Monday, January 31, 2011

The power of our interconnectedness

Good News Reflection
Monday of the 4th week in Ordinary Time
January 31, 2011

Today's Saint: John Bosco
Pray for young people:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/JohnBosco.htm

Today’s Readings:
Heb 11:32-40
Ps 31:20-25
Mark 5:1-20
http://www.usccb.org/nab/013111.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_01_31.mp3

The power of our interconnectedness

In today's first reading, we learn that none of the people of Old Testament times obtained salvation, not even the holy ones, until we of the New Testament era were saved by what Jesus did on the cross. This does not mean that they went to hell. Remember, eternity is not a clockwise movement through time the way we experience it in our temporal lives. Those who died embracing God's love immediately received the benefits of Christ's future victory over death.

The most interesting point of this scripture is everyone's interconnectedness. The greatest heroes of the Old Testament were not made perfect until Christ died for them and for us too. Although they were promised the eternal joy of union with God, they could not receive it without us. We are all united in receiving the gift of eternal unity with God.

In our individualistic world, we've lost sight of our interconnectedness. We've forgotten what it means to believe in the communion of saints, despite professing it often as we recite the Creed of our Faith.

Throughout biblical times, people understood that they were part of a larger whole. In the Old Testament, when one person disobeyed God, the entire community was punished. We think that was unfair. Why should all suffer on account of one? Jesus answered that question when he, as one man, suffered for all.

The fact is, we are all connected to each other. Everything we do creates ripples in the stream of life that reach much farther than we can see. Even our small deeds of kindness make a wide-spread difference. So too our sins. This is why we go to a priest for Confession: Through him, absolution comes not only from Christ but from the whole Body of Christ that's on earth and in purgatory and in heaven.

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus gets rid of a legion of demons. As Christ's earthly Body now, we continue this ministry. Together, we are a powerful, undefeatable, miracle-working unit of holy strength that casts out evil. Together, we have all the power of Christ. But do we choose to actively work together?

The absence of those who are not active in Christian community and ministry is grievous, for this diminishes what the Body can do. The world suffers because of the individualism of Christians, and because some of us are too preoccupied with our self-focused desires to provide our gifts and talents to the works of the Church, and because some clergy and lay leaders assert self-importance instead of imitating Christ's style of servant-leadership.

Do you feel worthless or lonely? The cure is in your connection to the community, which is a life of actively serving and being served.

© 2011 by Terry A. Modica
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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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Friday, January 28, 2011

What surprises are you growing?

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
January 28, 2011

Today's Saint: Thomas Aquinas
Pray for help with theological study:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/ThomasAquinas.htm

Today’s Readings:
Heb. 10:32-39
Ps 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40
Mark 4:26-34
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012811.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_01_28.mp3

What surprises are you growing?

"This is how it is with the reign of God," explains Jesus in today's Gospel reading: We scatter our faith around like seeds by interceding for others, by doing God's will, and by sharing our faith stories with those who will listen. Since we cannot make these seeds sprout and grow (only God can), we're taken by surprise when we walk into the field and run smack into full-grown cornstalks.

As Christians who accept the mission that Christ has given to us, we are in partnership with God. That's what the reign of God is. We sow, God makes it grow. However, if we forget that it's a partnership, or if we doubt that God cares more about the crop than we do, or if we take full credit for what we do, God's reign comes by surprise.

In whatever difficulty you're enduring, have you been asking God to help you? Then he is! What have you learned that's improved your holiness and increased your trust in God? These are a few of the seeds you can scatter. Often, we're so busy staring at the dirt that we neglect to see what's sprouting from the seeds we've been sowing.

Everything that grows is a miraculous intervention of God. We could water and fertilize and pull weeds for a million years and nothing would grow unless God gets involved. But the greatest surprise is that the very thing we dislike most about our difficulties is exactly what God uses as fertilizer – which produces a wonderful harvest. (Think of the material that natural fertilizer is made from. That dirty, smelly stuff is very useful!)

As today's first reading points out, "Remember the days past when you endured great suffering." Although we must do everything possible to stop abuse, when we handle difficulties with Christ-like love, it produces great fruits. Don't look for short-cuts or try to veer away from the unpleasant paths on which God is leading you. A greater value lies ahead!

God's help comes to us at the earliest possible best moment, not a moment sooner regardless of how much we beg for a quick end to our trials. The question is not: "Why me? How much longer must I suffer this way?" Rather, the real question is: "How can this be used to help others?" This is how curses become blessings and misery becomes joy.

God is producing a crop of new knowledge and healing and holiness in you that he will use as food for others. Maybe you've been hoping that sugar cane will grow from your corn. Surprise! You've got a silo overflowing with corn. This is your gift to a spiritually starving world.

© 2011 by Terry A. Modica
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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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Thursday, January 27, 2011

How to help others become more loving

Good News Reflection
Thursday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
January 27, 2011

Today's Saint: Angela Merici
Pray for those with handicaps:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/AngelaMerici.htm

Today’s Readings:
Heb 10:19-25
Ps 24:1-6
Mark 4:21-25
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012711.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_01_27.mp3

How to help others become more loving

"We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works," says today's first reading. We all know people who need to be roused (i.e., awakened in the faith), people who stay away from our assembly, whose paths need to be redirected back to the faith.

Perhaps you're dealing with someone who's self-centered and arrogant, who's ignoring your needs and who's uncaring toward others. People like this need to be roused into the daylight of truth so that they'll want to change. And what about those who profess to be good Catholics while disobeying God's will?

We have been commissioned to be the voice of Christ awakening them into a life of unconditional, selfless love, good deeds, and moral obedience. But how do we do this? Scripture tells us to "consider" the possibilities. Study the situation, get to know the persons you want to rouse. What woundedness and worldly training has made them unloving and selfish? What are they struggling with, and would they like to be free of it?

Once we understand their situations, we can look for an opportunity to invite them to trade up to something better, e.g., a relationship with Jesus that will heal them, a better understanding of being loved so that they can more generously give love, an appreciation of their giftedness and how it benefits others, and so on.

There are valid reasons why people stray from the path of holiness. By identifying and addressing those reasons, we can become more effective in encouraging them to change. If we only tell them the law that they're breaking in order to explain how they should change, we chase them away.

Addressing the reasons why people stray invites growth and change; addressing the need to change only invites stubbornness and running farther away. The first method takes much time and patience, a lot of effort and a willingness to serve those who are not pleasant to befriend. The other method is an easy-for-us short-cut that requires no love from us and no good works from us. It usually fails.

The first method means that we are light glowing from the lampstand that Jesus mentions in today's first reading. The other method is a measurement that we ourselves do not wish to be measured by, for when our own sinfulness is identified, the little love we do have is taken away by our lack of humility. If we're condemning others, you can bet that others are busy condemning us for our arrogance!

God has placed into our lives people who need us to encourage them into greater holiness, greater love, and greater generosity in good works. But he has also given these people to us so that WE will grow in holiness, love and good works. Isn't that a scary bit of irony!

© 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.
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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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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

What's growing in your soil?

Good News Reflection
Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
January 26, 2011

Today's Saints: Timothy and Titus
Pray for those in partnerships:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Timothy.htm

Today’s Readings:
2 Tim 1:1-8 or Titus 1:1-5
Ps 96:1-3, 7-8a, 10
Mark 4:1-20
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012611.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_01_26.mp3

What's growing in your soil?

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus gives us that oh-so-familiar parable about the different types of soil. You are the seed that has landed on fertile soil, or else you wouldn't be reading this reflection. So let's dig into what it means to be the grain that springs up from the fertile soil and produces a hundredfold.

Good News Ministries team member Nancy Gardner gave me this modern-day parable from her own personal experience:

I was eating coleslaw with my fried shrimp and God said, "Look at the coleslaw. What's the main ingredient? Cabbage! The coleslaw started out as a head of cabbage. Has the cabbage changed in any way because of the other ingredients that it's mixed with? Not at all. It's still cabbage. But you didn't ask the waitress for a head of cabbage; you ordered coleslaw. Why? Because cabbage that's chopped and mixed with mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar, and spices appeal to the taste buds much more than a plain piece of cabbage."

I wondered, "Yeah... so what's your point, Jesus?"

"The cabbage in the coleslaw is no less than what it was created to be. But if it had not given up each stage of its existence (the seed dying in fertile soil to become a sprout, the sprout growing into a head, the head chopped into slaw, the slaw mixed with other produce), it would not have become a delightful salad for your nourishment."

Nancy's story points out that true Christian faith is more than just sprouting from good soil. Faith is bland unless it becomes part of a salad, mixing what's good about us with the good in others for the sake of nourishing those who want Jesus to minister to them.

As seeds, we sink into the fertile soil alone, but we don't sprout alone. Growing requires Father God's participation as he waters us and gives us warm sunshine. Then Jesus comes along and plucks us out of the comfortable ground and chops us into slaw, ruining our nicely shaped cabbage head.

Instinctively, we try to pull ourselves back together. Even if we understand the value of using our troubles for the good of others, the fact is we're still shredded and our flavor is still quite bland. We need to mix it up with others. We need to find people who are like mayonnaise and spices for us. We need to become part of a community of other vegetables and fruits. (Yes, even people who are fruits and nuts add flavor to the salad!)

Only as a community can we offer the world a taste of what God's kingdom is really like. Only together do we make a good harvest in the kingdom of God. Christ's love, power, and salvation are revealed through our teamwork and collaboration with one another, not through our isolated individuality.

Note: Please drop by our website and see who's on the Good News Ministries team:http://gnm.org/about/team.htm. If you have a flavor to add to our salad, we're always open to adding more team members. Contact me, and together we'll pray for discernment from the Holy Spirit about it.

© 2011 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 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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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

An extraordinary calling for ordinary people

Good News Reflection
Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
January 25, 2011

Today's Feast: The Conversion of St. Paul
Pray to speak the Good News with boldness:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Paul.htm

Today’s Readings:
Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22
Ps 117:1bc, 2 (with Mark 16:15)
Mark 16:15-18
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012511.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_01_25.mp3

An extraordinary calling for ordinary people

The calling in today's Gospel passage – "Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News" – seems more appropriate today than when Jesus first said it, thanks to the Internet. Here I sit in a small corner of my house in Florida, sharing the Good News with people all around the world. Even when I sleep, my calling is fulfilled non-stop through the Good News Ministries website.

I never imagined having such an extraordinary ministry when I said yes to God's call, in 1977, to become a Catholic. Or in 1982 when I became a published writer for his kingdom. Or in the mid-80s when I designed secular ads, which developed skills that later designed Good News webpages. I never imagined during Public Speaking class in high school (ancient days) that God would eventually call me to go into all the world for speaking engagements and via downloadable MP3s (see http://catholicdr.com/e-Classroom/Bible).

I am just an ordinary person. God, however, is quite extraordinary, and he does extraordinary works with ordinary people.

Judas and Ananias from Acts 9:1-22 were ordinary guys, yet they played a very important role in Church development because they treated a terrible persecutor with extraordinary kindness. First Judas opened his home in an ordinary gesture of hospitality for a very extraordinary reason, risking everything for a man who had been an aggressive enemy of Christianity.

Then, while Ananias was having a nice, ordinary prayer time, Jesus appeared to him in a vision and said: "I want you to go to Straight Street on the other side of town, to the house of Judas. He's got a visitor there and I want you to minister to him."

"Sure. How do you want me to help him?" replied Ananias.

"His eyes have been blinded, and I want you to lay hands on him to restore his sight."

"No problem. You've used me to heal people before. I know what to do."

"Yes, but the man I want you to heal is Saul of Tarsus."

"No! You can't mean that! This man is surely here to arrest us Christians! You can't be serious."

"Go!" Jesus commanded. And Ananias went.

Judas and Ananias are never in scripture again. And yet, what they did had an impact on the whole world, even to this day. They helped to launch Paul into one of the most powerful ministries of evangelization for all time. What kind of an impact are you making as an ordinary person following God's extraordinary call to spread the Good News?

Note: This reflection is available as a printable download to share with others, published by Catholic Digital Resources. Please seehttp://catholicdr.com/calendar/January/StPaul.htm

© 2011 by Terry A. Modica
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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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Saturday, January 22, 2011

Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: January 30, 2011 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: January 30, 2011
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

Next Sunday's Readings:
Zep 2:3; 3:12-13
Ps 146:6-10 (with Matt 5:3)
1 Cor 1:26-31
Matt 5:1-12a
http://www.usccb.org/nab/013011.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/11_01_30.mp3

In next Sunday's Gospel reading, we get a glimpse of our own sainthood. The eight Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12 describe the holiness of those who imitate Jesus. The first four deal with our relationship with God; the last four deal with our relationships with others.

How can we call ourselves saints? Remember that you are a saint, as imperfect as you are at this time on your journey, because God has sanctified you through what Jesus did for you on the cross. This means that he has blessed you. And blessed are you because you love as Jesus loves.

Everything that God blesses is made holy! Therefore, any person who lives the lifestyle of the Beatitudes (which is the lifestyle of Jesus) is blessed by God and can rightfully be called a saint: the poor in spirit who recognize that they need God's love, those who mourn and turn to the Holy Spirit for comfort, those who meekly (i.e., without arrogance) stand up for what is right because they love God, and so on down the list of beatitudes. Meditate on each blessing and notice your sainthood AND the challenge to become more saintly by improving how well you imitate Jesus.

The Church canonizes Saints (which we signify with a capital "S") so that we have role models. Even though we've not reached their level of holiness, we belong to the same communion of saints. A saint is anyone who is following Christ toward heaven, without or without a lay-over in purgatory. As we strive to improve, we can ask the Saints for help and receive their spiritual guidance.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
Looking over the list of the Beatitudes, which do you implement best? Which do you need to improve? Which one do you find least desirable? Why? Discuss this with a Christian friend, priest, counselor or spiritual director to figure out how this weakness is really based on a misunderstanding of God's love for you. Then you will be set free to grow in this area of holiness!

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
How do you avail yourself of help from the Saints? How does this help you grow in holiness? Give an example.

Note: This Gospel reading is from the Sermon on the Mount. For a full Bible study on this, go to http://wordbytes.org/Bible/HolyLiving1.htm.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message!

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