Friday - October 27, 2017
“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.”
--Saint Maximilian Kolbe
TODAY'S READINGS
October 27, 2017
Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 477
Reading 1ROM 7:18-25A
Brothers and sisters:
I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.
The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
For I do not do the good I want,
but I do the evil I do not want.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it,
but sin that dwells in me.
So, then, I discover the principle
that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.
For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self,
but I see in my members another principle
at war with the law of my mind,
taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Miserable one that I am!
Who will deliver me from this mortal body?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.
The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
For I do not do the good I want,
but I do the evil I do not want.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it,
but sin that dwells in me.
So, then, I discover the principle
that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.
For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self,
but I see in my members another principle
at war with the law of my mind,
taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Miserable one that I am!
Who will deliver me from this mortal body?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Responsorial PsalmPS 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94
R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Never will I forget your precepts,
for through them you give me life.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Never will I forget your precepts,
for through them you give me life.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
AlleluiaSEE MT 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.
"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."
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 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."
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Overcoming Our Wretchedness
Earlier in his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul said that sin no longer has power over us due to the grace of God. In today's reading from Romans, we see the inner struggle he had -- and which we all have -- to remain in that grace.
Although we were made good, in the image of God himself, the Original Sin of ignoring God's laws has affected our nature. We live by the Law of Entropy. In science, "entropy" is the natural deterioration of everything. In the spiritual world, it's our holiness that naturally decays.
As baptized Christians, we have the Holy Spirit. We are holy, but it takes effort to be what we are, living out that holiness and growing in holiness. If we don't put forth that effort, we fall back into sin. We do what we don't want to do. And we keep doing it again and again! Plus, we often don't do the good things that our consciences recommend. As Paul and many other saints have said, "What a wretch I am!"
Being made in God's image, we experience the greatest satisfaction, the most joy, the fullest peace when we handle daily situations the way Jesus would, i.e., when we are patient, kind, forgiving, etc. For proof of this, think about how you feel when you're impatient, mean, or angrily holding a grudge, in other words, when your flesh-nature is controlling your mood. That's not a pleasant feeling, huh?
Oh sure, there IS a good feeling behind each sinful action we take, or else we wouldn't do it. But that "good" feeling is like drinking water that's full of toxic waste. Smelling the stink of it and tasting the bad flavor doesn't stop us when our flesh says, "I'm thirsty! Must drink!" We gulp it down for quick satisfaction.
And then we get sick.
Utilizing the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the penitential prayers of reconciliation during Mass is like going to the doctor. We tell him: "When I drink this water, I don't feel so good." His prescription: "Stop drinking that water. Other water is available." Duh! We knew that, but the bad water was easier to get.
What wretches we are!
Who can free us from this? "All praise to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Since we're so easily ruled by our flesh-nature and the Law of Entropy, we need the help of someone who successfully overcame that problem. The doctor's prescription for enjoying who we are as creatures made in God's image is the prayer: "Lord Jesus, BE my patience" or "BE my kindness toward that person who's driving me nuts" or "BE my ability to forgive when I feel angry."
Then, Jesus substitutes himself for us, in us, until our Godliness becomes second-nature.
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God Bless You.....
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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