The Lord rescued me

Friday 5 June 2020

The Lord rescued me

Phil 2: 30

This Saint went as far as death,

handing over his life to destruction

for the work of Christ.

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Prayer

Lord, loving Father, through your power in the Sacrament of Baptism you have given us the same Spirit that you gave your Son. May we be filled with your Spirit as he was. In our daily life may we follow in the footsteps of our Lord by the power of your Holy Spirit. We make this prayer through your Son, Christ our Lord.

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First reading

2 Timothy 3:10-17 ·

Anyone who tries to live in devotion to Christ will be attacked

You know what I have taught, how I have lived, what I have aimed at; you know my faith, my patience and my love; my constancy and the persecutions and hardships that came to me in places like Antioch, Iconium and Lystra – all the persecutions I have endured; and the Lord has rescued me from every one of them. You are well aware, then, that anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be attacked; while these wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves.

You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures – from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work. THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

“the persecutions and hardships that came to me: the Lord has rescued me from every one of them”.

Paul had a personal relationship with the Risen Jesus. It was in faith, but it was real and personal. This is why he could say, that Jesus had rescued him from all his difficulties. Paul had to suffer innumerable hardships and persecutions. Jesus did not give him an easy life. But because he experienced Jesus as with him, he was able to bear cheerfully any hardship.

“from these (Scriptures) you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation. Our life, as the psalmist says, is like the grass that springs up in the morning, blossoms and fades by evening. In these few days we have on earth, we should learn the wisdom that give us eternal life. How do I learn the wisdom? It is from understanding the message of God. God will speak to the attentive soul through the Word we read. Let us read the Scripture, praying constantly to the Holy Spirit to enlighten us. It is not how much we read, but how well we read, that is important.

How can we understand the Scriptures? “You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true”. It was the Catholic Church that decided what books were inspired by the Holy Spirit, because it decided they taught the truth proclaimed by Jesus. The same Catholic Church under the guidance of the Spirit tells us how to understand the Word in the Bible. We cannot just interpret it as we like. Truth is one. We can’t hold different interpretations and accept all as true.

Do you read the Scriptures daily listening to the Holy Spirit inspiring you?

How do you know that your interpretation is true? It will not contradict the teaching of the true Church of Jesus Christ which is the source of the New Testament under the Spirit of God.

Psalm

Psalm 119:157,160-161,165-166,168

The lovers of your law have great peace.

Though my foes and oppressors are countless

I have not swerved from your will.

Your word is founded on truth,

your decrees are eternal.

The lovers of your law have great peace.

Though princes oppress me without cause

I stand in awe of your word.

The lovers of your law have great peace;

they never stumble.

The lovers of your law have great peace.

I await your saving help, O Lord,

I fulfil your commands.

I obey your precepts and your will;

all that I do is before you.

The lovers of your law have great peace.

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Gospel Acclamation

.Ps18:9

Alleluia,

Your words gladden the heart, O Lord,

they give light to the eyes.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Mark 12:35-37

'David himself calls him Lord'

At that time while teaching in the Temple, Jesus said, ‘How can the scribes maintain that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, moved by the Holy Spirit, said:

The Lord said to my Lord:

Sit at my right hand

and I will put your enemies

under your feet.

David himself calls him Lord, in what way then can he be his son?’ And the great majority of the people heard this with delight. THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

Though truly God, Jesus emptied himself of his divine dignity and became a human being in every way like us, except he did not sin. His life style and his teaching met great opposition from the establishment. They had long since decided to kill him and he knew it. What was his response? First, he trusted in the God of justice and truth who would vindicate him and so always did his will regardless (Hebrews 12:3). He did not take the attacks of his enemies lying down. He answered them in an irrefutable way. He revealed their hypocrisy and the emptiness of their charges. However, he refused to take their path of violence. Until his time came, he escaped their hands and told his disciples, ‘if they persecute in one town, flee to another’. When his hour had come, he freely allowed them to take him. ‘If you seek me, then let these men go’ (John 18:8). He prayed for his enemies and loved them to the end. He prayed that the Father would forgive them. In the end, he handed over his spirit – ‘Father into your hands I commit my spirit’.

We too can follow Jesus, if we too, like him, are possessed of God’s Spirit. Are you willing to follow?

His enemies have asked him many questions to try and show him as a charlatan but have failed. Today Jesus ask them a question.  As a descendant of David, he is his son, but as the anointed Messiah and Saviour of the world he is his Lord. His enemies had hardened their hearts (Psalm 95) and so could not and would not answer. Do you accept Jesus as your Lord?

Mk 8: 35

Whoever loses his life for the sake of the Gospel

will save it, says the Lord.

Prayer

Father, we believe in Jesus with all our hearts, but we are weak human beings. Strengthen us by the power of your Holy Spirit to be people of justice and outreach in love to the oppressed and suffering. We make our prayer through your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord..