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10 September 2012
Extracted from the holy Gospel according to Mark 7:31-37
Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region.
And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him.
He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle.
Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’
And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly.
And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it.
Their admiration was unbounded. ‘He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.’
Sharing:
The Readings for Holy Mass on the Sunday 9 September 2012:
1st Reading: Isaiah 35:4-7, see Encouragements-115
Psalm 146:6-10, see Encouragements-18
2nd Reading: James 2:1-5, see Encouragements-61
Gospel Reading: Mark 7:31-37, see above.
A wise and elderly Priest gave the sermon after the aforesaid were read, and we have summarized to share with you:
Look at how considerate our Jesus is; instead of curing the man on the spot in the middle of all people to gain attention and admiration, He took the man away aside in private and healed him. Our Jesus is the Almighty God and He does not need the attention & approval of men, He is always kind, caring and compassionate to the poor and those suffering in spirit, mind and body.
The Priest asked us to recall our baptism, where the Priest performed the baptismal rites that our sins (both original sin and subsequent sins) are cleansed and we received the Holy Spirit and became the beloved children of God. That God opened our ears so that we could hear His voice and loosen our tongues so that we would sing His praises …
Well some of us may not recall anything as we were baptized when we were very young, but don’t ever forget this great day when God, the creator of the entire universe made us His beloved children … 8-)
Many of us said that we could not hear the voice of God. This wise Priest told us that our God does not shout, He speaks in a whisper and if we are going to hear Him, we need to keep our souls quiet before we could hear His voice. Remember what He told us in Psalm 46:10:
‘Be still and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted over the earth!’ (See Encouragements-99)
This wise Priest cited how Jesus listened to His Father’s voice, He went alone to pray, away from all the sound and distractions (see Matthew 14:23, see Encouragements-131): “After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray.”
He also reminded that Jesus also taught us: “But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6, see Encouragements-79)
The Priest concluded his sermon by telling us that we should use all the faculties given by God to His glory: Let our eyes see the hardship of our fellowmen and let our limbs be hurried to provide help and solace to those in need. Let our mouths sing the praises of God and also be life-giving to those around us…
Our Reflections:
During this poor economy, we witnessed some injustices that happened around us, these really made us very sad.
We just want to use this opportunity to encourage whoever that has suffered based on prophet Isaiah’s words in the 1st Reading:
“Strengthen all weary hands, steady all trembling knees and say to the faint-hearted, 'Be strong! Do not be afraid. Here is your God, vengeance is coming, divine retribution; he is coming to save you.’” (Isaiah 35:3-4)
The modern Stigmatic Priest & Saint Padre Pio also said: “Sin against charity is like piercing God in the pupil of the eye” and he added – “What is more delicate than the pupil of the eye? To sin against charity is like a sin against nature.”
Finally, we want to encourage you with the words of Jesus: “Now, will not God see justice done to his elect if they keep calling to him day and night even though he still delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily.” (Luke 18:7-8, see Encouragements-42)
Don’t you know that Jesus always keeps His promise and He is never late? 8-)
10 September 2012 |
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Extracted from the holy Gospel according to John 19:25-27
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.
Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved (referred to the Apostle John i.e. John the Evangelist) standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son’. Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’
And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
15 September 2012
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15 September 2012
Extracted from the 1st letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 6:1-11
How dare one of your members take up a complaint against another in the law courts of the unjust instead of before the saints?
As you know, it is the saints who are to ‘judge the world’; and if the world is to be judged by you, how can you be unfit to judge trifling cases?
Since we are also to judge angels, it follows that we can judge matters of everyday life; but when you have had cases of that kind, the people you appointed to try them were not even respected in the Church.
You should be ashamed: is there really not one reliable man among you to settle differences between brothers and so one brother brings a court case against another in front of unbelievers?
It is bad enough for you to have lawsuits at all against one another: oughtn’t you to let yourselves be wronged, and let yourselves be cheated?
But you are doing the wronging and the cheating, and to your own brothers.
You know perfectly well that people who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God:
people of immoral lives, idolaters, adulterers, catamites, sodomites, thieves, usurers, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers will never inherit the kingdom of God.
These are the sort of people some of you were once, but now you have been washed clean, and sanctified, and justified through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God. |
