Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Finding God's love in fertile soil

Good News Reflection
Wednesday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
January 27, 2010

Today's Saint: Angela Merici
Pray for the handicapped:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/AngelaMerici.htm

Today's Readings:
2 Sam 7:4-17
Ps 89:4-5, 27-30
Mark 4:1-20
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012710.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_27.mp3

Finding God's love in fertile soil

In today's responsorial Psalm, the Lord says, "Forever I will maintain my love for my servant." For YOU! Can you feel it? Do you believe it always, even when times are hard and he's apparently not responding to your prayers?

Our reactions to life's happenings reveal how much we truly believe that God loves us and cares about us in all things and no matter what. Let's look at why this happens, using the different types of soils in today's Gospel passage.

Sometimes we listen to the truth only on the surface (the path), because we've been hardened by falsehoods. We hear the truth, but the winds of distraction or turmoil or false impressions blow it away. For example, we hear that God forgives us when we repent, but we have a hard time admitting our sins, because when we were children we didn't understand the love behind the punishments that our parents meted out. Thus today we'd rather fool ourselves into thinking that a sin is not a sin in order to avoid what is really a wrong image of God the Father.

Sometimes we accept the truth joyfully, but we forget it when hit by hardships or persecution (the rocky ground). We feel God's love only while life is easy. When the rocks stub our toes, we forget about God's love and we try to deal with the problems our own way: We get rid of the person who's hurting us, or we jump to solutions without praying for discernment, or we get angry at God instead of connecting our sufferings to the Cross of Christ.

Sometimes we listen only half-heartedly to the truth. We let worldliness, anxieties, cravings, etc., (the thorns) choke it off. We know about God's love, but we neglect to quiet down long enough to bask in it. We get too busy with our own agendas, too busy solving problems, too busy rushing into decisions and the fulfillment of our desires. We fail to wait on God's perfect timing and wisdom.

And sometimes we allow the truth to penetrate into the depths of our hearts (the rich soil), and it bears much fruit. Think about the richness of your soil. Notice what's growing in your daily circumstances. What decisions and behaviors are producing God's love and nourishing others? Here is where you truly believe that God loves you.

To let the truth sink in deeply, we have to dig out the falsehoods that we believe and we have to learn why they are false. We have to realize that every trouble can strengthen us and that we are closer to Christ when we embrace our crosses instead of dumping them in an elusive search for an easier life. We have to identify our worldliness, let it go, and keep our eyes on Jesus.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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Jesus as your brother

Good News Reflection
Tuesday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
January 26, 2010

Today's Memorial: Saints Timothy and Titus
Pray for partners in spreading the Good News:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Timothy.htm

Today's Readings:
2 Tim 1:1-8 or Titus 1:1-5
Ps 96:1-3, 7-8a
Mark 3:31-35
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012610.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_26.mp3

Jesus as your brother

All too often as adults we have better relationships with friends than we do with our brothers and sisters and parents. Family relationships are supposed to last a lifetime. God's plan for marriage and family – as modeled by the Holy Family – is for us to be a community of faithful love even during disagreements and even despite knowing each other's short-comings so well.

But what happens when a family member doesn't want to belong to God's family? That's when relationships become most difficult. Jesus said that following him means leaving mother and father and sister and brother (see Matt. 10:34-36) when they aren't following him with us. But oh how grievous it is to leave behind members of our families!

This is why God gives us brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers in Christian community, i.e., people who are not blood relatives but are related to us by the Blood of Christ. This is the kind of family that Jesus talks about in today's Gospel passage. God is our Divine Father, and doing his will unites us to him. ALL those who do his will are united to him. Therefore, when we do the Father's will we are bonded to everyone else in his family.

At the top of the list of Blood relatives is our brother Jesus. What's it like to have God for a brother?

Recall the best time you ever had with an earthly relative. Remember the camaraderie, the companionship. Remember the secrets you shared. Remember how you could relax in that relationship, assured that nothing would ever shatter the bond you felt. Remember playing together, laughing together, crying together, complaining about whatever was unfair, and remember the sympathy you received along with some advice that lifted you out of your bad mood.

Do you give Jesus daily opportunities to be a brother like that?

Do you spend enough time alone with your Brother to tighten your relationship with him? Do you allow him to be your closest companion? Do you share your deepest secrets with him? When was the last time you were playful with him? Do you cry on his shoulder and complain to him instead of sinning by taking your complaints to everyone else who will listen? Do you sit quietly in your prayer chair long enough to feel his sympathy? Do you pay attention to his advice (which is readily available in scripture and other avenues of revelation). And do you tell him about whatever strikes you as funny or silly so that you laugh together?

This is the real Jesus! He likes being your Brother. Go have fun with him today.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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What's your story?

Good News Reflection
Monday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
January 25, 2010

Today's Feast: Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Pray for holy boldness:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Paul.htm

Today's Readings:
Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22
Ps 117:1bc, 2 (with Mark 16:15)
Mark 16:15-18
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012510.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_25.mp3

What's your story?

In today's first reading, we see Paul's conversion story. Why did Jesus stop him in his tracks? Was it to save his soul? Yes of course, but that's not all. Was it to stop him from persecuting Christians? Yes, but still that's not all. There's much more to it than that!

Jesus saved Paul to send him forth as an apostle. The word "apostle" means "one who is sent by God."

In one way or another, Jesus has stopped you in your tracks – not just to save you, nor just to help you become a nicer person, but also to send you forth as an apostle.

He says to each of us what he said to the first apostles in today's Gospel reading. Our places of employment, our neighbors' yards, the company parties, the Little League games and the school functions we attend are the world into which God sends us to proclaim the Gospel. And it's easy! It's what comes naturally if we dare to trust our usefulness to God.

Evangelization is easy because it's not proselytizing nor is it apologetics. We're not called to be religious fanatics who yell, "Repent and be saved!" everywhere we go, nor is it forcing conversations to turn into religious discussions. Evangelization means consciously using ordinary opportunities to reveal to others what Jesus is like by first imitating him and then by using words only when the listener is interested.

Is God pleased with us when we keep our faith private? What would our Bible and our Church be like if St. Paul had kept the Good News to himself, quietly worshipping with the Christians he used to persecute, risking nothing? He wrote several epistles (much of the New Testament) while in prison, and eventually he gave up his life for the Gospel. Oh but we are not all Saint Pauls, right? Oh but oh! We all have the same calling to be apostles.

We stop short of the glory of God's kingdom if we only practice our faith privately and we only speak of it when it's safe. Vatican Council II's Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People tells that each one of us has been commissioned by Jesus. God will provide us with whatever we need to fulfill our apostolic duties successfully. He has privileged us to be his partners in ministry, even to the point of death if necessary. (Yes! That is an honor that shouldn't scare us.)

We can share the Good News with authority. We earned our credentials in our many and various moments of conversion. What changed you? Why did your life need to change? What happened when you allowed Jesus to become more involved in your life? Because of your faith experiences, whether you're clergy or a religious or a lay person, you have been called to a vocation of living as an apostle who inspires others to desire what Jesus has given to you.

You are an apostle! Now go forth and find an excuse to tell someone a story about how Jesus has helped you. Ask the Holy Spirit to enliven your imagination with the right words and to bless the conversation – and he will! Then open your mouth and tell the Good News.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: January 31, 2010 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: January 31, 2010
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA:
For professionally published, printable copies of this reflection,
please go to Catholic Digital Resources:
http://catholicdr.com/calendar/January/4thC.htm - Preview a sample

Next Sunday's Readings:
Jer 1:4-5, 17-19
Ps 71:1-6, 15, 17
1 Cor 12:31 -- 13:13
Luke 4:21-30
http://www.usccb.org/nab/013110.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_31.mp3

Take a close look at next Sunday's Gospel passage. Jesus has just finished reading the scripture that we heard on the previous Sunday ("The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor," etc.). He tells the people in the synagogue that this scripture is now being fulfilled through him, and they all speak highly of him. But by the end of this scripture, they're furious with him.

What changed their attitude?

Their awe turned into confusion when they remembered, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?" Unlike those who would meet Jesus for the first time in later chapters of the story, these people had experiences with Jesus the toddler who fell when learning to walk, Jesus the teenager who learned the carpentry trade from his father and accidentally hit his thumb with the hammer, Jesus the young man who watched his father die and wept during the funeral.

Their attitude changed when they stopped listening with their spirits and started listening with their pre-conceived notions. This disconnect from the divine then stirred up their emotions.

Think of how people react when you confuse them by doing or saying something out of character, that is, out of the character that they expect from you. If you're perceived as too young or too old to do what you are in fact capable of doing, or if your education level doesn't include a formal degree that proves that you know what you do already know, or if you don't tell people what they want to hear, their surprise turns into confusion that triggers an emotional response against you.

We expect them to believe us and trust us, and when they don't, our surprise turns into confusion that triggers an emotional response against them. But how did Jesus handle it when they treated him this way? He calmly spoke a truth that was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Did he have an emotional reaction? Sure! He was human like us; we were all created by the Father to have emotions. The problem is not in the emotions; the problem occurs when we listen through our emotions instead of our spiritual connection to the Holy Spirit.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
How much time do you spend training your ear to hear the Holy Spirit within you? When life is busy happening around you, do you mostly react to it or are you on some level praying about it? What can you do this week to develop a more automatic connection to the Spirit of God?

Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
What are some of the ways you listen to the Holy Spirit? Keeping in mind a surprising challenge that happened to you recently, describe the differences between an emotional reaction and a spiritual action.

STARTING ON MONDAY, if you're a member of the "Emmaus Journey" e-group, share your answers by writing to EmmausJourney@gnm.org
* To join and become a member, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/GNMcommunities/EmmausJourney/

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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Dealing with the jealousy of others

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
January 22, 2010

Today's Saint: Vincent of Saragossa
Pray for deacons:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/VincentSaragossa.htm

Today's Readings:
1 Samuel 24:3-21
Ps 57:2, 3-4, 6, 11
Mark 3:13-19
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012210.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_22.mp3

Dealing with the jealousy of others

Has anyone ever been jealous of you because of your relationship with God? Perhaps someone thinks Jesus is taking up too much of your time. Perhaps you get criticized for being against abortion or taking some other moral stand, because your persecutors don't want to face the truth while their consciences, deep down, recognize how right you are. Perhaps they feel inferior to you or condemned by your faith.

This is what happened to David. Saul's determination to kill David had sprung up from a seedbed of jealousy that grew out of control because of David's popularity. And still, David never stopped loving him. Such holiness only irritated Saul all the more.

Jealousy makes everything look crooked and warped. If Saul hadn't been jealous, he could have seen David's faithfulness and friendship. He could have benefited from his service for many good years, but instead he pushed him away.

Who's been pushing you away? They're doing this because they feel threatened by you, just as Saul imagined that David was threatening his rightful position as king. Jealousy makes people fearful of us by taking a piece of the truth and blowing it up into something it's not. In David's case, he was indeed God's choice for the second king of Israel, but not by deposing the first king from his throne as Saul suspected.

When we cannot convince others of our good intentions and build up their trust in us, we have to place our trust in God, like David did in today's first reading. We have to love our enemies and do good to them, we have to forgive them for the troubles they cause, and we have to wait on God's perfect timing for our reputation – and maybe our relationship – to be restored. God's plan will never be side-tracked by anyone permanently.

If you find yourself falling prey to your persecutor's distorted view of you, and you start doubting your goodness, remember that Jesus has summoned you like he did the first apostles in the Gospel reading. This great King is on YOUR side. Anyone who is not siding with him has good reason to be jealous of you.

Continue to love your enemies. David was kind to Saul even during the tirades against him, even during the many years of flight, even when he had opportunity to kill Saul and bring an end to the persecutions. Often, we have to separate ourselves from those who would hurt us, as David did, but we must never stop loving them. God will honor us for this, as he did to David, and eventually much good will come from our experiences.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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Friday, January 22, 2010

Looking for a quick fix?

Good News Reflection
Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
January 21, 2010

Today's Saint: Agnes of Rome
Pray for engaged couples:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/AgnesRome.htm

Today's Readings:
1 Sam 18:6-9; 19:1-7
Ps 56:2-3, 9-13 (with 5b)
Mark 3:7-12
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012110.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_21.mp3

Looking for a quick fix?

When you make a prayer request, how quick of a response do you expect from God? Our natural desire is to want it NOW! But in humility we pray, "All right God, if now is not the best time to answer this prayer, then how about two seconds from now?"

Our modern technology teaches us impatience. Microwave ovens seemed miraculous three decades ago; today, not even that is fast enough for us. What are we doing with the several seconds it takes to download a webpage off the internet? We talk to the screen – "Come on! What's taking so long?" We could have used that time to talk to God.

In today's first reading, David was beginning to experience a major conflict with the man whom he loved like his own father. Saul was unreasonably jealous of him. David's friend, Jonathan, tried to intervene, but this conflict would last several years, endangering David's life and developing into a civil war that would destroy countless lives and divide a great kingdom.

How do you feel when you try to rescue a friend from his/her problems and your help doesn't work? Do you think that maybe you didn't try hard enough? Well, perhaps God doesn't want the problem solved so fast or the way you tried to fix it.

How do you feel when someone causes you problems, as Saul did when he ruined the good relationship that he and David used to have? If you're like me, your prayer is, "God, you can see this horrid situation, so please take care of it. Either (1) change that person now, or (2) change that person two seconds from now, or (3) get that person out of my life!"

But the best answers to our prayers do not come quickly. Quick fixes are the easy way, the lazy way, the flesh-nature's way. Short-cuts in the path to heaven do more harm than good.

When a God-given relationship turns sour (I am not speaking of relationships that God never wanted for us), God allows the suffering to continue for a while – not for the sake of pain (he surely isn't a sadist, and he suffers when we suffer, far more than we do) – but for the sake of the other person's journey and for the sake of our own purification. He wants to stretch us and expand our ability to love others in all circumstances.

When loving is easy, what merit is there in that? But when a person becomes difficult to love, that is when we become more like Jesus, who suffered out of love for you and me with great passion. How serious are you in your commitment to become more like Jesus? Thank God for his wisdom in protecting you from quick fixes!

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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Can you feel God's touch?

Good News Reflection
Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
January 20, 2010

Today's Readings:
1 Sam 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
Ps 144:1-2, 9-10
Mark 3:1-6
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012010.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_20.mp3

Can you feel God's touch?

Are you aware of God's touch? In today's Gospel reading, the Pharisees missed an opportunity to experience God, because they were focused on their own agenda. Meanwhile, the man with the shriveled hand was open to whatever God had in mind.

Usually, God's touch comes in unexpected ways, at unexpected times. We miss it, however, if we're distracted by our own ideas of how he should answer our prayers. If we have tunnel vision, seeking only what WE think should happen, we see only dark walls instead of the light that is definitely at the end of the tunnel.

When my son was a tot, he didn't want to miss out on anything. So, why did he fail to notice the breakfast cereal that was stuck to his face? When he drank, he didn't get a milk mustache; he got a clown face. Why didn't he clean it off with his sleeve like all the other kids?

All of us are unobservant like this at times. I suspect my son's problem was due to the way his mind worked. Food on his face was less important to him than the events of life around him. He failed to feel his milk mouth because he was preoccupied with feeling his reactions to life.

We should all be that aware of the happenings and people around us, but at the same time, we need to keep our focus on Jesus and view everyone and everything else through his eyes. We need to always be dialoging with the Holy Spirit, listening for the holy interpretation of everything. We must be careful not to be distracted by our own inner voice, our own expectations and our own desires unless they've been purified and inspired and confirmed by God.

God touches us every day in big and small ways. He gives us hugs and congratulatory pats on the back. He comforts us when we feel depressed. He lifts us up when we stumble. He holds our hands when we stroll down the street admiring the clouds and trees and flowers. And when we get hurt, he wipes our tears and he kisses our aches.

But do we notice? Maybe we don't believe God cares that much about us. Maybe we have to remind ourselves that God proved how much he cares when Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross. But that's only a starting point. He proves it again and again, every moment, all the time.

My little son would often say, "Miracles happen every day!" Stretch out your hand and notice what Jesus is doing for you. Don't miss any unexpected opportunities to experience God. Be open to whatever God has in mind. Pray: "Lord Jesus, help me to receive everything that you want to give to me today. Amen!"

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
You may print one copy for your own personal use.
For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection for sharing, see:
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Why do I need you as a partner in my daily ministry?
Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...

Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message!

Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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God has anointed you, too!

Good News Reflection
Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
January 19, 2010

Today's Readings:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Ps 89:20-22, 27-28
Mark 2:23-28
http://www.usccb.org/nab/011910.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_19.mp3

God has anointed you, too!

Do you sometimes feel insignificant? Notice how UNimportant the great King David was in the beginning, as seen in today's first reading. He was so unimportant that his dad, Jesse, didn't even invite him to Samuel's big ceremonial sacrifice! Or maybe he was too valuable in the work of sheep-herding to be considered important for anything else. Jesse didn't even inform Samuel of David's existence when the holy man asked to see all of his sons.

If you feel left out, ignored, forgotten, devalued or unappreciated, take courage! "Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart." If your heart is with God, if your heart loves to serve him, if your heart trusts God to do what is best for your life, and if your heart wants to be obedient to his ways, God will raise you up. God is, in fact, already preparing you for something important to do.

Don't underestimate how important you are to him right now! The responsibilities you have today are very important for the kingdom of God. Even if all you're doing is earning money in a secular job to put food on your table and a roof over your head, that is extremely important to God. If you do little more than care for the children he's given you, the importance of what you are doing is beyond measure.

But be ready! What you are doing today is a preparation for a special anointing that God will give you in a surprising tomorrow. How do I know? Because that's the way he works all the time. He uses everything about today to prepare us for a future mission, even though we're not aware of being prepared, so that we can do greater and greater works for his kingdom.

The Lord has much need of your gifts and talents, experiences and skills, training and wisdom. There is no one else who can offer to the kingdom of God exactly what you have to offer. He can put it all to very good use. And he wants to! He plans to! But too often we say no; we fail to understand how much he's already prepared us, and so we feel intimidated by the possibilities. We need to trust in God rather than our limited understanding.

Consider this: If a hundred years from now you were to be canonized a saint, what specialty would your patronage? Oh don't balk at this question. Even if you're not officially canonized, you are in fact headed for heaven because of your love for Christ and your desire to serve him. What would the people on earth ask you to pray for when you reach the throne of God?

This is what you've been anointed to do now, serving God with your life here on earth.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
You may print one copy for your own personal use.
For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection for sharing, see:
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Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...

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Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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New wineskins, new mornings

Good News Reflection
Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
January 18, 2010

Today's Readings:
1 Samuel 15:16-23
Ps 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23
Mark 2:18-22
http://www.usccb.org/nab/011810.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_18.mp3

New wineskins, new mornings

Do you know why we have mornings? Why do we need to go to sleep and wake up every day, day after day?

Mornings are a sign of God's great mercy! He gives us new opportunities to make a fresh start every 24 hours. When I was a child, one of the greatest lessons my father taught me was to never make important decisions at night, because the view is clearer and brighter in the morning.

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus reminds us that if we pour new wine into old wineskins, the skins burst and we lose everything. Think of the new spiritual growth that you've experienced lately. Are you trying to pour your new life into old ways of doing things? I hope not, because this works as successfully as a pig getting a bath – he always returns to his mud. It's like making a New Year's resolution to lose weight and then stocking your kitchen with sweets. It's like reading the lives of Saints and then admiring the heroes on television who win their goals using immoral methods.

Less obvious but more significant, it's like following God's commands the way King Saul did in today's first reading, starting out in the right direction but making compromises along the way and opting to sin.

When we set out on the right path (e.g., doing God's will, listening well for his guidance, purifying our behaviors, and working hard to avoid sin), it's appropriate to pat ourselves on the back for our spiritual maturity. But the sound of the pat-pat-patting easily distracts us from the quiet voice of God as he tells us what to do or learn next. We become complacent. The day ends but we get stuck in the dark night, because our decisions hold us back from following Christ into new mornings.

In our earthly pilgrimage to heaven, there's no such thing as sitting still. Evil forces will tempt us louder and stronger whenever we're not working hard to move closer to God. They put a lot of effort into pulling us back into old ways and wrong paths. We need to put at least that much effort into moving forward in holiness.

To enjoy the new wine of spiritual growth, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. To do this, we have to remain ever-aware that we're always in danger of straying onto the wrong path, the old path, the self-centered path, the prideful path. We need to remain ever-aware that unless God is helping us, we are going to sin again at any moment.

This is why we need mornings. No matter what we did yesterday, each awakening gives us new opportunities to turn away from yesterday's old wineskins and embrace the life of holiness anew. We can receive Jesus in the new wine of his Eucharistic Blood (ahhh, the blessings of being able to attend Daily Mass!) and choose to stay with him wherever he leads.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain, and should NOT be copied without permission. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection, g o to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

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Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: January 24, 2010

Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: January 24, 2010
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA:
For professionally published, printable copies of this reflection,
please go to Catholic Digital Resources:
http://catholicdr.com/calendar/January/3rdC.htm - Preview a sample

Next Sunday's Readings:
Neh 8:2-6, 8-10
Ps 19:8-10, 15
1 Cor 12:4-11
Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012410.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_24.mp3

In next Sunday's Gospel reading, we see Jesus announcing the reality of his ministry: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.... Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

Did this ministry come to an end when he ascended to heaven and disappeared off the face of the earth?

As the reading from Corinthians points out, we are now the Body of Christ on earth.

We are all important parts of this body! Do not underestimate your own part in this. God created you and brought you into the Church because you can make a significant difference. No one else can do what you can do, the way you can do it, in the plans that he has for making this world a better place.

We Christians are, as a community of believers, the Body of Christ on earth. Every time we receive the Body of Christ in Holy Communion, we receive what we are, and thus we're renewed in the continuation of Christ's ministry. His mission is our mission.

By receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, we consume not only Jesus in his full humanity and his full divinity, we also consume his ministry. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon us. Every Mass is a renewal of our vocation to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim what is acceptable to the Lord.

In other words, every time we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, the scripture passage that he quoted in Luke 4:18-21 is fulfilled again.

Sin is anything that prevents this from happening.

Whenever the prayers of others are not answered, whenever evil is allowed to prevail, whenever souls suffer because they have not heard the good news of salvation in Jesus, it's because the parts of Christ's earthly body that can do something about it are not doing it. God provides everything that's needed on earth THROUGH US! Jesus continues his ministry on earth THROUGH US!

Questions for Personal Reflection:
How does it feel to know that you're called to continue Christ's ministry? Reflect on how important you are to the Body of Christ and his mission. What are you good at? What do you feel passionate about? What particular evils disturb you most? This is where you are important and can make a difference!

Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
Name ways that ordinary people can bring good news to the poor, or free captives, or help the blind see, or set the oppressed free, or proclaim what is acceptable to the Lord. What are your experiences doing this?

STARTING ON MONDAY, if you're a member of the "Emmaus Journey" e-group, share your answers by writing to EmmausJourney@gnm.org
* To join and become a member, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/GNMcommunities/EmmausJourney/

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain, and should NOT be copied without permission. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection, g o to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Seeking a past reflection?
Click this button to register for the searchable Archive Library of the Good News Reflections. One week access is free as a special gift to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

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Why do I need you as a partner in my daily ministry?
Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...
Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message!

Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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Saturday, January 16, 2010

Generous love

Good News Reflection
Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
January 15, 2010

Today's Readings:
1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a
Ps 89:16-19
Mark 2:1-12
http://www.usccb.org/nab/011510.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_15.mp3

Generous love

In today's Gospel passage, we see the generous love that Jesus provides as expressed through the forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our souls. But I'd like to point out a bigger display of his generous love. Did you notice where this event takes place? The first sentence of this scripture says: "... he was at home."

Jesus had moved to Capernaum after leaving Nazareth, and he returned here after his missionary trips. Peter also lived in Capernaum, and perhaps it was Peter's house that Jesus called home.

Capernaum was an ideal location for Jesus. As a prosperous and very busy trade center linking land routes to the Sea of Galilee, many people passed through it. Jesus could easily gather large audiences from varied and faraway places who would spread the news well beyond this little town. A short walk from home would take him to the hillside (a natural amphitheater) where he preached the Sermon on the Mount to 5000 men plus untold numbers of women and children.

His love attracted so many people that there wasn't enough room in his house to hold all those who wanted to see him. Try to imagine how Jesus felt about this. Think of the last time you had a lot of company. Were any of your possessions accidentally damaged? Imagine having so many visitors drop by that some cannot even get inside!

Now imagine the blade of a saw poking through the ceiling. Hear the sound of the blade remodeling your ceiling – you know you didn't hire a contractor. Your roof is being chopped up without your permission! Someone's forcing their way in.

Jesus reacts to all this with generous love. He probably felt excited instead of annoyed that so many people were cramming into his home. See the joy on his face as he realizes that the hole in his ceiling is another opportunity to share some Good News. Did he pause in mid-sentence when he heard the sawing and chopping? I'm sure his eyes twinkled and he grinned from ear to ear as he realized that a lame man was being lowered to him by the kindness of his friends.

If you ever suppose that your needs are an annoyance to Jesus, remember this Gospel story. He cares about you with the same generous love! When you crowd heaven with your prayers, Jesus gets happily excited. When you "bother" Jesus with questions about faith and about your life and your loved ones, he gives you his undivided attention. When you punch a hole into the world around you to find a way past all obstacles to get to Jesus, he surely grins a big grin! When you care so much for a friend that you help him or her no matter what the cost, you light up the face of Jesus with great joy.

So, the next time you have a crowd of people in your home, let them see the twinkle of Jesus in your eyes!

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain, and should NOT be copied without permission. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection, g o to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Seeking a past reflection?
Click this button to register for the searchable Archive Library of the Good News Reflections. One week access is free as a special gift to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

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Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...
Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message!

Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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How to win battles without using God as a weapon

Good News Reflection
Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
January 14, 2010

Today's Readings:
1 Samuel 4:1-11
Ps 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25 (with 27b)
Mark 1:40-45
http://www.usccb.org/nab/011410.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_14.mp3

How to win battles without using God as a weapon

Why were the Israelites defeated in today's first reading? And why did God allow the holy Ark of the Covenant to be captured?

The Israelites had failed to discern and follow God's will. They thought that having the Ark in their possession guaranteed their success. We make the same mistake when we use the Bible or Church documents (today's Ark of the Covenant) to prove our point in arguments or when we use it as a weapon to judge and condemn morally erring people.

Have you ever wanted to use Church Law to force others into attending Mass, warning them about mortal sin and eternal damnation? We have only the best of intentions, right? But this is no better than the ploy some Protestants use to "save" Catholics when they quote from our Church's teachings – out of context – to claim that we're going to hell.

To win a battle, we cannot use apologetics; this a tool for explaining Church teachings to someone who's already interested in hearing the explanation. Testimonies and a faith well lived is what will bring an unbeliever to conversion or an inactive Catholic back to the Eucharist.

Before defending any truth, we must first pray and discern if the time is right to speak up. Unless the Holy Spirit has first prepared the hearer to recognize the truth that we speak, we're only wasting our breath. We can do more harm than good. We're carrying the ark into battle without the Lord's protection.

If you want to promote change in others, first pray for insights about their inner motivations: What makes them do what they do? How is sin motivating them to continue sinning? Listen for the Lord's inspiration on how to meet some of their needs, thus giving them the gift of Christ before mentioning the name of Christ. Watch for the Lord to do the groundwork – their soil must be tilled and fertilized. Your prayers will help wither the weeds as the Gardener does his work.

During this preparation time, speak the truth silently but loudly in the way you live. Although this might seem to be too little, it's much more effective than verbally trying to force others to change. Wait for the Lord's "go ahead, speak up now." Until he gives us the words to speak, the truth will only cause arguments and failure.

When people are ready to hear the truth, they ask questions or show a desire to find help for an inner struggle. This is your cue. You are now in a position of ministry and God's victory is guaranteed. You can take the ark onto the battlefield and sit down with the enemy and open it together to look at the truth that it holds.

Isn't that how God converted you?

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain, and should NOT be copied without permission. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection, g o to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

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Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...
Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message!

Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Here I am, Lord, use my gifts

Good News Reflection
Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
January 13, 2010

Today's Saint: Hilary of Poitiers
Pray for help in defending the truth:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Hilary.htm

Today's Readings:
1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20
Ps 40:2 and 5, 7-10
Mark 1:29-39
http://www.usccb.org/nab/011310.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_13.mp3

Here I am, Lord, use my gifts

By the way, did you get the private email I sent you the other day, when God dictated that letter in which he was requesting your services? Oh, it ended up in your junk mail folder? You thought it was spam? God couldn't possibly ask you to do something so different from what you're already doing that it would shake up everything.

Think of the last time you were asked to do a favor or a work that was so far outside the box of what you expect to be doing with your life that you said "no".

Sometimes we're asked to do more than what God's requesting, and we say "yes" out of guilt or for the reward that we hope to receive. And sometimes it's God who's asking, and we say "no" out of fear or a reluctance to alter our plans. How can we safely know when to say yes and when to say no?

Both the first reading for today and the responsorial Psalm highlight what our mental attitude should always be: "Here I am, Lord, I come to do Your will." Then the "yes" or "no" becomes God's responsibility. If we're available, if we're willing to do whatever he asks of us, it's up to him to make his will clear. And he does! Our responsibility is to keep our ears clear, unmuffled by our own desires.

God's call is based on the gifts that he's given us. How generous are you with your gifts? At your funeral, will people talk about how God used you to make a difference in this world?

When you come face to face with Jesus at the time you enter eternal life, will you judge yourself unworthy of the fullness of his love because you were stingy with the gift of yourself?

You are a gift because God created you to be a gift. You are unique; therefore your calling is unique. No one but you can accomplish what God asks of you quite like you can. God has matched your particular calling to your talents and abilities.

We each have a unique calling to ministry. I suspect that one of the reasons why God hasn't yet answered our multitudinous prayers for an increase of vocations to the priesthood is because first the laity must increase in their own vocations. The Church was founded on the collaboration of laity and clergy working together to build Christian community and provide faith formation. It wasn't until the 13th century that the laity lost awareness of their importance in the mission and ministry of the Church.

Vatican Council II brought us back to the original understanding of every Christian's vocation. As we Catholics more fully embrace this change, priests will increasingly encourage the ministries of laity, and the laity will increasingly discern how the Lord wants to use their giftedness in cooperation with their priests.

We all need to say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain, and should NOT be copied without permission. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection, g o to:
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Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...
Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message!

Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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What's eating away at your joy?

Good News Reflection
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
January 12, 2010

Today's Readings:
1 Samuel 1:9-20
1 Sm 2:1, 4-8
Mark 1:21-28
http://www.usccb.org/nab/011210.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_12.mp3

What's eating away at your joy?

In today's first reading, we continue the story of poor Hannah. Her joy has been eaten away by years of barrenness. Now she surrenders it all to God, even that which she desires most – a child – by promising to give him back to God if he would help her to conceive. In that total surrender, her prayers are finally answered.

How sad that she had allowed herself to be in turmoil for so many years, feeling inferior because of her barrenness, rather than choosing to trust God.

Did God give her the child because she became so desperate that she bargained with him in the temple? Did he make her wait until she abandoned everything into his hands? Of course not. He didn't want her to feel despair nor to reach the point of agony that we see in this story. The child he gave her had been part of his plans since before Hannah herself was born: The child he gave her was Samuel, who would become one of Israel's greatest and holiest priests, who would anoint the first king (Saul) and then find and anoint David to replace Saul when the latter became harmful to Israel.

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus removes a harmful spirit from a man. What harmful spirits are affecting you? What's eating away your joy? Who's making you feel inferior? What are you relying on that's dangerous to your trust in God? What holds you back from totally surrendering yourself into his plans and finding your joy in him?

Even religiousness can be harmful. That might sound irreverent, but – do we perform religious rites and deeds because we hope this will bribe God into answering our prayers? Or maybe because it makes us look good to others? Rather, we should be so in love with God that religious rites and good deeds are an expression of our devotion, and our self esteem doesn't come from what others think of us but from God's tremendous love for us.

Do you have enthusiasm or minimalism? Do you eagerly jump at new opportunities to grow spiritually or do you simply rely on what you're already doing? It takes hard work and determination to mature enough spiritually to surrender everything to God.

Are you waiting on God to spell out what you're to do next or maybe to give you want you're waiting for simply because you've bargained with him? Rather, we should be moving ahead, taking initiative and walking forward in the next step toward fulfilling our holy dreams and desires, trusting that God will guide our feet and keep us from wandering too far astray.

God doesn't wait for us to get desperate or to bargain with him. There's a plan at work. He's already doing what needs to be done. When we're unhappy, it's time to surrender to him what we've asked for as if we truly trust him to do what's best with it. But be careful: This is either a bargaining tool we're using to stay in control, or it's complete trust in his divine control.

Are you ready to surrender?

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain, and should NOT be copied without permission. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection, g o to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Seeking a past reflection?
Click this button to register for the searchable Archive Library of the Good News Reflections. One week access is free as a special gift to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

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Why do I need you as a partner in my daily ministry?
Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...
Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message!

Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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Weeping with Jesus

Good News Reflection
Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
January 11, 2010

Today's Readings:
1 Samuel 1:1-8
Ps 116:12-13, 14-19
Mark 1:14-20
http://www.usccb.org/nab/011110.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_11.mp3

Weeping with Jesus

Imagine yourself wearing Hannah's sandals as you read or hear today's first scripture. Peninnah is anyone in your life who claims to be a Christian but who behaves sinfully against you and has no remorse and suffers no punishment, month after month, year after year. Meanwhile, you have been a good and faithful worshipper of the Lord, yet your prayers for an end to this trial have been barren. Your Peninnah mocks your purity of faith, arrogantly treats you as inferior, and cares nothing about your sufferings.

Jesus is your Elkanah, your loving spouse. He says to you, "Why do you weep and mourn? Am I not more to you than everything else you wish for?"

He is, but his loving embrace and his compassionate understanding do not end your sorrows. The injustices continue. You wonder why God hasn't intervened to fulfill his promise of raising the lowly and humbling the arrogant.

In tomorrow's verses, we'll see how God finally answers Hannah's prayers, but today Hannah doesn't know that her trial will ever end. After so many years of enduring Peninnah's abuses and watching her receive great blessings despite her sinfulness, Hannah has good reason to grieve. Her tears are our tears when we need our own life to improve and it doesn't.

At times like this, we have nothing but the Lord himself to give us comfort and satisfaction and peace. Relief doesn't come from our prayers getting answered, but from the Answerer of our prayers. For now, his answer might only be, "I am here, my beloved. You are not alone. I am weeping with you."

And that's enough, because in this intimacy is the salvation we await. In this intimacy is the victory we know we should expect, the fulfillment of God's promises in which we trust. In this intimacy is the justice and the deliverance that is due for us. But we can only experience this victory IN HIM. It's not in our trials – not yet. Jesus asks, "Am I not more to you than everything else?"

The darkest hour is the moment we feel like giving up, but the Light of Christ is always here, waiting to be rediscovered. We are battling powers of darkness that make us feel discouraged and dejected. We need to remember that God never ignores the cries of his people. Jesus has already conquered the darkness. Don't let anyone or anything steal this truth from you. Every trial will end. Every injustice will be vindicated by your Beloved Lord.

But in the meantime, find your relief in Jesus.

For help in this, meditate with my WordByte "An Intimate Conversation You Can Have with the Resurrected Jesus":
http://wordbytes.org/prayers/conversation/
Also available as a downloadable, printable booklet at Catholic Digital Resources:
http://catholicdr.com/faithbuilders/prayers/IntimateConv.htm

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain, and should NOT be copied without permission. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection, g o to:
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Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: January 17, 2010 Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: January 17, 2010
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA:
For professionally published, printable copies of this reflection,
please go to Catholic Digital Resources:
http://catholicdr.com/calendar/January/2ndC.htm - Preview a sample

Next Sunday's Readings:
Isaiah 62:1-5
Ps 96:1-3, 7-10
1 Cor 12:4-11
John 2:1-11
http://www.usccb.org/nab/011710.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_17.mp3

The Gospel story next Sunday gives us a good example of how to handle conflicts without sinning.

Mary sees a need and wants Jesus to do something about it. She knows full well that there is nothing he can do except the miraculous. She wants the divine in him to respond to her request, but the human nature of Jesus responds first: He doesn't want to reveal his divinity with this kind of miracle. He's eager to heal souls, not empty wine jars.

"Woman, how does your concern affect me?" he says. "My hour has not yet come." This is like saying, "I respect your request, holy Daughter of Eve, but think about how a miracle in this situation would affect the ministry I'm about to start! People will come to me for party favors and other earthly pleasures, but I want to give them eternal salvation."

We Catholics like to use this scripture as faith-building evidence of the Blessed Mother's ability to help us. We see her in this story as a mother who can get for us whatever we want from Jesus, because she can make him change his mind. Jesus told her no, but the conflict was resolved her way. Mary won, Jesus lost.

Isn't this how we view conflicts? It's not resolved until someone's a winner and someone else is a loser. Therefore, when we make requests of God and he doesn't give us what we want, we feel like we're the loser, so we pray harder, trying to make God become the loser. And when that doesn't work, we ask the Blessed Mother to side with us and influence her Son against his will.

But God wants us to be the winner from the start! He always wants what's best for us. Mary knew this when she told the wine stewards, "Do whatever my Son tells you."

Conflicts are not inherently bad. Conflicts become sacred opportunities for wonderful solutions when we entrust them to God. Mary trusted that Jesus cared about the people at the party. Jesus trusted that the Father cared about both the people and his ministry. It was a win-win situation.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
How do you feel when you lose an argument? How hard do you work at making the other person lose? Will you trust God to take good care of you – even if you feel like a loser?

Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
Describe a conflict (a hypothetical one or a real one from your past or present) and suggest an ideal solution. Is anyone a loser in this scenario? If you were to truly trust God, what might he do to resolve the conflict so that everyone benefits?

STARTING ON MONDAY, if you're a member of the "Emmaus Journey" e-group, share your answers by writing to EmmausJourney@gnm.org
* To join and become a member, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/GNMcommunities/EmmausJourney/

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain, and should NOT be copied without permission. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection, g o to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Seeking a past reflection?
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Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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Have a busy schedule?

Good News Reflection
Good News Reflection
Friday after Epiphany
January 8, 2010

Today's Readings*:
1 John 5:5-13
Ps 147:12-15, 19-20
Luke 5:12-16
http://www.usccb.org/nab/010810.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_08.mp3

*Today's reflection is based on the readings for the US. To read the scriptures for other parts of the world, see:
http://www.universalis.com/20100108/mass.htm

Have a busy schedule?

We live in a very fast-paced world and it seems like we can never keep up with all the demands of this speed. We try harder and work faster and stay busy longer, yet it seems like the people who demand a piece of our time are more numerous than we can handle.

How does this make you feel? Frustrated? Worried? Angry? Tired? These feelings are warning signs that we need to schedule more time for ourselves, alone with God. But we feel guilty if we slow down for our own sake!

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus shows us that we should not feel guilty. It's good spiritual medicine to go away from the busy world and, for a little while, forget the hectic demands of normal life. It's the principle of the Sabbath, the biblical day of rest that God himself took. Did the Creator need to restore lost energy after making the universe? Of course not. It's an example set for our benefit.

The Sabbath is not really about a particular day of the week; it's about prioritizing good mental, physical and spiritual health. As Jesus became more popular, the demands on his time increased. So did his human need to spend time away from it, alone with the Father. He didn't wait for the crowds to subside. He didn't finish his checklist of tasks before withdrawing. He made Sabbath-thinking a normal priority.

Jesus could not have given himself fully to the crowds if he hadn't spent time giving himself fully to the Father and sitting quietly long enough to receive fully from the Father. We cannot give to others what we don't have, and we cannot receive it if we don't take time to nurture our relationship with God.

If we don't spend time letting the Father nurture our spirits, how can we overcome the temptations of the flesh? How can we feel joyful instead of frustrated? How can we be at peace instead of worried? How can we remain calm when things go wrong? How can we find renewed energy when an unexpected demand hits us after we're already tired?

Where is your deserted place? The busier you are, the more you need to spend time there. The harder it is to be alone with God without distractions, the more you need a quiet place.

When is your pre-scheduled, top-priority prayer time? This is the most important time of your day. Take what you need!

What if you've been nodding your head vigorously to these words but you simply don't see a way to take the time off you need for vacation or a Sabbath or daily quiet time with God? Try what I did last November: Pick a time, put it on the calendar, announce to everyone that this sacred event is set in stone, and entrust the "how? where?" of it to God. He'll figure out a great plan.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain, and should NOT be copied without permission. For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection, g o to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Seeking a past reflection?
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Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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Thursday, January 7, 2010

Is obeying the commandments easy for you?

Good News Reflection
Thursday after Epiphany
January 7, 2010

Today's Readings*:
1 John 4:19–5:4
Ps 72:1-2, 14, 15bc, 17 (with 11)
Luke 4:14-22
http://www.usccb.org/nab/010710.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_07.mp3

*Today's reflection is based on the readings for the US. To read the scriptures for other parts of the world, see:
http://www.universalis.com/20100107/mass.htm

Is obeying the commandments easy for you?

Today's first reading tells us that God's commandments are not burdensome. Well, have you ever found God's commandments to be difficult? I sure have! It IS a burden to examine my conscience and force myself to change. Ahh, but John shares with us the secret to making it easy: Our faith.

Faith conquers all, he says. So, do you have enough faith to conquer all temptations, stay pure and resist evil? Not me!

Therefore, we can conclude that, although we do have faith in God, our faith is too little. Right? No. We were given the Holy Spirit during our baptisms, and both Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 say that faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit, which means that we have all the faith that God has! An awesome thought, so what's missing? Why do we do things that are not holy?

Look at what John is talking about in the whole of the first reading: Love. This is the key to preventing the commandments from feeling burdensome.

If we know that God loves us unconditionally, regardless of how sinful or holy we are, then we naturally want to love him with our whole heart, whole soul, and whole mind. And when we love him that much, we naturally want to unite ourselves to him in loving everyone whom he loves, even the jerks (I mean those irritating, errr, precious children of God who are causing us problems). When we truly love others, we are less likely to sin against them.

If we try to obey God's commandments simply because he says so, it is a burden. Holiness is then as difficult for us as it was for the folks of the Old Testament who lived by the letter of the law without the help of the Spirit of the law, the Holy Spirit. But only Jesus could succeed in fulfilling the law perfectly, and he added love into the equation. Whereas the old laws allowed people to demand an eye for an eye when they were wronged, Jesus commanded: "Do good to your enemies." And he gave us his Holy Spirit so that we could succeed at this.

If we desire to obey God's commandments because we want to remain united to his love, and if we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us love others unconditionally (sometimes we need supernatural love), it becomes much easier to resist sin.

In fact, we often don't even feel tempted. We enjoy doing good to our enemies, we consider ourselves blessed when persecuted by jerks, and we have great patience because we notice that those jerks are really more wounded than we are, and instead of getting angry, we feel sorry for them.

In every situation, including the most burdensome, we need to ask: "What would Jesus do?" Better yet, ask: "What would LOVE do?" This melts the weight of the burden.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain, and should NOT be copied without permission.For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection, g o to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

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Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...
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Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

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