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Message of the Day
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Faith is not so much belief about God as it is total, personal trust
in God, rising to a personal fellowship with God that is stronger than anxiety and guilt, loneliness and all manner of disaster. The Christian’s faith in Christ is trust in a Living Person, once crucified, dead, and buried, and now living forevermore. Call it, if you will, an assumption that ends as an assurance, or an experiment that ends as an experience, Christian faith is in fact a commitment that ends as a communion.
… Frederick Ward Kates
(How does this speak to your experience of faith?)
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Readings of the Day
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Jer 15:10, 16-21; Ps 59:2-3, 4, 10-11, 17, 18
Mt 13:44-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a
merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys
it."
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy.” —Jeremiah 15:16 When we find God’s kingdom, we are willing to joyfully sell
all that we have to buy it as if it were buried treasure (Mt 13:44). “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of justice, peace, and the joy that is given by the Holy Spirit” (Rm 14:17). The joy of God’s kingdom is indescribable (1 Pt 1:8), divine, and complete (Jn 15:11). This indescribable joy is far beyond what most people mean by “joy.” Divine joy is always (Phil 4:4) and forever. This complete joy is not at all weakened by suffering. Rather, it reaches greater depths
in suffering with Christ and for the Church (see Col 1:24; 1 Pt 4:13). Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). No one can produce divine joy except the Holy Spirit. However, the Spirit will not force this joy on us. We must freely decide to accept divine joy and the Holy Spirit on His terms. This often means being docile to the Spirit by renouncing ourselves more (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 736) and crucifying our “flesh with
its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24). Otherwise, we will trade the chance to have divine, indescribable joy for momentary pleasures or comforts. Don’t choose a lifestyle which will disqualify you from divine, everlasting joy. Choose joy! Prayer: Father, I pray for You to send the Holy Spirit to renew my Baptism and Confirmation so as to produce divine joy in me forever. Promise:
“If you repent, so that I restore you, in My presence you shall stand; if you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be My mouthpiece.” —Jer 15:19 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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Readings from Jesus Alive in Our Lives, by Philip St. Romain. Ave Maria Press, 1985. Contemplative Ministries, Inc. 2011. Part Three, Gift of the Spirit Chapter 6: The Gift of Tongues
(Glossalalia) - Selected quotes
In their excellent book on Christian prayer and commitment, Friendship With Jesus (Dove Publications, 1974), Joseph Lange, OSFS, and Anthony Gushing suggest the following approach to asking for and receiving the gift of tongues:
“Step 1. To receive the gift of tongues, begin by relaxing. It is not something you can do for yourself, so there is no point in becoming all worked up trying to get it. You don’t get it, you receive it. Find the most relaxing place and position you can. One person I know received it in the bathtub! “Step 2. Enter into God’s presence. Focus your attention on the presence of Jesus, the giver of the
gift. We do not baptize in the Spirit. We do not give the gifts. Jesus does. Focus on his presence. Remember his perfect love for you. “Step 3. Ask Him to stir up the Spirit within you, to pour out His Spirit upon you, to fill you up so that it rushes out of you in this new language of prayer. “Step 4. Open your mouth and speak out, your mind
and heart on him. Speak out in anything but your native language. Let the Spirit form the language, the syllables. Praise him. “If, after a few minutes, Jesus has not given you this gift, switch to your native language and give praise to him. Be silent for a while. Talk to him again and try again. Be persevering but don’t be excessive. If you don’t receive it, try again another time and follow the
advice we gave above. “Praise God, the giver of all good gifts."
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