Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 378
Reading 1
Amos 3:1-8; 4:11-12
Hear this word, O children of Israel, that the Lord pronounces over you,
over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:
You alone have I favored,
more than all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you
for all your crimes.Do two walk together
unless they have agreed?
Does a lion roar in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from its den
unless it has seized something?
Is a bird brought to earth by a snare
when there is no lure for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground
without catching anything?
If the trumpet sounds in a city,
will the people not be frightened?
If evil befalls a city,
has not the Lord caused it?
Indeed, the Lord God does nothing
without revealing his plan
to his servants, the prophets.The lion roars--
who will not be afraid!
The Lord God speaks--
who will not prophesy!
I brought upon you such upheaval
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah:
you were like a brand plucked from the fire;
Yet you returned not to me,
says the Lord.
So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel!
and since I will deal thus with you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 5:4B-6A, 6B-7, 8
R. (9a) Lead me in your justice, Lord.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
You hate all evildoers;
you destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the Lord abhors.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
But I, because of your abundant mercy,
will enter your house;
I will worship at your holy temple
in fear of you, O Lord.
R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.
Alleluia
Psalm 130:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I trust in the Lord;
my soul trusts in his word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 8:23-27
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Save Us Lord!
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. Matthew 8:23–24
This experience had quite an impression upon the disciples, which is evidenced by the fact that it is recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels. We also see this in the concluding words of the story after Jesus calmed the storm: “The men were amazed and said, ‘What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?’”
Traditionally, this story has been interpreted as both an image of the Church as a whole, as well as the individual soul. The boat is an image of the Church through which we Christians navigate the perils of this life. We must remain in the Church to survive. Each person within the boat represents each one of us who is a member of the Church. The violent storm is an image of the many personal struggles we endure in life, as well as the persecutions that the Church has endured and will continue to endure until the end of time.
As the storm took hold of the boat, Jesus was asleep. But He was asleep for a reason. As we look at human history, especially the history of the Church, we find many times when God has seemed absent or “asleep” when turmoil, persecution, and hardship have arisen. Many people, if not all, have had the same experience at one time or another in life. As the disciples experience this storm, they offer us an ideal way to pray when we are tempted to despair in life. They wake Jesus and say, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And though Jesus rebukes them for their lack of faith and their fear, He also responds to their pleas and calms the storm.
What should the disciples have done in this case? Should they have trusted and allowed Jesus to remain asleep? Though our Lord did rebuke them for lacking faith, this story is primarily a revelation about God’s mercy when we are tempted to fear. God knows that at times we will all feel overwhelmed and find ourselves tempted in this way. He knows our faith is not perfect, and so He allowed His disciples to set this example for us. Thus, whenever we do find ourselves overwhelmed and fearful in life, we should cry out to Him to save us. He wants us to turn to Him.
Reflect, today, upon this prayer of the disciples. If you find that you are facing some personal crisis, or a larger family difficulty that remains unresolved, or are increasingly aware of other struggles afflicting the Church or society as a whole, then try to imitate this prayer of the disciples: “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” Though these words, at first, may seem to be words of despair, they are actually words of hope and trust. They point us to Him Who is the only source of the peace we seek in our souls, families, the Church and our world. Look for the many ways that you and others experience the feeling of “perishing,” and cry out with all your heart to our Lord to save you and all who are in need.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
ARE YOU READY TO DIE NOW?
“Prepare to meet your God.” —Amos 4:12
The Lord says to all of us: “Put your house in order, for you are about to die” (Is 38:1). Whether your death is tomorrow or twenty years from now, it’s not that far away, and you have no idea when you will die or when Jesus will return and the world end. Therefore, you must have your house in order now. By God’s grace, you must always be prepared to meet God. If you’re not ready to die now, there is no reason to believe that you will be ready later.
Thomas á Kempis, in The Imitation of Christ, taught: “Every action of yours, every thought, should be those of one who expects to die before the day is out. Death would have no great terrors for you if you had a quiet conscience...Then why not keep clear of sin instead of running away from death? If you aren’t fit to face death today, it’s very unlikely you will be tomorrow...” (quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1014).
Therefore, “delay not to forsake sins, neglect it not till you are in distress” (Sir 18:21). “Delay not your conversion to the Lord, put it not off from day to day; for suddenly His wrath flames forth” (Sir 5:8-9). “Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor 6:2) “Prepare to meet your God” (Am 4:12).
Prayer: “Lord, save us! We are lost!” (Mt 8:25)
Promise: “ ‘What sort of Man is this,’ they said, ‘that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’ ” —Mt 8:27
Praise: Jesus healed Elizabeth of breast cancer.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Lluc TORCAL Monk of Santa Maria de Poblet
(Santa Maria de Poblet, Tarragona, Spain)
“Then he stood up and ordered the wind and sea; and it became completely calm”
Today, the liturgy offers us one of the most shocking fragments of our Lord's public life. The scene shows a great vivacity that contrasts radically with the disciples' attitude and Jesus' behavior. We can imagine how frightened they must have been on the boat when “suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves” (Mt 8:24), though their distress was not enough to awake Jesus, who was sleeping. It was up to the disciples in despair to wake up the Master! “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” they cried (Mt 8:25).
The evangelist, taking advantage of these dramatic events, reveals to us the true essence of Jesus. The storm was still raging and the disciples full of fear and confusion, when Jesus, simply and calmly, “rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm” (Mt 8:26). Jesus' Word brought the calm over the waters; but this calm was not meant to affect only the turbulent winds and waters of the lake: Jesus' Word, above all, was addressed to appease his disciples' fearful hearts. “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” (Mt 8:26).
And from embarrassment and fear the disciples shifted to admiration and astonishment, for they had witnessed this prodigy, unheard of until then. The surprise, the admiration, the wonder of such a drastic change in a situation they were living awakened in them a central question: “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?” (Mt 8:27). Who can assuage storms on earth and skies and, at the same time, those in men's hearts? Only He, who «sleeping as a man in a boat, can command the wind and the sea as God» (Nicetas of Remesiana).
Whenever we may be afraid the earth is collapsing under our feet, let us not forget that our Savior is God himself made man, and that He is always close to us.
Prayers
Most powerful Lord, I am amazed at Your divine power and ability to perfectly calm the storms that afflict Your people. Please fill me with hope and humility so that I will never hesitate to turn to You in my need and to also cry out to You for Your continuous intervention in the lives of others. Awake, oh Lord, and save Your people, for we will truly perish without You! Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, increase my faith in your redeeming love and power that I may always recognize your abiding presence with me. Give me courage and strength to face every difficulty, trial, and temptation with trust in your saving help and guiding presence.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 183: Attentiveness to the Value of Suffering
When we suffer, we look for a way out. We seek relief. But from Heaven, we will be able to look back and see the immense power of freely chosen and embraced suffering. It’s not that suffering is good in and of itself; rather, it’s that suffering has been redeemed and endowed with a spiritual power by God as a result of the sufferings of Christ. Therefore, if you trust in the Lord, let Him reveal to you, here and now, the great value of your suffering freely embraced. By embracing every hardship that comes your way, you will be making an offering to God that can only be understood by grace. This will not make sense to the world, but it will become a powerful weapon of Mercy through which the Lord will do great things to you and through you, He will flood the world with His grace. Do not wait until Heaven to become aware of this sacred gift of the redemption of your inner suffering offered in confident prayer to God (See Diary #963).
Are you aware of the power of your suffering when you freely unite it to the sufferings of Christ? Does this make sense to you? This realization is only possible by grace and is only embraced by that same grace. Reflect, today, upon what you do suffer interiorly and do not shy away from it. Face it, embrace it and love it. For in that holy embrace, God will work wondrously in and through your life.
Lord, make me attentive to the value of all I suffer in my soul. Help me to see this as a gift of Your Divine Mercy. I recognize the fact that I do not recognize the power in this holy gift. Give me Your eyes to see my suffering as You see it, and Your Will to embrace it with a holy embrace. I make this offering to You, this day, dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.
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