Protected by God's mercy

Good News Reflection Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent April 11, 2011 This reflection is also available as an audio podcast: http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts Today’s Readings: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 Psalm 23:1-6 John 8:1-11 http://www.usccb.org/nab/041111.shtml USCCB Podcast of the Readings: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_04_11.mp3 Protected by God's mercy Have you ever been accused unmercifully? Whether we have been rightly reprimanded (like the woman found in adultery in today's Gospel reading) or falsely accused (like Susanna in Dan. 13), we feel terribly invalidated when we have to endure condemnation without forgiveness. Feeling remorseful for a genuine sin does not make it easier to accept the harsh reactions of others, so we defend ourselves rather than admit our guilt. We want to protect ourselves from a crushing sense of shame, so we try to rationalize away our sins. Does this really work though? No, only mercy can protect us. Only mercy can validate our worth. Without it, we try to manipulate people into liking us and approving of us and affirming us. The more we sin, the more desperate we become for other people's approval. And the more desperate we become, the less remorse we feel for what we've done wrong, because remorse is a feeling that says we deserve disapproval. To fill the emptiness and heal the wound, we need to realize that we've been forgiven by the mercy of God. The Sacrament of Confession gives us audible proof of this mercy. And we must understand that it's only God's opinion of us that really matters. Even if others refuse to give us mercy, if we know that we have God's mercy, we will have peace and the sense of personal value that we need. When we're falsely accused, we feel empty and invalidated because the truth has been misjudged and we're at the mercy of others' wrong opinions of us. They're rejecting us and it's totally unfair. We hunger for their affirmation, and if we don't receive it, we defend ourselves and offend them. We convert our innocence into selfishness and pride and unloving behavior. To fill this emptiness and heal this wound, we need to realize that we are protected by the mercy of God, and we must remind ourselves that it's only his opinion of us that really matters. No one can validate us or heal us like God can. He alone loves us no matter what we do. Mercifully, when we deserve punishment, Our Father says: "I do not condemn you, because My Son took your punishment for you. I love you. Go on with your life and sin no more, but be assured that I will always love you, even if you sin this way again." God has more mercy to give us than we allow yourself to receive. Meditate on this and open yourself to his steady, merciful love. He wants to free you from the need to be validated and healed by people. This truth will free you to love others even when they sin against you. With Jesus, tell the Father: "I do not condemn them. Please grant them your forgiveness even if they do not ask for it." We forgive others not because they repent (some never will), but because God has been merciful to us. As we have received mercy from him, so do we share his mercy with others. © 2011 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 to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

WAS THIS FORWARDED TO YOU BY A FRIEND? Sign up for your own subscription! Go to http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections Why do I need your help in my daily ministry? Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. Please visit http://gnm.org/donate.htm where you can make a real difference - even if you cannot make a financial donation! Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message! Note: Good News Ministries gnm.org is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources LLC catholicdr.com 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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Dare to care

Good News Reflection Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent April 5, 2011 This reflection is also available as an audio podcast: http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts Today’s Readings: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 John 5:1-16 http://www.usccb.org/nab/040511.shtml USCCB Podcast of the Readings: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_04_05.mp3 Dare to care In today's Gospel passage, Jesus faces an important decision when he notices a man who's been sick for 38 years. Should he protect himself from being rejected, ridiculed, and persecuted for breaking the religious law about not working on the Sabbath? Or should he respond to the man's suffering and work a healing? The lame man did not ask Jesus for a healing. It was entirely Jesus' decision. Apparently, the poor guy hadn't heard of Jesus yet, as evidenced by his reply about needing someone to put him into the pool. Why did Jesus focus on this man amidst a crowd of many who were ill, blind, lame, and crippled? Maybe he'd been sick the longest. Maybe he had more love for God than the others did. Maybe the Father had a special plan for his life. We don't know, but whatever the reason, Jesus recognized his need and readiness to be healed, and so he decided to take the initiative and reach out to the man. We don't know why Jesus picks any of us out of the crowd. When he takes the initiative to give us any gift, healing, vocation or other blessing, all we can do is trust in his wisdom and accept what he does and praise him for being so good to us. Jesus knew the ramifications of inviting the lame man to receive his healing gift: Both he and the man would be condemned as sinners. Have you ever been in that kind of a situation? Following in the foot-steps of Jesus means responding to the needs of others, whether it will backfire or not. This is compassionate love. In compassion, we contact the authorities when we see children being abused, even though their parents might retaliate. In compassion, we take meals to a sick neighbor, even though his illness is making him cranky and he's likely to lash out at us. In compassion, we speak up for someone who's been misunderstood and rejected, even though we'll become the next target of condemnation. In compassion, we advocate for employees who are being ill-treated by their employers, even though we'll be disdained or fired or blacklisted for stirring up trouble. RIGHT? Or do we think God won't take care of us if we work this hard for his kingdom? To do less is unChrist-like. When we get nailed for doing good deeds, we are truly being like Jesus. We're taking our compassion all the way to the cross. Actually, it's Christ's compassion. Our compassion is his. Our crosses are his. We are intimately united to him when we suffer for the sake of love. Dare to follow your heart to where others need the caring touch of Jesus. Look for opportunities to be Jesus for others in ways that you've avoided before. Stretch your ability to face the cross, because you love others that much. The word "compassion" means "with passion" – you are with Jesus in his holy Passion! © 2011 by Terry A. Modica All rights reserved. For PERMISSION to copy my reflections, go to: http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DRm.htm Please visit Catholic Digital Resources, the official publisher of Terry Modica's writings. Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message! WAS THIS FORWARDED TO YOU BY A FRIEND? To sign up for your own subscription, go to: http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/index-mobile.html Why do I need your help in my daily ministry? Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. Please visit http://gnm.org/donate.htm where you can make a real difference - even if you cannot make a financial donation!

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Miracles without signs and wonders

Good News Reflection Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent April 4, 2011 This reflection is also available as an audio podcast: http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts Today’s Readings: Isaiah 65:17-21 Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 John 4:43-54 http://www.usccb.org/nab/040411.shtml USCCB Podcast of the Readings: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_04_04.mp3 Miracles without signs and wonders Why is it that we so easily feel discouraged when we don't "see" the answers to our prayers? Jesus says in today's Gospel reading, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe." He said this to a dad who wanted Jesus to come to his house to heal his son. This man's faith depended on the same thing that ours so often does: "Seeing is believing". He thought that he could only get a miracle if Jesus physically showed up at his house to pray over the boy. Jesus invited him to grow beyond that. Have you ever wished that Jesus would appear to you in person to assure you that everything is going to turn out okay? I sure have! But then where is our trust in the power and goodness of God? What kind of faith exists without trust? Jesus told the worried father, "Go on with your life as normal. Your son will live." This is what Jesus is saying to all of us every time we pray. "Go on with your life as normal," he says. "Now that you've given the problem to me, trust in my wisdom and perfect timing. Don't take it back by disbelieving that I'm working on it. Go about your normal business as if I'm taking care of it beyond your field of vision, because I am." Do you know why Genesis says God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh? To teach us that God never rests until his work is done! He's not asking us to ignore our problems. Ongoing prayer keeps us in touch with God so that when he says, "Okay, here's what I want you to do next...", we'll be able to hear him and follow his instructions. Some of our church prayers accidentally contribute to the feeling that God's not working outside our field of vision. For example, when we end our intercessory requests with "Lord, hear our prayer", the implication is that God hasn't already been listening, watching, and working, and that we need to beg him to take action. We should consciously remind ourselves that we're really saying: "Lord, THANK YOU for hearing our prayer! I know you'll take good care of this need, and I trust your timing and your way of handling it." That's what "amen" means. What miracles do you need? Write down all your prayer requests, then tuck them in your Bible. As you close the cover, give Jesus your trust. This is how to live an "amen" kind of life instead of worrying and disbelieving and seeking signs and wonders for proof of God's involvement. The signs and wonders will happen, but the who, what, when and where of them will be God's choosing, not ours. After all, would you really want it any other way? © 2011 by Terry A. Modica All rights reserved. For PERMISSION to copy my reflections, go to: http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DRm.htm Please visit Catholic Digital Resources, the official publisher of Terry Modica's writings. Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message! WAS THIS FORWARDED TO YOU BY A FRIEND? To sign up for your own subscription, go to: http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/index-mobile.html Why do I need your help in my daily ministry? Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. Please visit http://gnm.org/donate.htm where you can make a real difference - even if you cannot make a financial donation!

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Forgive, forgive, and forgive … again?

Good News Reflection Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent March 29, 2011 This reflection is also available as an audio podcast: http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts and as part of a downloadable ebook of the entire Season of Lent: http://catholicdr.com/ebooks/Lent.htm Today’s Readings: Daniel 3:25, 34-43 Psalm 25:4-9 Matthew 18:21-35 http://www.usccb.org/nab/032911.shtml USCCB Podcast of the Readings: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_03_29.mp3 Forgive, forgive, and forgive … again? How many people have taught you how to forgive seventy times seven times? These are the ones who repeatedly – sometimes seventy times in one day! – give you opportunities to practice forgiveness. This method of learning the lesson of today's Gospel passage is not fun. But there's a reason why God allows it: These people need your gesture of mercy more than others do. In God's great concern for them, he has put them in YOUR path. (Gee thanks God, but couldn't you have picked someone else to do it?) Such people are in desperate need of unconditional love; they've received less of it than we have, and that's why they behave so badly. In many cases, they have NEVER received real love; their only experience of "love" is actually co-dependency or control or emotional bribery. In some cases, disease, addiction, demonic oppression, or mental illness has robbed them of the ability to receive love when it is, in fact, given to them. No one can give to us what they do not have. They can only give us what they do have, and sadly, that's grief – and plenty of it! We can give them the forgiveness we've received from our loving Father – the "king who settled accounts with his officials" in the parable. We know what love is, because we've opened ourselves to God's generous love, and therefore we have the responsibility of sharing it with those who have less. They might assume that they know what love is, but they don't know how to recognize real, unconditional, Christ-like love, so we have to persist and forgive and persist and forgive until finally – finally! – our love breaks through the barricades of their hearts. Then, when they slip back into their old ways, we forgive them again. Our persistence might be the only true connection to Jesus that they have. However, we cannot succeed alone. Others are also needed, including counselors, doctors, or therapists. Sometimes God tells us that we've done enough and it's time to step away so that he can help them through someone else. The process is long. We have to ask God to give us a supernatural love for these people. When we want to quit prematurely, we can look at Jesus hanging on the cross for us. He did not give up on us. If we truly want to follow him, we have to become like him. By uniting our sufferings to his cross, we are intimately united to his redemptive power. Pray for those who are causing you pain; choose to forgive them. It's a choice, not a feeling. And we need to do it now, not when (or if) they repent. Jesus did not delay his walk to Calvary hoping that humankind would repent before he got nailed for our sins. As you follow him in the spirit of forgiveness, remember: After crucifixion there is always resurrection! © 2011 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 to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

WAS THIS FORWARDED TO YOU BY A FRIEND? Sign up for your own subscription! Go to http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections Why do I need your help in my daily ministry? Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. Please visit http://gnm.org/donate.htm where you can make a real difference - even if you cannot make a financial donation! Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message! Note: Good News Ministries gnm.org is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources LLC catholicdr.com 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 handle rejection

Good News Reflection Monday of the Third Week of Lent March 28, 2011 This reflection is also available as an audio podcast: http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts and as part of a downloadable ebook of the entire Season of Lent: http://catholicdr.com/ebooks/Lent.htm Today’s Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-15 Psalm 42:2-3; 43:3-4 Luke 4:24-30 http://www.usccb.org/nab/032811.shtml USCCB Podcast of the Readings: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_03_28.mp3 How to handle rejection Is there anyone in your life who doesn't accept how much you've grown spiritually? Is there someone who doesn't believe you about your faith? Have you been falsely accused of doing something you never had any intention of doing? Have ever you been dismissed as incapable of doing what you have in fact learned to do? In today's Gospel passage, Jesus shows us how to handle these people. First, it helps to realize that such rejection is normal for a follower of Christ. As Jesus says in this Gospel reading, "No prophet is accepted in his native place." We rise above it by connecting our suffering to Christ's. Rejection unites us to God; the time gap between his unfair treatment in Nazareth and your unfair treatment today disappears. What a privilege! Second, in love we give others more occasions to see and accept what God is offering to them through us, as Jesus did. He always gave his persecutors an opportunity to discover: "Aha! I need to learn from this guy!" Perhaps one out of a hundred will have an "aha" moment. By patiently persevering, we find that person. Not everyone from Nazareth rejected the messianic ministry of Jesus. James, a relative from his extended family, became one of his most devoted followers. James even wrote a letter that was accepted into the canon of the New Testament. God has a James for you, too. The third step, in imitation of Christ, is to walk away. Jesus did not nag people into changing their minds. He did not stomp his foot and pout and whine and all that other silly stuff that we do to win someone's attention. Neither did he stay there and let them attack. The day would come to be nailed to a cross, but not this day. Like Jesus, we must always seek the Father's will to discern when it's time to go to the cross for someone and when it's time to simply walk away. As today's responsorial psalm says, "My soul is thirsting for the living God; when shall I see him face to face?" When others reject us, we thirst for acceptance, and God provides it. We do see him face to face, but we must immerse ourselves in a community of believers whose faces reveal God. We have to surround ourselves with companions who are capable of accepting the gift that we are. To move from the cross of rejection to the resurrection that God wants to provide for us, seek out those who are working hard on their own spiritual growth. This type of person is able to recognize what God is doing in your life. When others reject you, run to these companions for comfort. When you need assurance or encouragement, they will be able to give it to you. God has – right now – a community of believers ready to be his gifts of love for you! © 2011 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 to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

WAS THIS FORWARDED TO YOU BY A FRIEND? Sign up for your own subscription! Go to http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections Why do I need your help in my daily ministry? Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. Please visit http://gnm.org/donate.htm where you can make a real difference - even if you cannot make a financial donation! Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message! Note: Good News Ministries gnm.org is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources LLC catholicdr.com 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: April 3, 2011 Fourth Sunday of Lent

Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: April 3, 2011 Fourth Sunday of Lent Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA: For professionally published, printable copies of this reflection, please go to Catholic Digital Resources: http://catholicdr.com/calendar/Lent/Lent4.htm - Preview a sample This reflection is also available as an audio podcast: http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts and as part of a downloadable ebook of the entire Season of Lent: http://catholicdr.com/ebooks/Lent.htm Next Sunday's Readings: 1 Samuel 16:1b,6-7,10-13a Psalm 23:1-6 Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-4 http://www.usccb.org/nab/040311.shtml USCCB Podcast of the Readings: http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_04_03.mp3 Conversion to Christ is a process. The blind man in the Gospel reading exemplifies this journey into faith. Notice that he did not go to Jesus. Jesus came to him. The man responded by waiting to find out what would happen and then by obeying Jesus. Conversion begins when Jesus seeks us out and we make ourselves available to his touch. He then opens our eyes to the truth, but we don’t immediately understand. When the man’s neighbors asked about his cure, he did not yet understand who Jesus was; he thought of him as just a man. Then, under the pressure of listening to the Pharisees argue about who Jesus was, he had to give it more thought. He concluded that Jesus must be a prophet, which for the Jews was a highly esteemed holy vocation. Next, as the Pharisees treated him more roughly and raised the possibility of expelling him from the synagogue if he claimed that Jesus was the Christ, he began to wonder whether it might be true. Their reasons for hating Jesus became the eye-openers that cured his spiritual blindness. Lastly, Jesus sought him out again, this time to minister to him in response to the mistreatment he had suffered from the Pharisees. In this act of caring, the man could see who Jesus really was. Conversion – the purification of our spiritual vision – takes place in the fire of our sufferings as we recognize the love and concern that God has for us. Questions for Personal Reflection: Think of an area of your life where there is confusion from a lack of understanding. Perhaps you’re having a hard time seeing the good in someone. Maybe you’re worried about the future. What will you do this week that will help you see it from God’s perspective? Questions for Community Faith Sharing: In the first reading, God makes it clear that he sees what we cannot see when we're focused on external evidence. Think of a time when you looked deeper or beyond the obvious. How did that change you? In Ephesians 5, we read that we have become light in the Lord. Name some of the good fruits that come from the ability to see what Jesus is doing in your life. The Gospel reading illustrates that those who think they can see the truth are very often blind, and those who acknowledge their blindness become able to see clearly. Why does this happen? Has it happened to you? © 2011 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 to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

WAS THIS FORWARDED TO YOU BY A FRIEND? Sign up for your own subscription! Go to http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections Why do I need your help in my daily ministry? Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. Please visit http://gnm.org/donate.htm where you can make a real difference - even if you cannot make a financial donation! Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message! Note: Good News Ministries gnm.org is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources LLC catholicdr.com 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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