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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 07-12-14
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 07-12-14 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 07/11/2014 9:25:03 PM PDT by Salvation

July 12, 2014

Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

 

 

Reading 1 Is 6:1-8

In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings:
with two they veiled their faces,
with two they veiled their feet,
and with two they hovered aloft.

They cried one to the other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.

Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

He touched my mouth with it and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5

R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Gospel Mt 10:24-33

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!

“Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”



TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; ordinarytime; prayer
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To: All
Information: St. John Gualbert

Feast Day: July 12

Born: 985 at Florence, Italy

Died: July 11, 1073 at Passignano near Florence, Italy

Canonized: 1193 by Pope Celestine III

Patron of: forest workers; foresters; park rangers; parks

21 posted on 07/12/2014 8:26:00 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Interactive Saints for Kids

St. John Gaulbert

Feast Day: July 12
Born: (around) 985 :: Died: 1073

St. John was born into a rich non-Christian family in Florence, Italy, as Giovanni Gualberto. He and his father were terribly shocked when John's only brother, Hugh, was murdered. The man who did it was supposed to have been Hugh's friend. Supported by his father and fed by his own anger, John decided to track down his brother’s killer and make him pay for his crime.

On Good Friday, John finally came face to face with the murderer in a narrow passageway. John drew his sword and began walking toward the man. Hugh's killer fell to his knees, with his arms crossed on his chest and begged forgiveness for love of Jesus who died on the cross.

With a great effort, John dropped his sword, embraced his enemy and continued down the road. Coming upon a monastery church, he went in and kneeling before the crucifix, he asked forgiveness for his sins. Then a miracle happened! Jesus bowed his head upon the cross. John felt peaceful and knew that by forgiving his enemy his own sins had been forgiven.

Such a change came over him that he immediately converted to Christianity and became a follower of Jesus. He asked the abbot of the San Miniato del Monte monastery if he could join the monks there. When John's father heard about it, he said he would burn the whole monastery if his son did not come out.

The Benedictine monks did not know what to do. John solved the problem by cutting off his hair and borrowing a habit from one of the monks. His father could not help being impressed and he let him remain. St. John later started his own community of monks and built a monastery by hand following a stricter life.

John became a model for imitating the poor lifestyle of Jesus. He also took wonderful care of all the poor people who came to the monastery gate. God granted him power to work miracles, to give wise guidance and tell the future. Even Pope St. Leo IX went to St. John to seek his advice. St. John died on July 12, 1073 at Passignano near Florence in Italy.

Reflection: "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”-the Lord's Prayer


22 posted on 07/12/2014 8:46:34 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Saturday, July 12

Liturgical Color: Green

Today the Church honors St. Maximilian
of Lorch, bishop. St. Maximilian came
from a wealthy family, but gave away his
inheritance to serve God. He was
beheaded in 284 A.D.

23 posted on 07/12/2014 1:49:03 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Day 211 - What can the individual contribute to the common good? // How does social justice come about in a society?

What can the individual contribute to the common good?

Working for the common good means assuming responsibility for others.

The common good must be the business of everyone. This happens first of all when men get involved in their particular surroundingsfamily, neighborhood, workplaceand take responsibility. It is important also to exercise social and political responsibility. Someone who assumes this sort of responsibility, however, wields power and is always in danger of misusing that power. Therefore, everyone in a position of responsibility is called upon to engage in an ongoing process of conversion, so that he can exercise that responsibility for others in lasting justice and charity.


How does social justice come about in a society?

Social justice comes about where the inalienable dignity of every person is respected and the resulting rights are safeguarded and championed without reservation. Among these is also the right to active participation in the political, economic, and cultural life of the society.

The basis of all justice is respect for the inalienable dignity of the human person, "whose defense and promotion have been entrusted to us by the Creator, and to whom the men and women at every moment of history are strictly and responsibly in debt" (Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Sollicitudo rei socialis, published 1987). Human rights are an immediate consequence of human dignity, and no State can abolish or change them. States and authorities that trample these rights underfoot are unjust regimes and lose their authority. A society is not perfected by laws, however, but rather by love of neighbor, which makes it possible for everyone to "look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as another self ' " (GS 27, 1). (YOUCAT questions 328-329)


Dig Deeper: CCC section (1928-1933) and other references here.


24 posted on 07/12/2014 2:11:55 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Part 3: Life in Christ (1691 - 2557)

Section 1: Man's Vocation — Life in the Spirit (1699 - 2051)

Chapter 2: The Human Community (1877 - 1948)

Article 3: Social Justice (1928 - 1948)

2832
(all)

1928

Society ensures social justice when it provides the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is their due, according to their nature and their vocation. Social justice is linked to the common good and the exercise of authority.

I. RESPECT FOR THE HUMAN PERSON

1881
(all)

1929

Social justice can be obtained only in respecting the transcendent dignity of man. The person represents the ultimate end of society, which is ordered to him: What is at stake is the dignity of the human person, whose defense and promotion have been entrusted to us by the Creator, and to whom the men and women at every moment of history are strictly and responsibly in debt.35

35.

John Paul II, SRS 47.

1770
1902
(all)

1930

Respect for the human person entails respect for the rights that flow from his dignity as a creature. These rights are prior to society and must be recognized by it. They are the basis of the moral legitimacy of every authority: by flouting them, or refusing to recognize them in its positive legislation, a society undermines its own moral legitimacy.36 If it does not respect them, authority can rely only on force or violence to obtain obedience from its subjects. It is the Church's role to remind men of good will of these rights and to distinguish them from unwarranted or false claims.

36.

Cf. John XXIII, PT 65.

1825
2212
(all)

1931

Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that "everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as 'another self,' above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity."37 No legislation could by itself do away with the fears, prejudices, and attitudes of pride and selfishness which obstruct the establishment of truly fraternal societies. Such behavior will cease only through the charity that finds in every man a "neighbor," a brother.

37.

GS 27 § 1.

2449
(all)

1932

The duty of making oneself a neighbor to others and actively serving them becomes even more urgent when it involves the disadvantaged, in whatever area this may be. "As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."38

38.

Mt 25:40.

2303
(all)

1933

This same duty extends to those who think or act differently from us. The teaching of Christ goes so far as to require the forgiveness of offenses. He extends the commandment of love, which is that of the New Law, to all enemies.39 Liberation in the spirit of the Gospel is incompatible with hatred of one's enemy as a person, but not with hatred of the evil that he does as an enemy.

39.

Cf. Mt 5:43-44.


25 posted on 07/12/2014 2:13:42 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Catholic Culture

 

Daily Readings for:July 12, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

o    Poulet Veronique

ACTIVITIES

o    Time for God

PRAYERS

o    Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

o    St. Veronica Prayer to the Sacred Image of Jesus Christ

·         Ordinary Time: July 12th

·         Saturday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: St. John Gualbert, abbot; Sts. Nabor and Felix, martyrs; St. Veronica of the Veil (Hist)

According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. John Gualbert, a native of Florence, Italy. One Good Friday, accompanied by armed servants, he met his brother's murderer, unarmed and alone; he was about to slay him when the murderer fell at his feet begging forgiveness for the love of Christ crucified. John was touched by grace, recalling our Lord's command to love one's enemies and embraced him as a brother.

Soon afterwards he became a monk, and founded the new order of Vallombrosa under the Rule of St. Benedict. At this period simony and clerical immorality were rife in Italy. By his firmness and preaching St. John Gualbert successfully opposed these grave disorders. He died in 1073, having paved the way for the Gregorian reform.

This is also the feast of Sts. Nabor and Felix, Roman martyrs whose bodies were taken from Rome to Milan. St. Ambrose preached their panegyric (a formal public speech delivered in high praise of a person, and generally high studied or undiscriminating eulogy) at the solemn translation of their relics.

Historically it is the feast of St. Veronica of the Veil, the woman of Jerusalem who wiped the face of Christ while He was on the way to Calvary.


St. John Gualbert

Our saint was born of a noble Florentine family about the year 995. His father was arranging for him to become a soldier when Hugo, the only other child, was murdered by a relative. It was Good Friday, and Gualbert, accompanied by an armed escort, met the murderer in a narrow pass. There was no way to avoid one another. They met, and the murderer, with arms crossed on his breast, threw himself at Gualbert's feet. Moved by his plea for mercy and the remembrance of Christ's dying act of forgiveness, he spared the murderer's life and lifted him up as a brother.

Gualbert continued his journey. Arriving at the Church of St. Minias, he prayed before a picture of the Crucified which appeared to move its head toward him. Thereupon he determined to dedicate his life to God in spite of his father's opposition. He cut off his hair, took the habit of a monk, and in a short time attained such perfection that his life and work were a model for others. He became the founder of the Vallombrosian monks, a branch of the Benedictine family.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Patron: forest workers; foresters; park services; parks.

Symbols: Tau staff; crucifix; church in his hand; devil under his feet.

Things to Do:


Sts. Nabor and Felix

The holy martyrs, Nabor and Felix, suffered in the persecution of Maximian. "They were Christian soldiers in the army of Emperor Maximian Hercules. Because of their Christian faith they were tried in Milan and beheaded in Lodi, Italy, (303 or 304). Their bodies were interred in Milan" (Martyrology). When Emperor Frederic Barbarossa captured Milan in the twelfth century, he gave the sacred relics to Reinald, archbishop of Cologne. Soon after, Reinald transferred the bodies of the holy martyrs to his episcopal see, where they are still venerated in one of the cathedral's magnificent chapels.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Symbols: Armour; in secular or classical costumes.


St. Veronica

According to Tradition, when St. Veronica saw Jesus fall beneath the weight of the cross He carried to his pending crucifixion, she was so moved with pity she pushed through the crowd past the Roman Soldiers to reach Jesus. She used her veil to wipe the blood and sweat from His face. The soldiers forced her away from Jesus even as He peered at her with gratitude. She bundled her veil and did not look at it again until she returned home. When she finally unfolded the veil--history does not clarify exactly what kind of material the veil was made from--it was imprinted with an image of Christ's face.

Some stories have alluded to St. Veronica being present at the beheading of St. John the Baptist. Others claim Veronica (Bernice) was a woman whom Jesus cured from a blood issue before His arrest in Jerusalem.

There is no reference to the biography of St. Veronica in the canonical Gospels. Her act of kindness and charity is represented in the Sixth of the Fourteen Stations of the Cross.

St. Veronica is believed to be buried in the tomb in Soulac or in the church of St. Seurin at Bordeaux, France. Her veil (the Veronica) is kept at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican at Rome.

Things to Do:


26 posted on 07/12/2014 2:33:19 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 10:24-33

Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Do not be afraid. (Matthew 10:26)

Psychologists tell us about the three common reactions to a frightening situation. We will (a) choose to face the situation and work through it, (b) shut down and do nothing at all, or (c) run away from the problem. In other words, fight, freeze, or flee.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples three times, “Do not be afraid.” Each time, he addresses the fears that could cause them to give up on their very first preaching mission. First, he tells them to be persistent in announcing the “secret” of the kingdom despite opposition (Matthew 10:26). Then he reassures them that his Father is the One with ultimate power, so they shouldn’t worry about detractors (10:28). Then he tells them that his Father knows every intimate detail of their lives and that he’ll never abandon them (10:29-31).

Jesus isn’t just comforting his disciples here. He’s giving them truths that they can fall back on whenever fear rises up and tries to convince them to give up on their mission. He’s filling their memories with foundational truths about who he is and how much his Father cares for them—truths that they can use as weapons to defend themselves and as engines to propel them forward in faith.

We have all encountered fears that have threatened to paralyze us or tempted us to run and hide. Fear is a normal part of our lives, and there are times when it’s a healthy emotional reaction. But we should never let fear keep us from moving forward with the Lord.

Whenever you find yourself in a fearful situation, try your best to step back, take a few deep breaths, and remember the truths of your faith. Remember Jesus’ cross and resurrection. Remember your Father’s love and protection. Remember that the Holy Spirit lives in you. Remember that you belong to Christ and he will never abandon you. Remember, remember, remember!

As you practice this holy remembering, you’ll feel the Lord standing right beside you. You’ll find the courage to fight your fears and to take the next step forward, whatever your situation. God doesn’t want you to be afraid. He wants you to find all your confidence in him!

“Jesus, help me to hold onto my faith when I am afraid. Lord, I trust in your unending love!”

Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 93:1-2, 5


27 posted on 07/12/2014 2:51:03 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

Marriage=One Man and One Woman 'Til Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for July 12, 2014:

(Reader’s Tip) “My husband leads me to seek God and I lead him to see God in our family.” Recognize the ways in which your spouse is leading you to see God, and thank them.

28 posted on 07/12/2014 3:01:31 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Vultus Christi

Saint John Gualbert

Saturday, 12 July 2014 08:30

Good for Evil and Blessings for Curses

Good rendered for evil; blessings for curses; pardon, peace, concord, and reconciliation. A Collect for the Memorial of Saint John Gualbert speaks the language of the Gospel, ageless and ever new.

Almighty and ever-living God,
source of peace and lover of concord,
to know Thee is to live, to serve Thee is to reign;
establish us in Thy love,
that by the example of the blessed abbot John Gualbert,
we may render good for evil and blessings for curses,
and so obtain from Thee both pardon and peace.

Victory Over Vengeance

John Gualbert’s monastic vocation unfolded in dramatic circumstances. A medieval Florentine nobleman, he lived in an age and culture that, in spite of the Gospel, exalted vengeance as a matter of honour. When his elder brother was murdered, John felt compelled to avenge him.

On a certain Good Friday, riding through a narrow mountain pass, John came face to face with his brother’s killer. The man was alone. The place was isolated. There was no escape. John drew his sword, ready to exact a bloody vengeance. The murderer raised his arms in the form of a cross and, in the Name of Jesus Crucified, begged John’s forgiveness.
The Encounter With Jesus Crucified

Cut to the heart by the grace of the Cross, John dropped his sword, embraced his enemy, and made his way straight to a church in Florence. There, kneeling before the crucifix, John saw Jesus Crucified bow His head, acknowledging his act of forgiveness and, by the same token, forgiving him all his sins. And so, John became a monk.

A splendid stained-glass window telescopes the story into one scene. John is shown as a young nobleman. With his eyes fixed on the image of the Crucified, he is embracing his enemy, the murderer of his brother. The iconography of Saint John Gualbert makes for a fascinating study. In nearly every image the saint is represented looking at Jesus Crucified, embracing Him, or holding the Cross against his heart.

Life in the Shady Valley

After a few years in Florence, a sympathetic Lady Abbess gave John Gualbert land at Vallombrosa — the name means “Shady Valley” — where he established a new monastery. He never became a priest. The Benedictine observance of Vallombrosa was characterized by simplicity, poverty, and the care of the sick in the monastery hospice. In some ways, Saint John Gualbert prefigured Saint Francis of Assisi.

Peace in the Shadow of the Cross

What speaks to us in all of this, I think, is that John Gualbert’s monastic vocation began on Good Friday in a decisive encounter with Jesus Crucified. Saint John Gualbert points to the Cross as the source of all forgiveness and reconciliation, giving peace to those who dwell in the shadow of its branches. “They shall return,” says Hosea, “and dwell beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden” (Hos 14:7).


The reformed Benedictine lectionary offers proper readings today: Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; and Matthew 5:43-48. The lesson taken from Leviticus, speaks powerfully: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbour, lest you bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord” (Lev 19:17-18). The Benedictus Antiphon proposed for today is another stroke of liturgical genius: “Save us, Lord, from our enemies, and from the hands of all who hate us, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:71, 79).

The Face of Christ

The Word of God compels us always to seek the Face of the crucified, risen, and ascended Christ. One cannot look at the Face of Christ and harbour resentment in one’s heart. One cannot look at the Face of Christ and refuse to look at one’s brother. One cannot look at the Face of Christ with compassion and then refuse a look of mercy to one who waits for it.

The Refusal to Look at the Other

It is a matter of simple psychological observation that when one is holding a grudge against another person, one avoids looking at the person’s face. Refusal of the face-to-face is a way of protecting oneself from the heart-to-heart. This is as true of our relations with one another as it is of our relations with Our Lord.

It will be a terrible thing to hear Our Lord say in the hour of judgment: “I sought from you a look of tenderness, a look of reverence, a look of acceptance and you refused to give it to me.” Then one will reply, “Lord, when did I refuse to look at Thee? When did I turn away from Thy Face? I looked at Thee in the Most Holy Eucharist. I contemplated Thine images. I sought Thy Face in the Scriptures.” And He will say, “So often as thou didst refuse thy gaze to one of the least of my brethren, thou didst refuse to look at Me.”

Show Me Your Face That I May Know Your Heart

Ask Saint John Gualbert today to obtain for us the grace to seek always the Face of Jesus Crucified: His Eucharistic Face, His Face hidden in the Scriptures, His Face depicted in holy images — yes — but also His Face in one another. One who refuses to meet the gaze of Our Lord will never come to know the secrets of His Sacred Heart. Quaerite faciem Domini semper. “Seek always the face of the Lord” (Ps 104:4b).


29 posted on 07/12/2014 4:24:10 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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Regnum Christi

Persecution, for Heaven’s Sake.
U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY
July 12, 2014. Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 10:24-33

Jesus said to his Apostles: "No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father´s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are the one constant in my life. You are my beginning and my end. I love you as my savior. I trust you as my closest companion. I hope in you as the one who will welcome me into eternal joy.

Petition: Grant me, Lord, the courage to face persecutions, great and small, for the faith.

1. Forewarned is Forearmed: Jesus´ opponents called him a devil. Either ignorance or hardness of heart prevented them from seeing the good in Our Lord. Opposition to him continues to this day — only now, we receive the brunt of the attacks. Christ warns that his followers will be reviled, just as he was denounced. Hence, it´s no surprise that we are labeled "backward" for our pro-life stance, or "intolerant" because we believe in moral truths. Persecution underscores the authenticity of our faith. If we never face any opposition, we might not be living the faith well enough or publicly enough. How do I handle persecution for my faith?

2. What is True is Always True: Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed. Here, Our Lord assures us that all will be revealed in due time. Lies and fallacies move at the speed of light, thanks to the Internet. Truth seems to travel a lot slower. The problem isn´t new. “For the time will come," St. Paul warned in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, "when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths." Whether it´s the truth about marriage or the dignity of the human embryo, the truth will emerge in the public mind, eventually. Likewise, the truth of Christ has to take root in us if we are to have joy and a sense of meaning. The unhappiest moments of life occur when we stray from Christ´s path. Which vice most needs to be weeded out of my life?

3. Intolerable Tolerance: If we deny Christ, he will deny us at Judgment Day. That´s a sobering thought. So many times the temptation arises to muffle our faith, to give into human respect and keep silent in the face of evil. It can take many forms. We stay mum when a relative brags about moving in with her boyfriend. We say nothing when a fellow Catholic matter-of-factly defends abortion or contraception. Or we as parents fail to intervene when a child spends hours alone on the Internet. All this silence and inaction we chalk up to "tolerance." But Christ didn´t tell his disciples to "Go, be tolerant of all things." Rather, he implored: "Go and make disciples of all nations." Have I kept silent about something when I should have spoken up?

Conversation with Christ: Lord, following you isn´t easy. Attacks can come on all sides: from family, friends, the media. I almost wish Christianity was easier, but then, it wasn´t easy for you, either. So help me avoid complaining. Grant me strength to be daring for you.

Resolution: I will raise a delicate point with someone who needs to hear my Christian witness.


30 posted on 07/12/2014 4:42:13 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 4

<< Saturday, July 12, 2014 >>
 
Isaiah 6:1-8
View Readings
Psalm 93:1-2, 5 Matthew 10:24-33
Similar Reflections
 

AUTHENTIC CHRISTIANS

 
"Whoever acknowledges Me before men I will acknowledge before My Father in heaven." —Matthew 10:32
 

Jesus' disciples are slandered (see Mt 10:25) and persecuted (2 Tm 3:12). Nonetheless, they remain fearless (see Mt 10:26, 28, 31), bold, and free witnesses, acknowledging and proclaiming Jesus, even before the most hostile of men (Mt 10:32). Jesus' disciples are not intimidated and manipulated. In their personal weakness, God's power in them reaches perfection (2 Cor 12:9). They even rejoice that they are judged worthy of ill-treatment for the sake of Jesus' name (Acts 5:41).

The fearless freedom and joyful boldness of Jesus' disciples shocks the world. The worldly find it hard to believe that Christians are really what they seem to be. Some people in this world even ask Christians the reason for their hope, joy, and freedom (1 Pt 3:15). Although the world baits, tests, and fears authentic Christians, it holds them in great esteem (Acts 5:13), while despising phony, lukewarm Christians.

May we all be authentic Christians, a people to be reckoned with and worthy of being persecuted for love of Jesus.

 
Prayer: Father, may zeal for Your house consume me (Jn 2:17).
Promise: " 'Here I am,' I said; 'send me!' " —Is 6:8
Praise: As Fr. Juan suffered from terminal cancer, he publicly witnessed to his faith in Jesus by proclaiming: "I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future."

31 posted on 07/12/2014 5:18:18 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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32 posted on 07/12/2014 5:34:05 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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