Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 388
Reading 1
Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings:
with two they veiled their faces,
with two they veiled their feet,
and with two they hovered aloft.
They cried one to the other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.
Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5
R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Alleluia
1 Peter 4:14
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of God rests upon you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 10:24-33
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
“Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Whispers of God
“What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” Matthew 10:27
What is it that our Lord speaks to you in the “darkness” and what is it that you “hear whispered” by Him? This is an important question to consider, since whatever it is that is spoken that way must be spoken “in the light” and proclaimed “on the housetops.”
Recall that when people first came to Jesus, curious about Him, He would often speak in a veiled way, in figures of speech and in parables. This method of teaching is the first step in Jesus’ ongoing deepening revelation to us. His parables and various figures of speech are meant to draw the listener in so that they are attentive to the deeper message.
Recall, also, that Jesus said to His disciples, “I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father” (John 16:25). In which way does our Lord speak to you?
As we grow in faith, and become more and more familiar with our Lord, He will begin to “lift the veil,” so to speak, and will begin to whisper His deepest truths to us within the depths of our souls. He will communicate to us in ways that go far beyond the veiled message of His parables and figures of speech and will communicate His very self to us, in ways that are beyond words.
The Gospel passage above, when taken by itself, seems to clearly indicate that there is much God wants to say to us in a clear way. But He wants to speak it to us in the “darkness” of our interior life and with gentle whispers that can only be heard when we give Him our full attention. Saint John of the Cross, for example, speaks much of the “darkness of faith” by which the deepest communications from our Lord are received. These communications are beyond words, concepts and images and can only be communicated in a direct and spiritual way through infused prayer. Infused prayer is not something you can accomplish on your own; it is a gift by which God continually draws you deeper, you respond and are called even deeper, and you continue to respond.
The Gospel passage above also clearly indicates that God wants us to share this most pure faith with others. To share it in the light and to proclaim it on the housetops. This is first done by the witness of our lives, by allowing the transforming grace of God to shine forth through us in ways that He can only do. It is also done by being attentive to those moments when God wants to use you to share His deeper and often veiled truths with others. God must first speak them to you, and then at the promptings of His grace, He will, at times, use you to share Him with others.
Reflect, today, upon this twofold action commanded by our Lord. First listen to Him. Listen to Him in the “darkness of faith.” Let Him draw you into the deepest and most certain convictions about His love and mercy and His very Self. Then, as you savor these hidden and holy communications from our Lord, look for ways by which He wants to speak to others through you. You do not have to initiate this proclamation, you only need to respond when He directs you. By building a deep level of prayer in this way, you will not only come to know our Lord in ways that are beyond words, you will also know how and when He wants to speak to others through you.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
FIGHT FEAR WITH FEAR
“Then I said, ‘Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ ” —Isaiah 6:5
Love can push out of our lives the fear of human beings, the fear of pain, and the fear of death (see 1 Jn 4:18). To love, we must have faith in the Lord, for love is an expression of faith (see Gal 5:6). To have a deep faith, we need the fear of the Lord, that is, an awe of God’s presence (see Prv 9:10). Thus, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of faith, love, and fearlessness. Consequently, “he who fears the Lord is never alarmed, never afraid; for the Lord is his Hope” (Sir 34:14). For example, Isaiah fearlessly volunteered to be sent by the Lord on a daunting prophetic mission because he had been overtaken (see Acts 2:43) by the fear of the Lord (Is 6:1ff).
At our Confirmations, each of our bishops or his delegate specifically prayed for us to receive the fear of the Lord (see Is 11:2-3). Therefore, we have this gift. Thus, if we deepen our fear of the Lord (see Acts 9:31), we will deepen our faith and love, and we will be fearless and free.
Renew your Confirmation. Ask for a deeper fear of the Lord — no matter what it takes. Only the God-fearing are fearless.
Prayer: Father, may I be awed in Your presence. Raise up great, God-fearing, fearless men and women of God.
Promise: “Do not be afraid of anything. You are worth more than an entire flock of sparrows. Whoever acknowledges Me before men I will acknowledge before My Father in heaven.” —Mt 10:31-32
Praise: St. Henry was a leader of a nation who sought neither personal pleasure, power, nor wealth. His sole interest was for the greater glory of God (1 Cor 10:31) and the upbuilding of the Church.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
God lovingly watches over each of us who are made in His own image and likeness. In today’s gospel Jesus assures us that each hair on our head has been counted by God, and we are worth more than many sparrows. Jesus is using imagery to express God's concern for the smallest detail of our lives. When we stand for the values of Jesus and acknowledge him before others, the Heavenly Father takes pride in us and He will never disown or deny us. God is reminding us all time to be united with Him and He will free us from our every fear. The more deeply we are convinced that we are precious in His eyes, the lesser will be our fear. We are called to imitate and identify ourselves with the Master for he himself had said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (Jn 14:6).
Prayers
My good Jesus, You desire to speak to me and all Your children in ways that are deep, profound and beyond words. Please do draw me deeper into these communications of Your love so that I may see beyond the veil and come to know You as You are. Please also use me, dear Lord, to speak to others as You choose. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, it is my joy and privilege to be your disciple. Give me strength and courage to bear any hardship and suffering which may come my way in serving you and obeying your will. May I witness to others the joy of the Gospel - the good news of your kingdom of peace, joy, and righteousness.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 194: Satisfaction in Life
What is it that satisfies you in life? The answers to this question could be quite varied from person to person. One may find satisfaction in work, another in family activities, another in community service, another in wealth and worldly rewards. There are many and varied responses people will give. But the answer shouldn’t be varied. There should be one answer for us all. And that answer is that you find true satisfaction in life by being with your Lord, resting in His Heart and being close to Him. This may make sense to most people in a theoretical way, but in a practical way it may not connect. What does it mean to be “resting in His Heart and being close to Him?” The only way to discover this real and practical meaning is to do it. All the books in the world will not teach you. You must discover His Heart, love His Heart, be alone in His presence, and only then will you discover what true satisfaction is all about (See Diary #1021).
Do you understand, practically and experientially, the total satisfaction in life that comes from living close to the Heart of Christ? When you hear this does it make sense to you? Reflect upon this question today and if you realize that you do not know what it is to know Him this way, then admit that to yourself and begin to seek Him out. If you seek, with your whole heart, you will find. And when you find, you will be eternally grateful you did.
Lord, I want to be one with You. I want to dwell in Your presence and bask in Your Divine Mercy. Help me in my weakness to turn to You with every power of my soul and to encounter Your Divine Essence. I reject all false “satisfactions” in life and turn to You and You alone. My Jesus, my Lord, I trust in You.
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