Weekdays of 16th week in Ordinary Time

The Way to Know Jesus

 

We get to know Jesus through the Gospels. We read a part of a Gospel, understand it and then discover through prayer God's message for us.

Jesus is a real Person. We can get to know him but like everything worth doing we have to work at it. It is through faith not sight.

First we have to give time each day. Without giving time each day we shouldn't expect any results.

Second, we need silence and solitude so that we can enter into 'the cave of our hearts'.

Third, we need to pray that God's Holy Spirit come upon us.When his Spirit comes upon us, he will lead us . The Spirit is the key.

Fourth, we must realise that Jesus is present deep within us. We need to make contact with him. We are to sit quietly in his presence. See yourself as "The prodigal son returned", "The tax collector in the Temple", "Mary at his feet" or any other person in the Gospel who meets Jesus.. To help you concentrate your mind and heart on him, you can recite a word or phrase (no more than seven syllables) such as "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus". "Jesus, my Saviour", "Jesus, I sit before you", "Jesus, my Lord & my God" .

At first try ten minutes every day, sitting quietly and comfortably all alone. Do this sincerely every day without fail and over the weeks and months you will notice a difference and people will notice a difference in you too. The more generous you are, the more you will be able to receive. Jesus will be at work in you and create a spring of peace within you. The secret is not effort but fidelity to it day by day.

Monday 19th July 2010

Mt 12:38-42

Gospel

The Son of man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights

First century tomb in Palestine

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees spoke up. 'Master,' they said, 'we should like to see a sign from you.' ³⁹ He replied, 'It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah remained in the belly of the sea-monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. ⁴¹ On Judgement Day the men of Nineveh will appear against this generation and they will be its condemnation, because when Jonah preached they repented; and look, there is something greater than Jonah here. ⁴² On Judgement Day the Queen of the South will appear against this generation and be its condemnation, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look, there is something greater than Solomon here

Jesus calls his generation an ‘adulterous generation’.  Like an unfaithful spouse who pretends to be loyal, yet at the same time has another lover so Jesus’ opponents appear so religious. They go through the externals of religion scrupulously. Yet their heart is far from God and they have another love, their own egos. Jesus sees through their hypocrisy. The only sign will be his resurrection brought about by their murdering of him. Even that sign will be rejected. How do we stand? Is our religion sincere and from the heart? Have you opened yourself to Jesus? Do you accept him not just as founder, and great person but as Saviour and friend who is here and close to you. Jesus calls you too, just as he appealed to the scribes and Pharisees. He is as here today as he was then. What is your response to him? What is your stand?

Tuesday 20^th July 2010

Mt 12:46-50

Gospel

⁴⁶ He was  still speaking to the crowds when suddenly his mother and his brothers were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. ⁴⁸ But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, 'Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?' ⁴⁹ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. ⁵⁰ Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother

Jesus has been rejected by the towns where he preached and worked so many miracles, then by the scribes and the Pharisees who even want to kill him. He has chosen his disciples. They too will be rejected. Now his mother and brothers are standing outside – they are not part of the crowd listening to his Word. They are anxious to speak to him. Jesus doesn’t reject them but his position is clear. He is from above. He doesn’t belong to this world. His family is his Father’s. Those who accept him and do the will of his Father are members of his family. His earthly family is outside. They come in if they do his Father’s will. Luke tells us his mother is first: “I am the handmaid of the Lord”. Where does your loyalty rest?  Are you a member of his family? How close are you to Jesus?

Wednesday 21^st July 2010

Mt 13:1-9

Gospel

That same day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, ² but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the shore, ³ and he told them many things in parables. He said, 'Listen, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once, because there was no depth of earth; ⁶ but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. ⁷ Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ Anyone who has ears should listen!'

Jesus teaches the crowds in parables. On the surface parables are interesting stories but there is a deeper message for those who think.. Jesus begins his teaching with the sower. The remarkable thing is the seed. It can produce a hundredfold. That is an unbelievable crop. A hundred bags for every bag sown. Some seed falls here and there. It is to be expected. But the seed that falls on the land prepared for it produces a great harvest. Even thirty grains to one is very good.  The Word of Jesus can produce in us unbelievable results if we accept it. The sower doesn’t just sow once. Sowing time comes round again and again. We can always open ourselves to his Word. Are you ready to allow it to fall in your heart? Are you ready to receive it with all your heart? Do you want a hundredfold crop?

Thursday 22^nd July 2010 Feast of Mary Magdalen special readings

Matthew 13:10-17

These words are to be understood in the light of the parable of the sower. The Word is capable of producing a hundredfold but it needs good soil. Who receives the Word like that? Even disciples do not all receive it in the same way. The crowds show some interest but their hearts are closed to his Word, to repentance and becoming his disciples. God calls them but their hearts are coarse. They are bored if Jesus speaks directly. So he tells them parables. But who wants to know the Truth and be committed disciples? It is the same today. Who wants to give up their egos and open themselves fully to Jesus?   Do you want Jesus to enter into your life so that you refuse him nothing? Do you want him to be the dominant person in your life, close and intimate? How much harvest do you want?

Reflection for the Feast of Mary Magdalene

John 20:1-2, 11-18

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb ² and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb,' she said, 'and we don't know where they have put him.'

But Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, as she wept, she stooped to look inside, ¹² and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. ¹³ They said, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have put him.' ¹⁴ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.' ¹⁶ Jesus said, 'Mary!' She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbuni!' -- which means Master. ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' ¹⁸ So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that he had said these things to her

Mary’s focus is Jesus. She goes to the tomb looking for Jesus. The tomb is empty and she runs to tell the apostles. She returns to the tomb. Where else to go? That was the last place she had seen Jesus. There was no point in going home. At a loss she stays there weeping. She looks into the tomb. There are two angels. She doesn’t notice them so focussed is she on Jesus. She talks to them as if they are ordinary people and had been there all the time. Her interest is Jesus. Then she sees Jesus but does not recognise him until he speaks to her. She falls at his feet. But Jesus sends her on a mission. She goes at once and says to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”. Is this not the story of everyone who loves Jesus? Is it yours today?

Friday 23^rd July 2010

Mathew 13:18-23

'So pay attention to the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the Evil One comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the seed sown on the edge of the path. ²⁰ The seed sown on patches of rock is someone who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. ²¹ But such a person has no root deep down and does not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, at once he falls away. ²² The seed sown in thorns is someone who hears the word, but the worry of the world and the lure of riches choke the word and so it produces nothing. ²³ And the seed sown in rich soil is someone who hears the word and understands it; this is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.'

Jesus stresses that we must understand the Word. It is not enough to simply hear it. The harvest comes to the ones who hear and understand and so are able to receive it into their hearts. The hearing of the Word is critical for us. We cannot sit on the fence regarding Jesus. We have to respond with acceptance or rejection. Those who for one reason or another do not receive Him wholeheartedly reject him and those who do receive him receive him in varying degrees. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us a new heart (Ez.36) and is our Teacher. Our response to Jesus depends on our surrender and cooperation with the Spirit. To open ourselves to the Spirit is to allow the Word to produce a harvest. Total surrender to the Spirit will produce a hundredfold.  Do you live in the Spirit? How far have you surrendered?

Saturday 24th July 2010

Mathew 13:24-30

He put another parable before them, 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. ²⁶ When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as well. ²⁷ The owner's labourers went to him and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?" ²⁸ He said to them, "Some enemy has done this." And the labourers said, "Do you want us to go and weed it out?" ²⁹ But he said, "No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. ³⁰ Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn."

When God made the world he saw that it was very good. The Church too is the Bride of Christ. This is the seed. It is perfect and capable of producing a perfect crop. But when we look at the world and see the Church we observe something different. Why? There is an enemy. He tried to destroy the Seed itself when the Word walked this earth. Jesus was too much for him and do what he could he never lured Jesus away from God’s love. Having failed with the Seed, he attacks the field. Darnel, imitation wheat, is everywhere. We don’t know who’s who? We don’t even know ourselves. Today we are so faithful but tomorrow? Who can guarantee that? Jesus is a patient farmer. He doesn’t want to lose any of us. Fortunately in real life ‘darnel’ can become wheat before the final harvest. What are you?