THE CONCHO PADRE POST(Vatican Radio) The church exists for courageously proclaiming -until martyrdom- Christ, to serve and “take nothing for herself”. In his homily at morning Mass on Monday, Pope Francis pointed to St. John the Baptist as model for Church: he didn’t claim the Truth, the Word as his own; he diminished himself so Christ could shine. Read more.
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Grant,
we pray, almighty God,
that your family may walk in the way of salvation and,
attentive to what Saint John the Precursor urged,
may come safely to the One he foretold, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.
Gospel Lk 1:57-66, 80
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.”
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?”
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit,
and he was in the desert until the day
of his manifestation to Israel.
(Vatican Radio) This morning, Pope Francis celebrated mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. About 40 apostolic nuncios, who remained in the Vatican after the Pope’s meeting with them on Friday, were present. Commenting on the Sunday Gospel from Luke, in which Jesus asks the Apostles, “But who do you say that I am?”, the Pope underlined that we need to respond to Jesus from the heart, inspired by our veneration for him and from the rock of his love. Here is the report from Vatican Radio.
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(Vatican Radio) The riches and the cares of the world “choke the Word of God,” said Pope Francis at Mass this morning at the Casa Santa Marta. The Pope pointed out that our life is set on three pillars: election, covenant, and promise, adding that we must trust the Father in living in the present without worrying about what will happen. Read more.
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(Vatican Radio) Ask God for the grace of a heart that knows how to love; and do not let yourself be led away by useless treasures. That was Pope Francis’ message in his homily Friday morning at his daily Mass. Read more
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O God,
strength of those who hope in you,
graciously hear our pleas, and,
since without you mortal frailty can do nothing,
grant us always the help of your grace,
that in following your commands we may please you
by our resolve and our deeds.
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.
– Amen.
Gospel Lk 7:36—8:3
A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher, ” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven
because she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others who provided for them
out of their resources.
(Vatican Radio) Christian life is not a spa therapy “to be at peace until Heaven,” but it calls us to go out into the world to proclaim that Jesus “became the sinner” to reconcile men with the Father. These were Pope Francis’ words during his homily at Mass Saturday at the Casa Santa Martha. Read more.
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Scripture Commentary – June 23
June 23, Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cycle C. Readings:
1) Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1
Psalm: 63:2-6, 8-9
2) Galatians 3:26-29
Gospel: Luke 9:18-24
If we’ve ever thought the phrase “timing is everything” carried a lot of wisdom, this week’s Scriptures confirm that. Whether it’s asking for a raise or correcting a friend, we know that there is a time when an action will bear fruit, but there may be many others when it could cause disaster.
If we think we have mastered the art of timing, think how much more accurate must be the timing of the One who created time and exists outside its realm.
In the Luke reading, Jesus asks his disciples who they say he is. Correctly, “Peter said in reply, ‘The Christ of God.'” Then Jesus rebuked his disciples for their answers, forbidding them from speaking of his identity because the time was not right, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes.”
The time for proclaiming who Jesus was and why he had come had not arrived. This is a very mysterious passage until two books of the Bible later, in the second chapter of Acts, when on the streets of Jerusalem Peter and the disciples make their proclamation of who Jesus is and why he came.
At that point the time was ripe: The proclamation would bear great fruit when 3,000 conversions to this new message of the resurrected Messiah would take place on the very first day Peter and his brothers spoke out on Pentecost.
How often have we wondered about the will of God in our lives, wishing he would simply come out and tell us what to do? Maybe we need to take a lesson from both Luke’s Gospel and the second chapter of Acts. Perhaps we know what God wants us to do and proclaim, but, at the same time, we will only know the proper time of fulfillment by listening for the Spirit of God to speak to our hearts.
QUESTIONS:
Has God asked you to speak or act in obedience to him? Is it something (like giving to the poor or being faithful to your spouse) that simply requires obedience, or are you waiting for a particular time when the action will be most appropriate or effective?
SCRIPTURE TO BE ILLUSTRATED:
“O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts.” — Psalm 63:2
From Catholic News Service
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