesus the world seemed very concrete and dependable. The roles of the people were clearly defined, giving the impression of permanence. It was just that essence of permanence that Jesus was threatening to change.

Today many people fear the destruction of the world through nuclear power. Jesus tells us that while we can be sure the earth will pass away in time, the truth of his words will never be changed or abolished. God and his holy word provide the only stability in our unstable world. It is so incredibly shortsighted to spend so much of our time learning about this temporary world and accumulating its possessions, while neglecting God, scrip­ture, church and all the eternal truths of our faith.

Today many books are written in many languages that predict when Jesus will come back. These books are written to give the impres­sion that man has figured out what Jesus said.  Only his Father knows, and we are to stay alert (Mark 13:32,33).  When Jesus said that, even he did not know the time of the end. He was affirming his humanity.  Jesus voluntarily gave up the unlimited use of his divine attributes when he became a man. The bottom line on this passage is that no one can predict by scrip­ture or by science the exact day of Jesus’ return. Jesus teaches us that preparation, not calculation, is needed.

Application

The first reading tells us that we can be eternal stars if we share our Lord with others.  The second reading shows that to deny Christ’s forgiveness to ourselves is to deny it to all. The Gospel reveals that the earth will pass away, but God’s word will never pass away.

This week, prepare for the coming of the Lord through service to others, not by trying to calculate it through books and movies.  Show your family and friends by your actions that you are preparing to live forever and are ready to die right now. Let them see the power of your prayer life. Let them see that you pray about everything and complain about nothing. Let them experience your forgiveness and show them that you forgive others because you know you are forgiven.  Do this with your family, friends, school, and work associates, and you will be amazed at what can happen in just one week.  This is your week; let it happen.

Lectio Divina – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Nov. 11th) – Cycle B

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PURPOSE OF THIS SCRIPTURE READING – Develop a personal relationship with Jesus through the Word of God with the understanding that the Holy Spirit will teach and remind us of all Jesus said and did. Psalm 32:8 tells us, “I will instruct you and show you the way you should walk, give you counsel and watch over you.”

  1. Say the opening prayer
  2. Read the passage slowly three times as though Jesus were talking to you.
  3. Converse with Jesus, asking questions and listening to Him.

OPEN WITH THE FOLLOWING PRAYER:

Father, I can’t understand Your Word without Your grace, I acknowledge my weakness so your power can reach perfection in me. Send Your Holy Spirit to remind, teach, and guide me to the Truth. May I share as soon as possible whatever You teach me. AME

READ, REFLECT AND WRITE

Mark 12:38-44 – In the course of His teaching Jesus said to the crowds, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long roes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.” He (Jesus) sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling His disciples to Himself, He said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”

What is the Lord personally saying to you?

 

 

 

 

 

What does the Lord personally want you to do?

THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Nov. 11th) – CYCLE B

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THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

by Deacon Ken and Marie Finn at St. Dismas Guild

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

 

Application

The first reading shows that God has placed his great seal on all of his believers through baptism.  The second reading tells us that adoption means being selected and God chose you to be his child. The Gospel reveals that nothing can separate us from God’s love, not even death (Romans 8:39).

This week, let yourself be completely poor in spirit. Let your attachment be only to people, not things. Look in your closet and see what clothes you do not really need and then give them to the poor. Look at your financial picture and see what you can cut out of your spending and give that expense to the poor.

Look at how you spend your time.  Is it mostly for your benefit? Try to see where you can give more time to others in need. Mother Teresa says, “Unless life is lived for others, it is not worthwhile.”  Blessed are you because you are poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3).

 

FIRST DAY  Reread last week’s readings.

1.   What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2.   From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

SECOND DAY           READ 1 KINGS 17:10-16       FIRST READING

 (“The jar of flour did not go empty, nor the oil run dry, as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.”)

l.   When Elijah went to Zarephath, who did he see there, and what did he say to her?   1 Kings 17:10

 

2.   What did Jesus say to the woman of Samaria? John 4:7

 

3.   When the widow went to get Elijah the water, for what did he call out, and what did she say to him?   1 Kings 17:11-12

 

4.   What did the widow say would happen to her and her son after they had eaten what was left?   1 Kings 17:12

 

5.   What did Elijah tell the widow not to be, and what did he tell her to do first? 1 Kings 17:13

 

6.   What are we to seek first? Matthew 6:33

 

7.   What does the Lord, the God of Israel, say? 1 Kings 17:14

 

8.   When will the Lord send rain upon the earth? 1 Kings 17:1

 

9.   What did the widow do, and how long were they able to eat? 1 Kings 17:1

 

10.  What happened, and how was it foretold? 1 Kings 17:16

 

Personal  –  While you were in a place of need yourself, who has asked you for food or water?  What has been your response?

 

THIRD DAY            READ HEBREWS 9:24-28       SECOND READING

(“But now, once for all, he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice.”)

1.   What did Christ not enter, what did he enter, and for what reason?   Hebrews 9:24

 

2.   If we sin, what do we have?   1 John 2:1

 

3.   What does Christ do that the high priest does not? Hebrews 9:25

 

4.   Where do we get our confidence to enter the sanctuary? Hebrews 10:19

 

5.   What did Jesus do once and for all?  Hebrews 9:26 and 7:27

 

6.   What did John say about Jesus?  John 1:29

 

7.   What do human beings do only once, and what comes fter that?   Hebrews 9:27

 

8.   What do we receive before the judgment seat of God? 2 Corinthians 5:10

 

9.   What will Christ do a second time, what will he bring, and to whom?  Hebrews 9:28

 

10.  How will the Son of Man come?   Matthew 16:27

 

Personal – How has Christ appeared before God on your behalf this week?   Be specific.  What did you ask him, and what was the answer?

 

FOURTH DAY            READ MARK 12:38-44               GOSPEL

 (“A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.”)

1.   Of what did Jesus say you are to beware?  Mark 12:38-39

 

2.   What goes before honor?  Proverbs 15:33

 

3.   What do the scribes that look for places of honor do to the widow, and what will happen to them?  Mark 12:40

 

4.   What did Jesus observe, and what did many of the rich do? Mark 12:41

 

5.   What do the rich and poor have in common? Proverbs 22:2

 

6.   What did a poor widow do?  Mark 12:42

 

7.   After calling his disciples, what did Jesus say to them about the poor widow?   Mark 12:43

 

8.   From what did Jesus say the rich contributed, and from what did this poor widow contribute?   Mark 12:44

 

9.   When giving, what must be there to be acceptable to the Lord? 2 Corinthians 8:12

 

10.  What happens to those who give to the poor?  Proverbs 28:27, Matthew 10:42

 

Personal – In what way have you taken something that you needed and given it to someone less fortunate?  Examine yourself to see if your giving is from your surplus or from your need.  Repent where needed, attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation to receive the grace from the sacrament, and pray for the ability to change and to begin to give from your need.

 

FIFTH DAY             READ PSALM 146:7-10

  (“The Lord sets captives free;”)  Read and meditate on Psalm 146:7-10.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

SIXTH DAY         READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

                       1 KINGS 17:10-16

In a nation that was required by law to take care of its prophets, it seems incredible that God allowed ravens, which were considered to be very unclean birds, and a widow, who was a foreig­ner from Jezebel’s home territory, to care for Elijah.  But God provides help for us where we least expect it.  He provides help that goes beyond our narrow definitions or expectations.  No matter how bitter our trials or how seemingly hopeless our situa­tion, we should look for God’s hand of care. We may just find him in the strangest of places.

When the widow from Zarephath met Elijah, she thought she was preparing her last meal for herself and her son. Today’s passage shows us how a simple act of faith provided a miracle. We are told that faith is the step between promise and assurance.  Faith is the response to the power and living presence of God in our lives. The woman was being obedient, and she had more than she could eat.

The core of love is obedience, and every miracle, large or small, begins with an act of obedience.  We may not see the result until we take the first step. Yet miracles seem so out of reach for our feeble faith.  This woman reached out and responded to Elijah’s need, and her own needs were filled.  When we respond to someone else’s need before our own, we are doing what Jesus did. In the next few verses the widow’s faith had a major test.  When her son died,  she reached out in faith.  Today, respond to the power and living presence of God in you and miracles will happen to you.

 

                        HEBREWS 9:24-28

The description of Jesus as our friend comes as a sign of great comfort. A friend stands with us and for us.  Christ is on our side, standing in our place before God. He is our mediator, he pleads for us, and he represents us. God has chosen us to be his friend because we are friends of Jesus. God considers us friends when we give ourselves to him as he gives himself to us. When we are God’s friend, we know that he is always there when we need him.  Do you consider God to be your friend? Are you as devoted to him as he is to you?

Jesus has drawn us into a place of high privilege because as our Lord and Master, he should call us slaves, but instead he calls us friends. Because he is Lord and Master, our obedience should be unqualified and blind, but Jesus asks us to obey him because we love him.

We know that love is a decision, and to love Jesus means we have decided with our own free will to love him. Because Jesus died for us, we became eligible to be friends with God. God is holy, and he hates sin. All people are sinful and deserve punish­ment. Christ took our sins upon himself and paid the price for them with his own death. Now the way to friendship with God has been opened and through faith in his work, we become his friends rather than enemies and outcasts.

Because we are Jesus’ friends we know that when we die we will be with him forever. We know that all people die physically but Christ died so that we would not have to die spiritually. He has promised to return and raise up “his friends” to eternal life in a world without sin, and that, my beloved friends, is “Good News.”

 

                         MARK 12:38-44

In this Gospel passage, Jesus makes a series of charges against the Jewish religious leaders. These leaders walked around in flowing robes in which they could neither hurry or work, and which were the sign of the leisurely man of honor. Scripture tells us that the Jews wore tassels at the edge of their outer robe. These tassels were to remind them that they were people of God.

Jesus again exposes the impure motives of these religious lead­ers. They received no official pay, so they depended upon the hospitality extended by devout Jews. Some of them used this custom to exploit people, cheating the poor out of everything they had and even taking advantage of the rich.  Their spiritu­ality was an act to gain respect, status, and recognition. Jesus warned the people against the teachers of religion who loved to appear holy, but in reality were phonies.

True followers of Christ are not distinguished by showy talents or acts. Reading the Bible, praying in public, or follow­ing church rituals can be phony if the motive for doing them is to be noticed or honored.  We must always remember that how we live is really what we believe, so let your actions be consistent with your beliefs.  We must always live for Christ even when no one is looking.

Jesus tells the people that the punishment of the religious leaders would be greater because as leaders they carried great responsibil­ity in shaping the faith of the people.  The petty rules, greed, and impure motives led many people astray, and sadly, we see that happen far too often in our times and in many nations.  Jesus closes the passage by telling us that when we give, it is not how much we give that counts, but it is how much of a sacrifice it takes.  The poor woman only gave a frac­tion of what others gave, but it was out of the funds that she needed to survive that she gave, not out of what was surplus.  God is calling all of us to give just as the poor widow gave, as shown in today’s Gospel.

 

Application

The first reading tells us that God will provide for us in the most unexpected ways.  The second reading shows that there is no greater friend than one who lays down his life for us. The Gospel reveals to us that real religion is what we live as well as what we say.

This week, let your spirituality show, not in the way you dress, speak or sing; let it show in your actions.  This week do something beautiful for God, and give of your time, talent, or your money to do God’s work.  Remember, I did not say, do what you always do; I say, do something different, something special. Whatever you do, whatever you give, let it really be an exper­ience of sacrifice.  Your gift of giving begins with your heart.     

 

TRIGESIMOSEGUNDO DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO (Nov. 11th) – CICLO B

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El Pan de Vida Estudio de Biblia Católico

by Deacon Ken and Marie Finn at St. Dismas Guild

ANTES DE COMENZAR:

Ora y pidele a Dios que te hable a través de Su Espíritu Santo. “EL ESPIRITU SANTO INTERPRETE, QUE EL PADRE LES ENVIARA EN MI NOMBRE, LES VA A ENSEÑAR TODAS LAS COSAS Y LES RECORDARA TODAS MIS PALABRAS.”  (JUAN 14:26)

 

PRIMER DIA  Vuelve a leer las lecturas de la semana pasada.

  1. ¿Cuál fue el mensaje qué recibiste de la homilia o de las lecturas que oiste en misa el domingo?

 

  1. ¿De lo que aprendiste, qué escogiste para aplicar a tu vida esta semana?

 

SEGUNDO DIA                                      LEE 1 REYES 17:10-16                       PRIMERA LECTURA

(“La harina de la tinaja no se agotó ni disminuyó el aceite del cántaro, segun lo que habia prometido El Señor por medio de Elias.”)

  1. Cuando Elias fue a Sarepta, ¿a quien vió alli, y que le dijo él a élla? 1 Reyes 17:10

 

  1. ¿Qué dijo Jesús a la mujer de Samaria? Juan 4:7

 

  1. ¿Cuando la viuda iba a buscar el agua para Elias, que mas le pidio él y qué le contesto élla? 1 Reyes 17:11-12

 

  1. ¿Qué dijo la viuda les iba a pasar a élla y a su hijo despues que hubieran comido lo que les quedaba?1 Reyes 17:12

 

  1. ¿Qué le dijo Elias a la viuda que no temiera y que le dijo que hiciera? 1 Reyes 17:13

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que debemos buscar primero? Mateo 6:33

 

  1. ¿Qué dice El Señor, Dios de Israel? 1 Reyes 17:14

 

  1. ¿Cuándo mandará El Señor la lluvia sobre la tierra? 1 Reyes 17:1

 

  1. ¿Qué hizo la viuda y por cuanto tiempo pudieron comer ellos? 1 Reyes 17:15

 

  1. ¿Qué pasó, y cómo fue esto predicho? 1 Reyes 17:16

 

Personal – ¿Cuando tu mismo tenias necesidad, quién te pidió comida y agua? ¿Cuál fue tu respuesta?

 

 

TERCER DIA                                             LEE HEBREOS 9:24-28               SEGUNDA LECTURA

(“Pero no; esperó que fuera el fin de los tiempos y se manifestó ahora, de una vez, para borrar el pecado con Su sacrificio.”)

  1. ¿Cómo era el lugar a donde entró Cristo y por qué razón? Hebreos 9:24

 

  1. ¿Si pecamos qué tenemos? 1 Juan 2:1

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que Cristo no hace en comparacion con el sumo sacerdote? Hebreos 9:25

 

  1. ¿Dónde obtenemos la confianza para entrar en el santuario? Hebreos 10:19

 

  1. ¿Qué hizo Jesús de una vez por todas? Hebreos 9:26 y 7:27

 

  1. ¿Qué dijo Juan acerca de Jesús? Juan 1:29

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que hacen los hombres solamente una vez, y que viene despues de esto? Hebreos 9:27

 

  1. ¿Qué recibiremos frente al tribunal de Dios? 2 Corintios 5:10

 

  1. ¿Qué hará Cristo la segunda vez? ¿Qué traera El y para quienes? Hebreos 9:28

 

  1. ¿Cómo vendrá el Hijo del Hombre? Mateo 16:27

 

Personal – ¿Cómo se ha presentado Cristo frente a Dios en favor tuyo esta semana? Sé específico. ¿Qué le has pedido y cual fue la respuesta?

 

 

CUARTO DIA                                       LEE MARCOS 12:38-44                EVANGELIO

(“Pero tambien llegó una viuda pobre y echó dos moneditas de muy poco valor.”)

  1. ¿De qué dijo Jesús que debias cuidarte? Marcos 12:38-39

 

  1. ¿Qué precede a la alabanza? Proverbios 15:33

 

  1. ¿Qué hacen a las viudas los maestros de la ley que buscan los lugares de honor? ¿Y qué les pasará a éllos?

Marcos 12:40

 

  1. ¿Qué miraba Jesús y qué hacian muchos de los ricos? Marcos 12:41

 

  1. ¿Qué tienen en comun los ricos y los pobres? Proverbios 22:2

 

  1. ¿Qué hizo la viuda pobre? Marcos 12:42

 

  1. ¿Despues de llamar a sus discípulos, qué les dijo Jesús acerca de la pobre viuda? Marcos 12:43

 

  1. ¿Con qué dijo Jesús que contribuian los ricos y con qué contribuia esta pobre viuda? Marcos 12:44

 

  1. ¿Qué debe existir para ser aceptable al Señor? 2 Corintios 8:12

 

  1. ¿Qué habrá para aquéllos que dan a los pobres? Proverbios 28:27 y tambien Mateo 10:42

 

Personal – ¿De qué manera te has quitado algo que necesitabas para darlo a alguien menos afortunado? Examinate para ver si das de tu abundancia o sacas de lo que necesitas. Arrepiéntete donde sea necesario; vé al Sacramento de Reconciliación para recibir la gracia de éste y ruega por la habilidad de cambiar y comenzar a dar de lo que te hace falta.

 


QUINTO DIA                                                          LEE SALMO 146:7-10

(“…El Señor libra de sus cadenas a los presos.”)   Leé y medita el Salmo 146:7-10.

¿Qué te dice personalmente el Señor a través de este Salmo?

 

¿Cómo puedes aplicar esto a tu vida diaria?

 

 

SEXTO DIA                                                     LEE TODO EL COMENTARIO

                                                                                         1 REYES 17:10-16

En una nación que por ley requeria tener cuidado de sus profetas, parece increible que Dios haya permitido a los cuervos, que eran considerados pájaros muy impuros y a una viuda extranjera del mismo lugar de Jezabel, que cuidaran de Elias. Pero Dios proveé ayuda para nosotros de donde menos lo esperamos. El proveé ayuda que va mas alla de nuestras limitadas definiciones o expectativas. No importa cuán amargos nuestros problemas o cuán aparentemente imposible sea nuestra situación, deberemos buscar la mano de Dios que cuida. Es posible que le encontremos en los lugares mas extraños.

Cuando la viuda de Sarepta se encontró con Elias, pensaba que estaba preparando su última comida para élla y su hijo. El pasaje de hoy muestra, como un simple acto de fé proveé un milagro. Se nos ha dicho que la fé es el paso entre promesa y certeza. Fé es la respuesta del poder y de la viva presencia de Dios en nuestra vida. La mujer siendo obediente tuvo mas de lo que ella podia comer.

El centro mismo del amor es la obediencia y cada milagro, grande o pequeño, comienza con un acto de obediencia. Puede que no veamos el resultado hasta que no hayamos dado el primer paso. Aun asi, los milagros parecen fuera del alcance para nuestra debil fé. Esta mujer se esforzó y respondió a las necesidades de Elias y sus propias necesidades fueron satisfechas. Cuando nosotros respondemos a las necesidades de otros antes que a las nuestras propias, estamos haciendo lo que Jesús hizo. En los pocos versículos que siguen, la fé de la viuda sufre una prueba mayor. Su hijo muere y élla se agarra de su fé. Hoy, responde al poder y a la viva presencia de Dios en tí y te ocurrirán milagros.

 

HEBREOS 9:24-28

La descripción de Jesús como un amigo, llega como un signo de gran consuelo. Un amigo está con nosotros y por nosotros. Cristo esta de nuestra parte, apareciendo en nuestro lugar ante Dios. El es nuestro mediador, El aboga por nosotros y El nos representa. Dios nos ha elegido para que seamos Sus amigos por que somos amigos de Jesús. Dios nos considera amigos cuando nosotros nos damos a El como El se dá a si mismo a nosotros. Cuando somos amigos de Dios, sabemos que El está siempre alli, dónde y cuándo lo necesitamos. ¿Consideras que Dios es amigo tuyo? ¿Eres tu tan devoto a El como El lo es de ti?

Jesús nos ha traido hacia un lugar de gran privilegio porque como Señor y Dueño, El deberia llamarnos esclavos, pero enves, El nos llama Sus amigos. Porque El es Señor y Dueño, nuestra obediencia deberia ser absoluta y ciega, pero Jesús nos pide obedecerle por amor a El.

Sabemos que amor es una decisión y amar a Jesús quiere decir que nosotros hemos decidido por nuestra propia y libre voluntad amarlo. Debido a que Jesús murió por nosotros, se nos hizo elegibles para ser amigos de Dios. Dios es Santo y El odia el pecado. Toda la gente es pecadora y merece castigo. Cristo tomó nuestros pecados sobre El mismo y pagó el precio por ellos con Su propia muerte. Ahora el camino hacia la amistad con Dios ha sido abierto y a traves de la fé en Su obra, pasamos a ser Sus amigos en lugar de enemigos y relegados.

Porque somos amigos de Jesús sabemos que cuando morimos estaremos con El por siempre. Sabemos que toda la gente muere fisicamente pero Cristo murió para que nosotros no muramos espiritualmente. El prometió volver y llevar a “sus amigos” a una vida eterna en un mundo sin pecado y esto, mis queridos amigos, son las “Buenas Nuevas.”

 

MARCOS 12:38-44

En este pasaje del Evangelio, Jesús hace una serie de acusaciones contra los líderes religiosos judios. Estos líderes se paseaban ataviados en copiosas túnicas con las cuales no podian apresurarse o trabajar y esto era el signo del ocioso hombre honorable. Las escrituras cuentan que los judios usaban borlas al borde de sus túnicas exteriores. Estas borlas servian para recordarles que ellos eran el pueblo de Dios.

Otra vez Jesús expone los motivos impuros de estos líderes religiosos. Ellos no recibian pago oficial, por eso, dependian de la hospitalidad extendida por los judios piadosos. Algunos de ellos aprovechaban esta costumbre para explotar a la gente defraudando a los podres de todo lo que tenian y hasta abusando de los ricos. La espiritualidad de ellos era un acto para ganar respeto, una posición y reconocimiento. Jesús advirtió a la gente contra los maestros de religión que querian aparecer como santos pero en realidad eran falsos.

Los verdaderos seguidores de Cristo no se distinguen por ostentosos talentos o actos. El leer la Biblia, rezar en público o seguir al pie de la letra los ritos de la iglesia pueden ser falsos si el motivo por hacerlo es solo para ser visto u honrado. Debemos recordar siempre que la manera como vivimos es realmente lo que creemos, asi que dejen que sus acciones sean consistentes con sus creencias. Debemos vivir siempre por Cristo aun cuando nadie este mirando.

Jesús dice a la gente que el castigo a los líderes religiosos será mayor porque como líderes, éllos llevan una gran responsabilidad en la formación de la fé de aquéllos a quienes enseñan. Sus reglas mezquinas, codicia y motivos impuros conducen a mucha gente a la perdición, y tristemente, vemos que esto sucede con demasiada frequencia en nuestros tiempos y en muchas naciones. Jesús concluye el pasaje diciéndonos que cuando damos, no es cuanto damos lo que cuenta, sino cuanto ha sido el sacrificio que ha tomado. La mujer pobre dió solo una fracción de lo que los otros dieron, pero fué algo de lo mucho que necesitaba para subsistir, no de lo sobrante. Dios está llamándonos a todos a dar asi como la viuda pobre, como se nos demuestra en el Evangelio de hoy.

 

Aplicación

La primera lectura nos dice que Dios proveerá para nosotros en las formas mas inesperadas. La segunda lectura muestra que no hay amigo mas grande que aquel que entrega su vida por nosotros. El Evangelio nos revela que la verdadera religión es, lo que vivimos tanto como lo que proclamamos.

Esta semana, deja tu espiritualidad mostrarse, no en la forma como vistes, hablas o cantas; déjala ver en tus acciones. Esta semana haz algo hermoso por Dios y dá de tu tiempo, talento o dinero para hacer la obra de Dios. Recuerda, no he dicho – haz lo que siempre haces – digo en vez, haz algo diferente, algo especial. Cualquier cosa que hagas, cualquier cosa que des, deja que sea una verdadera experiencia de sacrificio. Tu dádiva comienza en tu corazón.

THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Nov. 4th) – CYCLE B

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THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

by Deacon Ken and Marie Finn at St. Dismas Guild

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

 

FIRST DAY  Reread last week’s readings.

1.   What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2.   From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

SECOND DAY           READ DEUTERONOMY 6:2-6       FIRST READING

            (“…The Lord is our God, the Lord alone!”)

 l.   How are we to have a long life, and who are we to fear? Deuteronomy 6:2

 

2.   Who will prosper after us if we keep the commandments? Deuteronomy 4:40, Deuteronomy 5:29.

 

3.   What did the Father promise us if we are careful to observe his commands?   Deuteronomy 6:3

 

4.   Who is dearer to the Lord than all other people? Exodus 19:5

 

5.   Who is our God, and what did Jesus say about him? Deuteronomy 6:4, Mark 12:29

 

6.   With what are we to love and serve the Lord? Deuteronomy 10:12

 

7.   With what three ways are we to love the Lord our God? Deuteronomy 6:5

 

8.   What is to be written on our heart?  Deuteronomy 6:6

 

9.   What is in our heart that we do not falter? Psalm 37:31

 

10.  What do we treasure in our heart so we will not sin against him? Psalm 119:11

 

Personal – How have you shown your love for God?  What shows others that he alone is your God and there is none other than him?

 

THIRD DAY             READ HEBREWS 7:23-28        SECOND READING

      (“…He is always able to save those who approach God through him.”)

1.   Who were prevented by death from remaining in office? Hebrews 7:23

 

2.   Who has a priesthood that does not pass away? Hebrews 7:24, 28

 

3.   What happens to those who approach God through Jesus, and what does he do for them?   Hebrews 7:25

 

4.   Where is Jesus?  Romans 8:34

 

5.   If anyone sins, what does Jesus do?  1 John 2:1-2

 

6.   Why is it fitting to have such a high priest?  Hebrews 7:26

 

7.   Who is this high priest who passed through the heavens? Hebrews 4:14

 

8.   What did Jesus do once and for all, and what did he have no need to do? Heb7:27

 

9.   For what does Jesus live, and what must we consider our­selves?  Romans 6:10-11

 

10.  What does the law appoint, and who does the word of the oath appoint? Heb.7:28

 

11.  Who is perfect?  Hebrews 7:28, Hebrews 5:8-10

 

Personal  –  About what can you have Jesus intercede for you to the Father? Try keeping a prayer journal with dates and check the results each week.

 

 

FOURTH DAY             READ MARK 12:28-34                GOSPEL

          (“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”)

1.   What did one of the scribes ask Jesus?   Mark 12:28

 

2.   What did Jesus say his Father was, and how are we to love him?   Mark 12:29-30

 

3.   What did Jesus say was the second commandment, and what did he say about these two commandments?   Mark 12:31

 

4.   What is summed up in this saying (namely), “you shall love your neighbor as yourself, and what does love not do? Romans 13:9-10

 

5.   What did the scribe say about God?   Mark 12:32

 

6.   What did the scribe say was worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices?   Mark 12:33

 

7.   To what does the Lord want us to be open?   Psalm 40:7

 

8.   What did Jesus see in the scribe, and what did Jesus say to him?    Mark 12:34

 

9.   Where does God’s kingdom rule?   Psalm 103:19

 

10.  What did no one dare to do?  Mark 12:34, Matthew 22:46

 

Personal  –  In what way have you shown your love for God by loving your neighbor this week?  Who in your life is considered your neighbor right now?

 

FIFTH DAY           READ PSALM 18:2-4, 47, 51

(“I love you, O Lord, my strength,”)Read and meditate on Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

SIXTH DAY          READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

                       DEUTERONOMY 6:2-6

This passage shows us that the wandering in the desert was not only a punishment but also a test to show the people how utterly dependent they must be on God.  For a nation that had wandered forty years in a parched desert to be close to a land “flowing with milk and honey” sounded like a paradise. They envisioned rich crops, rushing streams, gentle rains, and lush fields filled with livestock.  The Israelites could have had all that forty years earlier, but their stubbornness and rebellion prevented it from happening.

Moses was now whetting their appetite for this beautiful land and clearly explaining the conditions for entering the land. The great Hebrew prayer known as the “Shema” from the Hebrew word “Hear” begins the prayer. This prayer was recited by devout Jews and was a proclamation of faith and a desire to serve God.  Since Jesus was a pious Jew, the words of the Shema came to his lips when he was asked which commandment was the greatest (Mark 12:29). The rabbis agree also that of the 612 Jewish commandments of the Law, this was the most important.  The prayer declares that their God (Yahweh) is the only true God. This was a very impor­tant insight for the people of Israel, because they were about to enter a land with many gods.

Both then and today there are people who prefer to place their trust in many gods. Today we see people who believe in the false gods of money, power, status, fame, youth, physical beauty, intelligence, drugs, alcohol, immorality, pleasure, and many forms of the occult.

This passage is often said to be the central theme of Deuteronomy. It sets a pattern that helps us to relate the Word of God to our daily lives.  Today, more than ever, we are to love God with all of our heart, soul and might. We are to teach his commandments to our children, and to live our lives by the guidelines of his word.

 

                        HEBREWS 7:23-28

The covenant of Christ is the  covenant of the New Testament.  This new covenant allowed the people to go to God directly through Jesus Christ. They no longer had to rely on sacrificed animals to gain God’s forgiveness.  The new covenant is permanent because Jesus Christ lives forever as our high priest, and only Jesus saves.

We need to ask ourselves, what does it mean that Jesus is able to save completely?  No one can add to what Jesus did to save us; our past, present, and future sins are all forgiven, and Jesus is with the Father as a sign that our sins are forgiven. Christ has paid the price for our sins once and for all. If you are reading this as a non-Christian, then let him come into your heart right now, and let his blood wash you clean. Confess your sins and repent in the name of Jesus.  If you are a Christian, then you know that you need to be reconciled with God again. Jesus welcomes us back with the same joy as the good shepherd experiences when he recovered the one lost sheep in the fold. We have been blessed in the Catholic Church through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Remember, it is not enough to say I am sorry; we are called to repent (change) and get back into Christian worship and fellowship. 

Jesus is our advocate, the mediator between us and God. The covenant of Christ is immediate access to our loving and just heavenly Father.  Today much of the world does not realize how costly it was for Jesus to secure our forgiveness – it cost him his blood and his life (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Because Christ died once and for all, he finished all sacrifices. The Jews did not need to go back to the old system, because Christ, the perfect sacrifice, completed the work of redemption.  His death brings us eternal life.  How callous, how cold, how stubborn are those who refuse to accept this death, God’s greatest gift.

 

                         MARK 12:28-34

There is an old saying that is credited to St. Augustine. He stated, “Love God and do whatever you like.”  There were many in the crowd that surrounded Jesus that would strongly disagree with that saying. The expert who asked Jesus the question was asking about something which was a living issue in Jewish thought, discussion and law.  Jesus answered him by putting two great commandments together.

“Hear,  Oh Israel!  the Lord is our God,  the Lord alone!” This single sentence is the heart of Judaism (Deut. 6:4). It is called the Shema which means to hear.  It was the sentence with which the service of the synagogue always began and still begins. The three passages of the Shema were contained in the Phylac­teries, (Matt. 23:5), little leather boxes which the devout Jew wore on his forehead and wrist. When the Jew was at prayer, the Shema was contained in a little box called the Mezuzah, which was and still is attached to the door of every Jewish house and the door of every room in it, to remind the Jew of God at his going out and his coming in. 

When Jesus quoted the second commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” (Leviticus 19:18), he intended it to mean the Gentiles also. Jesus took an old law and filled it with meaning. Religion to Jesus Christ was loving God and loving people.  He tells us that the only way in which a man can prove that he loves God is by showing that he loves men.  Hosea had heard God say, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice.” (Hosea 6:6). For some people it is always easier to let ritual take the place of love, and for some, it is easer to let worship become a matter of the church building, instead of a matter of the whole life.

The scribe had risen beyond his friends, and that is why he found himself in sympathy with Jesus.  His next step was faith in Jesus himself, and this was the most difficult step to take.  When you are uncertain about what to do, ask yourself what cour­se of action best demonstrates your love for God and your love for others.

 

Application

The first reading tells us that prayer and obedience are the foundation of love.  The second reading shows us that Jesus saves completely.  The Gospel reveals Jesus’ idea of religion as love of God and man.

This week, show your family that love, not ritual, dominates your actions.  Take the time to look at those in your family, work and school and determine the ones whom you have great difficulty loving.  This week, lift them up in daily prayer and make an effort to show them love in the form of meeting their needs. Love is a decision, and it is time for you to decide to love God and all your fellow men.