The Catholic Calendar for Sunday, July 8, 2001
The Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Isaiah 66:10-14
Psalm 66:1-7,16,20
Galatians 6:14-18
Luke 10:1-12,17-20
Full text: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm
A Reflection on today's Scripture:
Rejoice because your names are written in heaven. (see Luke 10:20)
One wonders how a certain TV preacher plays in heaven. Weekly he
broadcasts catchy, I'm OK--You're OK sermons from a palatial church
to a conspicuously affluent congregation. His message creates
comfort, complacency, self-satisfaction and being "right with God."
Is this what Christ intended?
In truth, our only cause for feeling good about ourselves is that God
in Christ loved us to the point of suffering and dying for our sin,
winning our forgiveness and salvation and offering us a new and
eternal life. Also He continuously provides us the grace, guidance
and strength to "work out our salvation," make it fully operative in
our daily lives. In other words, He endeavors to transform us in His
image; for should not the children of God, Christ's brothers and
sisters, resemble Him, share in His goodness and holiness?
Christ's message, honestly given, should illumine human hearts,
enable them to perceive their true state, their cancer of sin
destroying their souls. And here lies the reason that God's
messengers face dangers, "like lambs among wolves." The spirit of
this world, Satan, has blinded humanity to the truth. He seduces us
by playing upon our inate desires for autonomy and self-seeking; he
works to extinguish the flame of God's self-giving love meant to
abide and grow within human hearts.
Sermons, homilies, should speak God's uncompromised word, arouse our
hunger for him, His love, goodness and eternal life.
Blessed Father,
Your Son gave us new life.
May His life in us serve to restore hope to others
and raise up a fallen world. Amen.
Marie L. Bocko ocds ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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