Monday, September 2, 2024

03-SEP-'24, Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great


Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 432


Reading 1

1 Corinthians 2:10B-16

Brothers and sisters:

The Spirit scrutinises everything, even the depths of God.

Among men, who knows what pertains to the man

except his spirit that is within?

Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.

We have not received the spirit of the world

but the Spirit who is from God,

so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.

And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom,

but with words taught by the Spirit,

describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.


Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God,

for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it,

because it is judged spiritually.

The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything

but is not subject to judgment by anyone.


For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13AB, 13CD-14

R. (17) The Lord is just in all his ways.


The LORD is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and of great kindness.

The LORD is good to all

and compassionate toward all his works.

R. The Lord is just in all his ways.


Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,

and let your faithful ones bless you.

Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom

and speak of your might.

R. The Lord is just in all his ways.


Making known to men your might

and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,

and your dominion endures through all generations.

R. The Lord is just in all his ways.


The LORD is faithful in all his words

and holy in all his works.

The LORD lifts up all who are falling

and raises up all who are bowed down.

R. The Lord is just in all his ways.


Alleluia

Luke 7:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A great prophet has arisen in our midst

and God has visited his people.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel

Luke 4:31-37

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.

He taught them on the sabbath,

and they were astonished at his teaching

because he spoke with authority.

In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,

and he cried out in a loud voice,

"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are–the Holy One of God!"

Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!"

Then the demon threw the man down in front of them

and came out of him without doing him any harm.

They were all amazed and said to one another,

"What is there about his word?

For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,

and they come out."

And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.


Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 


Authority and Power


They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region. Luke 4:36–37


Jesus had just encountered the wrath of many in His hometown of Nazareth, so He left there and traveled about 30 miles to Capernaum, a town just north of the Sea of Galilee. This was to become His new home during His public ministry. The reaction He received in Capernaum was much different than that which He received in Nazareth. As He taught in the Synagogue in Capernaum, a man with a demon came to Him, Jesus rebuked the demon and cast it out, and the people were amazed. Word spread about Jesus quickly. After this, Jesus performed many other miracles, and the people continued to be in awe of Him.


What was it that impressed the people of Capernaum? In part it was the “authority and power” with which Jesus spoke and acted. But it was not only this, since Jesus had done so also in Nazareth where the people failed to believe in Him. In Capernaum it wasn’t that Jesus was different, it seems that the people were different. Jesus won over many hearts in Capernaum because the people were open to the gift of faith. In fact, when Jesus was preparing to leave from Capernaum, the people begged Him to stay. Though eventually Jesus would also encounter resistance from the people there, their initial reaction was one of faith.


Do you want Jesus to act powerfully in your life? Do you want Him to act upon you with authority and power? Many people, from time to time, can feel as though their lives are somewhat out of control. They experience weakness, confusion, a lack of direction and the like. For that reason, true spiritual “authority and power” is very welcome. What sort of authority and power do you need Jesus to exert over your life today?


Think of a small child who is frightened. When this happens, the child turns to a loving parent for comfort and security. The embrace of a parent immediately helps to dispel the fear and worry of the child. So it is with us. We must see Jesus as the source of calm in our lives. He is the only one Who is capable of ordering our lives, freeing us from the attacks of the evil one, bringing peace and calm to our disordered emotions and clarity to our questions and doubts. But this will only be possible if we are open. His power never changes, but it can only enter our lives when we change and when we recognize our weakness and our need for Him to take control.


Reflect, today, upon the infinite spiritual authority and power of our Lord. It is a power beyond anything else we could imagine. He wants to exercise this authority in your life out of love. What is hindering Him from taking greater control of your life? What sin or temptation does Jesus want to rebuke in your life? From what oppression does He want to set you free? Reflect upon yourself being a member of the town of Capernaum who fully welcomes Jesus, is amazed at Him and desires Him in your life. His working in your life depends upon you and your response to Him. Call on Him and let Him in.


Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body 


SINGING SPIRITUALS


“The spiritual man, on the other hand, can appraise everything.” —1 Corinthians 2:15


The Spirit of God is teaching us everything we need to know (Jn 14:26) and guiding us to all truth (Jn 16:13). However, only the spiritual person can accept what the Spirit is teaching (1 Cor 2:13-15). The merely natural person “cannot come to know such teaching because it must be appraised in a spiritual way” (1 Cor 2:14). Yet we should be able to accept the Spirit’s teaching, since we are spiritual persons in Christ. We became spiritual when we were baptized.


However, we must live our Baptisms, or we will prevent ourselves from appraising and receiving the teaching of the Spirit. This explains why many Christians are not hearing the Spirit’s word to their churches (Rv 2:7, 11), families, neighborhoods, businesses, and countries. The words of the Spirit are truth (1 Jn 5:6) and life (see Jn 6:63). The Spirit wielding the Word is our major offensive weapon in spiritual battle (Eph 6:17). We must hear the Spirit or be deceived, deprived, and defeated. Therefore, we must live our Baptisms and be spiritual persons — not only potentially, but actually.


Renew your baptismal promises. Repent. Give your life completely to Jesus. Love Him with all your heart. Then receive the Spirit, His teaching, and His life.


Prayer:  Father, send the Spirit of truth to guide me to all truth (Jn 16:13).


Promise:  “What is there about His speech? He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they leave.”—Lk 4:36


Praise:  Pope St. Gregory the Great is one of the four key Doctors of the Church. He was elected at age fifty by the clergy and people of Rome.


Reflection 3

Shared from God's Word


The distinctive mark of every activity of Jesus was his authority. His authority, first of all, came from his divine origin and mandate. Secondly, his authority came from his convictions and authenticity: none could accuse him of double standards or hypocrisy. Thirdly, he never entertained any personal motives or selfish interests, but only the wellbeing of his people. With this motive he was able to cast out the unclean spirit from the possessed man. Fourthly, it came from his determination: no arguments could change his decision to obey his heavenly Father. Even the evil spirit addressed him as the ‘holy one of God’. Today, drawing strength from Jesus’ authority, let us submit our lives to him so that he may free us of all evil powers and tendencies.


Prayers

My most powerful Lord, You and You alone are able to take authority over my life and bring order and peace. Please remove any doubt and stubbornness from my heart so that I can open myself to You and Your grace. Take authority of my life, dear Lord, and lead me into Your most holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.


Lord Jesus, you have the words of everlasting life. May I never doubt your saving love and mercy, and the power of your word to bring healing, restoration, and freedom from every sin and oppression.


Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy


Reflection 246: Upon Receiving Holy Communion

What do you do after receiving Holy Communion?  Do you go back to your pew in a distracted way, with your mind wandering, paying attention to others around you, and failing to encounter our Lord on an authentic spiritual level?  Or do you allow that moment to be a moment of true prayer and communion with God?  If the truth is the former, just be honest with yourself and with God and use this realization for an opportunity to reexamine your approach to this most sacred Gift!  The moment after Holy Communion is a treasured moment in which each soul is invited to be consumed by Him who was just consumed.  In other words, the act of receiving Holy Communion is not just the physical act we do, it must also become something God does to us.  We must choose to not only consume our Lord, we must also allow Him to consume us with His Mercy.  There is no better time to do this than the moments after receiving this priceless Gift.  This is accomplished by making your life an oblation to God.  An “oblation” is an offering, and the reception of Holy Communion must become a moment in which we completely offer ourselves to our Divine Lord (See Diary #1264).


Reflect upon the last time you received Holy Communion.  What was that experience like?  Did you have a complete focus on what you were doing?  Did you offer yourself to our Lord as an oblation of love?  Did you place yourself into the hands of our Lord in a sacrificial way?  Did you allow our Lord to consume you with His merciful love?  Ponder these questions and commit yourself to this depth of offering.  If you do, Holy Communion will become the greatest act of Mercy in your life.


My Lord and my God, I give myself to You with total abandon and surrender.  My life is Yours, dear Lord.  I give myself to You without reserve as an oblation of love.  Jesus, I trust in You.

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