Love is the fulfillment of the Law

 

Welcome to my blog and peace be with you.

You will find the Scripture readings assigned for today by the Catholic Church and a prayerful reflection upon them.

May God bless you through his Word.

Tuesday 25 August 2020

Love is th fulfillment of the Law 

Ps 85: 1-3

Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me;

save the servant who trusts in you, my God.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all day long.

 

____________________

 

Prayer

O God, who cause the minds of the faithful

to unite in a single purpose,

grant your people to love what you command

and to desire what you promise,

that, amid the uncertainties of this world,

our hearts may be fixed on that place

where true gladness is found.

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.

 

____________________

 

 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3,14-17 ·

Stand firm and keep the traditions we have taught you

To turn, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived. Never let anyone deceive you in this way.

Through the Good News that we brought God called you to this so that you should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who has given us his love and, through his grace, such inexhaustible comfort and such sure hope, comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say. THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

The Person of Jesus and our relationship with him is the heart and soul of our religion. Jesus calls us to one day live with him in his glory – something we can in no way imagine or conceive. That is the goal of our existence.

But, even now in faith, we can share his life and he will share our life. The relationship of love which we will have when all is fulfilled, can begin now. It begins by getting to know who Jesus is and through constant prayer building up a real relationship with him. This is the seed that will grow into the flower. It is all one process. Are you on the way?

 

_______________

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 95(96):10-13

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’

The world he made firm in its place;

he will judge the peoples in fairness.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,

let the sea and all within it thunder praise,

let the land and all it bears rejoice,

all the trees of the wood shout for joy

at the presence of the Lord for he comes,

he comes to rule the earth.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

With justice he will rule the world,

he will judge the peoples with his truth.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

 

____________________

 

Heb4:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of God is something alive and active:

it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.

Alleluia!

 

____________________

 

Gospel

Matthew 23:23-26

Clean the inside of the cup first, so that the outside may become clean

Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, without neglecting the others. You blind guides! Straining out gnats and swallowing camels!

‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well.’ THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

 

Prayerful reflection

“These you should have practised, without neglecting the others.” We must keep all the Commandments of God. But, why do we keep them? This is the question we must ask ourselves. To really keep Go’s Commandments, there should be only ONE reason. I love Jesus and wish to please him in all things. So, I will not do anything that displeases him.

Do I try to know Jesus as an intimate friend? Do I live with him and for him?