Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 477
Reading 1
Ephesians 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
through the bond of peace;
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
Responsorial Psalm
24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Alleluia
See Matthew 11:25
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 12:54-59
Jesus said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Convictions of Your Heart
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” Luke 12:57–59
The Church Fathers offer many different interpretations of this passage. Among them, Saint Bede says that our “opponent” can be seen as the Word of God, in the sense that the Word of God makes war upon our weaknesses and sins. When we listen to the Word of God, our Lord will convict us of our faults so that we can reconcile our lives with the Truth of the Word of God Himself.
When you think about God’s holy Word, in its entirety, what most convicts you? Sometimes we try to downplay such personal convictions. We rationalize our actions and dismiss what God is saying to us. Are there any teachings of Jesus that you recall that have truly stung you to the heart? If so, this is a grace, and it’s an opportunity to fulfill the lesson from our Lord taught in the passage above. God does not convict our hearts so as to condemn us. Rather, He convicts us, as an opponent to our sin, so that we can “make an effort to settle the matter on the way.” The conscience is a wonderful gift from our Lord and can be likened to this passage above. It is a form of courtroom where our Lord desires not to have to issue punishment upon us. Instead, He desires that we engage His holy Word, listen to what He says, and settle our sin by repenting immediately.
Among the many lessons taught by our Lord, it is often the lesson that jumps out at us, even in a startling way, that we need to pay attention to the most. God often brings His most urgent teachings to us by causing us to feel a sense of guilt that cannot be denied. If we listen to these convictions, then we will not have any need to stand before the Judge. But if we do not, if we bury these convictions, downplay them and ignore them, then our Lord will find it necessary to keep at us. We will begin to experience His judgment, and we will see the effects of being out of His good graces. And in the end, if we fail to repent of the more serious sins in our lives, then we will even be held accountable for the smallest of sins. We will be required to “pay the last penny.”
Reflect, today, upon the idea that the Word of God, all that our Lord has taught us, is the opponent to the sin in your soul. This good and holy opponent wants only what is best for you. Commit yourself to an ongoing reading of God’s holy Word so that you will be continually disposed to hear all that God wants to say to you and so that you will be able to reconcile with our Lord before He is compelled to issue forth His judgments.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
THE SEVENFOLD UNITY
“Make every effort to preserve the unity.” —Ephesians 4:3
From prison, St. Paul pleaded with his Christian brothers and sisters to “live a life worthy” of their calling (Eph 4:1). This meant being humble, meek, long-suffering, and lovingly forbearing (Eph 4:2). This radically different way of life was necessary to preserve and deepen the early Church’s unity in the Spirit (Eph 4:3). “There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope...There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:4-6). This sevenfold unity is necessary for our lives to be worthy of our calling by the Lord.
Jesus is continuing to pray that we be one as He and the Father are one (Jn 17:21). Despite hundreds of years of disunity among the various Christian denominations, despite millions of divorces, despite an all too frequent disregard for a practical living out of our baptismal brotherhood and sisterhood, despite the utter divisiveness and disunity of sin, the Lord will never change (see Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8). He wants us to be in unity with Him and with each other (see 1 Cor 1:10). We must be united even if we have to die for it, because He already has died for it (Jn 11:51-52).
Repent! Live a worthy, humble life of unity.
Prayer: Jesus, only You can unite Your body. Hide each of us in the center of Your Sacred Heart, so we can become one in You.
Promise: “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is over all, and works through all, and is in all.” —Eph 4:5-6
Praise: Pete wanted to devote more time to a music ministry. He prayed and instead devoted his time to his wife and children.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Reading the signs of the time was the concern of Jesus. He could confidently say that ‘his hour has not yet come’ or ‘the hour has come to glorify God,’ etc. He kept preparing himself for his passion, death and resurrection by predicting about them. He wondered how people could easily read the signs of the time in nature and not be able to do so as far as the kingdom of God was concerned. He further asks his listeners to read the signs of time in the context of their relationship with others. When such relationships are wounded it is better to start the process of healing. Which are the signs of time God is revealing to us as far as nature, our relationship with others and the kingdom of God are concerned?
Prayers
My most merciful Judge, You desire that I listen to Your holy Word, revealed through Scripture, so as to receive Your most merciful conviction of my sin. I pray that I will be open to always hear all that You desire to say to me so that I can respond with generosity and trust, reconciling with You and others continually through my journey in life. Enliven my conscience with Your holy Word, dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, flood my heart with your love and free me from all that would keep me from doing your will. Transform my mind that I may discern what is right and choose what is good and pleasing to you.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 298: The Virus of Senseless Murmuring
One unfortunate tendency within our fallen human nature is to “murmur” about another. It’s like a virus in that once someone starts, it passes to others quickly. Before you know it, many can be spreading rumors and gossip not based in truth, or truths not spoken in charity. This can be very painful to the person who the murmuring is about. We see this commonly among teens, but it is not exclusively a teenage phenomena. The two questions to ponder in this regard are: 1) Do I murmur about others? 2) How do I react when others murmur about me? First of all, the virus of murmuring will only be cured if people of integrity cease to speak unnecessary words or calumny or detraction. We have no right to spread errors about another, and we have no right to spread truths that do not need to be shared. Second, if you find yourself to be the object of the murmuring of others, it’s understandable that this will hurt. Allow yourself to feel the hurt, unite it to the Heart of our Lord, and then move on without returning the mistreatment. A peaceful resolve to pay no attention to these actions helps to dispel their effects and it keeps us from being drawn into the foolishness (See Diary 1453).
Ponder today both of these experiences. If you are the cause of senseless murmuring then see the seriousness of this sin. It is a sin and a serious violation of charity as a result of the hurt it can cause. Confess it and resolve to silence your tongue. If you are the object of such murmuring, know that Jesus was first. Turn to Him and allow Him to console you, and try to rejoice that you have been treated like our Lord.
Lord, please guard my tongue and help me to speak only the words You wish me to speak and to only listen to those words inspired by You. If I am the object of hurt from another, give me the grace to receive healing and strength and to rejoice that I am treated like You. Jesus, I trust in You.
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