Today in Scripture

(Well, yesterday in Scripture, technically)
An excerpt from Sunday's second reading, from the 5th chapter of Galatians:

For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters.

But do not use this freedom

as an opportunity for the flesh;

rather, serve one another through love.

For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement,

namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

But if you go on biting and devouring one another,

beware that you are not consumed by one another.

At our creation, God granted us free will. Through our redemption, Jesus freed us from the overwhelming power of sin. And the power of the infinite Love of the Holy Trinity made effective in us by the Holy Spirit helps us to reach out in loving kindness, service, sacrifice and joy to one another.

We have the freedom to treat every human interaction as a contest. The Scripture seems to suggest that will just make losers of us all. We also have the freedom to treat every 'contest' as an opportunity for learning more about ourselves and our so-called opponents as the sons and daughters or God that we all are. This invitation to grow in respect and love may not always be pleasant at that time, but if we embrace the freedom of caring for the good of others, we all benefit in the end.

There are seven basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Based in Scripture, these fundamental elements speak to how we as Christians are to live day to day, affecting our relationships in the home, at work, in society and as a resident of planet Earth!

One of these principles of Catholic Social Teaching is the "Rights and Responsibilities". Here is a summary of that principle, as provided by the Social Concerns Committee of St. Andrew the Apostle parish.

While public debate is often divided between those who focus on personal responsibility and those who focus on social responsibility, our tradition insists that both are necessary. People have basic rights and responsibilities because of their human dignity which reflects the fact that they have been created in God's image.  Catholic teaching emphasizes that people have a fundamental right to life and to the basic necessities that provide quality to life: food, shelter, health care, education and employment.  We are called to respect the rights of others and to seek the common good.

13th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Here are the readings for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, June 27, 2010:

1 Kings 19: 16b, 19-21

Psalm 16: 1-2, 5, 7-11

Galations 5: 1, 13-18

Luke 9: 51-62

• What does it mean to proclaim that Christianity is a way of life? 
• How would you describe that way of living?
• What are the challenges and rewards of living a Christian way of life? 

The Catechumenate Session meets this Sunday with dismissal from the 9:30AM mass.

12th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Here are the readings for the 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time, June 20, 2010:



Zechariah 12: 10-11, 13:1

Psalm 63: 2-6, 8-9 

Galations 3: 26-29

Luke 9: 18-24


In the Gospel, Peter had the 'right' answer, but the answer didn't mean what he thought he did. 

• What about Jesus still confuses you?
• What assumptions about faith and Catholicism have been challenged, or are challenging, for you?

There is no RCIA session this Sunday: Happy Father's Day!

Today in Scripture

The Gospel today is from Matthew 5: 38-42:

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You have heard that it was said,

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.

When someone strikes you on your right cheek,

turn the other one to him as well.

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,

hand him your cloak as well.

Should anyone press you into service for one mile,

go with him for two miles.

Give to the one who asks of you,

and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

Just two things to note, briefly, about today's Gospel:
The Old Testament "eye for an eye" is often thought to be a command in favor of retribution. In reality, it was a restriction of pay-back to a proportional level (for instance, rather than killing all the goats of the entire family of a man who stole one goat, the victim was entitled to one goat in repayment). It was an attempt to rein in what could otherwise become an escalation of violence.

And rather than advocating weakness in response to offense, Jesus is calling for a deeper strength from his followers. Such generosity in the face of injustice comes from a mature knowledge deep down in our souls of what really matters in this life. Jesus isn't saying to 'make nice' for the purpose of avoiding future confrontation, but to be such a witness of goodness, patience, and long-term perspective, that your offender can't help but be disarmed, and perhaps changed for the better by your reaction. Now, he's not calling us to be doormats, to go looking for abuse, but in those situations of stress and confrontation, we are free to choose to react out of anger, or out of love. Which choice takes more strength?

11th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Here are the readings for the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time, June 13, 2010:

2 Samuel 12: 7-10, 13

Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11

Galations 2: 16, 19-21

Luke 7: 36- 8: 3

Try putting yourself in the place of each of the three people in this Gospel passage (Simon, the sinful woman and Jesus). Name the feelings each must have been experiencing. 

• Why is it difficult to ask for forgiveness? 
• Why is it difficult to grant forgiveness?
• What is the Good News of this story?

The Catechumenate Session meets this Sunday with dismissal from the 9:30AM mass.
The Mystagogia session meets from 10:30-11:30am (or, after the 9:30 mass) in Room 214 of the CARE Center - the room next door to the Living Room.

Relationship Cycles in Marriage

Since June is a traditional month for weddings, here is a link to an article about the stages of growth throughout a marriage. Here's the final paragraph of the article by Paul R. Giblin, Ph.D. ... rather than 'spoiling the ending', I hope it makes you want to click and read it all!

Growth throughout the marital journey requires openness and flexibility. For people of faith, it also means being alert to the mysterious working of the Holy Spirit. Contemporary culture wants answers and certainty; faith requires trust and surrender. The invitation to the marital journey, and the resources to undertake it, come from God. God gives us enough clarity to take the next few steps, even if we cannot see the entire road and where it will end.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Here are the readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, June 6, 2010:

Genesis 14: 18-20

Psalm 110: 1-4

I Corinthians 11: 23-26

Luke 9: 11b-17

This weekend we celebrate another mystery of our faith: Jesus' gift of his very self to us in the Eucharist. As Catholics we believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit, the substance of the bread and wine is truly changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. This holiest of foods is then given to us to strengthen our communion with God and one another and to nourish us as the members of the Body of Christ that we have become through baptism.

It's good to let yourself get lost in the mystery of how and why Jesus choose this means to demonstrate his love for us and continual presence with us; to offer Jesus praise, adoration, and love for this incredible gift.

We also always have to come back to the point of it all: to live every day as faithful disciples of Jesus by being the Body of Christ in our world.

After all, Jesus told us what was important in the end (see Matthew 25: 31-46)...

feeding the hungry, 

welcoming the stranger, 

clothing the naked, 

 

caring for the sick and prisoners....

...opportunities for Christian service that may come to us each day, (although possibly not so literally interpreted).

• How have you experienced being nourished by the loving concern of another person?
• How have you sacrificed your own wants for the good of another?

This Sunday, the Catechumenate begins meeting with dismissal from the 9:30 AM Mass.

The next Mystagogia gathering will be June 13.

The next Inquiry session is June 8.

May 31: the Feast of the Visitation

Yesterday was a beautiful feast in our church year that probably got overlooked by the Memorial Day holiday. The Visitation recalls Mary's journey to her cousin Elizabeth's home, where the two shared for 3 months the miracle of God's limitless life-giving power. In the Gospel Reading, we hear very familiar words: from Elizabeth, phrases we now use in the "Hail Mary", from Mary, the song we call the "Magnificat" which is proclaimed every day in Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours.

The Visitation by Mariotto Albertinelli,1503

The deep beauty of this feast is in its familiarity for us. I mean, when you get news that shakes your world, (for good or bad) what's your first reaction? Perhaps you ponder it quietly for a bit. But soon - you've got to share it with someone. I can only imagine the reassurance that Mary felt by being able to live with probably the only other woman who could understand the joy and confusion of the miracle of their pregnancies. (Quick refresher: Her cousin Elizabeth was long past child-bearing years, Mary was still a virgin.)

This feast helps us remember that we don't have to figure things out on our own. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we can support and strengthen each other, by helping each other recognize the good that we bear within us as the beloved of God.

The Almighty has done great things for me, holy is God's name!
(Luke 1: 49)