Monday - July 10, 2017
“How consoling it is to know you are always under the protection of a heavenly spirit who never abandons you, not even when you are actually offending God. How delightful is this great truth to the one who believes. Who is to be feared, then, by the devout soul who is trying to love Jesus, when accompanied by such an illustrious warrior?
– St. Pio da Pietrelcina
TODAY'S READINGS
July 10, 2017
Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 383
Reading 1GN 28:10-22A
Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran.When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set,
he stopped there for the night.
Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head
and lay down to sleep at that spot.
Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground,
with its top reaching to the heavens;
and God's messengers were going up and down on it.
And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:
"I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham
and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you are lying
I will give to you and your descendants.
These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,
and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.
In you and your descendants
all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.
Know that I am with you;
I will protect you wherever you go,
and bring you back to this land.
I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,
"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!"
In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine!
This is nothing else but an abode of God,
and that is the gateway to heaven!"
Early the next morning Jacob took the stone
that he had put under his head,
set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it.
He called the site Bethel,
whereas the former name of the town had been Luz.
Jacob then made this vow: "If God remains with me,
to protect me on this journey I am making
and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear,
and I come back safe to my father's house, the LORD shall be my God.
This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God's abode."
Responsorial PsalmPS 91:1-2, 3-4, 14-15AB
R. (see 2b) In you, my God, I place my trust.You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
For he will rescue you from the snare of the fowler,
from the destroying pestilence.
With his pinions he will cover you,
and under his wings you shall take refuge.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
AlleluiaSEE 2 TM 1:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 9:18-26
While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,knelt down before him, and said,
"My daughter has just died.
But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live."
Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.
A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him
and touched the tassel on his cloak.
She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured."
Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,
"Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you."
And from that hour the woman was cured.
When Jesus arrived at the official's house
and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,
he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping."
And they ridiculed him.
When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,
and the little girl arose.
And news of this spread throughout all that land.
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Faith is All-Powerful
Introductory Prayer: Jesus, you are my savior and redeemer; I believe that you want to hear from me. I approach you in confidence and offer this prayer for those who are afraid to draw near to you.
Petition: Grant me, Jesus, a deeper faith in your power to heal me and my loved ones.
1. Awaiting Our Move: We note that the official's faith moves Jesus to action. Remarkable! The Son of God accommodates a mere creature, due to a show of faith. So often we see problems around us and expect God to solve them without any effort on our part. God knows our problems better than we do (cf. Matthew 6:8). Yet, he sometimes doesn't act until he sees an act of faith on our part. The official showed such faith. It was extraordinary, after all, for him to approach Jesus in front of other people and ask point-blank for a miracle. Do I have such confidence when I approach Jesus in prayer? Is my faith strong enough to ask him for something extraordinary?
2. Touching Moment: The woman suffering hemorrhages had great faith in Jesus, too. In her case, she didn't express it in words. Rather, she expressed it in a deed, by discreetly touching Jesus' cloak. That kind of faith speaks volumes. It helps if our words are joined with actions. Petitions don't always suffice. We have to act, to move, to leave our comfort zone, in order to approach Jesus. Prayer is good; prayer plus action gives God even more fertile ground to work with. How can I complement my prayer life? Can I help my pastor with a special project, for instance?
3. Mourning Has Broken: In Our Lord's time it was not uncommon to have professional mourners show up when someone died. Jesus' comment that the official's daughter was merely sleeping brought ridicule on him. Who needs mourners if the young lady is alive? We can be like professional mourners at times, resigned to the evil and death around us. We might throw up our hands and think we can hope for nothing better. We might even be tempted, like the mourners, to ignore Our Lord's reassuring presence. We might think: "What! Me, be a saint?" Or: "Me, called to the priesthood or consecrated life?" Or: "Do you really expect us to handle another child right now?" Luckily for us, Christ is undeterred. He comes to bring us life, to lead us out of sin, to make us more generous. In a word, he comes to call us to holiness. Do I resist such a call?
Conversation with Christ: The official and the suffering woman show an admirable faith. I want to have that same kind of faith, Lord. Sometimes I feel paralyzed by my problems, so much so that I find it hard to approach you confidently. Increase my faith and sense of hope. Let me live as if I really believe that you rule the world.
Resolution: I will offer up a sacrifice (or a visit to the Blessed Sacrament or an act of charity) for a special intention.
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God Bless You.....
KONKANI PRAYER GROUP - Abu Dhabi
"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone" Mark 16:15
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