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FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

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FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

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

Luke 10:38-41 – Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

 

  1. What is the Lord personally saying to you?

 

 

 

  1. What does the Lord personally want you to do?

 

 

Share your reflection with someone.

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – C

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FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

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

Luke 10:25-37 – There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.  A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

 

  1. What is the Lord personally saying to you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. What does the Lord personally want you to do?

 

 

 

 

Share your reflection with someone.

Newsletter July 2016

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St. Dismas Guild         July 2016
                    “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

HAPPY AND BLESSED INDEPENDENCE DAY – GOD BLESS AMERICA

PO Box 2129 Escondido CA 92033

 

Dear St. Dismas Guild, I am 52-years old. I have never married, have an adult daughter in the USAF, 2 grand kids, and completed K-12 grades amid gangs, drugs and violent crime in the ghetto. I was raised to believe in God and His Word which led me to the faith in Jesus Christ that saved me. He loved and died for me too. As with all Christians, Satan attempted to seduce my young faith and he succeeded, leading to many youthful misjudgments, while ignoring the precepts of my bible. As a gang member, drug user & lawbreaking individual, I was incarcerated many times as a youth and adult. The lessons of these experiences were neglected leading to my current sentence of 36-to-life. While serving my current sentence, I have reestablished my relationship with my Savior, Jesus, earned my GED and acquired numerous bible-related certificates over the last 15 years.  I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, the guidance available through the Holy Spirit and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I thank God for my life. No matter how isolated I am now, things could be much worse, but he is a good God. I composed my testimony to assure you that, while I messed up this life, I will not mess up my prospects for the next one. And there will be a next one! Sincerely in Christ.  RH

 

Thank you RH for showing us the power of God’s Word to transform your life. You’re right; many young people are being seduced by Satan, the author of lies, and following him although they have grown up in a faith based home. They are seduced into thinking what is wrong is right because many leaders and our government are saying things and putting into law lies from Satan. You have come a long way in getting your education and study of the bible while in prison. Putting it into practice is the hard part especially on the outside world. Always remember when tempted 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, you little ones, and thus you have conquered the false prophets, For there is One greater IN YOU than there is in the world.” The little ones are those who have humbled themselves under the mighty hand of Almighty God, and made Him Lord of their life. Thank you again for sharing.

 

 

 

Dear St. Dismas Guild,  I’m writing to say the Lord has kept this promise to me even if I have fallen, he is still there to pick me up. I’ve been in here over 20 years and my wife has never left me. We have a class here that has changed too much for me to stay with it. They need new leadership because they are making rules up for new members which they can do. We are to build on what Christ teaches, not to make others do what they don’t do.  Well, I don’t know what to do but drop out of the class. If you have some words on this, please write back.  Your brother,  RQ

 

Any class that contradicts the teaching of scripture or any leader who does not have the credential given by the church be cautious of. Jesus told the crowds and his disciples in Matthew 23:2-3, “The scribes and the Pharisees have succeeded Moses as teachers; therefore, do everything and observe everything they tell you. But do not follow their example.” Pray for discernment on what to do. The Holy Spirit will guide you to the truth. You are blessed to have a wife who has given her life up for you. “When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize.” Proverbs 31:10-11

 

* * * * * * *

Dear St. Dismas Guild, Greetings and God Bless you, your volunteers, and all those whom you serve. May the Peace of Christ be with you all! I have just received your May newsletter and it has inspired me to write to you today. I am in a prison with no Catholic services, but through the grace of God I have found the strength to bring the Catholic faith into this prison. We have been blessed by two visits from a priest, and have started a prayer group praying the rosary every morning. The first time Father was here he asked us a question – – “When did you come to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?” I think, like most people in prison, my relationship with Him started when I found myself in jail with a 10-year sentence, and there is no parole here, so we have to serve at least 85% of our time, and it can be daunting, to say the least.

After meditating on that question, I’ve come to realize that as bad as prison is, I put myself here. This is the revelation that came from that and prison is an opportunity. It is a gift from God to allow those of us who have faith to have the opportunity to have that personal relationship to Christ. It is also a gift from God to save our lives. We were on a self-destructive course and God gave us the opportunity (there is that word again) to be better. So instead of complaining we should give Glory and Praise to God our Father. God Bless! Peace to you!  WW

 

WW, I see you as a person with a grateful heart. You are blessed because you found a personal relationship with Jesus when you came to prison. Not all see it that way. Some blame God for the choices they made that got them in trouble. Time with Jesus develops that relationship where He no longer calls you servant but friend. Obedience is the key to becoming best friends with Jesus. Jesus tells us, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer speak of you as slaves, for a slave does not know what his master is about. Instead I call you friends, since I have made known to you all that I heard from my Father.” John 15:14-15

 

* * * * * * * *

God’s Blessings be with You!  I thank you for all you do in the name of Jesus Christ. As we know, Our Lord is with us wherever we go and wherever we are. He is with me in my cell and comforts me. His blessings are around me and I see His wonders as I look out of my cell window and give thanks.  Peace be with You.  DL

 

DL, what a beautiful letter of thanksgiving you have written. Thank you. You’re right, we just have to look around to see God. He is all around us. We see Him in what He has created and we see Him in the person next to us who says a kind word. God, the Father is the Creator, God the Son is the Savior, and God the Holy Spirit is the sanctifier. As we turn to Him and confess our sins (if possible to a priest in confession) the blinders come off our eyes and we are able to see what you see, DL, and experience His healing touch and comforting love and mercy. “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) Thank you so much, DL, for the check to support our ministry. Generosity is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)

 

* * * * * * * * *

Dear Sir or Madam, Thank you for all you do for the men and women in prison, the beloved of the most high God. I read your newsletter each time before passing it on to our men and women. Today, though, I had to comment about DC. He has a misconception about salvation. Paragraph 169 of the catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Salvation comes from God alone”. DC may have received his salvation that night, but he “got saved” about 2,000 years ago by the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. We become a child of God in our Baptism or when we accept Jesus as our Lord and savior but out salvation was won for us by Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. We accept it but it was won for us by our Lord. Blessings, TE Chaplain

 

Thank you so much Chaplain for your letter. Salvation does come from God alone as 2 Corinthians 5:15 tells us “He died for all so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who for their sakes died and was raised up.” What a gift it is when we finally believe and accept what Jesus has done for us. Some have dramatic experiences when they accept the message of the cross and some just believe it without the big experience but all that do accept it as you said become children of God and listen and obey the Word of God.

 

 

This Year of Mercy.  Pope Francis, seeing the great need for mercy and healing in the world, called for the Year of Mercy—a special period, also known as a Holy Year or Jubilee Year, for the Catholic Church.  It is a time to focus on forgiveness and healing in a special way.

In the book titled “Beautiful Mercy”, Matthew Kelly writes…“Before I became a father, I thought I knew something about the love of God the Father has for me.  Then my son Walter was born…I found myself constantly yearning to be with him.  He couldn’t walk or talk.  All he did was eat and sleep, and need his diaper changed.  But I loved being with him.  Over the years, that hasn’t changed.  As my wife and I have had more children, I yearn to be with each of them in the same way.  I love my children so much it’s crazy, really. …as I began to think about this great love I have for my children, the love of God took on a whole new meaning.  Because if I can love my children as much as I do, and I am broken and wounded and flawed and limited, imagine how much God loves us.

The same goes for God’s mercy. …Invite the mercy of God to transform your life because in the end it is all about God’s mercy.

Sometimes the best way to think about life is to reflect upon death.  When I think about my life and how I have offended God, all the opportunities I have had to love that I have turned my back on, how little I have done with the gifts He has given me, I hope He is merciful.  When I reflect upon all my faults and failings, my mistakes and sins, my pride and arrogance, I hope He is merciful.  I believe He is.”

“Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

 

 

The Year of Mercy

As I reflect on this “Year of Mercy”, declared by Pope Francis, I too am reminded of my participation in 3 abortions and I thank God for His Mercy.  I am comforted by the pope’s words because it is true that I felt pressured to go through with the procedure because being pregnant was not convenient to my plans.

 

“…I think in particular of all the women who have resorted to abortion. I am well aware of the pressure that has led them to this decision. …The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere heart…” ~ Pope Francis’ Jubilee Letter

 

I believed the lie that it was my choice and that since it was legal it must be okay. I was not Catholic at the time nor was I allowing God in my life, but I was seeking and thanks be to God and Mother Mary, she lead me to her son Jesus as I sought help for my depression and all the dysfunctional traits in my life.

 

And like the woman in the reading below with her long hair, her many tears and her sinful lifestyle, I too turned to Him for forgiveness and a new beginning to my life. I met a Catholic man who brought me to the church and the sacraments and told me I could be forgiven IF I was truly sorry and wanted to grow in my relationship with the Lord. I was baptized and received into the church more than 26 years ago now. All my sins were wiped away and I began a new life in Love with our Lord and His Mother, Mary.

44 “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  … 47 I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”  Luke 7:44-48

 

Memorize one of the following scriptures and apply it to your life daily.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

 

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.” Psalm 51:1-2

 

 

In Jesus’ love,

St. Dismas Staff

DECIMOQUINTO DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO

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DECIMOQUINTO DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO

 

ANTES DE COMENZAR:

 

Ora y pídele 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 homilía o de las lecturas que oíste en misa el domingo?

 

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

 

SEGUNDO DIA                                               DEUTERONOMIO 30:10-14                         PRIMERA LECTURA

 

(“Si tan solo escuchas la voz del Señor, tu Dios”)

 

  1. ¿Quién está hablando y a quién le habla? Deut. 29:1

 

  1. ¿Si escuchas la voz del Señor y guardas Sus mandamientos y Sus normas que hará El? Deut. 30:9-10

 

  1. ¿Cómo se llama este libro? Deut. 30:10

 

  1. ¿De qué modo debes regresar al Señor? Deut. 30:10

 

  1. ¿A qué no son superiores estos mandamientos según dice Moisés? Deut. 30:11

 

  1. ¿En qué lugares no se encuentran? ¿Qué no podrás decir? Deut. 30:12-13

 

  1. ¿Cuáles son los dos lugares donde encontrarás estos mandamientos? Deut. 30:14

 

  1. ¿Qué debes hacer con la palabra del Señor? Deut. 30:14

 

Personal – ¿De qué modo ha hablado tu boca sobre el amor que tienes en tu corazón hacía el Señor? ¿De qué modo han visto u oido los de tu familia, tus amigos o compañeros de trabajo ese amor que hay en tí? ¿El modo en que te ves a tí mismo se confirma con el modo en que otros te ven y te oyen?

 

TERCER DIA                                                       COLOSENSES 1:15-20                              SEGUNDA LECTURA

 

(“Recibimos la paz a traves de la sangre la cruz.”)

 

  1. ¿Quién es el primogénito de toda la creación? Colosenses 1:15

 

  1. ¿Como la imágen de quién es? Colosenses 1:15

 

  1. ¿En quién fueron creados el cielo y la tierra? Colosenses 1:16

 

  1. ¿Cuáles son algunas de las cosas que fueron creadas para Jesús? Colosenses 1:16

 

  1. ¿Aparte de El qué fue creado? Juan 1:3
  2. ¿El existe antes de qué? ¿Cómo se mantiene todo? Colosenses 1:17

 

  1. ¿De quién es el la Cabeza y por qué razón? Colosenses 1:18

 

  1. ¿Qué deseaba Dios? Colosenses 1:19

 

  1. ¿Cómo nos reconciliamos con Dios y cómo se estableció la paz? Colosenses 1:20

 

  1. ¿Por qué razón ha hecho esto? Efesios 1:14

 

Personal – ¿Personalmente como has conseguido estar en paz con Dios a traves de Jesús? Escribe cuándo y dónde pasó esto. ¿De qué modo lo has compartido con alguien más?

 

CUARTO DIA                                                             LUCAS 10:25-37                                                      EVANGELIO

 

(“Vete y haz tú lo mismo.”)

 

  1. ¿Quién se levantó a plantear un problema? ¿Cómo se dirijió al Señor y qué le dijo? Lucas 10:25

 

  1. ¿Cuando Jesús le contestó le hizo dos preguntas, cuáles fueron? Lucas 10:26

 

  1. ¿Cuál fue la contestación del maestro de la ley en el versiculo 27 de Lucas 10?

 

  1. ¿Cuál es el nuevo mandamiento que nos dió Jesús durante la última cena? Juan 13:34 y 15:12

 

  1. ¿Cómo dijo Jesús que era la respuesta del maestro de la ley? ¿De dónde sacó esa respuesta?

Lucas 10:28, Deuteronomio 6:5 y Levítico 19:18

 

  1. ¿Qué dijo Jesús que le pasaría si seguía ese mandamiento? Lucas 10:28, ver Levítico 18:5 para ver             que le sucede a un hombre que obedece Sus mandamientos.

 

  1. ¿Qué le dijo éste a Jesús y cuál fue la respuesta acerca del hombre que iba de Jerusalén a Jericó?                 Lucas 10:29-30

 

  1. ¿Quién iba por el mismo camino y qué hizo y después, quién se le acercó y qué hizo? Lucas 10:31-32

 

  1. ¿Qué hizo el Samaritano cuando vió al hombre? Lucas 10:34

 

  1. ¿Qué hizo el Samaritano al día siguiente? Lucas 10:35

 

  1. ¿Qué preguntó Jesús al maestro de la Ley, cuál fue la respuesta de este y que le dijo Jesús que hiciera?          Lucas 10:36-37

 

Personal – ¿De qué manera te ha dado el Señor la oportunidad de ser compasivo con algún miembro de tu familia, amigo, compañero de trabajo o algún extraño, durante la semana pasada? ¿Cómo respondiste?

 

QUINTO DIA                                  LEE EL SALMO 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37

 

(“Y por tu gran misericordia, vuélvete hacía mí.”)

 

Leé y medita el Salmo 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37.

¿Qué te dice personalmente el Señor por medio de este Salmo?

 

¿Cómo puedes aplicar esto a tu vida diaria?

 

SEXTO DIA                                                  LEE TODO EL COMENTARIO

 

DEUTERONOMIO 30:10-14

 

Este pasaje establece que el consuelo, el perdón y restauración no solo eran posibles de alcanzar por los Israelitas, sino que Dios mismo deseaba dárselos. La nación de Israel debe cambiar totalmente y volverse al Señor. Unicamente así Dios restaurará Su misericordia y restaurará a Israel dándole su lugar correcto en la tierra. Unicamente a traves del pacto propuesto por Dios a Su pueblo puede éste recobrar la felicidad.

Escuchamos en la lectura de hoy que el guardar los mandamientos (Deut. 30:11-14) no está muy lejos de encontrarse como sugerían las mentes no muy profundas en esos tiempos. El autor ha enfatizado un mensaje espiritual con mucho poder. La Ley de Dios no está en alguna corte lejana o en alguna universidad prestigiada. La Ley de Dios está muy cerca al corazón del hombre. Si ésta actitud hubiera prevalecido en relación con la Ley Mosaíca, Jesús no hubiera tenido tal conflicto con los formalismos del maestro de la Ley. La ley positiva Judeo Cristiana puede equipararse simplemente con el modo que Dios tiene para guiar las aspiraciones del corazón humano hacía Sí mismo.

San Pablo nos muestra que cerca está realmente la ley de Dios, en Romanos 10:6-10. Pablo nos dice que no necesitamos buscar en los cielos a Cristo y traerlo para ayudarnos y ¡no necesitamos ir entre los muertos y traer a Cristo a la vida nuevamente! La Salvación es Confiar en Cristo; está tan cerca como lo están nuestros corazones y nuestras bocas. Pues es creyendo en su corazón que el hombre se justifica con Dios y con su boca les dice a otros sobre su fe, confirmando su salvación.

La gente siempre ha buscado a Dios a traves de experiencias dramáticas, esperando que haya un encuentro que cambie sus vidas. Habrá quien viaje muy lejos para encontrar a un famoso guía espiritual, pero la salvación de Dios esta mero enfrente de nosotros. El vendrá a nosotros donde quiera que nos encontremos. Todo lo que necesitamos hacer es entregarnos y rendirnos a su don de salvación. Necesitamos dejar de buscar y empezar a entregarnos a Su amor y Su misericordia.

Oímos diariamente en nuestra misa Católica la proclamación de la Palabra de Dios trayéndonos la salvación, la curación y la restauración. Dejemos que nuestros oidos oigan, que nuestros corazones crean y que nuestras lenguas hablen y su regalo de salvación se esparcirá a traves de la tierra.

 

COLOSENSES 1:15-20

 

Este pasaje tiene algunas de las más poderosas declaraciones teológicas acerca de Cristo en el Nuevo Testamento. Cristo es alabado como el Icono o imágen del Dios invisible. El pone de manifiesto la presencia de Dios en Su persona. Es llamado el primogénito de toda la creación pues todo lo demás fué creado a traves de su mediación. El existía antes de toda la creación y predomina entre toda élla. Pablo nos muestra cual es el alcance de la creación. Empieza con el cielo y la tierra, lo visible, lo invisible, el poder y la fuerza, los tronos, los dominios, los principados. Todo esto fue creado no solo por El, y a traves de El sino también, en El. Todo está sujeto a Cristo y a traves de Su poder creativo la misma creación continúa.

Pablo habla de Cristo como el principio, el punto de partida de la redención. El es el primero que conoce lo que es la resurrección de la vida y por lo tanto, es el primogénito entre los muertos. Mediante el uso frecuente de la palabra “todo,” la dimensión cósmica del poder y la gloria de Cristo se remarca. La restauración que El trae es la paz que fue obtenida mediante el derramamiento de Su sangre en la cruz.

Se establece que Pablo nunca había visitado Colosas. Evidentemente la iglesia había sido fundada por otros, convertidos por Pablo en sus viajes misioneros. La iglesia, sin embargo, se había visto infiltrada por un relativismo religioso de algunos creyentes que atentaron mezclar partes del paganismo y la filosofía secular con la doctrina Cristiana. Pablo entonces ataca a los herejes, confronta sus enseñanzas falsas y afirma la suficiencia de Cristo.

Podemos ver en el pasaje de hoy lo que sucede cuando el jefe del equipo está ausente y empiezan las confusiones. Pablo defiende sus enseñazas acerca de Cristo durante una fuerte discusión doctrinal acerca de la persona y el trabajo de Cristo. Pablo se encontraba batallando contra un grupo de líderes llamados “Agnósticos.” Los Agnósticos creían que se necesitaban conocimientos especiales para ser aceptados por Dios y se llamaban a sí mismos Cristianos. Ellos creían que no se conseguía la salvación únicamente con Cristo. El principal argumento de Pablo era: no es lo que uno sabe lo que le hace ser cristiano, sino a quien uno conoce. Conocer a Cristo es conocer a Dios. Hoy en día existe el mismo peligro y como Pablo, debemos aceptar a Jesús como nuestro Señor y Salvador personal. Jesús nos pide nuestro corazón, mente y alma y solo necesitamos rendirnos a El y decirle, sí.

LUCAS 10:25-37

 

El maestro de la ley preguntó a Jesús algo que superficialmente parecía simple “¿Qué debo hacer para recibir la vida eterna?” Jesús en su papel de Maestro Hebreo o Rabino, le contestó con dos preguntas “¿Qué estaba escrito en la Ley y cómo interpretaba él la ley?” En esos tiempos para un Judío ortodoxo, la definición de prójimo significaba únicamente otro Judío.

Jesús les relata la historia que los lleva a definir quién es nuestro prójimo. Y empieza contándoles sobre un hombre que había sido despojado de sus pertenencias y golpeado y dejado en el camino medio muerto. La primera persona que pasó por ahí fue un sacerdote quien probablemente iba camino al templo a practicar sus deberes sagrados. Este ni siquiera se acercó a tocar al pobre hombre pues la escritura dice en Números 19:11 que un sacerdote tendrá prohibido entrar al templo sagrado por siete días cuando toque a un muerto. Sus quehaceres del templo y de la comunidad estaban por encima de ayudar a este hombre en particular. La segunda persona que pasó por ahí fue un levita quien era un asistente de los sacerdotes. Los sacerdotes eran los que hacían el sacrificio de la expiación y estaban a cargo de los altares y los servicios sagrados. El levita también estaba envuelto en sus quehaceres del ministerio y sus responsabilidades, las cuales eran asistir al sacerdote en el templo y otros quehaceres religiosos.

Finalmente pasó por ahí un Samaritano quien no solo se detuvo a ver que sucedía, sino que trató de ayudar. A lo mejor el hombre no era un Samaritano en realidad, ese nombre se usaba para designar a la gente que no vivía exactamente conforme a las normas establecidas. Hoy llamaríamos a esa persona “un disidente” alguien que acepta tomar riesgos. A Jesús se le llama Samaritano en Juan 8:48, obviamente ellos pensaron que no era un ortodoxo como ellos. La pregunta que Jesús le pone al maestro de la ley es “¿Quién crees tú, fue un prójimo para ese hombre?” ésta es la misma pregunta que El nos hace a tí y a mí. El amor de Dios es tan grande que cualquiera que tenga una necesidad puede tener Su ayuda.

Dios desea que ningún hombre perezca, no importa cual sea su situación en la vida. Estamos llamados a amar a Dios con todo nuestro corazón, alma y fuerzas, amando a nuestro prójimo de la misma manera. Jesús eleva aún más esta norma en Juan 15:12 cuando nos pide que nos amemos unos a otros como El nos ha amado. El Samaritano tenía el amor de Dios en su corazón y lo demostró con sus acciones. Seremos juzgados un día no por nuestra doctrina o credo sino por el amor que hayamos dado a nuestro prójimo, con todo el corazón, fuerza y alma. Este es el modo con que debemos amar a nuestro prójimo y que demuestra al mundo como amamos a Dios en realidad.

 

Aplicación

 

La primera lectura nos dice que primero debe haber arrepentimiento antes de esperar la misericordia. La segunda lectura nos muestra que Cristo es alabado como la imagen del Dios invisible. El Evangelio revela que nosotros seremos juzgados sobre cómo amamos a nuestro prójimo.

Podemos vivir como el Samaritano cuando le damos la preferencia en nuestro corazón al amor de Dios y permitirnos a nosotros mismos amar a todos y cada uno igual que Jesús nos ama a nosotros. Este es un amor que tiene la voluntad de pagar cualquier precio que sea requerido. Permite que sea tu familia la primera que sienta esa clase de amor que viene de ti. Puedes empezar muriendo a tus propias necesidades fijándote más en las necesidades de otros y respondiendo a estas.

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE C

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          open_bible_over_black_and_blue_clouds_with_reflection             THE BREAD OF LIFE

                     CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

           FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE C  

 

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?

 

 

  1. From what you learned, what personal application did you

        choose to apply to your life this week?

 

 

SECOND DAY         READ DEUTERONOMY 30:10-14     FIRST READING

 

     (“If only you heed the voice of the Lord, your God,”)

 

 

  1. Who is speaking and to whom is he speaking? Deuteronomy 29:1

 

           

  1. If you heed the voice of the Lord and keep his statutes and      commandments what will God do?  Deuteronomy 30:9-10

 

 

  1. What is this book called? Deuteronomy 30:10

 

 

  1. In what way must you return to the Lord?

     Deuteronomy 30:10, 6:5

 

 

  1. What does Moses say this command is not? Deuteronomy 30:11

 

 

  1. What two places will you not find it, and what shall you say about it not being there?  Deuteronomy 30:12-13

 

  1. What two places will you find this command? Deuteronomy 30:14

 

 

  1. What are you to do with the Lord’s command? Deuteronomy 30:14

 

 

Personal – In what way has your mouth spoken about the love that you have in your heart for the Lord?  In what way have others in your family, friends, or work acquaintances seen and heard this love in you?  Is the way you see yourself confirmed by the way others see and hear you?

 

 

THIRD DAY           READ COLOSSIANS 1:15-20     SECOND READING

 

       (“Making peace through the blood of the cross.”)

 

 

  1. Who is the first born of all creatures? Colossians 1:15

 

 

  1. In the image of whom did he come? Colossians 1:15

 

 

  1. In whom were heaven and earth created? Colossians 1:16

 

 

  1. What are some of the things that were created for Jesus?      Colossians 1:16

 

          

  1. Apart from him, what came into being? John 1:3

 

 

  1. He is before what, and how does everything continue its being?      Colossians 1:17

 

 

  1. Of what is he the head, and for what reason? Colossians 1:18

 

 

  1. What pleased God? Colossians 1:19

 

 

  1. How are we reconciled to God, and how has peace been made?         Colossians 1:20

 

 

  1. For what reason has he done this? Ephesians 1:14

 

 

Personal – In what way have you personally been at peace with God through Jesus?  Write down when and how this happened.  In what way have you shared this with someone else?

 

 

 

 

FOURTH DAY            READ LUKE 10:25-37               GOSPEL

 

                 (“Then go and do the same.”)

 

 

  1. Who stood up to pose a problem, how did he address him, and  what did he say to him?  Luke 10:25

       

 

  1. When Jesus answered him, he answered with two questions. What       were they?  Luke 10:26

 

 

  1. What was the lawyer’s reply in verse 27 of Luke 10?

 

 

  1. What is the new command that Jesus gave us at his last supper?  John 13:34 and 15:12

 

 

  1. How did Jesus say the lawyer had answered him and from where did he get his answer? Luke 10:28, Deuteronomy 6:5 and

     Leviticus 19:18

 

 

  1. What did Jesus say would happen to him if he followed that        command?  See Luke 10:28, and also Leviticus 18:5 to see what       happens to a man who obeys his command.

 

 

  1. What did he say to Jesus and what was Jesus reply about the  man going from Jerusalem to Jericho?  Luke 10:29-30

 

  1. Who was going down the same road and what did he do, and then who came upon him and what did he do? Luke 10:31-32

    

 

  1. What did the Samaritan do when he saw the man? Luke 10:34

 

 

  1. What did the Samaritan do the next day? Luke 10:35

 

 

  1. What did Jesus ask the lawyer, what was the lawyers answer, and what did Jesus tell him to do? Luke 10:36-37

 

 

Personal – In what way has the Lord given you an opportunity to be compassionate to a family member, a friend, a work acquaintance, a stranger this past week?  How did you respond?

 

 

FIFTH DAY  READ PSALM 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37

 

           (“In your great mercy, turn toward me.”)

 

 

Read and meditate on Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37.

 

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 30:10-14

 

     This passage states that comfort, forgiveness, and restoration is not only possible for the Israelites but is desired by God. The nation of Israel must turn itself around and come back to the Lord.  Only then will God restore his mercy and restore Israel to her rightful place in the land.  Only through the covenant proposed by God to his people can the people regain happiness.

 

     We hear in today’s reading that the keeping of the command (Deut. 30:11-14) is not as far-fetched as many of the shallow minds of the ages suggested.  The author has stressed a powerfully spiritual message. The Law of God is not in some far-off courtroom or in some prestigious university. The Law of God is something very close to the heart of man. If this attitude prevailed toward the Mosaic Law, Jesus would not have had such conflict with the formalism of the lawyer. The Judeo-Christian positive law can be equated simply with God’s way of guiding the aspirations of the human heart toward him.

 

     St. Paul shows us how close God’s law really is in Romans 10:6-10. Paul tells us that we don’t need to search the heavens for Christ to bring him down to help us, and we don’t need to go among the dead to bring Christ back to life again! Salvation is trusting in Christ; it is as near as our own hearts and mouths.  For it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with God and with his mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his salvation.

 

     People have always looked for God through dramatic experiences, hoping for some life-changing encounter.  Some people will travel far and wide to meet some famous spiritual leader, but God’s salvation is right in front of us.  He will come into us wherever we are.  All we need to do is yield and surrender to his gift of salvation.  We need to stop searching and start yielding to his love and mercy.

 

     We hear everyday at our Catholic Mass the proclamation of God’s Word bringing us salvation, healing and restoration.  Let us yield our ears to hear, our hearts to believe, and our tongues to speak and his gift of salvation will spread throughout the land.

 

                       COLOSSIANS 1:15-20

 

     This passage has some of the most powerful theological statements about Christ in the New Testament.  Christ is praised as  the Icon or image of the invisible God.  He manifests God’s presence in his person.  He is called the first born of all creation because everything else was created through his mediation.  He existed before all creation and is preeminent among all creation. Paul shows us the scope of creation.  He begins with heaven and earth, visible and invisible, power and might, thrones and dominions, principalities or power.  This was all created not only for him and through him but, also, in him.  Everything is subject to Christ, and through his creative power, creation itself continues on. 

    

     Paul speaks of Christ as the beginning, the starting point of redemption.  He is the first to experience the resurrection of life and, therefore, is the first-born from among the dead.  By the frequently used word “all,” the cosmic dimension of Christ’s power and glory are emphasized.  The restoration which he brings about is the peace that was accomplished by the shedding of his blood on the cross.

 

     It is stated that Paul had never visited Colossae, evidently the church had been founded by other converts from Paul’s missionary travels.  The church, however, had been infiltrated by religious relativism by some believers who attempted to combine elements of paganism and secular philosophy with Christian doctrine.  Paul attacks the heresy, confronts these false teachings and affirms the sufficiency of Christ.

 

     We can see in today’s passage what happens when the head coach is absent and the team begins to flounder.  Paul defends his teachings about Christ in a strong doctrinal discussion of the person and work of Christ.  Paul was battling against a group of leaders called “Gnostics.”  The Gnostics believed it took special knowledge to be accepted by God, even as they claimed to be Christian.  They believed that Christ alone was not the way of salvation.  Paul’s main argument was: it is not what one knows that makes him a Christian, but who he knows.  To know Christ is to know God.  The same danger exists today, and like Paul, we must accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.  Jesus calls for our heart, mind and soul and we need only surrender to him and say yes.

 

                          LUKE 10:25-37

 

     The lawyer asked Jesus a question that on the surface seemed simple: “What must I do to receive eternal life?”  Jesus, in his role as a Hebrew Teacher or Rabbi, answered him with two questions: “What was written in the Law, and how did he interpret the law?”  At that time, to an orthodox Jew, the definition of neighbor would have meant no one else but a Jew.  Jesus relates to them a story that draws from them a definition of who is neighbor.

 

      Jesus begins by telling the story of a man who was robbed and beaten and left in the roadway to die. The first person to come by the  injured man was a priest, who was probably on his way to the temple to practice his sacred duties.  The priest did not even touch the fallen man because, as scripture has it in Numbers 19:11, a priest would be banned from entering into the sacred temple for seven days after touching a dead person.  His duty to the temple and community came before helping this particular man.  The next person to come by was a Levite who was an assistant to the priests.  The priests made the atonement sacrifice and were in charge of the altars and sacred services.  The Levite, too, was caught up in his duties to his ministry, and his responsibility which was being an assistant to the priest in the temple and other religious duties.

 

     Finally, along came a Samaritan who not only stopped to see what was wrong, but became involved in trying to help.  The man may have not been a Samaritan really, the name itself was used for people who didn’t exactly conform to existing standards.  Today we might call that kind of a person a “maverick”, someone who is willing to take a risk.  Jesus was called a Samaritan in John 8:48, obviously they thought he was not orthodox like them.  The question Jesus puts to the lawyer, “Who do you think was neighbor to the man?” is the same question that is being asked of you and me.  God’s love is so great that anyone who is in need is eligible for his help.

 

     God wishes that no man perishes no matter his station in life.   We are called to love God with all our heart, soul and strength by loving our neighbor the same way.  Jesus even elevates this standard higher in John 15:12 when he calls us to love one another as he has loved us.  The Samaritan had the love of God in his heart and he spoke his love into action with his deeds.  We will be judged one day, not by our doctrine or creeds, but rather by how we loved our neighbor with all our heart, strength and soul.  It is how we love our neighbor that signifies to the world how we really love God.

 

Application

 

     The first reading tells us that repentance must come before mercy can be expected.  The second reading shows that Christ is praised as the image of the invisible God.  The Gospel reveals that we will be judged by how we love our neighbor.

 

     We can love, like the Samaritan, when we yield to God’s love and allow ourselves to love everyone and anyone just as Jesus loves us. This is a love that is willing to pay any price that is required. Let your family be the first to experience this kind of love from you. You can begin by dying to your own needs, become more aware of the needs of others, and respond to those needs.                                            

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE C

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         FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE C  

 

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?

 

 

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

 

 

SECOND DAY           READ ISAIAH 66:10-14       FIRST READING

         

        (The Lord’s power shall be known to his servants.)

 

  1. Who will rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her?       Isaiah 66:10

 

 

  1. What are those to do who were mourning over Jerusalem?      Isaiah 66:10

 

 

  1. What does the milk of Jerusalem bring? Isaiah 66:11

 

 

  1. For what does 1 Peter 2:2 say to be eager, and for what reason?

 

 

  1. What will the Lord spread over Jerusalem and how?      Isaiah 66:12

 

 

  1. As nurslings, how shall you be carried and fondled?      Isaiah 66:12

 

 

  1. Fill in the following blanks: “As a mother __________    her son, so will I you.”  Isaiah 66:13

 

 

  1. Where will you find comfort? Isaiah 66:13

 

 

  1. When this happens, what will your heart and body do?      Isaiah 66:14

 

 

  1. What shall be known to the Lord’s servants and what will be known to his enemies? Isaiah 66:14

 

 

Personal – In what way do you find comfort when feeling depressed?  To whom do you go to?  Write out your thoughts and then meditate on 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

 

 

THIRD DAY           READ GALATIANS 6:14-18     SECOND READING

 

(Paul boasts of nothing but the cross of Jesus Christ.)

 

  1. Who is speaking in Galatians 6:14? Galatians 1:1

 

 

  1. Paul says he must boast of nothing but what?   Galatians 6:14

 

 

  1. Through the cross of Jesus Christ, what does Paul say about the world and about himself?  Galatians 6:14

 

          

  1. What does not matter? Galatians 6:15

 

 

  1. What is all that matters? Galatians 6:15

 

 

  1. In whose image are we created, and of what is this justice and holiness born? Ephesians 4:24

 

  1. What two things are on all who follow this rule of life?          Galatians 6:16

 

 

  1. What does Paul bear in his body? Galatians 6:17

 

 

  1. How does Paul end this letter? Galatians 6:18

 

 

Personal – In what way have you been created anew?  How do others see you dying to yourself and boasting in the cross of Jesus Christ?  What is the rule of life you follow?

 

 

FOURTH DAY         READ LUKE 10:1-12, 17-20            GOSPEL

(I have given you power to tread on all the forces of the enemy.)

 

  1. How many did the Lord appoint, and how, when, and where did he send them?  Luke 10:1

 

 

  1. What did Jesus say about the harvest and the workers, and for what did he say to ask?  Luke 10:2

 

 

  1. How did Jesus say he is sending his laborers?      Luke 10:3

 

 

  1. How did he tell them to travel? Luke 10:4

 

 

  1. When entering a house what did he tell them to say?      Luke 10:5           

 

  

  1. If there is a peaceable man, what will your peace do, and if he is not, what will happen to your peace?  Luke 10:6

 

 

  1. Where were they to stay and what did he say about wages?   Luke 10:7

 

 

  1. Where they were welcomed, what were they to do with the food, the sick, and what were they to say to them? Luke 10:8-9

 

 

  1. What were they to say to people that did not welcome them and where were they to go to say it? 

     Luke 10:10-11

 

 

  1. What will happen to such a town? Luke 10:12

 

 

  1. How did the seventy-two return, and what did they say was subject to them and in whose name?  Luke 10:17

 

 

  1. Who did Jesus say fell from the sky like lightning?      Luke 10:18

 

 

  1. What had he given them and what shall not happen to them? Luke 10:19

 

 

  1. In what should you not so much rejoice, and in what should you rejoice? Luke 10:20

 

 

Personal – In what way have you used this power that God has given you in the name of Jesus to get  rid of the enemy in your family, or with those you meet each day?  Reread verse 19 of Luke 10 and claim the promise given to you.

 

FIFTH DAY          READ PSALM 66:1-7, 16, 20

 

             (Sing praise to the glory of his Name.)

 

Read and meditate on Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20.

 

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

            

                        ISAIAH 66:10-14

     God will not let his work of restoration go unfinished.  In this image of a child nursing at his mother’s breast, God shows that he will accomplish what he promised.

      This promise of eternal peace and mercy is as unstoppable as the birth of a baby.  When all the pain is over, the joy begins.  Jerusalem is being presented as the new City of God.  The new Jerusalem is a place where safety, peace and plenty will be available to all.  All the nations are coming to nurse at the breasts of the “New Jerusalem” and they too, along with the remnant of the old, will find new life in Jesus Christ.

      This is a tremendous verse about how God, in his incredible mercy, has left the door open for those who believe and obey him.  The faithful remnant asked God for two favors:  show them compassion (Isaiah 63:15-19) and punish their enemies (Isaiah 66:6).  God today still keeps that promise.  He will always preserve a faithful remnant of his people no matter how bad the world.  There are always a few who remain loyal to him.  This verse shows us how the goodness of God will be seen by the world and yet many will still go on rejecting him.  The verse closes with a firm warning that his wrath will come upon his enemies (Isaiah 66:14).  The earth, as we know it, will not last forever.  God promised Isaiah that he would create a new and eternal earth (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22).  We don’t really know how it will look or where it will be, but Jesus of Nazareth and his followers will be united to live there forever.

                        GALATIANS 6:14-18

      This passage of Paul to the Galatians boldly declares not only his freedom in  Christ but, also, it declares the freedom of all Christians in Jesus Christ.  In the days of Paul, there were many who wanted to grow in the Christian life but were being distracted by those who insisted that they had to keep certain Jewish laws. 

      Some of the “Judaizers,” (Jews who insisted that you had to be circumcised before you could become a Christian), emphasized circumcision as proof of their holiness, but ignored other Jewish laws.  People often choose a particular principle and make it the measuring rod of faith.  Some despise promiscuity but tolerate prejudice.  God’s word has to be followed in its entirety. 

      Our world is just like Paul’s world, it is full of enticements.  We are being barraged daily with both subtle and overt cultural pressures and propaganda by the media.  We hear Paul saying that he no longer is bothered by them any more because he is dead to the influence of worldly things.

      The only way for us to escape these destructive influences is to ask God to help us die to them just as Paul did.  We need to ask ourselves, how much do the interests of this world matter to us?  We need also to remember that it is very easy to get caught up in the externals.  We need to caution against emphasizing things we should or should not do, with no concern for the inward condition of the heart.  We do not do good things to become good, we do good things because of the goodness that is within us, and that is the Holy Spirit (John 14:16).  Living a good life without inward    change leads to a spiritual walk that is shallow, empty and very frustrating.

      Paul is telling us that it really does not matter what the world thinks about him or his accomplishments.  What does matter to him is the peace that came to him when he died to himself for Jesus Christ.  What matters to God is that we be completely changed from the inside out.  Paul was to the world a prisoner, but in reality he was completely free in Christ.  We have been set free by Jesus Christ.  We do not need to be set back by some form of bondage again.  We are all called to use our freedom to live for Christ and serve him as he desires.

                       LUKE 10:1-12, 17-20

      Only Luke tells of this second mission of the disciples.  More than just the twelve apostles had been following Jesus. He chose a group of about seventy disciples to prepare a number of towns that he would visit.  These disciples were just ordinary men, chosen for a not-so-ordinary assignment.  The disciples were not trained in any special categories, nor did they have any unique qualifications.  What made them different was their awareness of Jesus’ power and their vision to reach all the people through him.  We see that having personally experienced his power was much more important than dedicating their skills to God’s kingdom. Today, we need to focus on what he wants us to do in the world.

      Jesus was sending out teams of two to reach the people.  They were not to try to do the job themselves without help; rather they were to pray to God for more workers.  In doing the work of evangelizing, we may want to jump out and begin working to save others and bring immediate results.  Jesus tells us to first begin by praying for more workers, and before praying for the unsaved people, pray that other concerned people will join you in reaching out to them.

     There is no unemployment in Christian service.  The Lord Jesus has work enough for everyone.  Don’t just sit back and watch, look for ways to reap the harvest.

      Jesus leaves little room for illusion.  He tells the disciples they will be like lambs among wolves.  They would have to be careful, for they will meet all kinds of opposition.  We, too, are sent into the world as lambs among wolves.  So we need to watch out and remember that we need to face our enemies, not with timidity,  but with power, not with aggression, but with love and courage.  

      The disciples were told to accept hospitality graciously because they were entitled to it.  We need to see today that our ministers are supported emotionally and receive plenty of encouragement.  The disciples were disciplined to eat what was put in front of them and to go among the sick and heal in the name of Jesus.  They were to shake off the dust of any town that refused them and move on with the Good News.

     The disciples had seen tremendous results as they ministered in Jesus’ name and came back overjoyed.  Jesus warned them not to get puffed up with their exploits but to remember their most important victory was that their names were registered among the citizens of heaven.  Jesus reminds us, today in our ministry of discipleship, that the victory is being won in Jesus’ name.  The prize is not human glory through feats of evangelistic power, but of heavenly glory through following Jesus to Calvary.

Application

     The first reading shows that God will not let his work of restoration go unfinished.  The second reading tells us that our world, like Paul’s world, is full of enticements.  The Gospel reveals that there is no unemployment in Christian service.

     Let us boast of nothing but the power of the cross of Christ and his Holy Name.  We can be instruments of tremendous deeds in his name.  We need to begin everything we do in prayer to our Heavenly Father through the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Name and go forth and make disciples of all the nations.  Let us begin with the members of our family.  

DECIMOCUARTO DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO

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DECIMOCUARTO DOMINGO DEL TIEMPO ORDINARIO

 

ANTES DE COMENZAR:

 

Ora y pídele 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 homilía o de las lecturas que oíste en misa el domingo?

 

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

 

SEGUNDO DIA                                                           ISAIAS 66:10-14                                     PRIMERA LECTURA

 

(El poder del Señor se dará a conocer a sus servidores.)

 

  1. ¿Quiénes se alegrarán y felicitarán a Jerusalén? Isaías 66:10

 

  1. ¿Qué deberán hacer los que estaban de luto por Jerusalén? Isaías 66:10

 

  1. ¿Cómo estarán los que tomen de la leche de Jerusalén? Isaías 66:11

 

  1. ¿Qué dice 1 Pedro 2:2 sobre aquello de lo que debemor estar ansiosos y por qué?

 

  1. ¿Qué derramará el Señor sobre Jerusalén y de qué manera? Isaías 66:12

 

  1. ¿Cómo niños de pecho, cómo seremos llevados y acariciados? Isaías 66:12

 

  1. Llena los siguientes espacios: “Como un hijo a quien ______________________ su madre, así Yo los ________________________ a ustedes.”  Isaías 66:13

 

  1. ¿Dónde encontrarás consuelo? Isaías 66:13

 

  1. ¿Cuando esto pase, qué le sucederá a tu corazón y a tu cuerpo? Isaías 66:14

 

  1. ¿Qué se dará a conocer a los servidores del Señor y qué a sus enemigos? Isaías 66:14

 

Personal – ¿Cómo encuentras consuelo cuando te sientes deprimido? ¿A quién recurres? Escribe tus pensamientos y luego medita en 1 Corintios 1:3-4.

 

TERCER DIA                                                           GALATAS 6:14-18                                  SEGUNDA LECTURA

 

(Pablo no se enorgullece de nada más

que de la cruz de Jesucristo.)

 

  1. ¿Quién está hablando en Gálatas 6:14 y Gálatas 1:1?

 

  1. ¿Pablo dice que no tiene nada de que enorgullecerse más que de qué? Gálatas 6:14

 

  1. ¿A traves de la cruz de Jesucristo qué dice Pablo acerca del mundo y acerca de sí mismo? Gálatas 6:14

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo que no tiene importancia? Gálatas 6:15

 

  1. ¿Qué es lo único que importa? Gálatas 6:15

 

  1. ¿A la imágen de quien hemos sido creados? ¿De dónde procede esta justicia y santidad? Efesios 4:24

 

  1. ¿Cuáles son las dos cosas que están en los que siguen esta regla de vida? Gálatas 6:16

 

  1. ¿Qué lleva Pablo en su cuerpo? Gálatas 6:17

 

  1. ¿Cómo termina Pablo esta carta? Gálatas 6:18

 

Personal – ¿De qué manera has sido creado de nuevo? ¿Cómo te ven los demás cuando te niegas a tí mismo y te enorgulleces solo en la cruz de Jesucristo? ¿Cuáles son las reglas que sigues en tu vida?

 

CUARTO DIA                                                        LUCAS 10:1-12, 17-20                                                EVANGELIO

 

(“Les he dado el poder de pisotear todas las fuerzas del enemigo.”)

 

  1. ¿A cuántos eligió el Señor y cómo, cuándo y a dónde los mandó? Lucas 10:1

 

  1. ¿Qué dijo Jesús acerca de la cosecha y los obreros? ¿Y por qué debían de rogar? Lucas 10:2

 

  1. ¿Cómo dice Jesús que está mandando a sus obreros? Lucas 10:3

 

  1. ¿Cómo les dijo que debían viajar? Lucas 10:4

 

  1. ¿Cuando entraran a una casa qué les dijo que debían decir? Lucas 10:5

 

  1. ¿Si hay un hombre de paz, qué hará esta paz que ustedes le traen? ¿Y si no lo es, qué pasará con la paz que traen?  Lucas 10:6

 

  1. ¿En dónde iban a quedarse? ¿Qué les dijo acerca del salario? Lucas 10:7

 

  1. ¿Donde fueran bienvenidos qué debían hacer con la comida que les dieran, y con los enfermos? ¿Qué debían de decir?  Lucas 10:8-9

 

  1. ¿Qué debían decir a la gente cuando no fueran bienvenidos? ¿Y dónde debían decirlo? Lucas 10:10-11

 

  1. ¿Qué le sucederá a un pueblo así? Lucas 10:12

 

  1. ¿Cómo regresaron los setenta y dos y a quiénes dijeron que habían sometido y en nombre de quién?          Lucas 10:17

 

  1. ¿A quién dijo Jesús que vió caer del cielo como un rayo? Lucas 10:18

 

  1. ¿Qué les había dado? ¿Qué no les pasaría? Lucas 10:19

 

  1. ¿De qué no debes alegrarte? ¿En qué debes regocijarte? Lucas 10:20

 

Personal – ¿De qué manera has usado este poder que Dios te ha dado en nombre de Jesús para deshacerte del enemigo en tu familia o en aquellos con los que tienes contacto? Vuelve a leer el versículo 19 de Lucas 10 y reclama la promesa que se te ha hecho.

 

QUINTO DIA                                                 LEE EL SALMO 66:1-7, 16, 20

 

(“Canta alabanzas a la gloria de Su Nombre.”)

 

Leé y medita el Salmo 66:1-7, 16, 20.

 

¿Qué te dice personalmente el Señor por medio de este Salmo?

 

¿Cómo puedes aplicar esto a tu vida diaria?

 

 

SEXTO DIA                                                  LEE TODO EL COMENTARIO

 

                                                                                        ISAIAS 66:10-14

 

Dios no dejará su trabajo de restauración incompleto. En esta imagen del niño siendo alimentado por los pechos de su madre, Dios muestra que El cumplirá sus promesas.

Esta promesa de paz eterna y de misericordia es imparable como lo es el nacimiento de un bebé. Cuando se termina el dolor empieza la alegría. Jerusalén es presentada como la nueva ciudad de Dios. La nueva Jerusalén es un lugar donde la seguridad, la paz y la abundancia estarán al alcance de todos. Todas las naciones vendrán a alimentarse con los pechos de la “Nueva Jerusalén” y ellas también junto con los viejos fieles que queden encontrarán nueva vida en Jesucristo. Este es un versículo impactante acerca de como Dios en su increíble misericordia ha dejado la puerta abierta para aquellos que creen y lo obedecen. Los fieles que quedaban pidieron a Dios dos favores: que les diera Su compasión (Isaías 63:15-19) y que castigara a sus enemigos (Isaías 66:6).

Aún hoy en día Dios mantiene esa promesa. Siempre protegerá a los que se mantengan fieles sin importar que tan malo esté el mundo. Siempre hay algunos que se mantienen fieles a El. Este versículo demuestra como la bondad de Dios será vista por el mundo aún cuando haya todavía quien lo rechaze. El versículo termina con un aviso firme acerca de Su ira, que caerá sobre sus enemigos (Isaías 66:14). La tierra como la conocemos no durará por siempre. Dios prometió a Isaías que, crearía una nueva y eterna tierra (65;17, 66:22). Realmente no sabemos como será o en donde estará, pero Jesús de Nazaret y sus seguidores se reunirán para vivir ahí por siempre.

 

GALATAS 6:14-18

 

Este pasaje de Pablo a los Gálatas no solo declara audazmente su libertad en Cristo, sino también la libertad de todos los cristianos en Jerucristo. En los tiempos de Pablo, había mucha gente que quería crecer en su vida cristiana pero se distraían con aquellos que insistian en que debían guardar ciertas leyes Judías.

Algunos de los “Judieros” (Judíos que insistian en que se debía circuncidar antes de volverse Cristiano) enfatizaban que era necesaria la circuncisión como prueba de santidad; y sin embargo ignoraban otras leyes Judías. La gente con frecuencia escoje un principio en lo particular y lo vuelven la medida de la fe. Algunos desprecian la promiscuidad pero toleran los prejuicios.

La palabra de Dios hay que seguirla en su totalidad. Nuestro mundo es igual que el mundo de Pablo, lleno de tentaciones. Diariamente somos bombardeados con presiones culturales sútiles y evidentes y con la propaganda de los medios de comunicación. Oímos a Pablo diciendo que él ya no se preocupa de esas cosas, está muerto a la influencia de las cosas de este mundo. El único modo que tenemos para escapar de esas influencias destructoras es pediéndole a Dios que nos ayude a hacerlo como lo hizo Pablo; o sea que ya no nos dejemos influenciar por ellas. Preguntémonos cuanto nos importan las cosas de este mundo. Recordemos que es muy fácil quedar atrapados en las cosas externas. Necesitamos ser precavidos contra el enfatizar en las cosas que debemos o que no debemos hacer, en vez de preocuparnos de lo verdaderamente importante, la condición interna del corazón. No hacemos cosas buenas para hacernos buenos, hacemos cosas buenas debido a la bondad que está dentro de nosotros, o sea el Espíritu Santo (Juan 14:16). Vivir una vida buena sin cambios internos lleva a un camino espiritual superficial vacio y muy frustrante.

Pablo nos está diciendo que realmente no importa lo que el mundo piense de él o sus hazañas. Lo que si le importó fue la paz que lo envolvió cuando murió a sí mismo por Jesucristo. Lo que le importa a Dios es que cambiemos totalmente de adentro hacía afuera. Pablo era para el mundo un prisionero pero en realidad era totalmente libre en Cristo. Hemos sido liberados por Jesucristo. No necesitamos retroceder con alguna clase de esclavitud. Estamos llamados a hacer uso de nuestra libertad para vivir por Cristo y servirle como El lo desea.

 

LUCAS 10:1-12, 17-20

 

Solo Lucas nos habla de la segunda mision de los discípulos. Más de los doce ya conocidos estaban siguiendo a Jesús. El escogió a un grupo de unos setenta discípulos para que prepararan a los pueblos que El visitaría. Estos discípulos eran hombres ordinarios, escogidos para un quehacer no muy ordinario. Los discípulos no estaban entrenados de algún modo especial ni tenían cualidades únicas. Lo que los hacía diferentes era el que se daban cuenta del poder de Jesús y el saber como acercarse a toda la gente a traves de El. Vemos que haber experimentado personalmente Su poder fue mucho más importante que dedicar sus habilidades al reino de Dios. Hoy en día tenemos que centrarnos en lo que El quiere que hagamos en el mundo.

Jesús estaba mandando equipos de dos personas para acercarse a la gente. Estos no estaban tratando de hacer el trabajo por sí mismos sin ayuda; al contrario, rezaban a Dios para que hubiera más obreros. Al hacer el trabajo de evangelización a lo mejor queremos saltar y empezar a trabajar salvando a algunos y ver resultados inmediatos. Jesús nos dice que primero empecemos rezando para tener más obreros y antes de orar por los que no tienen todavía la salvación, orar para que otras personas sientan la preocupación y se unan a tí para acercarse a aquellos que se necesita alcanzar.

No hay desempleo en el servicio cristiano. Nuestro Señor Jesús ha trabajado lo suficiente por cada uno. No te sientes comodamente a mirar, busca el modo de recoger la cosecha. Jesús deja poco lugar a las ilusiones. El les dice que serán tratados como corderos entre lobos. Deben ser cuidadosos pues encontrarán toda clase de oposición. Nosotros también somos mandados al mundo como corderos entre lobos. Así es que necesitamos estar alertas y recordar que debemos enfrentar a nuestros enemigos con el poder, no con timidez, pero con poder sin agredir pero con amor y valentia.

A los discípulos se les dijo que aceptaran la hospitalidad que se les brindara pues la merecían. Nosotros tenemos que estar seguros de que nuestros ministros sean apoyados emocionalmente y que reciban suficiente estímulo.

A los discípulos se les dijo que debían comer lo que les pusieran enfrente y que fueran sanando a los enfermos en el nombre de Jesús. Debían sacudirse el polvo de las sandalias en aquellos pueblos que los rechazaran e irse a otro lado con las Buenas Nuevas.

Los discípulos vieron resultados enormes al ir predicando en el nombre de Jesús y regresaron llenos de júbilo. Jesús les advirtió que no se envanecieran con sus hazañas sino que recordaran que su victoria más importante era que sus nombres serían escritos entre los de los ciudadanos del cielo. Jesús nos recuerda, hoy en día en nuestro ministerio de ser sus discípulos, que la victoria ha sido ganada en el nombre de Jesús. El premio no es la gloria humana lograda en hazañas de poder evangélico, sino es la gloria celestial a traves del seguir a Jesús al calvario.

 

 

 

 

Aplicación

 

La primera lectura nos muestra que Dios no permitirá que su trabajo de restauración quede sin terminar. La segunda lectura nos dice que nuestro mundo como el de Pablo está lleno de tentaciones. El Evangelio revela que no hay desempleo en el servicio Cristiano.

No hagamos alarde de nada que no sea el poder de la cruz de Cristo y Su Santo Nombre. Podemos ser instrumentos de hechos grandiosos en Su Nombre. Necesitamos empezar todo lo que hagamos, haciendo oración a Nuestro Padre Celestial a traves del poder del Espíritu Santo en el Nombre de Jesús e ir y hacer discípulos de todas las Naciones.  Empezemos con los miembros de nuestra familia.

St. Dismas Guild June 2016

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NEWSLETTER

                                                        St. Dismas Guild       June 2016
                          “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

We would like to wish all the men out there a Blessed and Happy Father’s Day. Our Father is waiting for many of you to come home. He is waiting with open arms and wishes none to perish. Make the decision today to return to your Father’s house. Jesus had a close relationship with His Father. They talked all the time.

TESTIMONY

Dear St. Dismas Guild,  Hi! My name is DC and I just changed my travel card to “Roman Catholic.” I’d like to give a little testimony and request of you three items, please. I’m told that you may be able to help me obtain a Catholic bible study so I can learn more and a Catholic study bible too. Also, please send me the newsletter. I’m not a highly educated person as far as big or fancy words, so send me a Catholic study bible that is easy to understand. Thank you.

My testimony: The Lord Jesus Christ has brought me a long way since last year…”the night I asked Him into my heart.” I got saved that night and was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit the next day. He has been taking me from glory to glory ever since I turned my life over to Him. He spoke to me as I was slain (resting) in the Spirit. I was laughing and crying (tears of joy) at the same time for about 15 minutes. My legs were so shaky I couldn’t stand up for about 20 minutes and people in the service had to help me walk. I said, “God, I feel you. Let me hear you.” He said, “I love you.” I was so blown away that I said, “I heard you, let me hear you again.”  He said one word; a name; “John.” I began studying and seeking Him and trying to find my place in the Lord. He spoke to my heart to write three confessions.

I wrote the first confession in detail and sent the 24 pages home and told my family to pray and see what God told them to do. A week or so later I prayed, “Lord, is it time to write the second confession?” That night I saw in my dream, “1 John” in bold lettering. I read the first chapter and was convicted at verse 9 (if we confess our sins He is just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us). I wrote the second confession and did the same with it as with the first one.

Then a few weeks later I wrote the third confession and gave it to a guard here on this unit because I committed the crime in TDCJ custody. I spent one week in solitary confinement as they did their investigation and then was released into population. “No TDCJ case was written against me and no free world charge either.”  “GOD is great, AMEN!” The Lord has promised me many things for my obedience and I continue to be obedient. The Lord spoke to me one evening and said, “Genesis 12:1-3.” (The Promise to Abram). The Lord has held His end and made me an inspiration all over this unit. People I’ve never met before are inspired to speak the truth and follow God because they see what He has done for me and what He continues to do for me due to my obedience. I don’t have a high level of education; just average, but even a child knows how to speak the truth. I give “all” thanks, honor and glory to God for all He has done in the Holy and Precious name of Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen. Inspired by: the Holy Spirit, written by: DC; Love always, your brother in Christ Jesus, DC

 

This testimony was accompanied by a beautifully-colored painting by DC of John 15:11, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”  It is a picture of a heart shape with wings and a beautiful flower growing out of the heart.  JOY is written on the heart.  It’s very beautiful and colorful.

 

DC, thank you so much for sharing a powerful testimony of confession and truth. The truth really does set you free. You may have to pay the consequences of your sins but the great thing about telling the truth is your heart and mind eventually find the peace that surpasses all understanding, Jesus’ great gift to us. Your right, even a child knows how to tell the truth. The truth is found in Jesus and the truth is He calls each and every one of us by name. The world draws you away from the truth and that is quite evident in this upcoming election. James 4:4 says, O you unfaithful ones, are you not aware that love of the world is enmity to God? A man is marked out as God’s enemy if he chooses to be the world’s friend.” Jesus calls us His friends, since He has made known to us all that He heard from the Father (John 15:15)

DOING TIME WITH JESUS

 

Dear St. Dismas Guild, I’m on the way to be confirmed. I’ve studied the catechism and am praying and reading the Word, but being attacked on all sides for my faith in the Catholic Church. It’s a bit overwhelming and, at times, I wish I could just be alone to study and talk to God. There are so few of us here and we only have Mass twice a month. Every time we have Mass I feel the Holy Spirit move on me. I feel the presence of the Lord during the Holy Eucharist even though I can not partake yet, I feel it. I try to invite as many fellows as I can but so many try to fight our faith that it feels like a warzone. I’m an 8-1/2 year veteran in the Army and deployed many times, but this is unlike any warfare I’ve ever been in. Please pray for strength, courage and most of all, Mercy and Unity of All Christians. Thank you and God Bless you!.   KH

 

You know KH, sometimes I, too, feel like just being alone to study and talk to God. We need those times to get through this life. Jesus spent much time going off to be alone with our Father. We are not fighting human forces but the principalities and powers, the rulers of this world of darkness, the evil spirits in regions above. (Ephesians 6:12) Satan works through those who are disobedient to God’s Word. If you want strength go to Philippians 4:13 which says, “In Him who is the source of my strength I have strength for everything.” Thank you for sharing               

** * *  * * * *

Dear St. Dismas Guild,            Peace be unto you. First and foremost, I’d like to thank you for sending me the cycle C bible study and the bible. I was wondering when cycle A and B come out will you send those to me, please and thank you. Second, I would like to be paired with a mentor.  I grew up Catholic, first communion, and confession, but sadly never confirmed.

As I got older I fell off the faith and developed the lifestyle of “sex, drugs, and rock n roll!” While I bounced from job to job I struggled with addiction. Then I decided to get clean and go to college. Since I was in and out of jail so much I got a GED and HSED. While working on my way to FL for college I relapsed after being clean for about a year. I got into a fight and killed a man, and got 35 years at 100%. Since then I came back to God. I had my brother with me that dark night. Now I want to get a psychology, sociology, ministry or another degree so I can help troubled teens when I get out. I want to help them so they don’t have to go through the things I did. Thank you for sharing my story and hope it can help someone.  Sincerely.  JJ

 

JJ, God has put that desire in you to want to help others so they don’t have to go through what you have gone through. Remember this JJ, “The God of all grace, who called you to His everlasting glory in Christ will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish those who have suffered a little while.” (1 Peter 5:10). You need to be on guard every minute of the day from falling back. Keep your eyes on Jesus and He will hold you up when you feel the urge to fall back. Remember drugs only cover up the need to be accepted and loved and you can be an over comer by keeping your eyes on Jesus, obeying His Word and following the lead of the Holy Spirit who you received at baptism.

+++++++++

Dear St. Dismas Guild, I recently was given your newsletter and was told I could receive a catechism. Upon reading further I also learned that I might receive a bible study as well. I really appreciate what you are doing for the incarcerated Catholics. I am 38 and a recent widower and this is my first and last trip to the “joint.” I won’t bore you with my story but I do ask that you might join me in praying for all the suffering addicts as well as their families who suffer along with them daily whether they know it or not. I found my way back to Jesus and I have reconciled with God, church and family. I plan to continue on this path for good. Again I want to say thank you for all you do and have done for us inmates. Love, peace and mercy to all my fellow “Slaves of Jesus Christ” as Saint Paul would say.  Sincerely, IH

 

IH, We are so sorry to hear about the loss of your wife. Yes, we pray for addicts and those in prison every day. It is the healing power of God’s Word that will take away any desire for drugs. Drugs are a cover up to the greatest need of every human being, to love and to be loved. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life (John 3:16). Do you really believe Jesus took on Himself sins of drug addiction, sexual promiscuity, foul language, hate, rage, revenge, into His innocent body to set you free? He did, When we take our eyes off Jesus and look at the storms going on around us then we sink as Peter did in the boat (Matthew 14:30). Stay close to Jesus, immerse yourself in the Gospels and learn how Jesus talked, walked, healed and delivered and you will never fall back again. Jesus said to all: “Whoever wishes to be my follower must deny His very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in my steps.”

FAMILY MINISTRY

During the month of June we celebrate Father’s Day.  I thank God for the family that I grew up in, especially my hard working dad, who worked two jobs to put us all through Catholic school. Through my faith journey, I learned that I had another father; God in heaven was my father.  “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.  Yet so we are.” (1 John 3:1)

Whether or not you had a loving, faithful father, we can all turn to God our father in heaven who loves us simply because we are His children. He is our loving, faithful Father!

 

Having a family of my own now, I admire my husband and my dad even more, as dads have an incredible responsibility.  They need to be a good husband, loving father and spiritual leader just to name a few.  This month, I ask St. Joseph for his intercession for all fathers and families.  As Mary is our role model for mothers, St. Joseph is our role model for fathers.  St. Joseph teaches us that being a father is more than biological, as he was not the biological father of Jesus.  Raising Jesus in a Jewish household, St. Joseph was the spiritual leader and teacher of the faith.

Pope Francis called St. Joseph, the guardian of Jesus and guardian of the Holy Family.  “May his presence make us stronger and more courageous in making space for God in our lives to always defeat evil with good. We ask Him to protect us, take care of us, so that a life of grace grows stronger in each of us every day.” (Pope Francis about St. Joseph, July 2013)

PRO-LIFE MINISTRY

Men and Abortion – Men Hurt Too

We know that women regret and suffer greatly from their past abortions. But now evidence shows that men who have participated in abortion are also dealing with a lot of pain and suffering afterwards as well.

Men achieve success in five key areas of their lives: the ability to procreate, provide, protect, perform and [enjoy] pleasure. If these areas of their lives are not fulfilled, due to abortion, there will be many devastating effects.

SYMPTOMS

– anger and frustration

– drug and alcohol

– workaholic or excessive risk takers

– unemployment

– difficulty with relationships

– sexual dysfunction, pornography, masturbation

– sleeplessness, panic attacks, poor coping skills,  flashbacks, nightmares, self-imposed isolation or  suicidal tendencies

 

DEALING WITH SYMPTOMS

– It’s okay to Grieve and Cry

– find Counseling

– go to Confession

– consults with a Deacon or Priest

– find a Support Group

– Pray and start a Bible Study

 

Almost every woman who has found healing from her past abortion has discovered or rediscovered her faith, turned to God and the church.

We are praying for you if you are in this situation. If you have true contrition and seek forgiveness from God, amend your life and go and sin no more, you will find healing.

 

“Nevertheless, I will bring health and Healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant Peace and Truth.” Jeremiah 33:6

 

Turn to your Father in heaven He is always waiting for you.

Millions of men have felt these experiences too. If you need help dealing with this loss then contact: Life Issues Institute, 1821 W. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45239

 

http://www.priestsforlife.org/postabortion/fathersandabortion.htm

 

In Jesus’ love,

St. Dismas Staff

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – C

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THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

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

Luke 9:51-62 – When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, He resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and He sent messengers ahead of Him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for His reception there, but they would not welcome Him because the destination of His journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to Him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to rest His head.”

And to another He said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But He answered him, Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

 

  1. What is the Lord personally saying to you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. What does the Lord personally want you to do?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share your reflection with someone.

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE C

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                                THIRTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE C  

 

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?

 

 

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

 

 

SECOND DAY         READ 1 KINGS 19:16, 19-21     FIRST READING

 

    (Elisha gave up all that he had to follow the Lord’s call.)

 

  1. In 1 Kings 19:16, 19-21 who is speaking and to whom is he  speaking? 1 Kings 19:12-15

 

 

  1. Who was Elijah to name king of Israel? 1 Kings 19:16

 

 

  1. What was Elijah called and who was to succeed him?     1 Kings 19:16           

 

 

  1. Which of the following show how this was to be done?
  2. appoint
  3. assign
  4. anoint

 

 

Personal – What does to anoint mean to you personally?

 

 

  1. As Elijah set out, who did he come upon and what was he doing?    1 Kings 19:19

 

 

  1. What did Elijah do to him? 1 Kings 19:19

 

 

  1. What did Elisha do with the oxen, who did he run after and what did he say to him?  1 Kings 19:20

 

  

  1. What did Elijah say to him? 1 Kings 19:20

 

 

  1. When Elisha left him, what did he do to the yoke of oxen and  the plowing equipment?  1 Kings 19:21

 

 

  1. What did he do with the flesh? 1 Kings 19:21

 

 

  1. After he did all this what did he do and how did he follow   Elijah? 1 Kings 19:21

 

 

Personal – To what extent have you been called to give up some earthly possessions to follow the Lord’s call?

 

 

THIRD DAY          READ GALATIANS 5:1, 13-18     SECOND READING

 

              (We are called to live in freedom.)

 

  1. Who is writing this epistle? Galatians 1:1

 

 

  1. Why did Christ free us? Galatians 5:1

 

 

  1. How must you stand and what must you not do? Galatians 5:1

 

 

  1. How were you freed the first time? Revelations 1:5

 

 

  1. How have we been called to live and to what does this not give full reign?  Galatians 5:13

 

 

  1. How are we to place ourselves at one another’s service? Galatians 5:13 

 

 

  1. How has the law found its fulfillment? Galatians 5:14

 

 

  1. What will happen to you if you go on biting and tearing at   one another?  Galatians 5:15

 

             

  1. How should you live and what will not happen to you?      Galatians 5:16

 

 

  1. What does the flesh and the spirit do to one another and why do you not do what your will intends?  Gal. 5:17

 

 

  1. If you are guided by the spirit, what are you not under?      Galatians 5:18

 

 

Personal – In what way are you living in accordance with the Spirit, in your home, work, or at play?  In what way are you yielding to the cravings of the flesh?  How can you take this situation and live according to the spirit?

 

 

FOURTH DAY             READ LUKE 9:51-62                GOSPEL

 

        (“Come away and proclaim the kingdom of God.”)

 

  1. As the time approached for Jesus to be taken from this world,  where did he resolve to go and who did he send ahead of him?  Luke 9:51

 

 

  1. What kind of town did those he sent ahead come to and why    were they there?  Luke 9:52

 

 

Personal – In what way have you prepared the way for the Lord’s coming for yourself and for your family?

 

 

  1. What was the Samaritan’s reaction to his coming and what was       the reason they acted this way?  Luke 9:53

 

        

  1. What did Jesus’ disciples, James and John, say when they saw the Samaritans would not welcome him? Luke 9:54

 

   

  1. How did Jesus respond to this and where did he turn?      Luke 9:55

 

 

  1. Where did they go? Luke 9:56

 

 

 

Personal – When you find opposition in walking with the Lord, what is your reaction especially in your family?  Do you continue walking with him or do you persist on getting through to them?

 

 

  1. As they were making their way along, what did someone say to       Jesus?  Luke 9:57

 

 

  1. What did Jesus say to him? Luke 9:58

 

 

  1. What did he say to another? Luke 9:59

 

 

  1. What did Jesus say to him? Luke 9:60

 

 

  1. Why did Jesus want him to come with him? Luke 9:60

 

 

  1. What was the stipulation another gave him before he could be his follower?  Luke 9:61

 

 

  1. What did Jesus say about a person who keeps looking back? Luke 9:62

 

Personal – What blockages or excuses have you had for not following Jesus?  He is saying to you “Come after me.”  In what way have you been going before him instead of after him as a follower?

 

 

FIFTH DAY         READ PSALM 16:1-2, 5, 7-11

 

              (“You will show me the path of life”)

 

Read and meditate on Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11.

 

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

 

                          1 KINGS 19:16, 19-21

     One of the most important aspects of this passage, from the Old Testament, deals with the price of discipleship.  To follow the call of God means that we surrender our will to God so that we may fulfill the divine will.  We “tie” ourselves to the holy will of God.  This demands sacrifice, an important characteristic of religion.

     Sacrifice means “to make holy.”  Religion means to bind oneself to almighty God and to promote the kingdom of God in this life.

      We share in the mysteries of Christ; we all have the vocation to live out the mysteries of Christ.  And in the Old Testament we see the first manifestations of this truth since all mankind is founded on the mystery of the Incarnation (Colossians 1:15-20; Ephesians 1:4-14). 

      All of the above may be applied to the Jewish prophet, Elisha.  Elisha paid the price of discipleship.  Indeed, he gave up his worldly possessions to follow God’s call, made manifest through Elijah.  He was to succeed Elijah to the office of prophecy.

      The Old Testament tells us that repeatedly the Jewish nation had fallen into spiritual adultery by following the gods of pagan nations.  The Book of Hosea is replete with this sad phenomenon.  To recall the Jews to the worship of the true God, God raised up men totally dedicated to this task of restoration.

      This was no easy task; paganism offered an “easy” religion, a religion that made few demands on fallen human nature where the gods were made in the image of man and not man to the image of the true God.

      The prophets, as we see in the case of Elisha, his predecessor, Elijah, Jeremiah and the other prophets, faced their gigantic task with fortitude – one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.  They were men of God, worthy of imitation.

                        GALATIANS 5:1, 13-18

      Above, I mentioned that we should be “tied” and here we have Paul speaking of liberty.  Nonetheless, there is no contradiction.  To “tie” ourselves, is to bind ourselves, as the word religion suggests (from the Latin religare, to bind) therefore we are bound to the infinite God; there is no constraint whatsoever.

     On the other hand, sin can become slavery; temptations are constant demands for self-satisfaction; fallen human nature has the tendency to seek not the kingdom of God but rather the kingdom of instant gratification.  To master ourselves calls for the grace of God; to master ourselves is to possess the liberty of Christ as Paul puts it so well:  “It was for liberty that Christ freed us.  Do not take on yourselves the yoke of slavery a second time!”

      In the spirit of true liberty, we are able to give of ourselves to God who is not only within us but within our neighbor as well.  In that same liberty, we give ourselves to the service of our neighbor, to the sick neighbor, to the sick in spirit, and to see in all of these the Christ Jesus. (Matthew 25:31-46)

      When all this comes about, know that the kingdom of God is near at hand, despite appearances.

                          LUKE 9:51-62

      Today’s gospel passage deals with the last stages of Christ’s public ministry: “As the time approached when Jesus was to be taken from this world.”

      Jesus and his disciples were to return to Jerusalem by way of Samaria.  At that time bad feelings existed between the Jews and the Samaritans.  The Samaritans were a mixed race, descendants of Israelitic-Assyrian colonists, and much hated by the Jews at the time of Christ. For a Jew to go through Samaritan territory was rather a risky thing just as it was risky for a Samaritan to go through Jewish territory.

      With this background, we can understand the Samaritan’s reluctance to allow Jesus and his followers to pass through their territory.  Unlike James and John, Jesus accepted the situation.  These two disciples were all for the destruction of the Samaritans: “Lord, would you not have us call down fire from heaven and destroy them?”  But this was not the doctrine of Christ. Instead, Jesus had taught:  “…love your enemies…If you love those who love you, what merit is there in that?”  (Matthew 5:44-46).  A true disciple “…must be made perfect as (our) heavenly Father is perfect.”  (Matthew 5:48)

      We come now to the subject of vocations.  To follow Christ was never an easy task, and it will always be so.  Christ made that clear in today’s Gospel. “The foxes have lairs, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

      A second example is given:  “To another he said, “Come after me.”  The man replied, “Let me bury my father first.” Jesus’ answer seems strange.  “Let the dead bury their dead.”  Obviously, Christ did not mean that the dead can perform burials.  As commentators (e.g., Stuhlmueller in The Jerusalem Commentary, p.143,#97) point out:  “A play on words:  Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead, mine is a message of life.”  Jesus did not intend to be taken literally, but rather he wanted to stir thought.

      Today’s gospel gives us a third example concerning the vocation to follow him.  Vocation entails a “totality.”  By this I mean that once we set out to follow Christ we do so wholeheartedly, no half-way measures.  We cannot chase after other pursuits; we should not be distracted so as other pursuits gradually become more and more important at the  expense  of  the vocation to follow Christ.  In brief, an avocation should never become a vocation; a vocation should never become an avocation. 

      In following Christ, it is of the greatest importance to pay heed to his words: “Whoever puts his hand to the plow but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God.”  This is a very real admonition. Throughout the course  of  Church  history, “looking back”  has sometimes led to disastrous consequences, especially among priests and religious. Witness the spectacle of the worldly priest, the worldly religious and the worldly Christian.  Surely, if there were a better way to follow Christ; to help bring about the kingdom of God more effectively, the merciful Christ would have pointed out the way.  So we believe that doing the will of God, and not our will, is the only true criterion for putting today’s readings into practice.

Application

      The first reading shows us that the cost of discipleship is very high. The second reading teaches that mastering ourselves is to possess the liberty of Christ, and the Gospel explains that a true disciple must be made perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.

     This week, let the power of the Holy Spirit come upon you and root out the bigotry that is within you. Examine your speech, thoughts and actions and see if these areas need to be improved. Following Jesus calls for obedience, and obedience is the core of being a disciple. To really be free is to be obedient to the law of Christ, and that is to love one another as he has loved us, without regard for race, creed or color.