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14 June-2007
Dear Friend,
There are times in our lives when everything around us is going to pieces yet
we remain totally at peace, and other times when the world around is peaceful
but there is a storm raging within us. What is the source of our peace? Do
externals matter when God is in charge of our life? Have a peace-filled
weekend! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections:Fourteenth Sunday of the Year Shalom! God is near!
8-Jul-07
Readings: Isaiah 66: 10-14; Galatians 6: 14-18; Luke
10:1-12, 17-20;
Todays first reading from a poem from the Book of Isaiah, was written after
the Israelites had returned from exile, a very impoverished community, who had
settled among the ruins of their former splendid homes, harassed by their
powerful neighbours. Though they had got back their lands they lived in
constant fear of attack from their various enemies. There was no peace and now
the prophet promises peace to these distressed people. This longing for peace
was very deep in the centuries before Christ, when Palestine was trampled by
its enemies constantly. Against this background of instability, upheaval,
oppression and sin, the Jewish greeting of Shalom peace, developed. But this
peace was not the mere absence of strife but the deep inner peace which only
God can give. Perfect peace was brought by the Messiah and he comes to us even
now to bring us that deep inner peace.
Starving in a food store
Maria Janczuk was born in Poland and during World War II suffered privation,
torture and hunger in a Nazi concentration camp. After the war, she lived in
Leeds, England. On January 22, 1971 she was found dead of starvation in her
house. She weighed only 41 pounds, and it was evident that she had been wasting
her health. But her cupboards were full of eggs, butter, cheese and milk, which
she hoarded. The policeman who investigated said, It was like a food store.
The horrors of life and hunger in the concentration camp had probably created a
fear in her mind which probably remained with her through the rest of her life.
She died of starvation, even though her kitchen shelves were stocked. There is
an abundance of blessings, promises, assurances of peace, joy, strength, love,
hope, salvation, eternal life and all that one needs in this life, in the Word
of God. Do we believe?
Daniel Sunderaj in Manna for the Soul
In the Christian world, peace becomes a special word of blessing which Paul
uses as a greeting in every one of his letters which he wrote to his
communities. In todays reading we are reminded that peace is a gift that comes
from God the Father and is closely related to the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Peace especially comes from Jesus and can be said to be the sum of all
the blessings that Jesus brought to this world. Thus peace is the first
greeting of the one who comes to announce the good news, and the man of peace
is the one who is ready to receive the good news.
Shalom! In Jesus is our peace!
Elie Wiesel tells a very disturbing story in one of his books. Once after
delivering a lecture in New York he met a man who looked vaguely familiar. He
began to wonder who he was and where they had met before. Then he remembered.
He had known him in Auschwitz. Suddenly an incident involving this man came
back to him. As soon as children arrived by train at Auschwitz, together with
the elderly and the sick, they were immediately selected for the gas chamber.
On one occasion a group of children were left to wait by themselves for the
next day. This man asked the guards if he could stay with the children during
their last night on earth. Surprisingly his request was granted. How did they
spend that last night? He started off by telling the children stories in an
effort to cheer them up. However, instead of cheering them up, he succeeded
only in making them cry. So what did they do? They cried together until
daybreak. Then he accompanied the little ones to the gas chamber.
Afterwards he returned to the prison yard to report for work.
Flor McCarthy
In todays gospel Jesus reminds his followers that the kingdom of God is
close at hand but the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying to
them. They wanted to see signs of the kingdom. They wanted some visible power
and pomp, they were naively thrilled that they had experienced power in casting
out demons but they could not see the kingdom beyond. They could not believe
that the coming of the kingdom could be experienced in the values of the
kingdom taking over their lives and changing the existing structures of
society. While it is true that the kingdom of God was realized with the coming
of Jesus into this world, we can and still pray: thy kingdom come, thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. It is in this spirit that Jesus sends out
the seventy-two disciples, for the harvest is great. This group of followers,
missionaries sent in his name, would experience opposition and rejection, but
it was necessary that they persevere. Their essential mission is
to give to others the peace of Christ, to preach the arrival of the kingdom of
God. It is essential to note that the substance of their ministry is a healing
one, to cure those who are sick. Our mission today is the same. If ever there
was a time when we needed peace, it is this day and age when we are confronted
by violence, insecurity, terrorism and uncertainty of daily existence. Many
experience a feeling of helplessness and numbness in the face of what is
paralyzing society today. The Gospel challenges men and women of today to be
people of peace, to be peacemakers amidst the violence and uncertainty that
confronts us.
We see the seventy two disciples sent out to conquer the world, they have no
hesitation. Here we feel some of the conquering dynamism of the preaching of
Christianity under the influence of the Pentecostal word. It is as if the most
stable element of that Christianity was the order not to stand still, but
always to advance. The end of the apostolic ministry does not consist in
personal success as a preacher but in preparing men for their personal meeting
with Christ. The missionary is only Christs precursor: he works for him, he
urges men to receive him, and he it is whom he must let shine through all he
does. This is the task of prime importance for which God needs men but which
nonetheless he directs. This is why prayer is so closely connected with
missionary activity, for in the latter there is a beyond which is Gods own
acting, transcending and raising the apostolate. To pray is to call on that
infinitely great power that God has exercised for us believers , it
is to bore into the depths of humanity in order to make Christ spring forth.
Glenstal Bible Missal
Our Father applauding
The tuba player played his last note, as the percussion section tapped out
their last rhythm. Then the conductor brought the entire concert band to a
perfect ending. As I sat in the audience, a man in the front row leaped out of
his chair, and began clapping and whistling. He had his gaze fixed on one of
the players in the band. His delight in the band, and particularly in one
person, was apparent to all. Before you knew it, others gave the band a
standing ovation. You would think we were an audience in a concert hall in New
York City. The truth is we were a bunch of parents at a small town high school
delighting in our kids at their year-end band concert. The image of the dad,
leaping to his feet, giving his child the standing "O" is embedded in my mind.
Like many of you, I have been blessed to have a dad who has given me standing
ovations throughout my entire life. For some of us though, the truth is we may
not have had a dad who was cheering us on at all our events. Let
me encourage you by finishing my story about the concert. Well, right next to
that enthusiastic Dad who started the standing ovation was an empty chair. My
first thought was that "God could be sitting in that chair." He is leaping to
His feet and giving applause and encouragement. He is with us when we wake up,
and when we sleep, and He is with us when other people are not. He rejoices in
you. And for all who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we can all
look forward to receiving the ultimate standing "O" from our Heavenly Father
when we get to Heaven and He says, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Anonymous
May we keep discovering inner peace in Jesus!
Fr. Jude Botelho
www.netforlife.net
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in
these reflections. These reflections are also available on my web site
www.netforlife.net Thank you.
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