Where are you Lord in my life

 

Welcome to my blog and peace be with you.

You will find here the daily readings from the Bible selected for us by the Catholic Church. If we follow them daily, we will go through the whole Bible in the course of time.

Each day we will get our spiritual nourishment. After the readings I give my reflection heard in prayer. As you prayerfully read the Word of God, he will speak to you too.

Your comments and insights are very welcome.

Monday 3 August 2020

Where are you, Lord, in my life?

 

Ps 69: 2, 6

O God, come to my assistance;

O Lord, make haste to help me!

You are my rescuer, my help;

O Lord, do not delay.

 

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Prayer

Draw near to your servants, O Lord,

and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness,

that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide,

you may restore what you have created

and keep safe what you have restored.

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.

 

____________________

 

First reading

Jeremiah 28:1-17

Jeremiah and the lying prophet Hananiah

At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, a Gibeonite, spoke as follows to Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people. ‘The Lord, the God of Israel, says this, “I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. In two years’ time I will bring back all the vessels of the Temple of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carried off from this place and took to Babylon. And I will also bring back Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who have gone to Babylon – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, I am going to break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”’

The prophet Jeremiah then replied to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people there in the Temple of the Lord. ‘I hope so’ the prophet Jeremiah said. ‘May the Lord do so. May he fulfil the words that you have prophesied and bring the vessels of the Temple of the Lord and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. Listen carefully, however, to this word that I am now going to say for you and all the people to hear: From remote times, the prophets who preceded you and me prophesied war, famine and plague for many countries and for great kingdoms; but the prophet who prophesies peace can only be recognised as one truly sent by the Lord when his word comes true.’

The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it. In front of all the people Hananiah then said, ‘The Lord says this, “This is how, two years hence, I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and take it off the necks of all the nations.”’ At this, the prophet Jeremiah went away.

After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke which he had taken off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah the word of the Lord was addressed to Jeremiah, ‘Go to Hananiah and tell him this, “The Lord says this: You can break wooden yokes? Right, I will make them iron yokes instead! For the Lord Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: An iron yoke is what I now lay on the necks of all these nations to subject them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. They will be subject to him; I have even given him the wild animals.”’

The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, ‘Listen carefully, Hananiah: the Lord has not sent you; and thanks to you this people are now relying on what is false. Hence – the Lord says this, “I am going to throw you off the face of the earth: you are going to die this year since you have preached apostasy from the Lord.”’

The prophet Hananiah died the same year, in the seventh month.

THE WORD OF THE LORD

 

Prayerful reflection

In the throes of every day life who can say who speaks on behalf of God. Jeremiah preaches a truth which no one wants to hear, namely, that Jerusalem will be destroyed because of the sinfulness of the people. Hananiah also speaks as if on behalf of God. He promises that God is going to intervene and save the country. He is a mighty God and will save the people he has chosen as his own. By their fruits you will know, Jesus tells us. The word of Jeremiah came true and so the people realised that he was the true prophet of God. As John says in his letter, we need to discern to discover whether it is the Spirit of God that speaks through others or through us.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118(119):29,43,79-80,95,102

Lord, teach me your statutes.

Keep me from the way of error

and teach me your law.

Do not take the word of truth from my mouth

for I trust in your decrees.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

.

Let your faithful turn to me,

those who know your will.

Let my heart be blameless in your statutes

lest I be ashamed.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

Though the wicked lie in wait to destroy me

yet I ponder your will.

I have not turned from your decrees;

you yourself have taught me.

Lord, teach me your statutes.

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Gospel Acclamation

Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;

No one can come to the Father except through me.

Alleluia!

 

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Gospel

Matthew 14:22-36

Jesus walks on the water

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost’ they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’

Having made the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the local people recognised him they spread the news through the whole neighbourhood and took all that were sick to him, begging him just to let them touch the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched it were completely cured. THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

We may wonder that Jesus who did such mighty things in the days when on earth, now is very silent. He is indeed silent but he is not inactive. Jesus will never impose himself. However, he is always present in the storms and hardships of life for those who want him. We need to have the kind of relationship with him that the disciples in the boat had. To experience Jesus in our life, we must first cultivate a close relationship of love and friendship with him. Without this he will appear to us distant and unconcerned. The truth is, we are the ones distant and unconcerned, about him. By daily personal prayer we need to build up our relationship with him. Then in every situation in life we can ask: ‘where are you Lord in this’. Let it be a sickness, a financial problem, a relationship problem. He is there for those who seek him. When we meet him, everything changes. Faith is a challenge. In the darkness of life, we pray with the psalmist: my soul clings to you and your right hand holds me fast’ (Ps.63). Lord I will never leave you, day by day I will come to you in prayer and fall at your feet. You are my shepherd and I will lack nothing. In the end you will save me too.

 

Jn 6: 35

I am the bread of life, says the Lord;

whoever comes to me will not hunger

and whoever believes in me will not thirst.

 

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Prayer

Accompany with constant protection, O Lord,

those you renew with these heavenly gifts

and, in your never-failing care for them,

make them worthy of eternal redemption.

Through Christ our Lord.