Allow Him to make a masterpiece

Welcome to my blog and peace be with you!

You will find here, daily readings from the Scriptures with a prayerful reflexion. Reading slowly and prayerfully the Word of God is the way to get into contact with Him. The reflection may help you turn to God, who has revealed himself in his Son, Jesus, himself God.

I follow the sequential readings given us by the Catholic Church for each day.

The Word of God is like the rain. As the rain bring fruitfulness to the earth, may his Word bear abundant fruit in your life. God can make anything of anyone. There’s hope for you and me.

I will be happy to receive your comments and also any question you may have about the Scriptures or the Catholic Faith.

 

Thursday 30 July 2020

Allow Him to make a masterpiece

Ps 67: 6-7, 36

God is in his holy place,

God who unites those who dwell in his house;

he himself gives might and strength to his people.

 

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Prayer

Father in heaven, you protect all those who put their hope in you.

Without you we are nothing. Pour down your mercy upon us,

so that we may use the good things of this world

in accordance with your will,

while keeping our minds on the eternal treasures

that await us.

We make our prayer through your Son,

Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

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First reading

Jeremiah 18:1-6

When the clay goes wrong, the potter starts afresh

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Get up and make your way down to the potter’s house; there I shall let you hear what I have to say.’ So I went down to the potter’s house; and there he was, working at the wheel. And whenever the vessel he was making came out wrong, as happens with the clay handled by potters, he would start afresh and work it into another vessel, as potters do. Then this word of the Lord was addressed to me, ‘House of Israel, cannot I do to you what this potter does? – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine, House of Israel.’ THE WORDOF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

This parable contains a consoling truth for us all. It is that as long as we are in this world, we are unfired clay. We are like wet malleable clay in the hands of the potter. He can make anything out of it. If the first attempt is a mess, he can then make something else. That something else may be a masterpiece. ‘Every saint has a past, every sinner a future’. All we need to do is to learn to surrender to the divine Potter and allow him to do his work.  ‘How to surrender?’ we may ask. As the clay must be in the hands of the potter, so we must be in the presence of the Lord. We need to learn to sit quietly and relaxed in the presence of the One who is creating us. Creation is not a one-off act. He continues to correct and to perfect his work. Daily sitting quietly without disturbance, relax in his presence; there is no problem he cannot solve. Reach out to him in love. A simple and perfect prayer is to repeat the holy name of ‘Jesus’ as we focus on him. Who does not like his/her name to be called in love? Do it every day and allow him to do his work.

 

 

l Psalm

Psalm 1456:2-6

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.

My soul, give praise to the Lord.

I will praise the Lord all my days,

make music to my God while I live.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.

Put no trust in princes,

In mortal men in whom there is no help.

Take their breath, they return to clay

and their plans that day come to nothing.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

who alone made heaven and earth,

the seas and all they contain.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.

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Jn15:15

cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

 

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Gospel

Matthew 13:47-53

The fishermen collect the good fish and throw away those that are no use

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

‘Have you understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’ THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

 

Prayerful reflection

Parables have only one main thrust. The thrust of this parable about the dragnet is that whether we like to think of it or not, in the end there will be a reckoning for everyone. Life is not a pure gift with which we can do what we like. It is more like a loan which has to be returned with interest. So we need to put our house in order while we have time. However, we are not fish. An inedible fish is always inedible, but a sinner need not always be a sinner. He can quite easily become a saint. Before the net is dragged in, let us make sure we become saints.

 

 

 

Ps 102: 2

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and never forget all his benefits.

 

 

Prayer

Father in heaven,

through your Word

you give us instruction and food for our life. 

grant that we may not harden our hearts,

but listen to you daily. May your Word

bear fruit in our life.

We make our prayer through your Son,

Christ Jesus our Lord.