Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: August 1, 2010 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: August 1, 2010
18th 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/August/18thC.htm - Preview a sample
Next Sunday's Readings:
Ecc 1:2; 2:21-23
Ps 90:(1) 3-6, 12-14, 17
Col 3:1-5, 9-11
Luke 12:13-21
http://www.usccb.org/nab/080110.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_08_01.mp3
When we understand God's generosity, we are truly wealthy. No matter how little money we have in the bank, our lives are rich in peace – the kind of peace that gets us through trials and battles with wisdom and endurance.
God's generosity also leads to material blessings. Every material blessing we have comes from God. He delivers it to us through the talents, abilities, and personality style that he has given to us. Whatever we earn through our own efforts comes originally from God's efforts. God is the source of everything that’s good in our lives.
However, there’s always a purpose that’s bigger than us. Everything from God is meant to bless others, too. We are channels of God's generosity.
Whatever we have that we refuse to share becomes the cause of sin. We succumb to selfishness, which is akin to greed. The problem with greed is that it hurts others by denying them what God wants to share with them.
What makes us vulnerable to this sin? Self-reliance. It comes from thinking that we can rely solely on ourselves and on our own resources instead of partnering with God in generosity. Even when we recognize that God has been generous with us, self-reliance says we should keep it all to ourselves or else we will suffer bad consequences.
When we protect our lives by storing up our goods, others suffer. In next Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus addresses both greed and self-reliance, because they are completely contrary to the personality of God.
Generosity grows when we understand that God is the provider of everything good and that he will continue to provide for us even when we give away what he gives to us – especially when we give away what he gives to us. Think about what you have in abundance (be it money, or joy, or wisdom, or lessons learned from experience, or ___ ). Now look around. How might you be the answer to others' prayers?
Everything that belongs to God is ours when we desire to share it with others. This is the primary economic principle of the kingdom of God. The Body of Christ thrives only when there's a continual exchange of goods. We call this the communion of saints.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
What is most difficult for you to share or give away? Why do you cling to it? What are you afraid will happen if you let go of it?
Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
Why do we feel safer relying on ourselves than on God? Give an example of God's generosity in your own life. How would (or did) sharing this with others make a difference?
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.
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...
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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Friday, July 23, 2010

Letting go of our losses

Good News Reflection
Thursday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 22, 2010
Today's Feast: Mary Magdalene
Pray for the bereaved and those in bereavement ministry:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/MaryMagdalene.htm
Today's Readings:
Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13
Ps 36:6-11
John 20:1-2, 11-18
http://www.usccb.org/nab/072210.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_22.mp3
Letting go of our losses
We should reflect on Mary Magdalene's attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained.... And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tell us: "Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved." - Pope St. Gregory the Great (from a sermon on St. Mary Magdalene)
In today's Gospel reading, we see the emotions of Mary of Magdala, one of a Jesus' closest friends. First, she wept – like we do when someone or something important has been taken from us.
All the way to the core, we mourn and we try to hang onto past memories as if enfleshing them in the present. We wish our time with our loved one or a previous phase of life had never ended. We wish we could go back and relish more fully what we used to have. If we can, we even try to bring it back, and we get mad at those (and at God) who are responsible for our loss. This is normal for a healthy grieving process.

Surely in Mary's tears was the feeling of: "I loved him sooooo much! I didn't get enough of him! I want more! I need more! I can't believe he's gone. It's not fair! It's not right! How could God allow this?"
Then, when the resurrected Jesus appeared to her and she finally recognized him, she embraced him with excitement, relief, and awe. It was more than a "welcome back" hug. She didn't want to let go. How do we feel when we regain something we've lost? We want to cling to it so we won't lose it again.
However, Jesus did not let her hug him very long. Why not? Surely he understood her feelings and her needs. His explanation: "I have not yet ascended to the Father." In other words, as good as it was to have Jesus back, something even better was going to happen.
Jesus was going to leave her again. His flesh had to depart from this world so that he could give his Holy Spirit to everyone. Thus he can be with all of us all of the time.
Whatever losses we've suffered, we need to trust that God wants to move us to a new place, a good place. We need to stop clinging to the past and quit the "what if" thinking that only makes us feel more miserable. Then, we become free to move on to a new life in which we experience more of the resurrected Christ through his Holy Spirit.
Death and resurrection are two essential ingredients of Christian living. There is no improvement without loss. There is no loss that comes without improvement, as long as we move through it with the Lord.
It's good to value the past – just as Mary Magdalene and the disciples forever treasured their three years with Jesus and repeatedly told others about it – but we should ALSO value what God is planning for the future, even if we don't yet know what that future holds. As scary or lonely as that future seems now, God will be with you, and he will be very good to you!
For a printer-ready distributable copy of this and other reflections for the bereaving and those in bereavement ministry, please visit Catholic Digital Resources at:
http://catholicdr.com/faithbuilders/bereavement/index.html
© 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.
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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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Is inadequacy holding you back?

Good News Reflection
Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 21, 2010
Today's Readings:
Jer 1:1, 4-10
Ps 71:1-6ab,15,17
Matt 13:1-9
http://www.usccb.org/nab/072110.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_21.mp3
Is inadequacy holding you back?
You are a modern-day Jeremiah. God has given you a Word to speak: his holy Word in the form of encouragement, affirmation, faith-building, or healing. You have knowledge about the kingdom of God that will benefit others. You have experiences that can inspire others to grow closer to God. You have wisdom from the Holy Spirit that's meant to be shared.
God appointed you to be one of his prophets while you were still in your mother's womb. Though you might feel inadequate for the task (like Jeremiah did when he thought he was too young in today's first reading, God is the one who will place the words in your mouth. What he shares with you to share with others is more than adequate!
So what's stopping you from doing more? Why do you hesitate? What do you fear? For most of us, the feeling of inadequacy is a consequence of focusing on ourselves and forgetting that God has a bigger role than we do in fulfilling what he calls us to do. He supplies us with everything we need for success.
Consider how much you enjoyed helping people in the past, but alas, some of them have not responded well. Do you feel like you failed? This contributes to the feeling of inadequacy. Are you afraid that you can't make a big enough difference, so why try? Have you decided that to care so much about someone is just too painful and too sad, because you cannot see good results coming from your attempts to help?
We don't like being the farmer of the parable in today's Gospel reading, working hard in the blazing sun only to watch the crops die.
To find renewed energy, we must spend time appreciating the differences that we HAVE made. Not everyone has rejected our help. Some have been rich soil, and the seeds we've sowed have sprouted and produced new growth.
And where our efforts have failed, well, we never know when rocky soil is going to become fertile soil. The groundwork we've laid is never futile, but it might take another farmer to produce results. God appreciates the hard work we do, even when the soil produces nothing good. Apparent failures should never stop us. Why should someone else be denied the seeds we can give, just because we've stubbed our toes on dry or rocky soil?
We should take our stubbed toes to the Lord and let him heal us. Then the seeds of our healing will produce a harvest of courage, and the fruits that grow will produce seeds that can help others find healing too.
So what if only some of our seeds sprout and grow? The only thing that matters is that we are called to be farmers. We are not responsible for making the seeds grow; we are only the sowers.
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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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 important are you to Jesus?

Good News Reflection
Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 20, 2010
Today's Saint: Margaret of Antioch
Pray for expectant mothers:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/MargaretAntioch.htm
Today's Readings:
Micah 7:14-15,18-20
Ps 85:2-8
Matt 12:46-50
http://www.usccb.org/nab/072010.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_20.mp3
How important are you to Jesus?
Think about how much Jesus loves you. How important are you to Jesus, really? The correct answer is: As important as his own Mother, Mary the Queen of Heaven, the blessed and "highly favored one"!
We know Jesus had favorites: friends that he felt closest to, a mother he cherished, companions he enjoyed being with during the fun times, and a few he wanted near him during the worst of times, but never did he show favoritism. John "the beloved" was an especially close friend. James the apostle was a relative whom he invited into the inner circle of the twelve. But as we see in today's Gospel reading, Jesus did not give anyone, not even his Blessed Mother, preferential treatment.
In this scene, Jesus is busy ministering to the crowds who flocked to hear him and to get a healing from him. Mary brings along some relatives who want to speak with him. Without a pause to find out what they want, Jesus uses the opportunity to teach his listeners that they were all equally important. Anyone, he explains, who unites their will to God's will is an important member of his family and is as loved and appreciated and valued as his own dear mother and his personal family.
That means YOU are equally precious to Jesus! YOU are as important to God as anybody!
Can you accept this? Or do you suppose your problems exist because you're not special enough to God?
And can you accept that everyone else you know is as important to God as you are? Even the people you don't like?
Find the followers of Christ who truly want to do the Father's will and you will find the favorites of Jesus. God loves everyone equally, but the blessed are those who work hard at being holy. If you want to enjoy the blessings that come from being with God's favorites, get more involved with those who love God. Seek out the ones who love God so much that it's obvious that they love others too. You'll usually find them busy serving in parish ministries. Join the same ministries!
Enjoying God's favorites, however, does not mean that we can treat them with favoritism. Look at how readily we give special favors to family, to friends who are good to us, to people who worship like us and think like us, or to those we want to impress. Why aren't we just as willing to do favors for anyone else? Another word for "favoritism" is "prejudice. "
Let's be more like Jesus. Jesus is not prejudiced against you or me or anyone in any way, even when we sin. However, he really enjoys being close to us when we cherish doing the Father's will. And that's when we most enjoy being close to him!
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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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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Do you need proof that God is helping you?

Good News Reflection
Monday of the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 19, 2010
Today's Readings:
Micah 6:1-4, 6-8
Ps 50:5-6,8-9,16-17,21,23
Matt 12:38-42
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071910.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_19.mp3
Do you need proof that God is helping you?
"Jesus, we want to see a sign from you."
The scribes and Pharisees in today's Gospel reading wanted proof that God's power was at work in their world. We want it, too. We ask God to do something and then start looking for evidence that our prayers are being answered. When we intercede for others, we hope that soon we'll hear good news from them. Our prayer requests are usually accompanied by a desire for proof that God has heard us and cares and is doing something to make life better.
But Jesus said, "An evil and unfaithful age is eager for a sign!" He's not implying that it's a sin to want signs. Often, God does give us signs; it's one of the ways he communicates his will to us. The sin occurs when we distrust him, eager for a sign that would give proof that he loves us and cares – instead of trusting in his goodness and compassion.
How many times do we entrust a person or situation over to God and then nothing happens? The problem often seems to get worse, right? Remember this: God never ignores us nor abandons us. The answer to prayer is usually a process. While we wait, God invites us to trust him more. He wants us to choose to remember that he does truly care and that he is turning everything into an ultimate good in which we – and others – will benefit.
The only proof we need of God's love is that Jesus died for us. The only proof we need that God has the power and the desire to redeem even the worst situations of our lives is the resurrection of Jesus. This is what Jesus meant when he referred to the sign of Jonah.
When you ask God for help and then don't see evidence that anything has changed for the better, does your asking become more intense? Do you start begging and pleading? Yeah, I often feel that way, too. And when God still doesn't provide proof, we get frustrated, and then we get angry.
However, we're not really angry at God. What we're angry at is our limited idea of who God is. The "God" we're mad at is a false god, an incomplete god, a distorted image of the true God.
We need to learn more about who God really is. We need to look at the crucifix and recall what he did for us. If Jesus was willing to suffer so painfully and die for us, will he not do everything else that we need from him? If the Father loves us so much that he resurrected Jesus from death so that we could go with him to heaven, will he not also give us every blessing that we need here on earth?
Think of how you feel when you're pleading with God. This is how God feels, too! Look at today's first reading. Here, God is the one who's doing the begging. What is he yearning to receive from us? Only that we do what is right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with him. Will you answer HIS prayer today?
© 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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Monday, July 19, 2010

Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: July 25, 2010 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: July 25, 2010
17th 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/July/17thC.htm - Preview a sample

Next Sunday's Readings:
Gen 18:20-32
Ps 138:1-3, 6-8
Col 2:12-14
Luke 11:1-13
http://www.usccb.org/nab/072510.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_25.mp3

In next Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus teaches us how to pray with faith. Notice that his parable does not say that we can get everything we ask for. Not everything is good for us; the "bread" that runs as a theme through this scripture is the life of holiness – the "Bread of Life" is Jesus. The gift of the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, is a HOLY life.

Notice also that the visitor in the parable is a friend of God, not a stranger, who wants to share the bread with another friend. This represents a baptized Christian who wants to share the friendship of God ("three loaves" - the Trinity) with others, but he or she is inadequate for the task.

When we knock on the door to God's heart seeking help for our inadequacies, the Father gives us his fully adequate Holy Spirit. And that's not all we get! Whenever we pray, this Holy Spirit connects us to the Father and to Jesus. Therefore, every prayer increases our holiness, brings us closer to God and empowers us to be more like Jesus. But holiness does not come quickly nor easily . We must be persistent in our prayer lives. We must continually rely on God’s Spirit in order to resist temptations and grow in faith.

No matter what we ask God to share with us, including the material things that we need or desire, God wants to use it to nourish our souls. This is what we ask for when we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." Be persistent. Receiving God’s bread usually doesn't happen overnight (we're slow learners).

It's the devil who says that we can have everything we ask for as fast as we want it. New Age and occult practices are fast-food spiritualities that are riddled with the unhealthy fat of false beliefs. They lack the growth in holiness that we can only receive from the Holy Spirit. Many people turn to the occult because they don't have the desire to persist on the path of holiness.

The supernatural adequacies of the Holy Spirit are ours for the asking, because we already received the Holy Spirit during baptism. However, to live in God's supernatural power, we have to pray persistently, identify our sins and repent, purge our lives of selfish motives, and humbly open ourselves to the holiness of the Holy Spirit.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
How much do you rely on the Holy Spirit's help in your daily life? How often do you humble yourself before the Lord in prayer and ask for an increase of holiness?

Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
Describe your prayer life. How does it help you become holier in your daily activities? How has the Holy Spirit purified you?

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.
You may print one copy for your own personal use.
For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection for sharing, see:
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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To sign up for your own subscription, go to:
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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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Friday, July 16, 2010

Is there room for mercy in the law?

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 16, 2010
Today's Saint: Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Pray for protection:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/MtCarmel.htm
Today's Readings:
Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8
Isaiah 38:10-12, 16
Matt 12:1-8
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071610.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_16.mp3
Is there room for mercy in the law?
When our daughter was age four, my husband and I tried to sign her up for school a year before the local laws said she could start. A bright and sociable darling, she needed the daily stimulation that Kindergarten could provide, because whenever she got bored, she became a troublemaker. We presented her case to the school authorities, who judged her without meeting her or testing her. They said she wasn't ready because "that's our policy."
After wasting a year and starting Kindergarten when the rules permitted it, a placement test quickly moved her to First Grade. When she graduated from high school, instead of having the problems that the school board had predicted, she was as a well-adjusted, ambitious young lady with high honors and a few college courses already completed.
The educational authorities we had faced were like the religious authorities Jesus dealt with in today's Gospel reading. The question raised in both situations was: Which is more important, the policy or the person?
The policy that the Pharisees were trying to protect is one of the 10 commandments: Keep the Sabbath day holy. An over-eager man-made policy had been layered on top of it to ensure obedience. It forbade any kind of work that day, including the smallest act of plucking grain. The Pharisees adhered to this interpretation of God's commandment so closely that they violated his law of mercy. It didn't matter that the disciples were hungry; the rules were more important.

We become like the Pharisees when we focus on what people "ought" to do while neglecting their needs. Is it merciful when altar servers are scolded during Mass over mistakes, embarrassing them as they try to serve the Lord? Is it merciful to give parents a disapproving look when their restless children make noise in church?
What about putting someone into jail for a crime he committed, even though his regrets are strong enough to prevent him from doing it again? Or kicking a teenage girl out of the home because she got pregnant and chose not to have an abortion? Or condemning a couple who marry outside the Church, when what they really need is someone to compassionately journey with them into conversion, so that when they finally want a Church wedding, it will be much more of a genuine, sacramental commitment with the Lord than it would have been on their first wedding day?
Even the official Code of Canon Law encourages mercy. Dispensation from the laws is to be granted when the law works against a person's salvation (for example, see Chapter 5 of Title 4, Canon Laws 85-93). Love is the foundation of every divinely inspired rule, and mercy is the tool for bringing people into a genuine desire to obey the rules.
© 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:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm
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Finding rest in the yoke of Jesus

Good News Reflection
Thursday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 15, 2010
Today's Readings:
Isaiah 26:7-9,12,16-19
Ps 102:13-21
Matt 11:28-30
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071510.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_15.mp3
Finding rest in the yoke of Jesus
Are you weary? Weighed down and exhausted by family problems, trials at work, challenges in ministry, or maybe even spiritual attacks against your soul? Jesus said in today's Gospel reading, "Come to me when you are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you." We can rest by taking his yoke upon us.
What? Sounds like more weight to me!
Jesus' yoke is humility – i.e., enduring trials with gentleness, patience, forgiveness, going the extra mile. But this seems like a very heavy yoke; how will it refresh us? How could it lighten our loads?
Today's first reading speaks for our yearnings: We long for God's peace. We want a smooth way through rough problems. We feel like the woman in labor, pushing painfully for hours but expelling only gas. (Isaiah used the word "wind", but don't you think he might have been referring to that stinky wind our bodies expel?)

Actually, the restful peace we need is available every moment, because Jesus is with us every moment. In accepting his yoke upon us, we bond ourselves to him. Since he is the stronger one of the team, the weight of the yoke presses more heavily on him than on us. Our burdens feel lighter. If we don't strain against the yoke by pulling Jesus in our own direction, he leads us into the kingdom of everlasting goodness through his power, his strength, and his energy.
Life's pains are easier to endure when we realize there's a bigger picture. As we plow with Jesus through troublesome fields, we are helping to sow the kingdom of God, making a difference for all of eternity. That's awesome! If we could see where Jesus is taking us with our plows, we'd be grateful about the new crop that will grow. But we can't see the future – if we could, we'd probably ignore the fruitful harvest, focus on the sweat of the labor, drop the yoke and run.
We have to trust, instead, on the promises God is providing for our encouragement: "You will find rest for yourselves," he says. The Bible is full of promises that are guarantees meant to strengthen us and keep us plowing forward through whatever it takes to produce wonderful fruits.
We can either moan and complain about the trials, or we can forgive those who make our lives difficult. Forgiveness is the key to finding the peace of Christ that is rightfully ours. Forgiveness often requires a lot of effort, though, a lot of digging into our humility where we can find the willingness to forgive, a willingness that already exists deep beneath our pain.
The deeper we plow with Jesus, the stronger our muscles become. And the more we use these muscles, the lighter the burden feels.
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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Do you know any saint-makers?

Good News Reflection
Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 14, 2010
Today's Saint: Kateri Tekakwitha
Pray for people who are ridiculed:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Kateri.htm
Today's Readings:
Isaiah 10:5-7, 13b-16
Ps 94:5-10, 14-15
Matt 11:25-27
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071410.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_14.mp3
Do you know any saint-makers?
People who are difficult to get along with are what I call "saint-makers." Whenever we're near them or even merely thinking about them, we cannot remain spiritually stagnant – we either move forward in holiness or we sin. They give us ample opportunities to grow in patience, forgiveness, unconditional love, reliance on God, etc.
God allows us to be in hurtful relationships (*note: I said "allows" not "wants"), because he does not interfere with the free will of those who hurt us. But he does want good to come from the pain. To make that happen, he uses it to show us the limits of our love so that we can stretch and grow stronger in our ability to love unconditionally. (Dangerous abuse is a separate matter and should be fled or stopped immediately, for only then can growth resume and healing begin).
C.S. Lewis said: "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and probably be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully around with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the coffin or casket of your selfishness."
The hurts of love should never destroy us. God heals us as we forgive others.
Let me emphasize that God does not allow the troublemakers to go so far as to destroy us – i.e., to destroy our faith, our lives, our dreams, our hearts – when we keep turning to Jesus. This is what happened in today's first reading. God had allowed Assyria to advance upon Israel, because the Hebrews had turned away from his protection. But he would not allow Assyria to completely destroy Israel. They were stopped just before they reached Jerusalem, the heart of the nation's faith.
If someone is nasty and arrogant and unGodly toward you, like the Assyrian king was toward Israel, or if you've not been able to stop people from advancing against you, or if there seems to be no end in sight to a bad situation, remember that God will not let this go all the way to utter disaster. If you keep your eyes on Jesus and deal with the problems the way he wants you to, you will be protected and you will grow strong.
This truth is hidden from "the learned and the clever," as Jesus said in today's Gospel reading. It's revealed to those who trust in God the way young children trust their parents.
Jesus said, "No one really knows the Father except the Son AND all those to whom the Son reveals him." Has Jesus revealed the Father to you? If you're teachable, yes! Has Jesus made known the Father's unconditional love for you? Every day! As long as you stay close to Jesus, walking the path of holiness in his footsteps, your Daddy-God will not allow any person or any situation to hurt you so badly that it destroys you.
For help with this, see my e-book "The Path to Healing in Difficult Relationships": http://catholicdr.com/ebooks/relationships.htm
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

How firm is your faith?

Good News Reflection
Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 13, 2010
Today's Readings:
Isaiah 7:1-9
Ps 48:2-8
Matt 11:20-24
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071310.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_13.mp3
How firm is your faith?
"Unless your faith is firm, YOU shall not be firm!" That's the message of today's first reading. How can our faith remain steady when we allow circumstances in our lives to take our eyes off of Jesus? Unless we focus on in him, we're weak and vulnerable and easily shaken by the struggles we face.
Trust is a choice. Fear tells us to distrust God and trust our own assumptions, which are based on limited evidence. Fear is a feeling, but trust is a decision. God eagerly helps us to make that decision. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, he gives us divine evidence that contradicts any discouraging evidence, although often it comes in ways that are, at first, easy to overlook.
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus uses as evidence the miracles and mighty deeds of God. What trials are you enduring right now? In the midst of the frightening, burdensome and frustrating events that spell out bad news, look for evidence that God HAS been at work, for there you will find good news.
Many years ago, bad news nearly destroyed my faith after eight months of unsuccessfully trying to sell our house at a time when other houses were selling in less than two weeks. Because we had entrusted the sale to God, I interpreted the problem as evidence that God did not care about me. He cared about everyone else, even the atheist down the street who sold his house in two days, but not me.
However, God DID provide evidence that he was working a good plan on my family's behalf. The house we wanted to move into got sold to someone else, but the deal fell through. Our son was able to finish Kindergarten without changing schools. God gave us friends who prayed for us. And so on.
When I finally chose to open my eyes to the good that God was doing, I became free to trust. A month later – which was just enough time to discover that I really could remain firm in faith – the house sold.
God's mighty deeds happen every day, especially during difficulties. However, unless we allow these miracles to transform us, deepening our reliance on God, our faith is easily shaken. As Jesus said, we become worse off than the sinful cities of Tyre and Sidon and Sodom, because we have more evidence of God's goodness than they did.
Distrust is a rejection of God's goodness. The Sacrament of Reconciliation and the penance rite at the beginning of Mass then become more of God's miracles: The Lord provides the grace we need to pay more attention to his loving interventions.
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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Discovering a life full of love

Good News Reflection
Monday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 12, 2010
Today's Saint: Veronica
Pray for see Jesus in others:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Veronica.htm
Today's Readings:
Isaiah 1:10-17
Ps 50:8-9,16bc-17,21,23
Matt 10:34-11:1
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071210.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_12.mp3
Discovering a life full of love
We can summarize the words of Jesus in today's Gospel reading this way: "When you give up everything, including your desire to get your needs met through other people instead of relying on Me, that's when you discover the good life, the truly good life. That's when you find real love."
He's saying to you: "What's killing your heart? Who's hurting you? Instead of clinging to your own efforts to find renewal and restoration, turn to Me. Instead of trying to bring your own healing or solutions into that situation, turn to Me."
He says, "What are you seeking from someone else? Find it first in Me, and then you will enjoy what others are able to give you, even if it's not enough. Seek everything you need from Me first, not others, and then you will feel satisfied regardless of whether or not they give you what's been missing."
And: "Why are you trying to avoid suffering? Even I suffered. Follow Me. Embrace your cross. Walk with Me, and I will help you carry it, and I will redeem it. Together we will reach a new life that's full of the love you need."
No one but Jesus can give us everything we need. In times of unhappiness, if we can't see Jesus, it's because we're looking at the wrong person. We're more interested in getting another person's love than we are in receiving Jesus' love. We're more interested in complaining about those who don't satisfy us than we are in rejoicing about what Jesus is doing for us. We're more interested in being affirmed by others than we are in God's affirmation.

Do you have low self esteem? Then you have not yet discovered how good you truly are, because you're seeking the approval of others. Their disapproval (from the past and/or present) is so deafening that you cannot hear Jesus telling you how very pleased he is with you.
Go to him first for everything. He is standing before you, his arms open to receive you. He's eager to embrace you. He yearns to tell you that you're a precious masterpiece created lovingly by the Good Father! Anyone who has convinced you that you are tainted junk was not speaking the truth. Only Jesus knows just how good you really are. Only Jesus can show you the gem that you are – and you truly are a precious gem!
The more we want something from others and fail to get it sufficiently, the more we hurt. If we ask Jesus to restore peace in our lives by making others love us better, he says, "Do not suppose that my mission is to spread that kind of peace. I want to divide you from whomever is blocking your view of My love and deafening your ears to My words. THAT is when you will discover true peace."
© 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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Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: July 18, 2010 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: July 18, 2010
16th 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/July/16thC.htm- Preview a sample
Next Sunday's Readings:
Gen 18:1-10a
Ps 15:1-5
Col 1:24-28
Luke 10:38-42
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071810.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_18.mp3
In next Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus speaks to us about our anxieties and worries. They distract us. They're harmful to us if we let them control our lives, because they take our eyes off our Lord and focus us on what's going wrong and how it might get worse.
Mary chose the "better part"; she didn’t let anything distract her from being a disciple learning avidly from Jesus. When we make the time to put aside the busyness of life to sit quietly and learn from Jesus, we discover reasons why our worries aren't really so worrisome.
Only as we sit quietly at the feet of Jesus do we find hope that overcomes despair, peace that conquers anxiety, and wisdom that gets us through trials. Even the littlest worry, such as Martha's concern that her kitchen chores wouldn't get done, is a sin when it takes our eyes off of Jesus. Nothing that distracts us from Jesus is ever good for us.
We cannot grow in holiness when we're not watching Jesus and learning from him how to be holy. We cannot love as he loves nor receive all the love he gives us unless we have a prayer life that includes quiet time alone with him, drinking up his lessons and his loving embrace. Prayers said while driving and listening to homilies isn't enough.
Anxieties and worries are varying degrees of fear: We’re afraid that something bad is going to happen. Even when there’s a legitimate reason to worry, fear blocks our view of Jesus, because it turns us away from him. We need to recognize fear as a warning flag telling us to slow down, quiet down, and sit down with Jesus for a good discussion on whatever it is that's bothering us. He's got the answers, the encouragement, the affirmation that will bring us peace.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
What lessons is Jesus is trying to teach you in those situations? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you learn from Jesus. Search the bible for additional inspiration.
Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
What are some of the ways we can slow down our lives and improve our prayer times? Tell the story of an experience you had when quiet prayer relieved an anxiety or solved a problem.
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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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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Are you God's prophet?b

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 9, 2010
Today's Readings:
Hos 14:2-10
Ps 51:3-4,8-9,12-14,17
Matt 10:16-23
http://www.usccb.org/nab/070910.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_09.mp3

God's prophets are not fortune-tellers; they are prayerful people who boldly speak the truth of God. In today's first reading, we see this in action as Hosea prophesies about the dangers of straying from God and the rewards of returning to God.
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus coaches his disciples on how to be prophets: "You yourselves will not be the speakers; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you."
We are Christ's modern-day disciples and therefore his modern-day prophets, but only if we let the Holy Spirit do the talking.
We are first of all prophets in our homes. This is often the most difficult place to speak for God (which is why Jesus said, "Brother will hand over brother to death...."), because we sound like hypocrites. Our families know our imperfections and sinfulness all too well. Making matters worse, sometimes we've made the error of speaking from a self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude. Usually, the only effective way to prophesy here is through our persistent actions and behaviors and attitudes of love.

Jesus said that whoever endures the challenges faced by true prophets, all the way till the end, will be saved, i.e., we unite ourselves to Jesus all the way into heaven.
When we stop being true prophets, we're rejecting Jesus and the truths that he taught. We represent evil instead of salvation. Sometimes we do this by compromising with the sinful ways of the world. Sometimes we keep our mouths shut when the Holy Spirit stirs our hearts with an urge to speak.
We must hold out till the end: Hold onto the truth that God has revealed to you, dare to stand up for it, and teach it by your examples.
We speak volumes by our examples. People can reject our words, but they cannot stop the revelation of truth in our actions. Those who get defensive when we speak the truth are watching to see how the truth affects our lives. Although they reject what we tell them, they unwittingly accept the truth when we give it to them in deeds and behaviors. This is what it means to "be as shrewd as serpents and as simple (innocent) as doves."
A self-righteous prophet says to others: "You MUST listen to me." An effective prophet says to himself (or herself): "I don't know if I'll be successful, but even if the truth gets rejected, God's word never returns to him void. I'll back up my words by the way I live my life; the rest is up to God."
We need to examine our motives and get in touch with our own sinfulness to remind ourselves that we are not superior to the sinners we'd like to change. We need to become conscious of the precious goodness that's hidden within them. Then, we need to seek loving ways to deliver the message. The Holy Spirit will guide us. Shhhh .... listen for the Spirit's voice.
© 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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Is it time to quit?

Good News Reflection
Thursday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 8, 2010
Today's Readings:
Hos 11:1-4, 8c-9
Ps 80:2ac, 3b, 15-16
Matt 10:7-15
http://www.usccb.org/nab/070810.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_08.mp3
Is it time to quit?
Who have you been reaching out to, trying to show by your life and your words that "the reign of God is at hand", like Jesus commands us to do in today's Gospel reading? Are they resisting this message? Have you ever failed at helping someone find God's healing love ("cure the sick") or new life in him ("raise the dead") or escape from evil ("expel demons")?

You are not the failure.
When others continually refuse to respond to the Good News that we share, we need to remember that God has been and will continue to persist in giving them countless opportunities to come out of the tombs of their denial systems. He will keep trying until their final breaths. However, he will not keep trying THROUGH YOU. He does not want to wear you out.
At some point, he will ask you to step aside so that he can bring in someone new to speak for him. He will say, "Enough, dear one! Move on to someone who WILL listen to you. I'll continue my efforts through someone else; it's time for you to quit. Trust me." That's when it's time to shake the dust from your feet.
The dust on our feet is the grimy ick we pick up from the sinfulness of others – it's the dirt they're living in. It's also our own sinful reactions to their behavior when they reject our help. We have to shake it off. We have to walk to the next "town" clean. It's important to make time to be alone with Jesus so that he can wash the dust that remains on our feet after the shaking.
A note to those who cannot walk away: In an unhappy marriage, God does not want you to walk away literally (there are other solutions) unless you or the children are being abused or abandoned, and even then, getting away to safety does not necessarily mean divorce. In an unpleasant job, God won't ask you to quit before leading you to a new work that will meet at least the minimum requirements of your financial responsibilities. In a parish that has divisive problems, God is unlikely to tell you to switch to another parish, because he prefers that you stay to pray and help make changes from within.
Shaking off the dust sometimes means nothing more than moving away from the idea that WE are the ones who must save others from their sins.
It can be difficult to let go and let God turn the work over to someone else. It can be just as difficult to stay and keep trying until God says it's time to quit. To do this right, we must stay closely connected to God, so that we hear him when he says: "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You did your best and I am very pleased with you. Now let's go somewhere else."
If you're in a difficult relationship, use my e-book "The Path to Healing in Difficult Relationships" published at Catholic Digital Resources. See http://catholicdr.com/ebooks/relationships.htm.
© 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.
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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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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Working for the harvest master

Good News Reflection
Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 6, 2010
Today's Readings:
Hos 8:4-7, 11-13
Ps 115:3-10
Matt 9:32-38
http://www.usccb.org/nab/070610.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_06.mp3
Working for the harvest master
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples to "ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest". Two thousand years ago, these disciples prayed for YOU. That's right! Because you're a Christian, Jesus has chosen you to bring into the Church those whom the Holy Spirit has been seeding, growing, and preparing for conversion.
We're all sent into the fields to gather those who want a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, and we're all called upon by God to show them the value of belonging to the community of the Church.
How do we do this? In countless opportunities: We can provide holy guidance during their trials. We can help them heal from the wounds of their hearts. We can feed them with good nourishment for their minds and their souls. By virtue of our baptisms, we're already in the harvesting field; the plot of land to which God has particularly assigned to you is where you live, work, play, and worship.
The harvest is plentiful, but some of the crop is rotting because no one's reaching out to them, no one's showing them what Jesus is really like, no one's taking the time to find out about their needs and interests, which – if empowered by opportunity and invitation – could bring them into active, full participation in the parish community.
Never believe that you're too young or too old. Timothy was a mere youth when Paul ordained him to shepherd a parish. Moses was 80 when God sent him to deliver the Israelites from Egypt.
Never believe that you're not educated enough or skilled or talented enough. God has already given you exactly what you need to do some sort of work in evangelization right now.
Never get distracted by being too busy or setting your own agenda. Which master are you serving? If it's not God, it's time to rearrange your priorities. If you let God guide you in what to do and what not to do, you'll always have the perfect amount of time to do his work.
If you're willing to become a better laborer in God's harvest, use this oath of commitment:
"As a servant of God, I commit myself to serve him diligently and ably, using my talents and skills to the utmost, according to the work that needs to be done. I commit myself to work with my co-laborers in unity, mutual support and cooperation, honesty and integrity, flexibility, and diligence. I commit myself to discerning God's will through daily prayer, with the help of those in authority over me and the affirmation of Christian community. Lord Jesus, help me to love everyone as You love everyone, and help me to serve in that spirit of love. I pray this in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!"
To help you discern what your special area of ministry is – what God is calling YOU to do – use the Good News WordBytes on "The Master Needs You" at http://wordbytes.org/ministry/discern/ or download the e-book "Knowing God's Will and Doing it Well" published by Catholic Digital Resources: http://catholicdr.com/ebooks/GodsWill.htm
If you're a pastor or other leader of those who serve in Catholic ministries, you can inspire this kind of diligent commitment using the leaflet "The 4 Stages of Apostleship" available from http://catholicdr.com/calendar/October/apostleship.htm, or the Commissioning Rite of the PowerPoint seminar on "Mission of the Redeemer" available at http://catholicdr.com/RCIA/mystagogy/mission/
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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Curing the infection of disbelief

Good News Reflection
Monday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 5, 2010
Today's Readings:
Hos 2:16-18, 21-22
Ps 145:2-9
Matt 9:18-26
http://www.usccb.org/nab/070510.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_05.mp3
Curing the infection of disbelief
To be near Jesus is to be healed by Jesus – spiritually first of all, but also in other ways. What does it mean to be near enough to touch the hem of his cloak, like the woman in today's Gospel reading? How do we get that close to him in everyday life?
It requires a firm belief in who Jesus really is.
The synagogue leader knew who Jesus was, so it was easy for him to say, "Please come to my house and pray for my dead daughter and she will come back to life." He believed in Jesus, but that wasn't enough to make the miracle possible. Jesus had to oust the mourners from the man's home. Why? Because their disbelief would have infected the father's faith.
How has the disbelief of people around you infected your thinking and reduced your trust in Jesus? In his constant love for you? Or in his plans for you?
In today's first reading, God spoke through the prophet Hosea about the Israelites eventually returning to a covenant relationship with him. "When that day happens," he said, "she shall call me 'My husband,' and never again 'My baal.'" Baal was the name of a very ancient, male deity whom the Israelites had turned to when they lost faith in God. Note that in this scripture "baal" is lower-cased to emphasize that it was a false god.
When we lack sufficient faith in the nearness of Jesus or we fail to fully trust him when we pray, it's because we're believing in a false god – we have an inaccurate understanding of who God really is and how much he really cares.
To some degree, we all have false images of God. To some degree, none of us have received enough unconditional love from our parents, our spouses, and other humans who have had authority over us, so we unconsciously assume that God will love us only on the condition that we do all the right things. We assume that God will give us miracles only when we say the right prayers. And many believe in his anger more than his love, seeing him as a baal who could inflict pain.
We know that God is love, but our understanding of this is limited by our experiences, and so we think God is less than he really is.
To get a good, clear view of what God is truly like, read 1 Cor. 13:4-7. Read it slowly, word by word ("love is PATIENT" and "love is KIND", and so on). Read it again, changing the word "love" to "God" and personalizing it ("God is PATIENT with me" and "God is KIND to me"...). Is that the God you know? Is that the God to whom you pray? If yes, then you are at the feet of Jesus, touching the hem of his garment.
This is one of my favorite topics to present in retreats and seminars. You can get a taste of it in the Good News WordByte "Healing Our Image of God's Fatherhood" at http://wordbytes.org/healing/fatherhood.htm. And for a PowerPoint seminar on this topic, go to Catholic Digital Resources: http://catholicdr.com/TrinityRetreat (scroll down to the one called “Life in the Father”)
© 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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Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: July 11, 2010 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: July 11, 2010
15th 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/July/15thC.htm- Preview a sample
Next Sunday's Readings:
Deut 30:10-14
Ps 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36-37 or Ps 19:8-11
Col 1:15-20
Luke 10:25-37
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071110.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_11.mp3
The opposite of love is not hate. It's apathy: ignoring a need, not caring, and doing nothing when there is something we can do to relieve the suffering. In next Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus gives us the Parable of the Good Samaritan to explain that if we love God with our whole heart, our whole being, our whole strength, and our whole mind, we naturally care about other people, even those who are strangers, even those whom we're "not supposed to" like, and even when it costs us something personally.
Many of the problems that exist in our world today are allowed to continue because too many of us Christians – we who through Christ have the power to change the world – do not care enough to sacrifice our time and personal agendas to get involved. Much of the suffering that's endured in our families and workplaces and parishes would be stopped or relieved if we loved God enough to care about others enough to risk the cost of intervening.
How much do you love God? The answer lies in how much you're willing to sacrifice because of your love for others, which is the definition of love that Jesus taught with this parable and with his life.
None of us love God perfectly yet. Purgatory will be our time of painfully regretting our lack of love, while eagerly growing in love to enter into the fullness of God’s love in heaven. Until then, we have daily opportunities to purify our lives less painfully. Daily we're given tests to improve how well we love others.
Daily ask the Holy Spirit, your teacher, your empowerer, your source of holiness, to help you become more like Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you love all others as Christ loves them.
By doing this spiritual exercise consistently, you will receive a new joy and an enlivening passion in dealing with others. You will feel greater love for God and you will experience his love for you much more intimately.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
Whom do you pass by and ignore when you see them in pain? Is there anyone you've recently walked away from because you didn't want to give up something (your time, pride, prejudice, feeling of inadequacy, resentment or unforgiveness)? Take it to the Sacrament of Confession to receive God's grace and help in loving others more fully.
Questions for Family & Community Faith Sharing:
Name a "Good Samaritan" you know or have read about. What did this person give up to serve others? How do such people find the ability to love so well? Apply this to a situation you've witnessed where apathy has contributed to someone's suffering. How could love make a difference?
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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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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Getting ready for mercy

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 2, 2010
Today's Readings:
Amos 8:4-6,9-12
Ps 119:2,10,20,30,40,131
Matt 9:9-13
http://www.usccb.org/nab/070210.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_02.mp3
Getting ready for mercy
Rituals, fasting, and sacrifices – what good are they if they don't come from a heart full of mercy?
When Jesus asked the Pharisees in today's Gospel reading to go and learn the meaning of the words, "It is mercy I desire and not sacrifice," he was quoting Hosea 6:6. The Prophet Hosea had been sent by God to warn the Israelites that the only way to prevent disaster was by returning to the Holy Covenant, i.e., to a committed, true and faithful relationship with God.
By choosing to use the words of Hosea, Jesus drew a clear line between true followers, who walk in the ways of God day after day, and those who only run to God when they're in trouble.
When our hearts are not fully devoted to God, we are not truly committed to being holy. Any remorse that we feel because of the troubles we've caused, and any acts of repentance that we do, are basically just a theatrical performance: We're trying to convince God and the people around us (really, to convince ourselves) that we deserve mercy, a second chance, or a third or fourth or fortieth chance, so that we're relieved of the feelings of guilt. We get the business of holiness out of the way and soon return to whatever caused the trouble in the first place.
This attitude is like a man with an ulcer; he runs to the doctor for a cure, but he does not change the stressful lifestyle that created the ulcer. We reap what we sow. It's like the friend who apologizes in order to get invited over again; it's only a matter of time before he or she stirs up trouble again.
When selfish gain is our motive, rather than concern about how our sins have affected others, we stay in the cycle of sinfulness. We remain outside the realm of God's mercy.
This is so important, read that last paragraph again! Until we're actually concerned about how our sins have affected others, we stay in a cycle of sinfulness and we remain outside the realm of God's mercy.
Jesus said, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." We can do all the right things and still be far from God. We can ask for something in prayer and back it up with fasting, but if we don't care about how our sins affect others and we don't use the fast to discipline the weaknesses of our flesh, we're only using the food sacrifice as an attempt to bribe God into giving us mercy.
To be a follower of Christ, God's mercy has to enter into our whole being, right down to the core, deep in the heart where real change occurs. It has to become a living, growing gift that exudes outward toward everyone else.
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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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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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Overcoming obstacles

Good News Reflection
Thurs day of the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time
July 1, 2010
Today's Readings:
Amos 7:10-17
Ps 19:8,9,10,11
Matt 9:1-8
http://www.usccb.org/nab/070110.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_07_01.mp3
Overcoming obstacles
What obstacles seem insurmountable in your life? Or scary. Or at least extremely annoying.
In today's first reading, the prophet Amos was told to quit doing God's work: Get out or shut up. Yet he had a mission to do; He knew that he'd been sent by God. Should he worry about the reaction he was getting and turn away from his assignment? No, of course not. He should listen to God and obey him no matter what the personal cost. And that's exactly what he did.
Look at the obstacles faced by the paralytic in today's Gospel reading. A more detailed description of this event is given in Luke 5:17-26. The crippled man needed a healing, but his first obstacle was his disease. He could not get to Jesus by himself. So, he accepted the help of his friends. He accepted their rather bizarre method of solving the problem. Was he worried about what others would think if he let his friends chop up a roof that didn't belong to them? No, all that mattered was getting to Jesus, regardless of any obstacles.
How often do we remain in misery because we don't feel comfortable accepting help from others? Or because we don't like their methods? How readily do we give up because the task seems impossible or the dream unrealistic? How stuck are we behind regulations and policies that in general are good but now they're hurting an individual?
If the task or the dream is a calling from God, no obstacle is insurmountable. It merely requires innovation and determination! The paralytic's friends thought "outside the box" of what's familiar and comfortable and acceptable. In doing this, they faced the most intimidating obstacle of all. It's the same obstacle that Amos faced. Jesus faced it, too, when he forgave the man of his sins in front of the critical eyes of the scribes. "What will people think of me? Will they disapprove?"
The paralytic's friends were about to damage someone else's property. Would they be stopped by people who were more concerned about the value of the house than the value of the man?
The real question is: What did God want them to do? When you face the disapproval of others, how does Jesus feel about you? Does he approve of what you're doing? That's all that really matters!

We cannot face obstacles alone, at least not well. We all need a support group of Holy Spirit-filled friends who will help us identify what's paralyzing us and will carry us forward when we're too weak to move on our own. We need friends who will help us discern God's will and find innovative ways around obstacles. We need prayer partners who are not afraid of the consequences of obedience. Do you belong to a community like this? If not, get over the obstacles that are keeping you from it.
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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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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Stop living in the tombs

Good News Reflection
Wednes day of the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time
June 30, 2010
Today's Readings:
Amos 5:14-15,21-24
Ps 50:7-13,16-17
Matt 8:28-34
http://www.usccb.org/nab/063010.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_06_30.mp3
Stop living in the tombs
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus delivers two men from the imprisonment of a deadly life, from the tombs not only of their dwelling place but of their hearts. Before Jesus came along, do you think they felt lonely in their graveyard dwellings?
Let me ask you this: Have you ever seen people try to fill their inner emptiness without God? They try to cure loneliness by filling their lives with money, promiscuity, addictions, workaholism or some other ism. A stuffed life is usually a sign of a deadly life. It's an indication of a deeply rooted, often hidden fear that they are unloved and unlovable. This fear is so painful that they anesthetize themselves with alcohol or busyness or whatever can distract them from feeling what's deep inside.
UnGodly choices separate people from God, and this causes soul-felt loneliness, which no human can completely soothe.
Conversely, when a person unites with God, divine love is now able to fill every hole, even the empty places vacated by people who've abandoned them. But this is only accomplished within community life. That's why, whenever Jesus delivered someone from their personal hells, he sent them back into community life.
And yet, even church-going Christians feel lonely. Why? We're never alone, because God is always with us and we're surrounded by people in every Mass. But that's not enough, is it. He created us in his Triune image with a need for fellowship. We experience incompleteness when we seek communion with God without letting him love us through community.
Since we cannot physically feel his hugs or hear his voice, communing with God alone is never sufficient. We only receive all that we need when we turn to God first and then let him minister to us through human companionship within the Church family.
The degree to which we feel lonely is the degree to which we do not avail ourselves of God's community. He has many friends, and he wants to share some of them with us. Going to church and worshipping God in community isn't enough. We need to nurture on-going and growing relationships with other members of the Body of Christ.
Our tombs are the closed-in, sealed-off areas of our hearts where life in the Spirit of God has died because we haven't let Jesus minister to us through others. Every healing that we need, every torment and problem we pray to overcome has Christian community as part of the solution. Jesus wants to deliver us from the tombs of individualism, divisiveness, and a self-sufficiency that goes too far.
Jesus is calling you to come out of the tombs. Let him free you from the old ideas and behaviors that have limited your relationships with his friends.
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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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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Who do you say Jesus is?

Good News Reflection
Tues day of the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time
June 29, 2010
Today's Feast: Sts. Peter and Paul
Pray to grow in faith:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/peterpaul.htm
Today's Readings:
Acts 12:1-11
Ps 34:2-9
2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18
Matt 16:13-19
http://www.usccb.org/nab/062910.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_06_29.mp3
Who do you say Jesus is?
Who do you say Jesus is? This is the question posed to each of us in today's Gospel reading, not only for our own spiritual growth, but also because our lives are billboards that display Jesus to the people around us who know that we call ourselves Christian.
Consider what you're advertising when you need Jesus to rescue you from an unhappy situation. In today's first reading, Peter is rescued by an angel. In Psalm 34, we declare: "The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him." Does your behavior say to others that this is true for everyone?
Which (if any) of the following does your behavior advertise that Jesus is?
[ ] A Limited Human Being. Friends and family have let you down, so of course Jesus will too. You rely only on your own resources, because you don't really believe you can depend on Jesus.
[ ] A Cosmic Force. Because Jesus ascended to heaven, he doesn't get involved in your everyday, earthly concerns. You don't ask for his help while driving and wondering which route to take, or when selecting the day's clothing or choosing the right purchases.
[ ] A Magic Genie. Rub him the right way, and he'll grant your wish with a snap of his almighty finger. You perform religious rituals perfectly and say the "right" prayers, and when nothing happens, you think it's because you didn't pray rightly.
[ ] Santa Claus. Give Jesus your wish list and make sure you're a good girl or boy so that he brings you whatever you want. You try to win him over by volunteering for parish ministries and talking a lot about religious things using Christian buzzwords.
[ ] A Marshmallow. He's always soft; he understands why you sin and therefore it's okay to do it again. You rarely see a need for the Sacrament of Confession, and if you actually examine your conscience, you rationalize away your guilt.
[ ] A Punisher. Jesus is watching your every move, waiting for you to do something wrong so that he can punish you. You assume that you'll never be good enough to please God. You think you don't deserve to have fun or to receive good things.
[ ] The Embodiment of Love. When you picture Jesus, he is smiling. He knows you intimately and cares about you totally. Because he loves you whether you deserve it or not, you proceed through hardships like he's already working a plan that will make everything turn out good. Your positive attitude shows others that you're blessed because of him, no matter what happens.
Who do you say Jesus is?
© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
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