Message of 8-11-15

Published: Tue, 08/11/15

Message of the Day

Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all…As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.
- Gilbert Keith (G. K.) Chesterton

(What is the basis of your deepest hope? Why?)

Daily Readings

DT 31:1-8; DT 32:3-4, 7-9,12; MT 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

R. The portion of the Lord is his people.

For I will sing the LORD’s renown.

Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God!

The Rock–how faultless are his deeds,

how right all his ways!

Think back on the days of old,

reflect on the years of age upon age.

Ask your father and he will inform you,

ask your elders and they will tell you.

When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage,

when he parceled out the descendants of Adam,

He set up the boundaries of the peoples

after the number of the sons of Israel.

While the LORD’s own portion was Jacob,

his hereditary share was Israel.

The LORD alone was their leader,

no strange god was with him.

USCCB Lectionary

Reflection on the Scriptures

In today’s reading from Deuteronomy, Moses encourages the people and their new leader Joshua to have courage based on trust in the Lord as they face their new challenges. The responsorial psalm, which provides a message of God’s historical support, also comes from Deuteronomy. In the Gospel, Jesus’ message encourages the faithful to be like a child, that is, like someone living dependent on one’s father/mother, again a message of putting one’s trust in God.

As I imagine myself in the context of these readings, I hear Moses’ call and Jesus’ call to move forward with trust. This is a very challenging message. Trust is hard, particularly when we have been raised with the experience of people preying on human innocence. (As I was writing this, I received a call on my cell phone from a person who claimed there is a problem with my computer, which he could “fix” if I were only to share my username and password.) We all have been tricked and duped multiple times in our past. Even the institutions that we held in such high regard have suffered from corruption. We constantly become aware of things that are not right at the international level, within our own country, in our work environment, in our family and in ourselves. It is hard to trust.

A second theme in these readings that is equally challenging is the call to action. Change is not easy. We are comfortable doing the things with which we are familiar. Moving forward requires effort and potential risk. I see how many decisions are taken to avoid the possibility of an adverse outcome and how few are taken out of a sense of following the call to what we should be doing. We recently celebrated the feast of St. Ignatius and today is the feast of St. Claire. These individuals were risk takers who responded to their call. They were not following the popular culture. There seems to be a history of valuing the soldier of fortune, both in the military sense and in the entrepreneurial sense. The valued fortune of Ignatius and Claire does not fit this mold. They lived out the call to change found in today’s readings.

- by Mike Cherney

Creighton Online Ministries

SPIRITUAL READING

Revelations of Divine Love
- by Julian of Norwich

Chapter 4

“I saw . . . as it were in the time of His Passion . . . And in the same Shewing suddenly the Trinity filled my heart with utmost joy”

IN this [moment] suddenly I saw the red blood trickle down from under the Garland hot and freshly and right plenteously, as it were in the time of His Passion when the Garland of thorns was pressed on His blessed head who was both God and Man, the same that suffered thus for me. I conceived truly and mightily that it was Himself shewed it me, without any mean. [22]

And in the same Shewing suddenly the Trinity fulfilled my heart most of joy. And so I understood it shall be in heaven without end to all that shall come there. For the Trinity is God: God is the Trinity; the Trinity is our Maker and Keeper, the Trinity is our everlasting love and everlasting joy and bliss, by our Lord Jesus Christ. And this was shewed in the First [Shewing] and in all: for where Jesus appeareth, the blessed Trinity is understood, as to my sight.

And I said: Benedicite Domine! This I said for reverence in my meaning, with mighty voice; and full greatly was astonied for wonder and marvel that I had, that He that is so reverend and dreadful will be so homely with a sinful creature living in wretched flesh.

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