Lord, when will we see your face?

CATHOLIC DAILY SCRIPTURE READING

Welcome to my blog. The Catholic Church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives us each day at least two readings from the Bible, plus several verses from a psalm which is an inspired response to one of the readings, normally the first.

There is a cycle (a two-year cycle for weekdays and a three-year cycle for Sundays) which covers the major parts of the Old Testament, the Gospels and the New Testament writings.

Through these readings we get our spiritual nourishment. In my blog I give the readings and the inspirations I have received in prayer. I want to share them with others. If they help some to get in touch with God and his image in this world, Jesus the Christ, then my purpose will be fulfilled. May God bless you through his Spirit.

If we wish to grow spiritually, then we must set aside time each day to prayerfully read the WORD OF GOD. In silence we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the reading. We can respond with the PSALM.

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Friday 22 May 2020

Lord, when will we see your face?

Rv 5: 9-10

You have redeemed us, Lord, by your Blood

from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

and have made us into a kingdom, priests for our God, alleluia.

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Prayer

Father, you speak to us through your Word. When we listen in faith, your Word is creative and has the power to sanctify us. May your Word in the Gospel bring about in us, your children, all that you promise by it. We make our prayer through your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.

Acts 18:9-18 ·

'I have many people on my side in this city'

At Corinth one night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ So Paul stayed there preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months.

But, while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. ‘We accuse this man’ they said ‘of persuading people to worship God in a way that breaks the Law.’ Before Paul could open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘Listen, you Jews. If this were a misdemeanour or a crime, I would not hesitate to attend to you; but if it is only quibbles about words and names, and about your own Law, then you must deal with it yourselves – I have no intention of making legal decisions about things like that.’ Then he sent them out of the court, and at once they all turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue president, and beat him in front of the court house. Gallio refused to take any notice at all.

After staying on for some time, Paul took leave of the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut off, because of a vow he had made.

Prayerful reflection

Like all of us at times, Paul too needed encouragement. Everywhere he went his own people, the Jews, violently opposed him. Jesus, himself, strengthens his resolve. If we are able to have a living relationship with Jesus, he will give us courage too. It may not be in such a dramatic way as described by Luke here, but it will be equally real.

Do you expect Jesus to speak to you? Do you want him to speak to you? Do ­­you prepare your heart in silence for his inspiration? Without silence in our life, the noise of this world and our life will make the soft and gentle voice of the Lord inaudible.

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Psalm

Psalm 47:2-7

God is king of all the earth.

All peoples, clap your hands,

cry to God with shouts of joy!

For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,

great king over all the earth.

God is king of all the earth.

He subdues peoples under us

and nations under our feet.

Our inheritance, our glory, is from him,

given to Jacob out of love.

God is king of all the earth.

God goes up with shouts of joy;

the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.

Sing praise for God, sing praise,

sing praise to our king, sing praise.

God is king of all the earth.

Gospel

John 16:20-23

Your hearts will be full of joy that no-one will take from you

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

you will be weeping and wailing

while the world will rejoice;

you will be sorrowful,

but your sorrow will turn to joy.

A woman in childbirth suffers,

because her time has come;

but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering

in her joy that a man has been born into the world.

So it is with you: you are sad now,

but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy,

and that joy no one shall take from you.

When that day comes,

you will not ask me any questions.’ THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

The Christian life is not just a nominal or even active membership in a visible community, called the Church. It is a loving relationship with Jesus, Son of God and Son of man. It starts in my heart but leads me into fellowship with all those who have this relationship. Every true disciple longs to see Jesus, longs to share their life with him in a visible and loving union. This can certainly happen in this life, even as much as in heaven, but only in a relationship of faith. Faith is always darkness, often aridity. We have the relationship and we know it too, but we long for the flowering of this in vision. This will only come after our life here is over.

At his death on the Cross, the disciples were shattered and filled with utter grief and despondency. On Easter day when they saw the Lord, they were fill with joy. After the Ascension like us all, they had to live by faith. Their experience however changed their lives and the witness they gave. They were willing to die for what they knew and they did.

If we want to have their experience, then each day we must enter into the presence of Jesus in silence. We must cut out all noise, internal and external. We come as we are, without any coverup or pretence. We come with our sins, with all our weakness. But we come in all sincerity: ‘Lord show me your Face’. Do this daily without fail and he will gradually reveal himself to you. then you will experience the joy, he promises.

Rm 4: 25

Christ our Lord was handed over for our transgressions

and was raised again for our justification, alleluia.

Prayer

Father, you have saved us from eternal death through the Passion and Death of Jesus. Keep safe all those redeemed by his Blood, that they may rejoice in the experience of his Resurrection. We make our prayer through your Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord.